Supporting Students, Honoring Memories

Stone Lab students come from all walks of life, and while many of them spend their first summer on Gibraltar Island during high school or college, some don’t make it to the island until they’re adults. Even then, living and learning so close to Lake Erie can make a deep impression, and students often become vocal supporters of Ohio Sea Grant’s teaching and research programs at the Lab.

Lydia Bailey went one step further: after spending a few weeks at Stone Lab for undergraduate classes, she recognized the value of the program and wanted to make a lasting contribution. She made a seed donation while she was still a student herself, and began working with the Friends of Stone Laboratory (FOSL) and both private and corporate donors to establish a permanent endowment in honor of her father, Arley Duff Blankenship. The endowment supports scholarships for students taking introductory courses at Stone Lab, with preference given to students from Appalachia wanting to get their first taste of Lake Erie science.