Ian Pepper Gives Back to Next Generation of Scientists

As a young student, Ian Pepper arrived in the United States in 1970 with $50 in his pocket.

After over 40 years at the University of Arizona and a highly respected leader in environmental microbiology both locally and internationally, Dr. Pepper remembers what a difference both a paid fellowship and loans made starting off as a young scientist. Now he's giving something back.

“It’s always been about the students. I love doing research, all the glitz and glamour. But it’s gratifying to watch students come into the lab and mature and grow," said Ian Pepper, a professor of environmental science and director of the Water Environmental Technology Center. “I tell them to think about what they really want to do, and if they don’t know, try to work through it and give them some advice.”

Read more on the Ian Pepper Scholars program and meet the students it supports.