Call for Applications, Fall 2025.
Updated 12/6/2023
About the Scholarship
Dr E. Richard (Rick) Toracinta was a talented research scientist with the Polar Meteorology Group of the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at The Ohio State University. In addition to his polar work, Rick had a passion for severe weather and was a volunteer storm chaser on the Great Plains during many springs. This scholarship commemorates Rick's lasting interest in the atmosphere as well as his desire to be a teacher.
This prestigious scholarship is awarded biennially to a graduate student studying atmospheric science, broadly defined, at The Ohio State University. Preference will be given to students specializing in severe weather (e.g., thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes), polar meteorology or polar climatology. The selection criteria include academic performance, excellence as an instructor (if appropriate), financial need and intended use of the scholarship funds to advance one's graduate studies.
Application Instructions
To apply, send a statement (typically 1-2 pages), describing your current and past research, student activities, financial need and intended use of funds. Examples of the latter include travel to a conference or to undertake field work for one's degree, payment of page charges on a refereed manuscript, research equipment and/or other anticipated research related expenses. Include copies of your undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Provide a cover page that specifies your name, project title, phone, email address and your advisor's name, phone and email address.
Send application materials to:
Professor David Bromwich
Polar Meteorology Group, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center &
Department of Geography, Atmospheric Sciences Program
The Ohio State University
108 Scott Hall
1090 Carmack Road
Columbus, OH 43210
E-mail: bromwich.1@osu.edu
The $2,000.00 scholarship will be awarded mid-November, 2025. The recipient will be selected by a 3-member committee.
Contact
For more information, contact David Bromwich at 614-292-6692 or bromwich.1@osu.edu.
The next award will be made in Fall 2025.
2023 Recipient, Sara Johnson
Congratulations to Sara Johnson, Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography, 2023 Rick Toracinta Scholarship Recipient. Her research project is entitled. Evaluating the Combined Effect of Climate and Land Use Change on Urban Flood Risk.
Sara's research focuses on how communities can build flood resilience. She is advised by Professor Steven Quiring.
2021 Recipient, Alyssa Reynolds
Congratulations to Alyssa Reynolds, M.S. Candidate, Department of Geography, 2021 Rick Toracinta Scholarship Recipient. Her research project is entitled, Two Case Studies of Recent EF-4 Tornadoes in Ohio.
Alyssa’s research focuses on tornadoes occurring in the Ohio Valley. She also studies drought impacts specific to Ohio and is developing a database for stakeholders of real-time drought indices data.
Past Recipients
| Year | Recipient |
| 2023 | Sara Johnson |
| 2021 | Alyssa Reynolds |
| 2019 | Zhiying Li |
| 2017 | Geoffrey Dipre |
| 2015 | Melissa Wrzesien |
| 2013 | Julien Nicolas |
| 2011 | Rachel Mauk |
| 2009 | Ellyn McFadden |
| 2008 | Dan Steinhoff |
| 2007 | Lijia Wei |