Inaugural David J. Beck Fellow to be named Nov. 18
11/12/2008
Lamar University President James Simmons will name the first recipient of Lamar’s most prestigious undergraduate award, the David J. Beck Fellowship, at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, in the Spindletop Room on the eighth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.
The fellowship covers all expenses – including tuition, fees, books and on-campus room and board – for one full academic year and includes up to $10,000 to pursue a summer project, which is proposed as part of the application packet. This summer project, which may include research, internships or travel abroad, distinguishes the David J. Beck Fellowship from other LU awards. The fellowship is made possible by a generous gift from LU distinguished alumnus and celebrated attorney David J. Beck, founding partner of Beck, Redden & Secrest, LLP in Houston.
From a pool of 22 applicants representing Lamar’s most accomplished students, the Beck Fellowship committee chose five finalists who will be recognized at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Michael Hennigan, a physics major from Anahuac, proposed a research trip to a NASA test site in Ohio to further his ongoing study of the geometry of liquid surfaces in conditions of weightlessness.
Rajiv Jaini, a chemical engineering major from Baytown, proposed traveling to East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai to work as a research assistant studying the molecular assembly of surfactants in water and air interfaces.
Jennifer Mikel, a nursing major from Sweeny, proposed traveling to Ghana to work as a nursing intern in a rural hospital and live with a host family for six weeks through Projects Abroad.
Garrett Roy, a nursing major from Groves, proposed traveling to South Africa for a six-week AIDS/HIV education and awareness internship through Cross Cultural Solutions.
Cynthia Alissa Weber, an American Sign Language major from Sugar Land, proposed spending the summer at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., to take professional studies courses and immerse herself in deaf culture.
At the ceremony, one of the finalists will be named Lamar University’s first David J. Beck Fellow.
Beck, a Port Arthur native who credits Lamar with providing him a foundation for success, said he was impressed by the number of strong applicants for the fellowship. “The aspirations and work ethic reflected in these proposals speak to the high caliber of students attracted to Lamar University,” Beck said. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to help them broaden their educational horizons.”
For more information on the Beck Fellowship, visit lamar.edu/beckfellowships or call (409) 880-8400.
