UNC science award to honor outstanding N.C. middle, high school students

CHAPEL HILL -- A $10,000 gift from Dr. Peter and Lisa Gardner of Stamford, Ct., has provided the first year of funding for the Carolina Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science, recognizing outstanding eighth- and 11th-grade students in North Carolina.

The award, part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s ScienceCarolina initiative, is administered by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.

"Our goal for the award is to get students involved and immersed in science at an early age and to nurture that interest, whether through honors projects or working with a mentor," said Peter Gardner. "By cultivating that interest at an early age, we’ll have a motivated, interested Carolina student who excels in science."

Gardner graduated from Carolina in 1975 with a degree in psychology. He received his medical degree from Georgetown University, but still has fond memories of science at Carolina.

"I took organic chemistry with Dr. Donald Jicha – a very tough but fair professor who managed to make a dry subject interesting. I then took physics with Dr. Larry Rowan, who made physics fun and stimulating. Quantum physics is still an interest of mine: string theory and quantum mechanics – the ‘theory of everything’ – fascinates me."

Science teachers statewide will nominate candidates for the award. Eight winners from each class will be selected based on a review of their transcripts, achievements in science and a short essay explaining why science is important to them.

The winners, their parents and nominating teachers will come to UNC for a recognition day, including an opportunity for students to shadow science faculty in the laboratory and classroom. Chancellor James Moeser will present each student with a certificate and gift commemorating the occasion. Teachers also will receive a certificate of appreciation and a $100 award to supplement their teaching.

The first awards should be granted in the spring of 2004. Funding for ensuing awards is being sought.

"We are grateful to Dr. Gardner for his leadership," said Sue Klapper, senior assistant director of undergraduate admissions. "Identifying and recognizing the talents of these young students is key to developing their skills."

In addition to the award, Carolina’s science initiative includes a Web site: sciencecarolina.unc.edu, where middle and high school students can find information on the latest research and science majors at Carolina, links to other science sites and more. Also included in the initiative is Science Spectrum, a program that brings high school students to the campus for high-level classroom and lab experiences.

The Gardners’ gift counts toward the Carolina First campaign goal of $1.8 billion. Carolina First is a comprehensive, multi-year private fund-raising campaign to support Carolina’s vision of becoming the nation’s leading public university.

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Office of Undergraduate Admissions contact: Sue Klapper, (919) 966-3987