Calvin College Receives Research Award

Calvin College is one of 12 institutions in the United States that are receiving 2014 Beckman Scholars Program awards.

The awards are funded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Calvin’s  $104,000 award will fund in-depth research for four students in biology, biochemistry or chemistry over the next three years. Calvin faculty will choose at least one student every year to be part of the program.

Each of the scholars will pursue an independent research project under the direction of a faculty mentor. The goal of the program is to develop future leaders in the areas of scientific research and innovation and to prepare students for graduate school.

“This is a very notable statement that what’s going on in chemistry, biochemistry and biology at Calvin is comparable to the best that’s going on anywhere else in the country,” said Carolyn Anderson, a chemistry professor at Calvin College.  

Besides Calvin, the other 2014 Beckman Scholars Program recipients are Boston University; Bowdoin College; Macalester College; Michigan State University; Pomona College; Texas A & M University; University of Arizona; University of Maryland; University of San Diego; University of Vermont, and Wake Forest University.

This is the second time Calvin College has been awarded a Beckman Scholars Program. The first was received in 2008 and funded a cohort of four scholars.

In a few weeks, a group of Calvin College science faculty will review applications from current students and select a student or two to begin research this summer. Each student named a Beckman Scholar will be awarded $26,000, of which $5,000 is for the scholar’s faculty mentor.

The funding covers two summers of full-time research and 10 hours per week of research during the academic year in between. Scholars are also expected to attend a national meeting to present their work.