On April 13, 2019, three new Rolex Scholars and five new interns were presented at the 45th Annual Awards Ceremony of the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society®, held at the New York Yacht Club in New York City.

Since 1974, the Society has provided firsthand experiences in underwater-related disciplines to young people considering careers in the underwater world. For 45 years, founding partner Rolex has been the Society’s partner in education, with the Society annually selecting three Rolex Scholars – one each from North America, Europe, and Australasia. Each Scholar, working closely with leaders in marine-related fields, spends a year immersed in a wide variety of hands-on activities that further the Scholar’s knowledge and experience of the underwater realm. The range of experiences may include active participation in field studies, underwater research, scientific expeditions, laboratory assignments, equipment testing and design, photographic instruction, and other specialized assignments. The Scholars receive funding for travel and living expenses during their Scholarship year.

The 2019 Rolex Scholars:

Neha Acharya-Patel is the 2019 North American Rolex Scholar

Kim Hildebrandt is the 2019 European Rolex Scholar

Joanna Smart is the 2019 Australasian Rolex Scholar

To learn more about each of the Scholars, visit: owuscholarship.org.

In addition to the scholarship program, since 1995, the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society has offered a variety of experience-based internships that are 1 to 3 months in length. Internship recipients receive an educational grant to help fund travel to and from the internship site, room and board, and a stipend to cover living expenses. The sponsor organizations that host the internships are leaders in their fields.

The 2019 Interns:

Kyra Jean Cipolla – Dr. Lee H. Somers American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) Scientific Diving Internship

Abigail Dias – Divers Alert Network (DAN) Diver’s Safety Education Internship

Benjamin Farmer – Dr. Jamie L. King Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) Marine Conservation Internship

Elizabeth Hasan - American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) Mitchell Scientific Diving Research Internship

Michael Langhans – National Park Service Research Internship

To learn more about each of the Interns, visit: owuscholarship.org/internships. For more information about the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society, visit: owuscholarship.org.