2025 Scholarship Update!
The 2025 Scholarship application window is now open! Apply below. Deadline is 9/15/25. Application requirements are list on the application form. If you have applied before, please apply again!
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The Paul Samaras
Scholarship
About The Scholarship
One of the foundational and guiding principles for the National Storm Chaser Summit Board of Directors is to provide educational resources for current and future storm chasers exercising proper forecasting, safety, and media etiquette.
The Summit provides social and networking opportunities to storm chase community in honour of the late Tim Samaras who always welcomed fellow chasers and weather enthusiasts to share his passion for stormy skies.
In order to provide further educational opportunities to current and potential future chasers, the NSCS has created a scholarship fund to be awarded, annually, to an outstanding undergraduate student seeking a major course of study within the S.T.E.M. or Photography/Videography disciplines. Our goal for 2025 is to award multiple scholarship opportunities for students.
The NSCS scholarship fund is named in honor of Paul T. Samaras to provide a tribute and to salute his legacy of outstanding photography, videography, and production talents which were suddenly, and tragically, cut short on May 31, 2013 in El Reno, Oklahoma.
The late Paul T. Samaras, a gifted photographer with a passion for nature, weather, Star Wars and adventure!
Scholarship
Recipients
2023 - Gabe Cenker
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​​Gabe is from Rockledge, Florida. Ever since he was young, he's been fascinated with meteorology, especially with watching and tracking hurricanes approaching his state. When he was deciding where to go for his undergraduate degree it was clear he wanted to go to OU after seeing the Weather Center. Gabe is currently a senior working on his meteorology degree along with an electrical & computer engineering minor. With that combination he hopes he can work on improving whether radar products and hardware development. Gabe had the opportunity to work on several research projects with CIWRO and the MAP lab and was listed as a coauthor with Dr. Dzambo. He's currently working with Dr. Schvartzman on a project to train an AI program to estimate specific differential phase from radar data. Gabe is a member of the Oklahoma Weather Lab, Alpha Lambda Delta, and an electrical sub team co-captain on the Sooner River Team. This summer he was able to expand his horizons studying abroad at Oxford with the University of Oklahoma Honors College. ​​​​​​
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2022 - Laci Graham
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In 2022 Laci attends Ohio State University as a Freshman studying Meteorology and Civil Engineering. Her dream career has always been storm chasing and she is lucky enough to be getting to live it. After graduating from OSU, Laci wants to work in the National Weather Service and help create better weather models. She wants to use what she learns while storm chasing to create more affordable storm shelters and make sure there are safe places for all people for any disaster.
*Note: We automatically donate 18% of the general fund to the scholarship fund, or you can contribute directly to the scholarship fund to help us in our mission of supporting student's academic pursuits in memory of Paul T. Samaras. Thank you!
