SCMA Scholarship
2025 Scholarship
Application Deadline is June 30, 2025!
The South Carolina Mitigation Association (SCMA) formed in 2013 to promote an active and efficient mitigation marketplace that supports ecological function and economic development within the State. Our mission is achieved through participation by industry professionals, including mitigation bankers, environmental consultants, engineers, and contractors, and in collaboration with regulatory agencies and conservation organizations.
A minimum of two awards ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 will be awarded to eligible individuals currently engaged in education related to ecological restoration or mitigation. Eligible individuals include undergraduate students, preferably juniors and seniors, and graduate students at a college or university in South Carolina pursuing studies or
conducting research related to ecosystem restoration or mitigation. Eligible students must be enrolled in an institution or higher learning in the fall of 2025. Scholarship awards will be sent directly to the college or university.
The SCMA Scholarship Committee will evaluate applicants based on the following criteria: prior academic performance, recommendations from instructors and/or others who have knowledge of the applicant’s capabilities, additional information regarding the applicant’s career, and academic and other relevant experiences or aspirations. Criteria may also include the applicant’s place of residence, past or future attendance at a school within the state of South Carolina, past or proposed course of study or evidence of his or her interest in pursuing a career in mitigation.
To apply, please compile the items in the application checklist and send to the SCMA. Be sure to include a description of your current education, research, and/or career goals as they relate to ecological restoration or ecological mitigation. As part of your application package, also include current unofficial transcripts and two letters of recommendation. All items must be submitted by the deadline for the application to be complete. Only complete applications will be considered by the SCMA Scholarship Grant Selection Committee.
Click here for the application check list.
Return the complete application to:
Email: info@scmitigation.org
With subject line: SCMA 2025 Scholarship Application [Your Name]
-or-
Mail: PO Box 1763 | Columbia, SC 29202
Fax: (803) 252-0589
Scholarship awards will be announced by August 8, 2025.
Please click here to download a flyer.
2024 SCMA Scholarship Awardees
The primary scholarship awardee is Annika Kuleba. Other scholarship awardees are Ryan Bohannon and Peyton Hughey.
Annika Kuleba is a Master's Student in the T.L. O'Halloran Lab at Clemson University in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation. Her research explores the climate mitigation potential of restored wetlands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and soil organic carbon accumulation. Prior to Clemson University, Annika earned a B.S in Environmental Science and a B.A. in Economics from Sweet Briar College in Virginia. As graduation approaches, Annika hopes to continue to contribute to the field of ecological restoration, empowering landowners with the knowledge and tools necessary to ensure a thriving environment for generations to come.
Ryan Bohannon is a PhD student in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University. Ryan works in the fields of silviculture, forest health, and forest ecology, and he is passionate about conducting applied research to inform environmental stewardship. His current research focuses on enhancing the resilience of coastal forests to the impacts of invasive species and hurricanes. Ryan earned his BS and MS from North Carolina State University. He enjoys exploring the outdoors through activities such as hiking and photography.
Peyton Hughey is a graduate research assistant with the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University. Her thesis is focused on establishing populations of the rocky shoals spider lily in the Catawba-Wateree subbasin in South Carolina. She hopes to enter the field of environmental education and outreach with the skills she is learning in graduate school.
The 2025 application will open in January 2025.