New Fellowship Supports Hands On Conservation at Carolina Coast

Cassidy Coastal Conservation Fellowship Expands Student Funding Opportunities

We are pleased to announce a new fellowship opportunity for undergraduate, professional, and graduate students: the Cassidy Coastal Conservation Fellowship. Thanks to the generosity of Lois Cassidy (‘70, BS Biology), the Sabin Center will be able to provide funding for students and faculty pursuing hands-on conservation work/research on the North Carolina coast, with priority given to fieldwork at Bald Head Island. Conservation-focused projects elsewhere in North Carolina, or beyond, may be considered if funding allows.

Cassidy, originally from Northern Virginia, carries fond memories of her time studying Biology in the late 1960s, which ultimately led to a career in clinical laboratory work. During her time as an undergraduate, Cassidy particularly cherished the opportunities for field work down at the coast, like studying Vertebrate Biology while staying at Fort Caswell. 

“A Unique Place”

“I fell in love with Bald Head Island the first time I came here, and I knew I wanted to be here. It’s just so unique with its forest, marsh, and beaches.”

It was over a decade after graduating from Wake that she fell in love with another unique North Carolina place: Bald Head Island. Visiting for the first time in the early 1980s, she and her husband agreed it would be a dream to someday retire on the quiet island filled with natural beauty it has retained to this day, despite development trends seen on many beaches today. 

Cassidy attributes much of the distinct natural experiences on the island to the Bald Head Island Conservancy: “They understood the value of keeping this place natural.” In addition to advising the island leadership on stewardship decisions, the BHIC provides incredible engagement and learning opportunities for the community, as well as hosting its own sustainability conference and supporting dozens of internships year-round. Cassidy sees a great possibility for synergy between BHIC and Wake Forest University, particularly for experiential learning through faculty-student fieldwork.

“It’s important for young people to get involved in preserving the nature we have.”

In establishing this Fellowship, Cassidy hopes to achieve three key goals. First, she hopes to encourage more students to get involved in preserving the nature we have. Second, she hopes it will give more students opportunities to contribute to hands-on research of real value out in the field. And finally, Cassidy hopes that these opportunities will further enhance the unique relationships between faculty and students at Wake Forest University – an experience that meant so much to her as an undergraduate over fifty years ago. 

Learn more about the Cassidy Conservation Fellowship, as well as other Sabin Center funding opportunities, at our Sabin Student Fellowships page.

The Cassidy Coastal Conservation Fellowships are open to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at Wake Forest University. Faculty with student fieldwork opportunities may apply for funding to cover student participation.