Rising junior Shelby Negosian has been named the 2024 Florence Moog Scholar. The merit-based scholarship recognizes a multidisciplinary sophomore in Arts & Sciences who is preparing for a science career and shows excellence beyond the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Negosian is majoring in environmental analysis and minoring in legal studies and geospatial science. She is an intern for the Citizens' Climate Lobby and a teaching assistant at Brittany Woods Middle School in University City, where she helps sustainability students with their research projects. As a Pathfinder Fellow in Environmental Leadership — a multiyear Ampersand Program exploring environmental science, policy, humanities, and sustainability — she has studied butterflies in Missouri and conducted sanitation research in Madagascar. She also participated in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she studied the impact of plastics on urban and suburban wetlands.
When she’s not pursuing her scientific interests, Negosian likes to read, write, scrapbook, and sew. As a high school student, she was the founder and head designer of Double Stitch, a sustainable clothing line that donated proceeds to climate activism.
The Florence Moog Scholarship is named for Dr. Florence Moog, a biology professor until her retirement in 1984. Moog was named the Charles Rebstock Professor in 1974 and served as biology department chair from 1975 to 1977. The scholarship provides half-tuition for the recipient's junior and senior years.
Negosian was originally advised by the late Stan Braude, professor of practice in biology and environmental studies. In his recommendation letter, Braude wrote that Negosian is “a brilliant scientist and a brave and kind and creative scholar. From what I know of Florence Moog, she would have been as delighted to work with Shelby as have I.”
Beth Martin, teaching professor in environmental studies and Negosian’s current advisor, said that the junior is “passionate about caring for our environment in a way that protects it – but does so in a just and equitable manner that also protects the people who live there.”
