KINGSTON, R.I. – April 30, 2025 – Eleni Mouyos, a sophomore double majoring in marine biology and ocean engineering, has been awarded a 2025 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The most prestigious scholarship awarded to undergraduates in marine sciences, the Hollings Scholarship program is designed to increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, foster public support of stewardship of the ocean and atmosphere, and recruit and prepare students for public service at NOAA and other natural resource agencies.

“This is an exciting opportunity to collaborate with other students and work alongside experienced NOAA professionals and scientists,” Mouyos says. “I am looking forward to the immersive experience working at a NOAA facility and the valuable skills I will learn along the way.” 

The Hollings Scholarship includes $19,000 in scholarship funds for the students’ final two years of undergraduate study as well as a paid internship at a NOAA facility the summer between their junior and senior years. Because the double major in marine biology and ocean engineering that Mouyos is pursuing is a 5-year-program with required summer study built in, she plans to use the scholarship to lighten her course load during the school year. “It will also allow me to explore more specialized classes,” she says. “This summer I am taking a Marine Mammal Biology class at the Shoals Marine Lab located on an island off the coast of Maine. This is a hands-on and immersive course that will provide an invaluable experience.”

Mouyos, who is from Windham, New Hampshire, and now lives in Middletown, will also be able to travel thanks to the scholarship. While her plans aren’t finalized yet, she says she is eager to experience a variety of marine environments firsthand. “I hope to research underwater robotics through the internship and work with a NOAA professional,” she says. The scholarship also provides funding for awardees to participate in two Hollings conferences at NOAA headquarters and to attend up to two scientific conferences to present the results of their NOAA internship, which Mouyos says she’s excited about. “This scholarship opens up a lot of opportunities, and I look forward to learning from engineers and scientists,” she says. 

Jacqueline Webb, professor emerita and former director of URI’s marine biology program, has been working with applicants for the Hollings Scholarship since 2009. She says that “the Hollings Scholarship is the most prestigious nationally competitive award for students interested in the marine sciences. With the career boost it provides, all of URI’s Scholarship winners have gone on to rewarding careers in academics, industry, government agencies, and non-profit organizations and are making important impacts in their respective subfields in marine science.”

Mouyos’ award marks the 17th straight year that URI students have been named Hollings Scholars. Since the inception of the Hollings program in 2005, URI students have been awarded 49 scholarships; 16 URI students have received this prestigious scholarship in the past four years.

This story was written by Anna Gray in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences.