Beckman Scholars Program

Undergraduate

A 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry, biological sciences or interdisciplinary combinations.

Students working in lab with faculty.

Program Overview

³ÉÈËÊÓƵwill select two undergraduates as Beckman Scholars per year for the next three years. Each Beckman Scholar will take part in a 15-month mentored research experience in chemistry, biological sciences or interdisciplinary combinations with either of the two fields. Scholars will work on a one-on-one mentored research project with the available faculty mentor in their field.

The College’s Beckman Scholars Program has been designed to emphasize equity, access and inclusion. If you identify as a student from a group that is underrepresented in STEM you are especially encouraged to apply.

Program details

Award amount: $21,000

  • Student Stipend: $18,000
    • Summer 1: $6,800
    • Academic Year: $4,600
    • Summer 1: $6,800
  • Research and Travel Funds: $2,800

Length of award: 15 Months

Scholars are funded continuously over two consecutive summers and one academic year

Eligibility

  • US Citizen, permanent resident, or DACA status
  • Full-time student at ³ÉÈËÊÓƵCollege
  • Intention to pursue an advanced degree or other scientific pursuits after graduation

Candidate Selection

Diversity, equity, and merit are all included equally in the selection process

Timeline and Important dates

  • Application opens: February 6, 2024
  • Application deadline: March 1, 2024
  • Interviews/lab visits with mentors: March 4–15
  • Beckman Scholars announced: April 1, 2024

Upcoming information sessions

 

2024—2025 Faculty Mentors

Patricia Brennan, biological sciences

Patty Brennan

Brennan is an evolutionary biologist who studies the mechanisms that drive genital diversification through sexual conflict and sexual selection.

Beckman scholars working with Professor Brennan will develop skills in vertebrate anatomy including 3D modeling, micro-CT scanning, histology and dissection to understand female genital morphology and coevolution across species.

More about Patty Brennan
Amy Hitchcock Camp

Amy Camp

Camp investigates how bacteria communicate with one another to coordinate complex biological processes through gene regulation.

Beckman scholars working with Professor Camp will use molecular biology techniques to study the bacterium Bacillus subtilis (a harmless relative of the Anthrax-causing bacterium Bacillus anthracis), which can transform itself into a metabolically dormant and environmentally resistant spore.

More about Amy Camp
Kenneth Colodner, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Behavior and Chair of Neuroscience and Behavior

Ken Colodner

Colodner is a cellular and molecular neuroscientist whose research is focused on understanding how communication between the two major cell types in the brain, neuronal and glial cells, is disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases.

Beckman scholars working with Professor Colodner will use modern genetic techniques in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to examine the functional consequences of tau expression on neuronal-glial interactions in the fly brain. These experiments are aimed towards understanding mechanisms of tau toxicity and identifying novel therapeutic targets for these disorders.

More about Ken Colodner
Maria Alexandra Gomez

Maria Alexandra Gomez

The Gomez research group works to understand how charged defects alter ionic conduction pathways in materials.  The team uses first principles tools to generate data sets of minima and transition states to create maps or graphs for ionic conduction in the presence of charged defects.  The large graphs are then searched by both traditional graph theory tools and team developed extensions.

Beckman scholars working with Professor Gomez will work on either data collection phases or method development to understand ion conduction in a variety of technologically important systems.

More about Maria Alexandra Gomez
Melody Su

Melody Su

Su is a computer scientist with a background in medical robotics. Her work examines the interactions of robotic surgical tools and soft deformable tissue. Her focus is on computer vision, haptics, (medical) robotics, bilateral teleoperation, image segmentation and 3D reconstruction.

Beckman scholars working with Professor Su will explore methods to improve robotic teleoperation experiences by integrating computer vision and AI algorithms to provide vision-based haptic feedback.

More about Melody Su
Craig Woodward

Craig Woodard

Woodard is a molecular geneticist who studies the role of hormones in directing stage- and tissue-specific developmental physiological processes.

Beckman scholars working with Professor Woodard will learn molecular biology techniques including real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blot analysis, and using transgenic fruit flies, Drosophila, to study the genes that play key roles in directing metamorphosis.

More about Craig Woodard

Happening at Mount Holyoke

The Beckman Scholars Program in the news

For the first time in its history, ³ÉÈËÊÓƵCollege has been selected as a Beckman Scholars Program awardee by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. The foundation chose the College after a rigorous application process.

Contact us

The Fellowships staff help to demystify the process of applying for merit-based fellowships.

  • Associate Director of Fellowships

Next steps

Apply

Set up an appointment with Fellowships at ³ÉÈËÊÓƵto learn how to apply for the Beckman Scholars Program.