Dr. Brian L. Davis Marine Biology, Conservation, and Education Scholarship Fund

Scholarship Sponsored by Georgia Aquarium

Overview — The Dr. Brian L. Davis Marine Biology, Conservation, and Education Scholarship

About Dr. Brian L. Davis
Brian L. Davis, Ph.D., served as president and CEO of the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and devoted his career to education, conservation, and the zoo/aquarium profession. A former Cobb County teacher and administrator, and later an adjunct faculty member in education at Georgia State University and Mercer University, Dr. Davis was a committed advocate for public education and lifelong learning. He was celebrated for his empathy, curiosity, and for expanding opportunities in marine science.

Dr. Davis broke important ground in the field: he was the first Black individual to lead an aquarium as CEO and the first Black chair of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ board. Under his leadership the Georgia Aquarium became the first aquarium to earn Certified Autism Center status and was recognized by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a Top Workplace and recipient of a DEI Award. The scholarship named in his honor continues his work to broaden access and inclusion in marine and conservation sciences.

Scholarship Summary
- Sponsor: Georgia Aquarium
- Award total: $20,000, distributed as $5,000 per year over four years
- Intended recipients: High school seniors planning undergraduate study in marine biology, conservation, zoological sciences, or science education
- First payment: Issued prior to the recipient’s college freshman year and paid directly to the student’s college or university

Who is eligible
- Current high school seniors enrolled in a U.S. public high school
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
- Intending to enroll at a U.S.-based college or university (students entering a two-year college with the intention to transfer to a four-year institution are eligible)
- Declaring or planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree in one of the following areas:
- Conservation (including programs where Conservation is a concentration, e.g., B.S. in Zoology with a Wildlife Conservation concentration)
- Marine Biology
- Zoological Sciences
- Science Education
- Children of Georgia Aquarium employees and volunteers are not eligible to apply

How to apply
Required materials:
1. Complete the online application form.
2. Submit an original essay (maximum 1,000 words) addressing the prompt below. The essay must be formatted according to APA style.
Essay prompt: Marine Biodiversity — Identify the most critical current threats to marine biodiversity. Describe and evaluate three science-based, innovative practices or solutions that could help address this crisis. Explain which solution you expect will have the greatest positive effect on environmental outcomes while also supporting people and coastal communities that rely on the ocean for their livelihoods.
3. Upload two letters of recommendation from professional references (examples: teacher, guidance counselor, coach, employer/supervisor).
4. Upload an official or unofficial high school transcript demonstrating at least a 2.5 GPA.
5. Upload a current resume.

Award renewal and use of funds
- The scholarship is renewable automatically each year for up to four years, provided the student remains in the declared course of study and maintains a minimum GPA of 2.5.
- Payments are made directly to the recipient’s college or university and may be applied toward tuition, mandatory fees, books, room and board, meal plans, and approved study abroad or fieldwork expenses.

Terms related to records and publicity
- As a condition of the award, the recipient must authorize their college or university to share academic records with Georgia Aquarium for purposes of verifying enrollment, GPA, and continued eligibility (this excludes financial and disciplinary records).
- The recipient will be asked to sign photo and media release forms permitting Georgia Aquarium to use images and information for scholarship promotion.

Questions
For questions not covered here, email [email protected].

(Please review all eligibility requirements and submission instructions carefully before applying.)