
ATLANTA--The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation has selected Georgia State University as a recipient of the Beckman Scholars Program Award, which creates research and mentoring opportunities for exceptional students majoring in biology, chemistry and neuroscience.
Georgia State was one of 12 institutions of higher learning nationally to receive the award this year.
“The Beckman Scholars Program will give talented students the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art, faculty-mentored research and numerous professional development opportunities so they are well positioned to pursue their graduate educations and careers,” said Marise Parent, interim associate dean of the Honors College.
Parent, who is also a professor of neuroscience and psychology, will oversee the Honors College’s Beckman Scholars Program in collaboration with the Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni, the departments of biology and chemistry, and the Neuroscience Institute.
Starting this summer, the Honors College will name two Beckman Scholars each year for three years. Recipients will receive $21,000 over 15 months to support their undergraduate research endeavors, including travel and supplies, and their faculty mentors will receive $5,000. Select Beckman Scholars also will be invited to attend the Annual Beckman Symposium, a three-day event at which they will present their latest research findings and network with fellow scholars.
“I am excited to lead this program,” Parent said, “because it will make it possible for our exceptional students from all backgrounds to focus less on financial burdens and more on successfully developing career paths into graduate education in the sciences and medical school.”
Beckman Scholars will spend at least 10 hours performing research for a full academic year and 40 hours a week over two consecutive summers. They also will participate in Honors College research skills workshops, conduct an independent honors thesis, present their work during the annual Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference and receive support in applying for national scholarships and fellowships that will fund future endeavors, such as graduate school or study abroad.
Founded in 1977, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation promotes leading edge research in chemistry and life sciences. For more information on the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, visit beckman-foundation.org. For more information on the Honors College at Georgia State, go to honors.gsu.edu.