The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been selected to receive the 2017 Beckman Scholars Program Award, which will endow $130,000 to support the work of five undergraduate research students for 18 months, from May of 2017 through August of 2020. Student scholars will have full use of mentoring support, research supplies and travel stipends, including a trip to the National Beckman Symposium in California to present their findings.

“Villanova’s selection as a Beckman Scholars Program Award recipient underscores the University’s commitment to research and the important role it plays in the academic experience of our students,” University Provost Patrick G. Maggitti, Ph.D. said in a University press release. “At Villanova, faculty and students are true partners in the discovery process and are committed to the collaborative pursuit of knowledge. This commitment provides a challenging educational experience that prepares our graduates for success in their chosen field.”

Arnold and Mabel Beckman met during World War I at the Brooklyn naval shipyard. Arnold was a young marine who would go on to receive his doctorate in photochemistry at the California Institute of Technology. Arnold invented the acidimeter, a device designed to measure acidity levels in lemon juice that led to the developed of a modern pH meter. For this accomplishment Arnold joined Thomas Edison and Alexander Bell in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. In 1935, he founded Beckman Instruments. 

Mabel traveled with Arnold while pursuing her passions for sewing and cooking, joining the CalTech Woman’s Club and the Beckman Instruments Women’s Club. In addition to their foundation, the Beckmans are responsible for five institutes of science and technology across the country.

Institutions and universities must be invited to apply for the Beckman Scholars Program. Villanova is one of 11 institutions to earn this recognition for the 2016-17 year, alongside Boston University, Northwestern, Tufts, and Wellesley College. Students selected will research under the supervision of a full-time faculty member selected. Approximately 50 undergraduate students conduct faculty-mentored research projects each summer. According to Adele Lindenmeyr, Ph.D, Dean, Villanova University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, it is this commitment to supporting research that has earned the University this distinction.

”Our faculty are known for their commitment to mentoring undergraduate students, and especially for the opportunities they provide students as participants in their cutting-edge research,” Lindenmeyr said. “The Beckman Award will enable some of our most outstanding science students to spend even more time collaborating with faculty on research that advances scientific knowledge and contributes to human flourishing.”