Nicholas Paape Memorial Scholarship

About this Giving Opportunity

My husband Nick loved maps. We used to give him quite a bit of trouble about it. He got his degree from the University of Iowa in Geographical Information Sciences and started applying his degree at Union Pacific Railroad in their Real Estate department. He loved the variety of work he got to do- mapping a new train yard, working on an agreement for a movie set on railroad property, or partnering with cities to design a light rail system. In his free time, Nick was a fisherman and incorporated his love for GIS into his hobbies- creating intricate maps to show at what part of the lake, at what depth, at what water temp people were catching what types of fish. He also struggled with depression throughout his life. He ultimately lost his battle to depression on November 1st, 2015. After his passing, I wanted to create something that would be a lasting positive influence he could leave for others. The Nicholas L. Paape Memorial Scholarship at the University of Iowa will help to support high performing juniors and seniors studying Geographic Information Science. This is the first scholarship for the department, and will help to support students who share the same passion as Nick.