For students who choose to study science or mathematics at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at FAU’s MacArthur Campus, the work is hard and often times tedious. However, a recent grant awarded to the campus gives students a reason to be excited. Actually, 500,000 reasons to be excited.

The National Science Foundation, through its Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program (S-STEM), has awarded the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at MacArthur in Jupiter a $500,000 grant for a project called “Wilkes Honors College Science Scholarship.”

This award will allow the Wilkes Honors College to provide scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to students with financial need who are interested in studying biology or chemistry.

Students eligible for the award are definitely excited about this new opportunity. Freshman Kevin Olsen, biology major who plans to go into marine biology, exclaimed, “Hearing about this award makes me really happy. I mean, it’s great to have an award like this motivating you to do great and study hard. I hope this award gives the opportunity for all students to study science and get something out of it.”

The award went into effect Oct. 1 and will continue throughout Sept. 30, 2011. Students will be awarded scholarships beginning Fall 2007, and in addition to scholarships, students will be eligible to apply for research opportunities throughout the summer. Summer research students will receive financial aid to cover the cost of living expenses.

Dr. Jeffrey L. Buller, dean of FAU’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, is excited about the opportunities the grant will provide for students. “This grant will provide an extraordinary opportunity to high-achieving students who want to pursue an education in the natural sciences.”