Zaylor Bloom, an Earth Sciences major from Bloomington, has been awarded an Ernest Hollings Scholarship by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The rising junior is one of 128 students nationwide who will receive a scholarship for his junior and senior years and a paid research internship with NOAA during the summer in between. Scholars are chosen based on their academic performance, leadership, engagement with environmental issues, and commitment to working for NOAA or other public science or natural resources agencies. Zaylor is the ninth University of Minnesota student to receive this award in the last ten years.
Zaylor was fascinated by weather maps as a child. He tracked storm systems, especially hurricanes, watching how they developed and moved. At the same time, he thought about the ways in which meteorological information was being shared with people and how it was used to preserve lives and property both in the short and long term. Entering the University of Minnesota, he decided to major in Earth Sciences with a minor in Climatology in order to understand earth systems and the environmental physics and chemistry that shape climate processes. He has continued to develop his particular interest in tropical meteorology and looks forward to the NOAA internship opportunity to gain first hand experience modeling, forecasting, and communicating severe weather events. After graduation he plans to continue graduate studies in this area in order to help coastal communities predict and prepare for severe weather events.
Students with two years of undergraduate education remaining who are majoring in subjects related to the mission of NOAA are eligible to apply for the Hollings Scholarship. The next round of scholar selection will begin in the fall and applications will be due at the end of January 2027. Students may apply directly but they are encouraged to contact ONIS for support at [email protected].