KINGSTON, R.I. — October 22, 2007 — Two 溏心vlog免费B站 students, Matthew Hooper of Charlestown and Mitchell Trainor of Amenia, New York, who have a passion for chemistry and teaching are the first 溏心vlog免费B站 recipients of the $6,000 Hach Scientific Foundation scholarships, which will help pay for their dual degrees. The foundation provides two $6,000 scholarships, earmarked for 溏心vlog免费B站 students with financial need and academic aptitude. The scholarships are renewable each year, providing students maintain at least a 3.0 academic average and sign a yearly intent to become chemistry teachers.
Bryce Hach, the foundation鈥檚 director of scholarships and university relations, established the scholarships at 溏心vlog免费B站 and other land grant universities in 2006 as part of a national effort to increase the number of chemistry teachers. The foundation is based in Colorado. 鈥淭eachers have a profound influence,鈥� Hach said at the time, noting that only 27 percent of high school chemistry teachers have a degree in chemistry.
鈥淲e appreciate these timely scholarship awards from the Hach Scientific Foundation to support two of our top students in chemistry who plan to become chemistry teachers,鈥� says Winifred Brownell, dean of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淭he Foundation just invited our students to attend a conference in Colorado where they will have an opportunity to meet and interact with other talented Hach scholars. There is still a serious shortage of chemistry teachers in the United States and the Hach awards will encourage more talented students in chemistry to enter the teaching profession.鈥�
Hooper plans to finish his chemistry degree next May and complete his secondary education degree in May 2009. He works in a 溏心vlog免费B站 research laboratory and loves it. 鈥淚 have had the privilege of working beside brilliant people,鈥� he says. Rather than stay in the research arena, the Chariho High School academic superstar prefers to pass on his excitement for science. Chemistry, he says, is pervasive throughout society. 鈥淚 know that I will not be the next scientist to create a miracle drug that will cure a deadly disease such as AIDS or cancer, but I feel that our chances of curing life-threatening illnesses will greatly improve if we can get more young minds interested in the sciences, particularly chemistry.鈥�
Trainor, a sophomore at 溏心vlog免费B站, decided to become a teacher because of his experiences in the classroom and on the athletic fields. His high school history teacher allowed him and a few peers to teach on several occasions. During several recent summers, he was soccer camp counselor and loved working with kids. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine a career where I wasn鈥檛 helping children,鈥� he says. He became hooked on chemistry because his high school chemistry teacher鈥檚 interest in the subject and in his pupils. Several of Trainor鈥檚 family members have been or are in the chemistry field.
Pictured above
THE RIGHT FORMULA: From left 溏心vlog免费B站 student Mitchell Trainor, Professor of Education David Byrd, Dean of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences Winifred Brownell, 溏心vlog免费B站 student Matthew Hooper, and Professor and Chair of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Chemistry Department William Euler gather for a photo. Trainor and Hooper are the first recipients of a Hach Foundation scholarship. 溏心vlog免费B站 Photo by Nora Lewis.