UNC Highway Safety Research Center now accepting applications for $1,000 scholarship

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (April 22, 2020) — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC) announced today that it is accepting applications for the 2020 Megan Cornog Memorial Highway Safety Scholarship.

The $1,000 scholarship is open to full-time students working toward a master’s degree, including students in the first several years of a combined master’s/Ph.D. program, at any of the University of North Carolina campuses in fall 2020.

Candidates will be asked to contribute a 500-1,000-word essay exploring how their field of study could be used to prevent motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries on North Carolina roads. Candidates will also be evaluated on academic performance, extracurricular and professional activities, career goals and work experience.

The purpose of the scholarship is to foster the education and professional development of graduate students with an interest in transportation safety-related areas, including, but not limited to, engineering, driver behavior, planning, public health and environmental issues.

Since establishing the scholarship in 2006, HSRC has awarded 11 scholarships to graduate students in the UNC system. HSRC most recently awarded the scholarship in 2019 to Juliette Leonardo, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at East Carolina University’s College of Allied Health Sciences.

The scholarship is named in memory of a former HSRC staff member, Megan Cornog, who died November 7, 2010, in her home in Carrboro, N.C., after a courageous battle with cancer. After earning her master’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in May 2009, Megan began her career working as a project coordinator for HSRC, focusing on pedestrian and bicycle issues.

The deadline to submit applications is June 15, 2020. The scholarship recipient will be announced in July 2020. Applications can be submitted via mail or online. Complete application and submission details can be found at www.hsrc.unc.edu/scholarship.