Contact: Kelley Bozeman

Stephanie Lynn Logsdon

Brandon Michael Sutton

“Grants such as this one from the Beckman Foundation allow our distinguished students to engage in significant research at the forefront of science. Stephanie and Brandon have excellent undergraduate research records at UK. This grant provides them with the opportunity to support those endeavors with select faculty members over the next several years at UK.”

-- Lee T. Todd Jr.,
president,
University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 31, 2004) -- Two University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate biology students have been awarded research scholarships made possible through a grant from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. announced today.

UK junior biology majors Stephanie Lynn Logsdon and Brandon Michael Sutton, both from Louisville, will each receive scholarships totaling $17,600 to support their undergraduate work over the next 15 months.

“Grants such as this one from the Beckman Foundation allow our distinguished students to engage in significant research at the forefront of science,” Todd said. “Stephanie and Brandon have excellent undergraduate research records at UK. This grant provides them with the opportunity to support those endeavors with select faculty members over the next several years at UK.”

Logsdon has a 4.0 cumulative GPA and will work with Professor Robin Cooper in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology studying various aspects of synaptic transmission.

Sutton has a 3.7 cumulative GPA and will be working with Professor Diane Snow in the UK College of Medicine Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and George Smith of Physiology. His research will focus on the glial scar that develops following spinal cord injury, inhibiting the regeneration of nerve cells.

In 2002 UK was selected, along with 12 other research colleges and universities, to participate in the Beckman Scholars Program for three years. The other schools were Boston University; California State University, Los Angeles; Duke University; Furman University; Haverford College; Hope College; San Francisco University; Smith College; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Delaware; Washington University; and Wellesley College. This coming year is the final year of UK’s initial award, however the university has been invited to apply for another three-year award and will be notified by early 2005 if chosen.

UK’s previous and current Beckman Scholars are continuing their research activities. Garrett Sparks, 2002-03, is currently attending medical school at the University of Michigan on a full scholarship. Robin Petroze, 2002-03, will attend medical school at the University of Cincinnati after having spent this year as a medical missionary and high school English teacher in the Caribbean. Megan Flynn, 2003-04, plans to attend graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program with an emphasis in biochemistry. Anna Rothert, 2003-04, plans to attend graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying biochemical and molecular nutrition. These four scholars have attended and presented their research findings at eight international scientific conferences, two Beckman Scholars conferences, and several regional and local conferences. In addition they have published a combined total of 10 articles in prestigious, refereed, scientific journals.

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation is an independent, nonprofit foundation that supports basic scientific research, primarily in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry and medicine. Since it was established in 1977, the foundation has contributed over $350 million to the advancement of research.