"Equal Partners in Discovery"

APPLY NOW! 2012 Scholarship Program

Applications for the 2012-2013 Beckman Scholars Program are now being accepted. Due dates are shown below. Students should download and carefully follow the application instructions on the 2012 program announcement. The basic requirements are that you develop a research plan with one of the mentors listed below, and commit to spending two summers and the intervening academic year working in their lab.

2011 Scholars

The 2011-20112 Beckman Scholars shown at left are Mr. Vlad Sviderskiy and Ms. Monica Li, both mentored by Dr. Dean Harman (Professor and Chair of Chemistry). The year's other outstanding finalists were Gretchen Verrilli and Katherine Estep.

Vlad is focusing his efforts on the synthesis of new organometallic catalysts to aid in the electrolytic splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen. His work has obvious applications in the generation and storage of renewable energy.

Monica's project focuses on developing novel approaches to drug synthesis with arenes as a starting material – a largely untapped yet abundant resource for new pharmacologic agents.

2010 Scholars

laib and guilford chien and fraser The 2010-2011 Beckman Scholars shown at right are Mr. Alan Chien (mentored by Cassandra Fraser of Chemistry) and Ms. Jeneva Laib (mentored by William Guilford of Biomedical Engineering).

Alan and Jeneva were chosen from an outstanding field of finalists including Jackie Hodges, Justin Kim, Jeremy Louissant, Vlad Sviderskiy, and Laura Wang. Jeneva has since graduated from UVA, while Alan is finishing his degree.

Alan's project was to develop difluoroboron complexes to serve as pH and mechanochromic sensors – that is, compounds that change color in response to pH changes and physical impacts. These will have applications spanning the study of cell biology, to novel debris impact sensors for space flight.

Jeneva's research was directed to the understanding of how molecular motors – proteins used by cells to transport cargo – are regulated and coordinated.  It is her hope that this research will lead to better understanding of neurodegenerative and developmental diseases.




About Beckman at UVA

The "Equal Partners in Discovery" Beckman Scholars program at UVA will provide annually one or more $19,300 scholarships to highly talented, research-oriented students who will work in select mentors’ laboratories for two summers and the intervening academic year. In addition to summer salary and academic year financial support, these scholarships sponsor travel to and participation in national scientific meetings, and promote a professional level of research achievement during the undergraduate years.

Funded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, the intent of this program is to advance the education, research training and personal development of select students in chemistry, biochemistry, and the biological and medical sciences.

Contacts

Ms. Kitter Bishop

Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Virginia
Box 800759
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Beckman.Scholars@virginia.edu
(434) 982-6016

William H. Guilford, Ph.D.

Program Director
Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Virginia
Box 800759
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
guilford@virginia.edu
(434) 243-2740

Beckman Mentors

Linda Columbus (Chemistry)
Membrane protein structure, function, and dynamics.
Barry Condron (Biology)
Regulation and function of serotonergic neurons during development.
Cassandra Fraser (Chemistry)
Synthesis, properties and applications of metal complexes with polymeric ligands.
William Guilford (Biomedical Engineering)
Function and regulation of molecular motors in cell contraction and movement.
Brent Gunnoe (Chemistry)
Organometallic chemistry, homogeneous catalysis, and small molecule activation.
Dean Harman (Chemistry)
Organometallic Chemistry, Organic Synthesis, Electrocatalysis; Activation of aromatic molecules.
Marcia McDuffie (Microbiology)
Development of mouse models for identifying genes controlling human diseases.
Michael Menaker (Biology)
Organization of the circadian systems of vertebrates.
Cameron Mura (Chemistry)
Structure, function, and evolution of RNA- and DNA-based protein assemblies.
Craig Nunemaker (Medicine)
Mechanisms of inflammatory-mediated pancreatic islet dysfunction related to diabetes.
Jason Papin (Biomedical Engineering)
Biochemical network reconstruction and analysis; infectious disease and cancer.
Shayn Peirce-Cottler (Biomedical Engineering)
Combinations of angiogenic growth factors in microvascular remodeling.
Richard Price (Biomedical Engineering)
Bone marrow-derived cell regulation of microvascular remodeling.
Dorothy Schafer (Biology)
Maintainence of the dynamic actin filament cytoskeleton.
Jill Venton (Chemistry)
Sensing and sampling techniques for the detection of new molecules in the brain.

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