UA Student Receives Hollings Scholarship

University of Alabama student Ashley Elizabeth Batts, of Kingsport, Tennessee, will receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship for 2020-2022.

The scholarship provides a two-year academic award of $9,500 per year, and a 10-week, full-time, paid summer internship opportunity at any NOAA facility nationwide. Scholars also receive funding to present their NOAA research projects at two national scientific conferences.

The Hollings Scholarship is given in addition to existing awards the student may already receive. Since the program's inception in 2005, more than 36 UA students have been named Hollings Scholars.

Batts is a Randall Research Scholar majoring in marine science, biology and physics. She conducts research under Dr. Kevin Kocot, assistant professor of biological sciences, on the global biodiversity of aplacophora and biodiversity of Icelandic euphrosinidae. For these projects, Batts makes DNA barcodes to analyze the phylogenetic relationship between samples.

Outside of research, she is an assistant team leader for the Center for Service and Leadership and president of the Marine Science Club.