Dr. Leonard Weis Earth & Environmental Sciences Scholarship Grant

Dr. Leonard Weis Earth & Environmental Sciences Scholarship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region
Amount: US $500
Last Updated: December 15, 2025

Summary

The Dr. Leonard Weis Earth & Environmental Sciences Scholarship, established by Captain Greg Neuschafer, honors Professor Leonard Weis for his impactful teaching at the University of Wisconsin Fox Valley. This $500 non-renewable scholarship supports graduating high school seniors and non-traditional students from the Fox Valley area who are pursuing environmental or earth sciences at a UW institution. Preference is given to continuing students and veterans, with a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5.

Overview

About Us We’re about connecting people with the needs of the community. We do this by connecting individual gifts to nonprofits through grants. Our knowledge about important issues facing the Fox Valley Region is based on strong relationships with nonprofits and our unwavering pursuit of understanding our community needs. Individual gifts, when joined with others given through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, ensure the impact lasts forever so that our community will always flourish. We are a tax-exempt, publicly supported nonprofit organization managing charitable funds — mostly permanent endowments — created by many families, businesses and organizations. These funds generate grants for the long-term benefit of the people of the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin. Dr. Leonard Weis Earth & Environmental Sciences Scholarship This scholarship is established to honor Leonard Weis by Captain Greg Neuschafer as a token of his appreciation for the Professor Emeritus of Geology & Geography of the University of Wisconsin Fox Valley. Affectionately known by his students as “Doc Rock,” Leonard Weis was known for his teaching style which integrated scientific observation and field studies which made theories come alive through practical examples. His class field trips to the Grand Canyon were routinely filled to enrollment capacity. Dr. Weis was genuinely student focused as he shared his love of geology and geography. After retirement, Dr. Weis founded the Weis Earth Science Museum at the UWO Fox Cities campus as a way of continuing his passion for educating people about the importance of the earth and environmental sciences for all. A most grateful student of Dr Weis is Captain Greg Neuschafer, a retired U.S. Navy Oceanographer. Over a 36- year career, he utilized the mapping and geology skills gained from Doc Weis’ classes to make navigation charts in the Caribbean Sea, as well as map the gravity, magnetics, and bathymetry of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge north of Bermuda to Iceland. He used photographic skills gained from Doc’s “Photography for Scientific Illustration” course, to photograph manatees when he led an endangered marine mammal census for UNESCO, to photo-document the Grey Whale winter migration south along the Monterey Peninsula for the California Fish and Game Commission. His other accomplishments include publishing more than a dozen technical reports and scientific papers and organizing hydrographic survey boat camps. Greg has served as a science fair judge at 265 competitions over 40 years and taught the Boy Scout oceanography, geology, and environmental science merit badges, including at three National Jamborees. He has mentored 11 Eagle Scouts. Award Amount One $500 non-renewable scholarship award for cost of attendance, payable for the fall semester.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Graduating high school seniors, continuing college or non-traditional students from the Fox Valley area and are planning to attend a UW institution as a part-time or full-time student.Fox Valley is defined as the Community Foundation’s service area: Calumet, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca and Neenah-Menasha area of Winnebago countiesMajoring in environmental or earth sciences Minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA

Ineligibility

Loss of Eligibility:Failure to maintain a part-time or full-time status majoring in environmental or earth sciences.