Movita “Mo” Steiner with 2024 Steiner Scholarship recipients Ryan Davenport (left) and Levi Kirk (not pictured: Amy Johnson). Photo courtesy of Ruby Falls.
Ruby Falls has awarded three graduate student employees—two who attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga—with the annual John Thomas Steiner, Sr. Memorial Scholarship.
UTC environmental science students Amy Johnson and Ryan Davenport, along with Western Governors University freshman Levi Kirk, were honored with the award for their “commitment to academic achievement and dedicated service to the community.”
The John Thomas Steiner, Sr. Collegiate Scholarship was established in 2008 to honor the memory of the former Ruby Falls president. Movita “Mo” Steiner, widow of the late John Steiner, Sr. presented the awards.
Johnson joined Ruby Falls as a tour guide in July 2023. With a focus on wildlife conservation, she has volunteered for bird banding stations across the Southeast for five years—and worked with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to restore habitats for endangered species.
In addition to her role as a tour guide, she serves as a teaching assistant at UTC and works as a field research technician for the Appalachian Conservation Institute.
“As I continue to learn, grow and gain experience, I feel confident that after obtaining my master’s degree, I will pursue a Ph.D. and continue my pursuit of knowledge,” Johnson said in a Ruby Falls-issued announcement.
Davenport began his role as a Ruby Falls tour guide in August 2023. His studies focus on conservation practices for bird species and ecosystems, and he has volunteered at Panola Mountain and Whigg Meadow Banding Stations. He has also worked with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on habitat restoration projects.
“Very quickly, I was fascinated by birds and alarmed by their imperiled state, with virtually all species currently in decline,” Davenport said in the news release.
“Levi, Amy and Ryan are wonderful examples of how Ruby Falls team members connect to excellence and leadership,” said Kara Van Brunt, executive director at Ruby Falls, in the announcement. “We are proud to invest in our students and are excited for what they will achieve through their studies.”
Celebrating its 95th year, Ruby Falls is home to the tallest underground waterfall open to the public in the United States.
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Biology, Geology and Environmental Science
