Jim Spence Ornithology Scholarship

The Jim Spence Ornithology Scholarship was endowed by his family as a special remembrance and in honor of his love for birds and bird-watching. In 1979, Mr. Spence completed a 28-year career in the U.S. Navy as a Master Chief Petty Officer, the Navy’s highest enlisted ranking. Upon retirement to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, he entered into an interest in bird-watching with the same level of commitment and enthusiasm he had for his career in the Navy. He became an active member of the Mississippi Coast Audubon Society, participating in annual bird counts and other conservation efforts of the Society. In remembrance and appreciation of the great joy brought to Mr. Spence late in life by his love of birding, this scholarship is intended to foster and further the interests of students at Georgia Southern University who share that enthusiasm. These scholarships (approximately $500) are offered to biology students with an interest in birds. Two scholarships are awarded each year, one to a graduate student and one to a full-time undergraduate.