The School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS), Florida Atlantic University’s collaborative hub for programs focused on environmental sustainability, received a significant gift focused on supporting student success from Wayne and Lucretia Weiner.

The School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS), Florida Atlantic University’s collaborative hub for programs focused on environmental sustainability, received a significant gift focused on supporting student success from Wayne and Lucretia Weiner.  It establishes 22 scholarships, 20 paid internships, 10 research stipends, programmatic support for Florida Atlantic’s Semester by the Sea Program, a Professor-in-Residence program, three faculty mentors and two staff advisor positions. This transformative gift enhances ECOS and creates opportunities for students dedicated to the environment and a more sustainable South Florida.

 “The long-term health of both the natural and built environments in South Florida relies on insightful solutions, and this impactful gift will provide the necessary resources to engage our students in creating those solutions for a sustainable future,” said FAU President Stacy Volnick. “We are extremely grateful to Wayne and Lucretia for their gift to ECOS.”

ECOS was established in late 2023 by Valery Forbes, Ph.D., dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, as a partnership with Florida Atlantic’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute to bolster the visibility and impact of programs across Florida Atlantic focused on the environment. This is the first significant donation to ECOS and will have a powerful impact on students who are passionate about the environment.

“The next generation of environmental scientists, leaders and problem solvers must come from a diverse range of disciplines to solve the complex issues of tomorrow, and the tremendous support provided by Lucretia and Wayne’s gift reflects the cross-disciplinary ethos of ECOS,” Forbes said. “This gift creates scholarships that will greatly expand educational opportunities for students and advance our research and community engagement, creating tangible momentum for this important new school.”

The 22 undergraduate scholarships that the gift establishes are open to all majors at Florida Atlantic for students with financial need and strong interest in environmental science. Four additional scholarships are earmarked for students wanting to participate in Florida Atlantic’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Semester by the Sea program. The l0 undergraduate research fellowships are aimed at increasing participation in Florida Atlantic’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program.

“Many of our students care about the environment but may not know how to pursue it as a career,” said John Baldwin, Ph.D., interim director of ECOS. “The gift provides a number of opportunities for our students to actually work in the field – internships, research opportunities, the Semester by the Sea program. This enables us to provide mechanisms for students to pursue careers in the broad environmental field.”

Other components of the gift include a travel fund for student and faculty research dissemination, and an emergency undergraduate support fund. The travel fund can help students interested in meeting with community organizations and participating in community outreach to advocate to the public and policymakers on the value of environmental sustainability. The emergency support fund is intended to cover unexpected financial hardships that could cause a student to put their studies on hold, such as short-term housing assistance.

“ECOS is a shining example of the multidisciplinary approach necessary to protect the environment,” Wayne Weiner said. “We are passionate about providing FAU students and scientists who share our concern for the environment with the opportunity to become leaders and advocates for environmental sustainability. With the increased awareness of the need to find solutions to environmental challenges, Lucretia and I hope others will consider joining us to support the education and research missions of ECOS.”

For more information, visit fau.edu/ecos.

-FAU-