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News Release

Last modified: Tuesday, April 6, 2010

IU College of Arts and Sciences selects five students for major awards in the sciences, humanities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University has announced the winners of its 2010 Palmer-Brandon Prize and 2010-2011 Beckman Scholars. These awards are given to outstanding undergraduate students in the humanities and the sciences.

2010 Palmer-Brandon Prize

The two undergraduate student recipients of the 2010 Palmer-Brandon Prize are Jerrick Adams of Muncie, Ind., and Richard Scinteie of Michigan City, Ind. Each will receive $20,000 each to further his educational experiences.

The Palmer-Brandon Prize is presented to outstanding full-time students with junior standing who are majoring in the humanities and scheduled to graduate in May or August of the following year. Adams is majoring in English with minors in History and Latin. Scinteie is majoring in Communication and Culture, International Studies and Spanish, and plans to spend the 2010-2011 academic year studying in Madrid.

The Palmer-Brandon Prize is named for the late Ralph Graham Palmer of Washington, Ind., and his wife, the late Barbara Brandon Palmer, both IU alumni. The award was made possible by a gift to the College of Arts and Sciences in the 1980s. Winners can choose to apply the prize money directly to their tuition costs.

Palmer-Brandon Prize candidates are nominated by College of Arts and Sciences faculty members. Candidates must submit an extensive portfolio of work and letters of recommendation. Finalists are interviewed by a faculty selection committee.

"The College is very happy to be able to recognize truly outstanding undergraduates in this way," said College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean David Zaret. "It is unusual for any institution to have such a significant prize to give to an undergraduate in any field. We are fortunate that we will have two of them each year to give to our best students in the humanities."

2010-2011 Beckman Scholars

The 2010-2011 Beckman Scholars are Anna Watkin, Tyler Stanage and Hena Ahmed. Each will receive a total of $19,300 to support one year (two semesters) plus two summers of scientific research.

The Beckman Scholars Program was established in 1997 and is available for selected accredited universities and four-year colleges in the United States. These scholarships contribute significantly to advancing the education, research training and personal development of select students in chemistry, biochemistry and the biological and medical sciences. The sustained, in-depth undergraduate research experiences and comprehensive faculty mentoring are unique in terms of program scope, content and level of scholarship awards.

Anna Watkin is a freshman from Franklin, Ind., majoring in neuroscience and English. Her mentor is William Hetrick, professor of psychology and neuroscience in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. She will be researching the involvement of the human cerebellum in three forms of associative learning.

Tyler Stanage is a freshman from Elkhart, Ind., majoring in biochemistry. His faculty mentor is Professor Martha Oakley, Department of Chemistry. His research project is titled "DNA Binding and Reshaping by MukB's Head Domains."

Hena Ahmed is a sophomore from Westfield, Ind., majoring in neuroscience. She is also earning a certificate in the Liberal Arts and Management Program. Her faculty mentor is Chancellor's Professor of Psychology George Rebec. Rebec is a member of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and he is director of the graduate-level Program in Neuroscience. Her research project is titled "Behavior and Striatal Electrophysiology of the BAC Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease."

The College of Arts and Sciences received support from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation for a total of six Beckman Scholarships, to be awarded in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The scholarships are among the most sought-after undergraduate research awards in the nation.

"We are grateful to the Beckman Foundation for their generous funding of the Beckman Scholars Award program," said Zaret. "Providing sustained support for outstanding students to perform scientific research is both visionary and beneficial to society at large."

To speak to any of the winners, contact Kirstine Lindemann, senior assistant dean, IU College of Arts and Sciences, at 812-855-8245 or klindema@indiana.edu.

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