jamesamato.com

Hiking For Tom

From July 24th to August 21, 2015 James solo hiked the Central California Section of the Pacific Crest Trail thru the high Sierra’s; 520 miles completed in 29 days, total elevation gain/loss +92,783 / -99,121 ft. James used his hike as an opportunity to put together a scholarship at UW-Milwaukee in the honor of Dr Thomas S. Hooyer; a school mentor who was diagnosed with ALS in Spring 2014, and passed away May 4, 2016. Through his hiking efforts, James helped raise $12,000 and kickstarted a fundrasing campagin that resulted in over $50,000. The Dr Thomas S. Hooyer Award supports undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Geosciences at UW-Milwaukee in field research projects. If you are interested in making a contribution to the Dr Thomas S. Hooyer fund (thru the UWM Foundation), please email me@jamesamato.com for more information.

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WISN 12 NEWS

STUDENT HONORS PROFESSOR WITH SCHOLARSHIP WALK

By Tim Elliott - May 23, 2016 (read story)

A beloved University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor died earlier this month after a two-year battle with ALS, the neurodegenerative condition commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.

But before Tom Hooyer died, one of his students embarked on a incredible journey to raise awareness of ALS and honor Hooyer through a scholarship.

“It was a magical experience, [an] emotional experience. [It was an] emotional roller coaster ride," James Amato said. "There were times I laughed on that trail. There were times I cried on that trail."

Amato is a geosciences grad student at UWM, and me Hooyer as an undergrad a few years ago. Hooyer quickly became a mentor and a friend.

Hooyer was diagnosed with ALS in the spring of 2014.

To honor his professor and to raise money for a scholarship, Amato hiked a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail solo last summer. He walked 520 miles in just 29 days, raising $12,000 in the process.

“You know when the going got tough, that's when I really thought of Tom,” said Amato. “And there were plenty of times in that hike that you want to give up. But I definitely found inspiration through Tom to move forward."

Hooyer passed away May 4 at the age of 52.

The Dr. Thomas S. Hooyer Award Fund at UWM will support undergraduate and graduate students at UW-Milwaukee in Quaternary Period field research projects. The annual $500 grant will cover expenses for domestic and international field research.

To contribute, visit the Give to Geosciences page on UWM.edu.

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UWM Report

GEOSCIENCES STUDENT HIKES FOR PROFESSOR’S LEGACY

By Sarah Vickery - May 11, 2016 (read story)

Some students buy gifts or write letters to show their professors appreciation. James Amato raised $12,000 and hiked 500 miles to show his.

Amato completed his undergraduate degree at UWM in 2015 and is working toward his master’s degree in geosciences. He’s also the driving force behind the Dr. Thomas S. Hooyer Award, a scholarship bearing the name of one of Amato’s most beloved professors. Tom Hooyer was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, during Amato’s undergraduate studies. He passed away on May 4.

“Tom gave me my first shot at research. He was a really good mentor to me. He was an amazing scientist, a driven athlete, and overall a genuinely nice guy,” Amato said. “He enjoyed hobbies that have kept him outdoors including backpacking, skiing and bike racing. Tom was 52, married to Anne Medeiros and was the father of Nieve and Nolan.”

ALS is an invariably fatal, neurological disease that causes the body’s nerve cells to break down, resulting in progressive muscle weakness until walking, swallowing, and even breathing becomes difficult.

After he first heard Hooyer’s diagnosis, Amato knew he had to help.

“I was getting ready to do this crazy, long, solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I read somewhere that using your hike for a cause can be a really great experience. I immediately thought of Tom and what I could do to make good out of this unfortunate situation,” Amato said. “I wanted to use my hike as an opportunity to raise awareness about ALS. I reached out to the Hooyer family with some options, and they really liked the idea of doing a scholarship in Tom’s honor.”

The PCT spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington. Amato completed the Central California section of the trail, 520 miles through the High Sierra, in just 29 days. He would hike about the equivalent of a marathon each day, carrying 40-60 pounds over 90,000 feet of elevation change on rough terrain.

“Every day I was confronted with a new challenge, and each time I managed a way to overcome it: severe blistering, dried up waters sources, bad weather – the list goes on. There were several occasions I just wanted to give up, but those were the times I found inspiration to move forward through Tom and his situation,” Amato said. “Among the hardships there were plenty of pay offs. You would just see the most amazing things on the trail, just spectacular views every day.”

Amato set an original goal to raise $3,000, but donors exceeded his expectations and gave $12,000.

Since then, more have donated to the scholarship fund, which will support domestic and international field research for undergraduate and graduate students. Today, a donation page is available at https://uwm.edu/geosciences/give/, and the first awards were handed out this spring.

Hooyer earned his bachelor’s degree from Calvin College, master’s degree from Northern Illinois University and his doctorate in geology and geophysics from Iowa State University. He spent his career in the University of Wisconsin system, serving with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey in Madison, conducting glacial geology research worldwide, and most recently, teaching at UWM.

His legacy will support geosciences students for years to come. It’s Amato’s way of not only honoring a beloved professor but also sharing his love of his studies and giving back to the Department of Geosciences.

“I hope this scholarship gives other students an opportunity like I had,” Amato said.