This video was prepared by the Lion Scouts and is a great reminder of what was just accomplished this past week at Penn State. As in years past I spent time with our Scholar dancers and recorded interviews with them. I hope to have the podcast done this weekend.
Archive for February, 2009
Current Senior Leah Liu has just been named as a recipient of this year’s Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Leah is one of only 37 scholars selected from among 752 applicants and 101 finalists. The description of the scholarship:
The scholarships
In October 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of Seattle, Washington, USA announced a donation to the University of Cambridge of $210 million to establish the Gates Cambridge Trust.
This benefaction creates in perpetuity an international scholarship programme to enable outstanding graduate students from outside the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge. The Trustees are required to award scholarships on the basis of a person’s intellectual ability, leadership capacity and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others.
I hope this will encourage other Penn State students to apply and be persistent in pursuing their goals! It is never too early to begin considering post-graduate plans and the best place to start is with the PSU University Fellowships Office. Dr. Ruth Mendum is always willing and ready to help. (They even have listings of some scholarships for undergraduates.)
And now, introducing our own Schreyer Scholar and new Gates Cambridge Scholar:
New Scholar
Ms Leah Liu
Hometown and State: Silver Spring, MD
Current/most recent university: Pennsylvania State University
Degree & Subject at Cambridge: PhD in Haematology
Profile:
I am a current undergraduate student from Silver Spring, Maryland studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University. I hope to pursue a Ph.D. in Haematology at the University of Cambridge in the laboratory of Dr. Bertie Gottgens, where I aspire to gain preparation for my ultimate career goal of leading my own group at a research and educational institution. My undergraduate honors thesis research focuses on organ development in the nematode worm C. elegans, and I have also conducted molecular biology and genetics research at the National Institutes of Health and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I was named a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar in 2007. In addition to research, I am also interested in education and public policy as they relate to science. At my university, I have pursued teaching and mentoring opportunities and have also been involved in the student government, Faculty Senate, and various administrative advisory committees.
Penn State Live is reporting on the Governor’s budget proposal that includes $21M reduction in appropriation for Penn State. One part of the proposal, that is good in its intent, but does not go far enough since it excludes Penn State students, is worth highlighting here. I will simply echo by means of quoting President Spanier.
As part of his budget package, Gov. Rendell has proposed a tuition relief program for families earning up to $100,000 a year who have students attending any of Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges or the 14 public universities in the State System of Higher Education.
“The governor’s recently proposed financial assistance plan for Pennsylvania students from families with income below $100,000 is laudable,” Spanier said, “but it is imperative that it include Penn State students, who for some reason were omitted.
“State funding to help students afford the cost of public higher education in the Commonwealth should be based on the needs of all students attending public universities,” Spanier said. “The plan, as proposed, excludes otherwise qualified students who attend the state-related universities, such as Penn State.”
There are 30,931 Pennsylvania residents attending Penn State this year who come from families who would qualify for this program — the largest number of residents with financial need at any university in the state.
“There are a number of majors in engineering, agriculture, science and business fields that are uniquely offered at state-related institutions. Students graduating in these fields are critical to the future of the state. We think those students should qualify for financial assistance.
Read the full story at Penn State Live.
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