(Posted April 27, 2009)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Mark Berguson, a sophomore studying mathematics and premedicine from Mansfield, Pa., received the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship. He is one of 100 undergraduates awarded the scholarship nationwide.

Berguson, the son of Margaret and Bruce Berguson, will receive $8,000 in scholarship funds for the next two years and receive a full-time paid internship worth $6,500 at NOAA in summer 2010. This summer he will attend a NOAA conference in Silver Spring, Md., to determine the research area for his internship.

Berguson is interested in adding a research experience during his undergraduate career and plans to apply his interest in statistics and research methods to the NOAA opportunity.

He remains active on campus. He is a member of the Juniata football team, playing center on the offensive line as a reserve.

Berguson also was recently named to Tri-Beta, the national biology honor society.


The Hollings scholarship program is designed to increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education and foster multidisciplinary training opportunities, as well as increase public understanding and support for stewardship of the ocean and atmosphere. The agency also believes the scholarship will help recruit and prepare students for public service careers with NOAA and other natural resource and science agencies or as teachers and educators.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.