Portland, Ore.
Eleven Oregon Health & Science University graduate students will receive $15,000 scholarships this fall from the newly established Portland chapter of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation. These three-year scholarships will be the first awarded by the chapter to OHSU graduate students in the fields of science, medicine and engineering.
"We see the importance of attracting and investing in outstanding young people who wish to continue graduate studies at OHSU," said Sharon Hewitt, local ARCS Foundation president. Eventually, the Portland ARCS Foundation hopes to support graduate students at other Oregon institutions.
Upon accepting the ARCS funding, OHSU President Peter O. Kohler, M.D., noted, "This scholarship program is critically important to our recruiting efforts. The graduate students we bring to the Portland area represent our city's future."
Statistics show that about 40 percent of graduate students remain in the communities where they study, according to the Seattle ARCS chapter. "We want to retain the best and the brightest in our community by bringing them here to study in the first place," said Hewitt.
The National ARCS Foundation approached Hewitt, Ellen Richardson, Mary Ann Lockwood, Cornelia Stevens and Nancy Fischer in November 2003 with hopes of starting a Portland chapter. The Portland chapter currently has 70 members.
ARCS Foundation was founded in 1958 as a national nonprofit women's organization. There are 14 chapters of ARCS nationwide. Since its inception, ARCS Foundation nationally has awarded more than $50 million to qualified scholars and has more than $9 million in endowment funds. For more information on ARCS Foundation, go to www.arcsfoundation.org.
"We see the importance of attracting and investing in outstanding young people who wish to continue graduate studies at OHSU," said Sharon Hewitt, local ARCS Foundation president. Eventually, the Portland ARCS Foundation hopes to support graduate students at other Oregon institutions.
Upon accepting the ARCS funding, OHSU President Peter O. Kohler, M.D., noted, "This scholarship program is critically important to our recruiting efforts. The graduate students we bring to the Portland area represent our city's future."
Statistics show that about 40 percent of graduate students remain in the communities where they study, according to the Seattle ARCS chapter. "We want to retain the best and the brightest in our community by bringing them here to study in the first place," said Hewitt.
The National ARCS Foundation approached Hewitt, Ellen Richardson, Mary Ann Lockwood, Cornelia Stevens and Nancy Fischer in November 2003 with hopes of starting a Portland chapter. The Portland chapter currently has 70 members.
ARCS Foundation was founded in 1958 as a national nonprofit women's organization. There are 14 chapters of ARCS nationwide. Since its inception, ARCS Foundation nationally has awarded more than $50 million to qualified scholars and has more than $9 million in endowment funds. For more information on ARCS Foundation, go to www.arcsfoundation.org.