Mary Jo Read Scholarships for Undergraduates

The UWM Department of Geography strives to recognize and support outstanding undergraduate Geography majors through the Mary Jo Read Scholarships for undergraduates, and through awarding Honors in the Major.

Dr. Read received a doctorate in geography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1942, and was the first woman to do so. She taught geography at UW-Milwaukee from 1940-1965, serving as Department Chair from 1958-1963. Dr. Read (1911–1998) endowed a trust during her lifetime to provide graduate and undergraduate fellowships to outstanding students in Geography. Scholarships are awarded in keeping with her wishes.

Mary Jo Read Scholarship

Every year the Department of Geography recognizes the achievements of undergraduates majoring in Geography with junior or senior standing with the Mary Jo Read Scholarship for undergraduates. The Mary Jo Read Undergraduate Award is intended to support geography undergraduate students of outstanding academic merit during their junior and/or senior year(s) of study.

To be eligible, a student majoring in Geography must be enrolled in at least 12 credits of classes each semester of the year the award will be paid out, have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, be a declared Geography major, and achieve junior or senior standing by the end of summer in the year they apply. Students who are graduating mid-year may be eligible for a half-year scholarship.

Applications are due early in the spring semester for the following academic year. Students may receive a Mary Jo Read Scholarship a maximum of twice during their undergraduate career.

The scholarship process for all students and all scholarships begins with UWM’s Scholarship Portal. You will need to create a general profile and upload a copy of your transcript.

Students who wish to be considered must have a completed profile on file in the UWM Scholarship Portal. Your profile is a one-time set up that will match you with all available scholarships and awards. It is important that you complete the profile both to be considered for this opportunity as well as all future scholarships.

In addition to the general application, students who wish to be considered for this scholarship must provide a few additional documents:

• Letters & Science application which consists of one item: Upload a copy of your most recent UWM transcript.
• Essay question: Describe your academic interests and goals as they relate to Geography, and how the Mary Jo Read Scholarship will enhance your studies.

Mary Jo Read Travel Scholarships

Travel scholarships provide grants to fund capstone travel, research, and professional development experiences. When the application process is open, you will be notified by email. The application process is usually in early spring.

Eligibility and Categories of Travel Awards

The Mary Jo Read Travel Scholarship competition is open to undergraduate Students majoring in Geography at UW-Milwaukee

Awards are made in two categories:

• Category 1 – Travel support for professional development experiences, such as presentation of a paper at a major academic conference; or
• Category 2 – Travel support for course-related research field experiences.

Honors in the Major

Geography majors who have maintained at least a 3.0 GPA overall and a 3.5 GPA in all courses taken for the major are awarded the distinction ‘Honors in the Major’ when they graduate.

High Honors in the Major

Geography majors who have maintained at least a 3.0 GPA overall and a 3.75 GPA in all courses taken for the major are awarded the distinction ‘High Honors in the Major’ when they graduate.