Four new scholarships have been established at OU, which will help further the education of several fortunate SEHS students.
The scholarships – the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship for Professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; the Jeff Dupuis Award in Human Resource Development; the Jerry Pine Memorial Award; and the Kern Weinstein Award for Counseling Graduate Students – were launched this past year, and the timing couldn’t be better.
Because education is a worthy but costly investment, obtaining a scholarship can make a huge difference to a student. Particularly in our troubled economic times, donors provide a crucial service in helping award recipients to advance their educations.
The four scholarships are in addition to 17 established awards that are currently available to undergraduate and graduate students in the SEHS.
The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship for Professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics was created to support the training of math and science professionals interested in becoming teachers in K–12 schools. The funding, which was provided by the National Science Foundation, was made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
With funding provided through an $893,000 grant, the Noyce scholarship provides a welcome opportunity for local out-of-work engineers and auto industry employees to re-train for another profession, while at the same time addressing Michigan’s need for experienced math and science teachers.
“We are preparing people for the toughest positions to fill in math and science education,” says Mark Olson, assistant professor of education. Olson and co-Principal Investigators Professor Jerrold Grossman and Special Lecturer Christine Abbott are credited with obtaining the grant award that makes the program possible.
“It will help answer a huge need in this state, and will also help prepare students for the knowledge-based economy we’re moving toward,” Olson adds.
The program is designed to admit 10 students every year for three years. The first cohort will begin teaching in the fall of 2011. By the end of 2012, a total of 30 teachers will be ready to lead math and science classrooms throughout Michigan.
The new Jeff Dupuis Award in Human Resource Development is designed for SEHS students pursuing a minor in labor and employment studies.
Created by Jeff Dupuis (SEHS ’89), a part-time instructor in human resource development since 2001, the award directly supports undergraduate students as they gain skills to be successful in today’s workforce. Dupuis created the award, he says, “as a way to give back and help current students.”
The Jerry Pine Memorial Award for Counseling, named in honor of the late Gerald J. Pine, Ph.D., former dean of the SEHS, also makes its debut this year. The award is given to SEHS graduate students who demonstrate academic excellence.
The 2010 award winners were Yasmina Rhaman, from Farmington Hills, Mich., and Tina Horansky from Utica.
“I was really surprised – and very pleased – at receiving the Pine award, says Horansky, who is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling. “It will really help me advance my counseling studies.”
The Jerry Pine Award was funded through memorial gifts from SEHS faculty members during the university’s annual All-University Fund Drive.
Donna Weinstein, Ph.D., a 2009 graduate of OU’s doctoral program in counseling and a part-time lecturer for the department, established the Kern Weinstein Award for Counseling Graduate Students in 2009 to honor her parents.
Based on Weinstein’s personal experiences with having to purchase assessments and software for her own dissertation research, the Kern Weinstein Award supports counseling doctoral students in the data collection stage of their dissertation. This award is approximately $1,000, and can be used for costs related to the collection of data and preparation of one’s dissertation in counseling.
“I wanted to give something back to OU, and also do something in memory of my parents,” Dr. Weinstein says. “They were hard-working people who always instilled in me the importance of a quality education. I think it would please them that this award will help another student reach their dream.”
Dr. Weinstein adds that even a modest amount of money can equate to a big difference to students, citing her own struggles to complete her program with limited resources.
“For those who might be considering becoming a donor, I would tell you that the gift could not have a better purpose nor find a more grateful recipient than a college student, “ she says.
To learn more about these scholarships or how to apply for an award, please visit oakland.edu/sehs/scholarships.
To learn more about establishing an award for student support, please contact the School of Education and Human Services Development Office at (248) 370-4233, or e-mail garretso@oakland.edu.
