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Marietta College student named finalist for AAPL scholarship

by Brylee Weekley

Marietta, Ohio (03/06/2020) — Ross Keller '20 (Long Bottom, Ohio) is busy finishing up his last semester at Marietta College. On top of looking for a job and deciding if he should go to law school or earn an MBA, Keller can add one more thing to his résumé.

In February, Keller returned from the 2020 NAPE Summit in Houston, Texas, after competing as a Top 4 finalist for the AAPL Outstanding Graduate Scholarship. AAPL, which stands for the American Association of Professional Landmen, annually recognizes one graduating student from all of the AALP accredited undergraduate programs in the nation.

Land management programs across the country as its Outstanding Graduate. After reviewing all the applications, AAPL chose Keller, a Land & Energy Management major, as one of four finalists across the nation for this award. Ross met with the selection committee for an in-person interview while in Houston for NAPE in early February.

"I had an excellent experience in Houston, being able to interact with industry professionals is an incredible opportunity," Keller said. "It was also great to spread the word about our school and program to the industry. Also getting to meet with the Houston Alumni Association really shows how far The Long Blue line stretches."

Keller, who attended Eastern High School, also will also graduate with a minor in Geographic Information Systems. Keller is also a part of several organizations on campus, including the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, Gamma Sigma Alpha (the national academic Greek honor society), and Marietta College Landman Association.

"I congratulate Ross for his hard work and it is a great recognition for Marietta College and our Land & Energy Management Program acknowledging the talented students we have," said Land & Energy Management Professor Tina Thomas. "We may have one of the smallest programs but we are definitely making an impact in the industry."

Keller said though he was not selected for the scholarship, it was a rewarding and amazing experience to be among the finalists for the award.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy back in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, as well as one of the nation's best by Forbes.com. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major. Marietta College has also been named a Great College to Work For two consecutive years (2018 and 2019).

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