NCAEP is pleased to present the David Griffin Environmental Scholarship to help fund the education of the next generation of environmental professionals. Mr. Griffin was one of our founding members and most respected professionals in the environmental field, who was a force in our association from 1991 through the 2000s. Through our scholarship program, we have provided tens of thousands of dollars in funding to undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students attending NC universities all over the state.

2026 Scholarship Recipients Announced!

NCAEP congratulates the 2026 David Griffin Environmental Scholarship recipients for the 2026-2027 school year.

Benjamin Smith is a master's student in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at North Carolina State University who will be graduating in December of 2026. His current work involves deploying and maintaining trail cameras across western North Carolina, identifying species with Wildlife Insights, and using R and ArcGIS to look at species richness and relative abundance across different cover types. Ben has also worked with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee as both a wildlife biologist and wildlife research intern and his long-term goal is to work as a wildlife biologist or applied researcher in North Carolina.

Noelle Doucette is working toward her Bachelor's in Natural Resource Resources with a concentration in Policy and Administration and a minor in economics. Nicole is a Campus Fellow with the NC Conservation Network, has served as a Sustainability Steward with the NC State’s Office of Sustainability, and this summer is working as a Communications and Development Assistant at Kachemak Heritage Land Trust in Homer, Alaska. She plans to graduate in May 2028, with the long-term goal of becoming an environmental lawyer.