Diana Liverman Scholars Must Be:

• Main Campus undergraduate students from any major who will be graduating in or after May of their participation year.
• Enrolled in at least 10 University of Arizona units per semester outside of Liverman Scholars units.
• Available to participate both Fall and Spring semester.
• Passionate about the environment, sustainability, and community service.
• Eager to work in an interdisciplinary team of students.
• Reliable and self-directed

Students with historically underrepresented identities are especially encouraged to apply.

The Diana Liverman Scholars Program does not have a minimum GPA requirement.

Weekly Workshops

Scholars are expected to participate in weekly workshops on Fridays at 1:00pm during the Fall and Spring semesters. These workshops are focused on interdisciplinary teamwork and cultivating communication skills. 

Workshops will also provide students with time to work on their community partner projects with the guidance of peer and faculty mentors. 

Day Trips and Overnight Retreats

• Beginning of Year Overnight Retreat at Biosphere 2 (weekend in September
• End of Year Overnight Retreat at Santa Rita Experimental Range (weekend in April)
• 1-2 additional day trip or overnight retreat with community partners (subject to change annually)

Student Showcase

Liverman Scholars will gain professional presentation experience by participating in the AIR Education Initiatives Student Showcase every Spring in April. Each student will present either a lightning talk on stage or a poster during the gallery reception.

End of Year Deliverables

By the end of each academic year, all scholars will have submitted a deliverable project to the community partners they worked with throughout the year. This will be a useable communication piece that can be used to advance the mission of the community partners. Examples of deliverables include, but are not limited to:

• Interactive site maps
• Social media templates
• Educational signage or curriculum
• Fundraising videos or grant templates
• New or updated websites

Scholars are required to submit their project deliverables in order to receive full credit and funding for their participation.

Financial Benefits

Diana Liverman Scholar receive $500 per semester ($1000 per year) deposited into their Bursar account toward the end of each Fall and Spring semester.

University Credit

Participating scholars receive 2 units per semester (4 units per year) of Independent Study credit titled GEOG 399. This credit counts toward upper-division elective requirements in all majors (with approval from your primary Academic Advisor).

Mentorship

Diana Liverman Scholars receive mentorship from a variety of sources including

• Peer Mentorship from 1-2 former Liverman Scholars who serve as Undergraduate Preceptors.
• Near-Peer Mentorship from 2 former Carson Scholars who serve as CALMS (Carson Alumni Liverman Mentors)
• Faculty Mentorship from two esteemed UArizona faculty mentors across different departments. Faculty mentors have extensive experience in different aspects of environmental communication and storytelling.

Skill Building

Scholars will build a variety of transferrable skills during weekly workshops and field trips including:

• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Project management
• Public speaking
• Community interviewing
• Various forms of communication and storytelling
  • Writing, animation, photography, social media, and more
• Universal design practices
• Interdisciplinary collaboration

Though students may learn digital skills in the Liverman Scholars Program, it is a predominantly in-person experience featuring hands-on learning, field trips, and use of main campus resources. 

For this reason, the Liverman Scholars Program is only open to Main Campus University of Arizona students. 

Undergraduate Preceptors

Undergraduate preceptors must be former Diana Liverman Scholar who has not yet completed their Bachelor's Degree from the University of Arizona. An ideal candidate is someone who is seeking further leadership opportunities and is passionate about creating meaningful experiences for other students. Preceptors devote around 10 hours per month to the Liverman Scholars Program.

Carson Alumni Liverman Mentors (CALMs)

CALMs are former Carson Scholars who are still working toward the completion of their graduate degree at the University of Arizona. An ideal candidate is someone whose passion for environmental communication grew through the Carson Scholars Program and is eager to pass along what they've learned to a group of undergraduate students. CALMs are expected to devote around 10 hours per month to the Liverman Scholars Program.

Faculty Mentors

Faculty mentors are full-time, main campus University of Arizona faculty members whose work emphasizes the environment, sustainability, resilience, interdisciplinary collaboration, and communication. Faculty mentors should expect to devote around 10-15 hours per month to the Liverman Scholars Program.

Preceptors, CALMs, and Faculty Mentors are compensated with a once-per-semester stipend. All mentors are contracted for one academic year (Fall and Spring semesters).