About the Leonard Halpenny Intern Scholarship
The Halpenny Intern Scholarship awards students $4,000 and the opportunity to gain 200 hours practical experience with at least four water resources and environmental organizations in the Tucson area.
It’s open to students enrolled in a hydrology-related discipline at any Arizona college or university. Past participating host organizations have included government agencies, private industry employers, and consulting firms. Funding comes from the AHS Foundation.
For more information, see our FAQs.
Important Dates for 2024
Note: The 2024 awards will be presented at a chapter meeting or special ceremony since we are not hosting a September symposium this year (BSMAR18 will be held in April).
- Application deadline: 5 PM, March 31
- Interview dates: Late March to early April; recipients to be announced shortly after the interviews
- Work dates: You must be available to complete 200 hours between May and December, with the bulk completed before the fall semester begins. You will spend at least 40 hours with each host organization and have the option to add 40 hours (at the discretion of you and the host).
- Completion date: December 31
To Apply
To apply, download an application, complete it, and send it to Marleigh Nicholas via email (preferred) or U.S. mail (address listed on application).
In addition to the one-page application form, you must also include an essay, transcripts (unofficial), and two letters of recommendation (at least one from an instructor, the second can be from an employer). Contact Marleigh Nicholas with any questions.
We will not accept incomplete or late applications. Prior AHS intern scholarship winners are not eligible, but past mentor and academic scholarship winners may apply.
Student Responsibilities
Scheduling is flexible. The student coordinator will recommend and help arrange contacts with appropriate organizations, but you must coordinate schedules between organizations. You will also be responsible for…
- Maintaining a record of hours and submitting it to the chapter coordinator and treasurer.
- Attending the award presentation at the annual symposium or, if you cannot attend, at a monthly chapter meeting.
- Writing an article for the AHS newsletter describing your learning experience at the conclusion of their intern scholarship.
Note that you may be required to sign liability and confidentiality waiver and/or volunteer agreements.
Information for Employers
Employers from government, private industry, and environmental consulting firms who are interested in hosting future intern scholars should complete the Employer Interest Survey Form and e-mail it to Marleigh Nicholas at halpenny@azhydrosoc.org
Halpenny Intern Scholarship History
Leonard Halpenny
Leonard Halpenny (1915–2000) was a pioneer in the science of hydrology in Arizona. Originally employed part-time with the USGS as a “hydrographer” while in college, he became a full-time USGS employee in Texas in 1938. In 1939, the USGS transferred him to Arizona to participate in groundwater depletion studies statewide. This work led to the publication of Ground Water Resources of the Santa Cruz Basin. He participated in numerous USGS studies, and was appointed as Assistant District Engineer of the USGS in Tucson in 1946. He became the District Chief in 1951.
After leaving the USGS in the late 1950s, he established Water Development Corporation, a consulting firm. In 1958, he served as a member of the CAP litigation team in San Francisco. In the 1970s, Leonard lobbied for passage of the Subdivision Rules of 1972, which prevented the construction of residential subdivisions without proof of water supply. He also influenced the initial recognition of effluent water as a resource in Arizona. Leonard not only served as Special Master from 1973–1978 on Caeppert v. U.S. (the landmark case defining federal water rights in the U.S.) but he also testified in the Gila River adjudication on the distinction between groundwater and surface water.
Leonard Halpenny made many other contributions to advancements in the field of hydrology and, in 1995, he was awarded the first Lifetime Achievement Award by AHS. He used the monetary award to initiate this scholarship in 1996. Leonard’s incredible wealth of knowledge, philanthropy and amiable nature are greatly missed by the hydrologic community in Arizona.
Past Participating Organizations
Past participating organizations in Tucson Water, Clear Creek Associates, the USGS, Montgomery & Associates, and NV5.
Previous Recipients
All past awardees were students at the UA, except where noted.
- 2023: Natalie Yurek
- 2022: Marleigh Nicholas, Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences
- 2021: (Undergraduate Mentor Scholarship) Danielle Rehwoldt
- 2020: (Undergraduate Mentor Scholarship) Stephanie Serrano
- 2019: Rachel Spinti, Environmental Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2018: Tiffani Cañez, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2017: Samantha Swartz, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2016: Mekha Pereira, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2015: Rachel Tucci, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2014: Marlyn Ripalda, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2013: Ryan Toomey, Hydrology & Water Resource
- 2012: Chelsea Kestler, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2011: Andrea Martinez, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2010: David Bernard, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2009: Terra Michaels, Engineering Management
- 2008: Amy Lynn, Civil Engineering
- 2007: Jeffrey Gawad, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2006: Aida Arik, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 2005: Stephanie Sara, Biosystems Engineering
- 2004: Patricia Magowan, Geosciences
- 2003: Tiffany Alvarez, Renewable Natural Resources
- 2002: Vena Jones, Geosciences
- 2001: Adam Bingham, Geosciences
- 2000: Philip Bredfeldt, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 1999: Debbie James, Geosciences
- 1998: Parvin Ghanbari, Wastewater Management, Pima Community College
- 1997: Brad Cheney, Hydrology & Water Resources
- 1996: Marla Odom, Hydrology & Water Resources