Scholarship program offers opportunity for young scientists

Budding scientists who attend the University of Central Florida may have a chance to put their skills to the test through the Beckman Scholars Program, a guided research opportunity geared toward helping students build experience in their particular field of study.

The primary duty of a Beckman Scholar is to conduct an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Mentors help to teach the motivated students and assist them in their efforts to research and gather new information.

In addition to the opportunity to work on the long-term research project, students who are accepted into the Beckman Scholars Program will also receive a $19,300 scholarship.

"Being a mentor is an enormous opportunity and responsibility." said Stephen Kuebler, associate professor of chemistry and optics at UCF. "A faculty mentor gets to work one-on-one with fantastically bright undergraduates, teaching them the methods of science, and discovering new things in their mutual field during the research training experience."

The Beckman Scholars Program is open to chemistry, biology, or molecular biology and microbiology majors with two years of their undergraduate studies remaining. The student must maintain a high overall GPA, a high GPA in their major and be prepared to make a two-year commitment to participate in intensive undergraduate research with an approved Beckman faculty mentor. Also, their expected graduation date cannot exceed spring of 2010 to allow for sufficient time to complete the program.

Research that the student conducts is expected to be publication-quality work. Scholars receive training in the oral and written communication of their work. In addition, scholars will attend workshops and classes designed to provide them with a more expansive view of the research community. Scholars will also have opportunities for one-on-one interactions with UCF and visiting faculty on a regular basis.

"It is also a great responsibility because the mentor passes down the techniques of science through formal instruction, but also informally through example,' Kuebler said.

Kevin Belfield, professor of chemistry and optics at UCF and Chair of the Beckman Scholars Program committee, said that the competition in pursuing the award is fierce, but that the potential opportunity gained by the student who is awarded the scholarship warrants that aggressive spirit among applicants.

"The program only provides support for a limited number of students, thus, competition for the coveted awards is substantial," he said. "The credentials and determination of potential Beckman Scholars are expected to be high as well."

Beckman Scholars must attend workshops to hone their skills in multiple areas and prepare them for a professional environment. Writing and presentation skills, ethics of research and professional behavior, how to find support for graduate education, preparing for graduate school, the importance of networking, how to prepare a poster presentation and how to publish results are all topics that are discussed in these workshops.

"The ultimate goal of the Beckman Scholars Program is to engage a select group of promising young scientists with an intensive, holistic research experience that will provide them with the necessary training for post-baccalaureate success," said Kenneth Teter, assistant professor of molecular biology and microbiology.

Applicants of the program will be scrutinized and chosen based on a two-tiered selection process. The first round is to have their applications accepted by the committee, which is comprised of five professors from various fields of study under the bigger umbrella of science. The second phase of the process is an interview of the student.

"We look for well-rounded, articulate students with an obvious interest in research and a strong work ethic," said Teter.

To apply for the Beckman Scholars Program, students must provide a resume, their latest degree audit, a statement of 300 words or less that details their academic and personal goals and how the Beckman scholarship will help them reach these goals. Finally they need to set up a meeting with a Beckman Scholars faculty mentor and obtain a letter of support from one who has agreed to be their mentor.

"The applicant quality in the first year of the program (last year) was truly outstanding." said Belfield. "We expect another high quality applicant pool this year.

The program is coordinated through the Burnett Honors College. The deadline to apply for the program is March 15, and application materials must be delivered to Mihaela Cohanoschi, who is located in room 117 of the Chemistry building.