Congressman Pallone Presents Stew Tweed Fisheries Scholarships and Receives Special Recognition Award at 10th Annual Ocean Fun Days Event

(Sandy Hook, NJ) — The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) has announced and awarded the sixth pair of its Stew Tweed Fisheries and Aquaculture Scholarships, established in 2008 in memory of Stew Tweed, a 27-year veteran of the New Jersey Sea Grant Marine Extension Service, who passed away in early 2007. The scholarship checks were presented by Congressman Frank Pallone (D-6th District) during a special ceremony during Ocean Fun Days at the NJSGC’s headquarters at Sandy Hook on Sunday, June 9th, 2013.  Also on hand for the presentation were Stew’s wife Gail and granddaughter Katie Pantelione.

Two scholarships are awarded annually to support a graduating high-school senior and an undergraduate/graduate student pursuing studies, or an outstanding research or technology project focusing on fisheries or aquaculture. In recognition of the hardships Hurricane Sandy dealt so many individuals and communities NJSGC increased the scholarship amounts for 2013. The winners of the 2013 Stew Tweed Fisheries and Aquaculture Scholarships are Emily Casper, a resident of Red Bank, New Jersey and a graduating senior at The Marine Academy of Science and Technology (M.A.S.T) at Sandy Hook who will attend Fordham University this fall and Toms River resident Jessica Valenti who recently received a degree in Marine Science from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and plans to eventually become a college professor focusing on fisheries science.

Congressman Pallone, who served as a Coastal Law Specialist for the New Jersey Sea Grant Program in the late 70s was a former colleague of Stew Tweed and has been bestowing the scholarships at the Sandy Hook event for the past several years. “I’m happy to present Emily Casper and Jessica Valenti with this year’s Stew Tweed Fisheries and Aquaculture Scholarships, and I wish them the best of luck in their studies and what will surely be bright futures,” said Congressman Pallone.  “At a time when we, as a nation, need to be investing more into STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), I’m delighted that Emily and Jessica have chosen to pursue studies in these fields, and I thank the NJSGC for supporting them.”

After the scholarship ceremony, Congressman Pallone was surprised to receive as well as give when he was presented with the NJSGC COASTodian Award by Claire Antonucci, Executive Director of NJSGC and  Thomas Hayes, Director of Customer and Community Relations at New Jersey Natural Gas, the founding partner and primary sponsor of the Ocean Fun Days annual event.  The COASTodian Award is a semi-annual recognition reserved for selected leaders from both the political and private sectors to acknowledge continued commitment and contributions to the marine and coastal environment.

The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is an affiliation of colleges, universities and other groups dedicated to advancing knowledge and stewardship of New Jersey’s marine and coastal environment.  NJSGC meets its mission through its innovative research, education and outreach programs. For more information, visit NJSGC on the web at njseagrant.org or on social media at facebook.com/NJSeaGrant and twitter.com/NJSeaGrant.