One-of-A-Kind Doctoral Fellowship

Phil Fitzwater is an alumnus and recurrent donor to the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences. The time he spent with former Professor and Department Head Stan Davis was considered a highlight of his education. As some may not know, Fitzwater had a unique one-on-one learning experience with Davis throughout his doctoral study.  

Davis impacted the lives of many across the department, but none more so than Fitzwater. He looked up to Davis not just as a mentor, but as a guiding hand and role model, an exemplar of excellence. Several years ago, Fitzwater established the Stanley N. Davis Graduate Scholarship as a way to honor his mentor. This scholarship award is made to continuing graduate students who excel in the areas of  hydrogeology, subsurface hydrology, or similar areas of expertise. 

However, this was not the end of Fitzwater's philanthropy. He felt that other students should have the opportunity to have that same one-on-one experience that he did. So, through the hard work of staff from the HAS department and College of Science's development office, the Davis-Fitzwater Doctoral Fellowship is now available! The fellowship is a competitive award for first-year doctoral students who want to continue their education in the global hub for earth and environmental sciences located at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.  

The fellowship will be available to one of the first-year doctoral program applicants for the Fall semester 2026. National and international students who excel in hydrology, geology, environmental science, atmospheric sciences, engineering, or other related fields are welcome to apply. The fellowship award includes a $15,000 stipend as well as a competitive funding package. 

The program’s primary goal is to provide students with the opportunity to work with world-renowned professors, research faculty, and other collaborators from government and industry ensuring that they are taught by and learn from the best practitioners in the field. Additionally, the experiences this award provides will give students the tools and opportunities they need to pursue groundbreaking research.