Syracuse University awarded prestigious Beckman Scholars Program for undergraduate student research

Monday, March 28, 2011, By News Staff

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation named Syracuse University an institutional recipient of the 2011 Beckman Scholars Program. The highly competitive grant supports select students interested in chemistry, biochemistry and the biological and medical sciences.

beckman“We are honored to be chosen for this prestigious program,” says James T. Spencer, associate dean in SU’s College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Beckman Scholars Program. “This award recognizes our longstanding commitment to providing undergraduate students opportunities to conduct cutting-edge research in the laboratories of leading scientists in both The College of Arts and Sciences and the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computing Science.”

Established in 1997, The Beckman Foundation annually invites institutions nationwide to apply for the Beckman Scholars Program. SU was one of nine recipients of the 2011 award. The program features sustained, in-depth undergraduate research experiences and comprehensive faculty mentoring.

Students selected as Beckman Scholars will receive $19,300 in financial support over two summers and a full academic year for laboratory research, scientific meeting travel funds and research supplies. Students majoring in biology, chemistry, physics or biomedical and chemical engineering with an interdisciplinary interest in the biomedical sciences are invited to apply for this select program. The application deadline is April 18. Complete information is available on Beckman Scholars website.

Beckman Scholars will conduct independent research under the tutelage of one of 12 Beckman faculty mentors from the biology, chemistry and physics departments in The College of Arts and Sciences and the biomedical and chemical engineering department in the College of Engineering. The scholars will become members of their mentor’s research team and participate in all laboratory activities, including presenting their work at departmental colloquia, seminars and undergraduate courses, and at national conferences.

Beckman faculty mentors are:

  • Department of Biology: Michael Cosgrove, Scott Pitnick, Ramesh Raina and Kari Seagraves;
  • Department of Chemistry: Robert Doyle, Mathew Maye, Karin Ruhlandt-Senge and James Spencer;
  • Department of Physics: Martin Forstner and Liviu Movileanu;
  • Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering: Julie Hasenwinkel and Patrick Mather.