2017-2018
Agnes Hansen Award – Applications due October 27, 2017
Mary Haga Award – Applications due February 9, 2018
Agnes Hansen Award – Applications due May 25, 2018
The Mary Haga Award
Following her death, the family of Mary Haga established a memorial fund in her name and donated these funds to Twin Cities Chapter. This money has been awarded to Twin Cities Chapter members to enable them to attend scientific meetings and present their research.
Mary Haga had been a member of GWIS since 1953 and held B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Minnesota. Her graduate work was in the field of Entomology, where she performed a systematic study of the Hemiptera of Minnesota. Ms. Haga spent many years teaching science courses in secondary schools and at Macalester College. She also worked to preserve and maintain the insect and reptile collection at the Hennepin County Library. In addition to Twin Cities Chapter of GWIS, she was also a member of AAAS and the Minnesota Academy of Science.
The Agnes Hansen Award
Following the death of Agnes Hansen, her sisters, Helen C. Hansen and Bertha Smith, along with other donors, established the Agnes Hansen Award. This award is given to Twin Cities Chapter graduate student members to defray expenses associated with presenting their research at scientific meetings.
Agnes Hansen was a member of the Department of Botany at the University of Minnesota for 22 years. At the time of her retirement in 1963, she held a dual appointment as Associate Scientist and Assistant Professor. Ms. Hansen was a tireless worker for Sigma Delta Epsilon, both locally and nationally.
Ms. Hansen was born on a farm near Ostrander, Minnesota. After graduating from Spring Valley High School, she taught at a rural school near Stewartville. In 1915 she received a teaching certificate from Winona Normal School (now Winona State University). She taught several years in the elementary grades at LeRoy and Rochester, received a B.S. degree from the University of Minnesota, and also taught high school students. Two years later she was hired by the botany department, where she taught botanical microtechniques. She earned a M.S. degree in 1950. From 1947 until her retirement in 1963, Ms. Hansen was the official pollen counter for the Twin Cities area.
