Young New England Marine Biologist Swamps the Competition
Congratulations to Katie Galletta of Goffstown, New Hampshire, the recipient of the RTK Scholars Award for 2017! The young marine biologist’s essay was chosen from an impressive pool of applicants with remarkable accomplishments in various science-related fields. Ms. Galletta will receive $1500, which will be applied to her studies at Bowdoin College this fall.
“Students like Katie are our next generation of scientists and environmental leaders,” states Robert Weitz, Founder of RTK, which initiated the RTK Scholars Program in 2015. “Her passion and dedication to future research made her an outstanding recipient for this scholarship. RTK is committed to supporting and furthering students’ scientific education, and our scholarship program helps them succeed.”
Valedictorian of her class at Goffstown High School, Ms. Galletta recently completed the Advanced Studies Program at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire with a concentration in marine biology. Last summer, her program research focused on the ocean acidity effect of sea star growth rates. She was later invited to present her findings at the New Hampshire Science and Engineering Expo. Entering college in the fall, she plans to pursue a degree in biology with a concentration in marine biology, and hopes to continue her research on ocean acidification.
“When I was sixteen, I realized I had a passion for marine biology,” she wrote in her winning essay. “I had learned about marine biology briefly in school but it was not until last summer that I realized exploring the ocean could be a viable career path,” Galletta penned. “At St. Paul’s School’s Advanced Studies Program, I was able to participate in hands-on field work like never before. I went on nine field trips in under six weeks, doing everything from water sampling in the Gulf of Maine to helping band seagull chicks during nesting season at Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island. I felt like a real scientist, whether I was caring for organisms in our aquarium, performing independent experiments, or dangling over the edge of a dock to find sea anemones.”
RTK Environmental Group is committed to supporting and furthering education of students in pursuit of careers in science. The RTK Scholars Program has awarded over $5,000 during the past two years. Past winners include Renwick Wilson of Greenwich, Connecticut; Kolby Galloway of Easley, South Carolina; Elliott Davis of North Potomac, Maryland; Nicholas Bulthuis of Chicago, Illinois; and Dylan McCloskey of Liberty, Missouri.
The RTK Scholars Program is now accepting applications for the 2018 award. The application deadline is May 30, 2018. If you would like more information or to apply, please visit RTK Environmental Science Scholarship Program.
