Current Scholars

2012

  • Megan Cook

    North America

    Megan Cook, 24, was raised in Boise, Idaho more than 500 miles from the nearest ocean. Growing up in an athletic, water-loving family, she developed a zest for adventure and respect and curiosity about...

  • Oscar Svensson

    Europe

    Oscar Svensson, 24, was born on the west coast of Sweden but was raised in the middle of the country far from the sea for the first years of his life. Fortunately his family spent every summer at the...

  • Yoland Bosiger

    Australasia

    Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society’s 2012 Australasian Rolex Scholar

    Growing up on a sailboat and circumnavigating the world with her parents until age eight gave Yoland an early taste for...

2011

  • Christian Clark

    North America

    Christian Clark, 23, was born in Atlanta, Georgia but spent his early years living with his family in Brazil and Canada before finally moving back to Georgia. From the beaches of Southern Brazil to the...

  • Erin McFadden

    Europe

    Erin McFadden, 21, was born and raised in the Scottish coastal town of Dunbar and has always found the sea a source of fascination and contentment. Currently a final year undergraduate Marine Biology...

  • Anthea Ibell

    Australasia

    Anthea Ibell, 22, was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand. From an early age she had ample access to the ocean on holidays, when the family would all head to a holiday house in Marlborough...

2010

  • Joshua Stewart

    North America

    Joshua Stewart was born and raised in New York City, far from the sandy shores of the tropical oceans he now loves. His initial interest in the marine world was probably fostered by elementary school...

  • Ingrid Rushfeldt Krüger

    Europe

    Ingrid Rushfeldt Krüger, 23, was born in the USA when her father, a fighter pilot with the Royal Norwegian Air Force, was stationed in Texas, but she was raised in Norway by her Norwegian parents....

  • William Arlidge

    Australasia

    Since a very early age William Arlidge has had an affinity with the ocean. His family would often get him to relate his dream job to friends and, expecting a five year-old boy to have aspirations to...

2009

  • Myfanwy Rowlands

    North America

    Myfanwy Rowlands, 23, grew up in the gold-rush town of Nevada City, California. While many of her friends found themselves pulled to the snow sports of the nearby Sierras, Myfanwy was drawn to the...

  • Filip Wolski

    Europe

    Filip Wolski, now 21 years old, was born in the 1000-year-old Polish seaport city of Gdansk. Since early childhood he has been keenly interested in sciences, logical thinking and the world. At age 10 he...

  • Matt Carter

    Australasia

    Growing up on the flat plains on the East Coast of the South Island of New Zealand Matt Carter's early views of the world were dominated by two opposing forces: to the west, huge snow capped mountains...

2008

  • Jamie Brisbin

    North America

    Jamie Brisbin, 22, of Setauket, NY has been selected as Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society’s 2008 North American Rolex Scholar.

    Growing up in Hong Kong, Jamie was influenced by the island’...

  • Eline Feenstra

    Europe

    Born and raised below sea level in the Netherlands, Eline Juliette Feenstra (22), has been selected as the European Rolex Scholar for 2008/2009.

    At the moment Eline is majoring in Philosophy at...

  • Steven Lindfield

    Australasia

    Steven Lindfield, 23 has been chosen as the Australasian Rolex Scholar for 2008/09. Steve grew up on the Central Coast of NSW, Australia. Living close to the ocean and estuaries he grew up surfing,...

2007

  • Brenna Mahoney

    North America

    Brenna Mahoney, 24, of Bethesda, MD has been named as Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society's 2007 North American Rolex Scholar.

    Brenna earned a Bachelor of Science in 2005 from Cornell...

  • Igor Valente

    Europe

    Igor Valente, 24, has been chosen as the European Rolex Scholar for 2007/08. A Portuguese citizen born and raised in Mozambique, Igor has witnessed first hand the realities of a developing country,...

  • Matthew Kertesz

    Australasia

    Mathew Kertesz, 22, of Sydney, Australia has been chosen as the inaugural Australasian Rolex Scholar for the year 2007. Mathew completed his Bachelor of Marine Science at Macquarie University, Sydney,...

2006

  • Michelle Fetzer

    North America

    Michelle Fetzer, 23, of Gloucester City, NJ, has been selected as the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society's 2006 North American Rolex Scholar. Michelle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine...

  • Delia Ni Chiobhain

    Europe

    Delia Ní Chíobháin, 22, has been chosen as the 2006/07 European Rolex Scholar. As a native of Dingle, the most westerly town in Europe facing the vast Atlantic Ocean, the sea from an early age has...

2005

  • Anya Watson

    North America

    The Our World Underwater Scholarship proudly announces the selection of Anya Watson as the North American Rolex Scholar for the year 2005.

    Anya is a student at Connecticut College in New London...

  • Vibe Schourup-Kristensen

    Europe

    The Our World Underwater Scholarship proudly announces the selection of Vibe Schourup-Kristensen as the European Rolex Scholar for the year 2005.

    Vibe Schourup-Kristensen, a 23 years old Marine...

2004

  • Joseph Hoyt

    North America

    Joe graduated in May 2004 from Eastern Carolina University with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Coastal and Marine Sciences. His primary underwater interest is in archaeology and shipwrecks....

  • Phoebe Rudomino-Dusiacka

    Europe

    Having worked as a scuba instructor in Sweden and London, as a Dive Master in Tanzania, and working towards qualifying as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer, 22-yr. Old Phoebe Rudonimo-Dusiacka, is a...

2003

  • Kerry Nickols

    North America

    Growing up in San Diego, California, Kerry J. Nickols developed a great fascination with the ocean. An avid swimmer, water polo player and surfer, she seized every opportunity to visit the beach -- even...

  • Jade Berman

    Europe

    Jade is a 23-year-old from Nottingham, England who is a PADI Assistant Instructor with over 260 dives and six specialities in nitrox, deep, wreck, night, search and recovery, and drift diving. In...

2002

  • Stefanie Wells

    North America

    Stefanie is a Marine Biology major at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, with a primary underwater interest in ichthyology. She's certified as a PADI Divemaster and started diving in 1997...

  • Richard Somerset

    Europe

    Richard is a student at Lancaster University in Lancashire, majoring in politics, but with a deep interest in marine tourism. He comes from a family that has lived with the sea; grandparents in the navy...

2001

  • Jennifer Jeffers

    North America

    Jennifer graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in December 2000 with a degree in Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology and a minor in Business Administration. After completing...

  • Joe Stevens

    Europe

    Joe Stevens, 24, of St. Ives, Cornwall, England, was selected as the 2001 European Rolex Scholar. It was the first time the Society has awarded a European scholarship. Joe graduated in August, 2000 from...

2000

  • Alison LaBonte

    North America

    Alison LaBonte is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in oceanography at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography studying geology and geophysics. (3/15/02)

1999

  • Julie Barber

    North America

    After completing the scholarship, Julie moved north to Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska where she worked for the following four seasons as a fisheries technician/research diver for the park service....

1998

  • Kirsten Bassion

    North America

    Kirsten earned her BS in Art from Skidmore College (1997) graduating cum laude with departmental honors. Her primary underwater interests are education and photography. Kirsten was the Society's 1997...

1997

  • Sara Shoemaker Lind

    North America

    Sara has pursued a career in underwater photography and related projects in the last decade since her Scholarship year. She started her own company in 1998 and has done freelance and contract work for...

1996

  • Craig Nelson

    North America

    Craig worked for Lifeguard Systems, Inc. from 1997-1999, where he taught public safety diving, wrote articles, and compiled books on search and rescue/recovery diving, homicide by drowning, and ice...

1995

  • Giancarlo Cetrulo

    North America

    Giancarlo is currently the program manager for a marine education facility in Redondo Beach. He and Brenda (whom he met on his scholarship year) were married on July 21, 2001 and are enjoying the West...

1994

  • Giovanni Catalano

    North America

    I am now an Undersea Medical Officer for the US Navy stationed in Bangor, Washington working with the local Navy divers and the crews of the trident submarines.

    I will be conducting some research...

1993

  • Katie Laing

    North America

    Katie moved to Kailua, Hawaii in 1999 after completing her Master's in Marine Science from UNC-Wilmington. She was a research associate with the Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology on a long-term water...

1992

  • Jim Sibthorp

    North America

    Jim is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Leisure Behavior at Indiana University, where he is focusing on outdoor/adventure education (including diving) and personal development. Jim and his wife Julie...

  • Kenny Broad

    North America

    Kenny is currently asst. professor at Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University, International Research Institute for Climate...

1991

  • Carol Lee

    North America

    Carol is a full-time faculty member in the Zoology Department at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is focusing her research on the genetics of invasive species to understand mechanisms that...

1990

1989

  • Jamie L. King, Ph.D.

    North America

    Dr. Jamie L. King received a Bachelor of Science Cum Laude in Biology and Geology from the University of Rochester. She additionally received a Masters of Arts - Zoology and a Ph.D. - Zoology from the...

  • Gergory Shellenbarger

    North America

1988

  • Karen Van Hoesen

    Australasia

    Karen Van Hoesen became a certified diver at age 17 and a NAUI diving instructor in 1983 while teaching diving at UC Davis. Her interest in diving physiology and medicine prompted her to attend Duke...

1987

  • Michael Topolovac

    North America

    Michael is a serial entrepreneur who hacks away at underwater imaging whenever he gets the chance. He was first exposed to the diving world in high-school when he got certified to drive the submarine he...

1986

  • Norbert Wu

    North America

    Born in California, Norbert Wu was inspired during his family vacations to Florida to become a marine biologist. After earning an engineering degree from Stanford University in 1983, Norbert worked as a...

1985

  • Adam Ravetch

    North America

    Accomplished cinematographer and director, Adam Ravetch believes his year as a Rolex Scholar was a launching pad for his prolific career making wildlife films. His professional achievements include...

1984

1983

1982

1981

1980

1979

1978

1977

  • Craig Cary

    North America

    Dr. Craig Cary was exposed to the marine environment at an early age and became interested in studying marine biology during his childhood education. He attended Florida Institute of Technology,...

1976

  • Robin MacFadden Parish

    North America

    Robin's interest in marine biology sprouted during her childhood summers spent exploring tide pools on the coast of Maine, and exploded when, at the age of 10, her aunt stuck a dive mask on her face and...

1975

1974