Richard Armstrong, a beloved and respected member of the CIRES scientific community, passed away in 2023. An expert in cryospheric change and remote sensing, Armstrong spent much of his career working as a scientist in CIRES’ National Snow and Ice Data Center. He was innovative and well-published as a researcher and he was also a dedicated mentor, generous with his time and wisdom. Armstrong was passionate about supporting the successes of others, including women and researchers and students from less well-resourced countries.  

To honor his legacy, Armstrong’s daughter Johanna Ladis and his wife Betsy Armstrong have generously made donations to CIRES to create the Richard Armstrong Memorial Scholarship Fund, for outstanding CIRES graduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder. They hope that those benefiting from this award will, like Armstrong, work to support the successes of others, creating opportunities for all. 

Please read more about Armstrong’s contributions here. 

Details

Every year beginning in 2024, the $2,000 Richard Armstrong Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to an outstanding CIRES graduate student. To be eligible, graduate students must be currently enrolled in an academic department at the University of Colorado Boulder, and their primary advisor must be a CIRES Fellow or CIRES researcher. Student GRAs working with CIRES researchers who are not their primary advisors are not eligible. 

Nomination letters can be submitted by any member of the CIRES community (including staff, researchers, students, and postdocs), and students may self-nominate, though a letter of support from an advisor is recommended. Nominations should address the nominee’s achievements in scholarship and community service to CIRES, the university, or a scientific community. Graduate students studying the cryosphere (snow & ice) are encouraged to apply. Letters (submitted to the CIRES Associate Director for Science) are due April 1, 2024 (and generally on or near April 1 each year thereafter) so the scholarship recipient can be honored at the CIRES Rendezvous annual science symposium in May.