Honors Scholarships

The Blanchet Family established the Endowment for International Study to encourage Burnett Honors Scholars to better understand the cultural realities and opportunities of today’s increasingly globalized world.Eduardo and Silvia Blanchet are both former Argentine diplomats who served in the Soviet Union and Austria before retiring in the U.S. Three of their children, Noel (’06), Daniela (’08), and Gaston (’09) enjoyed profound international experiences as UCF Burnett Honors Scholars while studying abroad.

Owing to this global experience, all four of Silvia and Eduardo’s children today enjoy fruitful international careers in film production, technology, and education. With this scholarship, the Blanchet family hopes to support globally-minded students who are open to foreign experiences that will likely create an enduring impact on their lives.

For questions, please contact OPA@ucf.edu.

The Burnett Honors College awards scholarships of up to $1500 to University Honors and Honors in the Major students who are enrolled or planning to enroll in a non-BHC study abroad program. Receipt of this award is contingent upon your enrollment in a study abroad program. Students should apply for this award during the semester before they plan to study abroad. If in doubt, email OPA@ucf.edu to confirm that you are applying during the correct semester.

The Kathryn Busch Foreign Affairs Internship Award was established by Stephanie Parenti ’11, a Burnett Honors College alumna, in honor of her grandmother. This award is designed to support students who participate in unpaid internships in the foreign affairs field abroad. Students with an interest in working for the Department of State, the United Nations, NATO, and other important institutions that help build international relationships should consider applying. Through this investment in student development, Ms. Parenti hopes to help make a positive difference in the global community.Ms. Parenti, a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Department of State, named this scholarship to recognize her grandmother, Kathryn Busch, who always encouraged her to follow her dreams to make the world a more peaceful place. With courage and confidence instilled by her grandmother, Ms. Parenti was awarded the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship as a UCF senior. She went to receive her MA in diplomacy and international relations from Seton Hall University and now travels the world working in various embassies to improve the international relations with the United States.

Awards are to support travel and other internship-related expenses and are available to Burnett Honors College students who will participate in internships with the Department of State, the United Nations, NATO, and other important institutions that help build international relationships.

For questions, please contact OPA@ucf.edu.

The Sara Marti Scholarship for Study Abroad was established by Sara Marti, a 2005 UCF and Burnett Honors College graduate. This award was designed by Ms. Marti to give back in a way that would help make a difference in a world where international relations are becoming increasingly difficult.Ms. Marti, a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department, originally became interested in a career in the Foreign Service when a fellow Burnett Honors student encouraged her to pursue an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. Sara was later awarded the prestigious Rangel Fellowship by the Department of State, which provided her an opportunity to pursue a graduate degree in International Relations at the University of Denver and various opportunities with US Embassies worldwide.

The scholarship is available to Burnett Honors College students who participate in a study abroad, international immersion or international internship program.

For questions, please contact OPA@ucf.edu.

Established in 2005 by Mr. Bob Yarmuth, CEO for Sonny’s Barb-B-Q, and his family, Sonny’s Endowed President’s Scholarship provides a study abroad experience to UCF’s highest achieving Burnett Honors College students. Students must apply for a UCF study abroad program to be eligible for the award. Upon completion of the award, students are expected to present on their experience and document a reflection on the program.To be eligible for a President’s Scholarship, applicants must meet the following requirements: No more than 80 credit hours completed by the end of the spring semester prior to travel. Minimum overall GPA of 3.6 (freshman grades will be looked at in December).

The Akerman Law STEM Scholarship was established to recognize outstanding Burnett Honors College students majoring in the STEM disciplines. The award in the amount of $2500 will be given to one student in their junior year and one student in their senior year. Students applying should be intending on completing The Honors in the Major Program either in their junior or senior year. Please note that a 3.2 GPA is required for admission into the Honors in the Major Program.
 
Students applying for the award in their junior year make a two-year commitment to research to receive the scholarship. The student is expected to complete an HIM thesis on the intersection of law, technology and diversity. The student will be awarded $2500 in their junior year, and $2500 will be awarded for their senior year. The student may complete the HIM thesis at any time during the award period.
 
Each recipient of the scholarship will be selected based on the following established criteria:

• Applicant must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at the university in the Burnett Honors College
• Applicant must major or study in the STEM disciplines
• Preference will be given to underrepresented minorities
• Preference will be given to students intending on completing the Honors in the Major Program
• The criteria for awarding the scholarship will be consistent with the guidelines established by the University Office of Student Financial Assistance

The Kathy S. Cook Undergraduate Research in Legal Studies Scholarship was established in 2017 in honor of legal studies professor and Honors in the Major faculty advisor, Kathy Cook, after 35 years of steadfast service to the University of Central Florida. The scholarship provides awards for students with financial need participating in the Honors in the Major program. Applicants must be enrolled as a full-time student in the Honors in the Major program, demonstrate financial need, and preference will be given to those pursuing a career in the legal profession.

Each recipient of the scholarship will be selected based on the following established criteria:

• Applicant must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at the university in the Burnett Honors College
• Applicant must be in good academic standing
• Applicant must be a participant in an undergraduate research program
• The criteria for awarding the scholarship will be consistent with the guidelines established by the University Office of Student Financial Assistance

The Burnett Honors College partners with the academic colleges on Main Campus and UCF regional campuses in sponsoring Honors Undergraduate Thesis scholarships. These $1,000 scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis within each college or campus and are available every fall and spring semester to all eligible students who are enrolled in HUT credit hours (either Directed Readings or Thesis hours). Students can only be awarded this scholarship once. Eligible students are identified and contacted by their college's Liaison with application details and deadlines. For more information about the program, please see the Honors Undergraduate Thesis page.

The Alvin Y. Wang Undergraduate Research Scholarship honors the tenure of dean emeritus Alvin Wang, the second dean of the Burnett Honors College and professor of Psychology. Dr. Wang joined the university in 1986, and served the Burnett Honors College as associate dean for four years, and then dean for twelve years until 2017. Under his leadership, the Burnett Honors College flourished, and some of his biggest accomplishments include: the outstanding academic achievements of the scholars, the creation of a philanthropic development office, an alumni relations program, and more than doubling the number of students involved in community engagement over the last decade. In honor of his leadership, parents, alumni, faculty and friends created a surprise endowment in his honor upon his stepping down from the deanship in 2017. The scholarship is available for Burnett Honors College undergraduate students participating in undergraduate research. Students may be in the University Honors or Honors Undergraduate Thesis programs.

Each recipient of the scholarship will be selected based on the following established criteria:

• Applicant must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at the university in the Burnett Honors College
• Applicant must be in good academic standing
• Applicant must be a participant in an undergraduate research program
• The criteria for awarding the scholarship will be consistent with the guidelines established by the University Office of Student Financial Assistance

The Burr & Forman Scholar Development Fund was established in the spring of 2015 by Burr & Forman, LLP. The legal professionals of Burr & Forman Orlando are led by proud UCF alumni who are committed to elevating enrichment opportunities for high achieving students. The Burr & Forman Scholar Development Fund supports academic initiatives that provide top students with distinct opportunities in experiential learning and leadership over both the summer semester and winter break. The fund provides up to $2,500 per student based on the proposed experience being funded and the amount of awards being dispersed.

For questions, please contact the Director of the Office of Prestigious Awards, Morgan Bauer at morgan.bauer@ucf.edu.

The Rosane and Scott Cooper Internship Fund was established in 2017 by parents, Rosane and Scott Cooper '91 to support students in obtaining internships.

Though open to all University of Central Florida students, preference will be given to Burnett Honors College students demonstrating financial need. Preference will be given to Burnett Honors College students participating in internships outside of Central Florida. Financial need will be based upon guidelines established by the University Office of Student Financial Assistance.

The Addition Financial Symposium Scholarship will award three scholarships based on a 500 -700 word essay judged by a faculty committee. This scholarship is available to all University Honors students who are enrolled in Honors Symposium each Fall. Additional information will be provided in the Symposium class.

The purpose of the Allyn M. Stearman Scholarship is to recognize outstanding Honors students who demonstrate the academic and leadership qualities embodied by the founding dean of the Burnett Honors College, Dr. Allyn Stearman.

Allyn McLean Stearman received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida and took her first faculty position at the University of Central Florida specializing in cultural anthropology. Dr. Stearman's research focused on cultures of Latin America, with a particular interest in cultural ecology, native Amazonians, problems of developing nations, and women in agriculture. She is now retired and living in Bolivia, where she conducted the majority of her research. Among her publications are two books titled “No Longer Nomads: The Siriono Revisited,” and “Yuqui: Forest Nomads in a Changing World.”

The Allyn M. Stearman Scholarship will be awarded annually in the amount of $1,000. This scholarship will be awarded to the student who best exemplifies:

• A love of learning that transcends disciplinary and geographical/cultural boundaries. Evidence for this should be demonstrated by coursework beyond the requirements for a major or minor and/or research and co-curricular activities that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries
• Academic excellence and creativity
• Leadership skills

The Beth Juge Memorial Scholarship was established to commemorate the life of Beth Juge and support high achieving, underrepresented Honors students in the Sciences.

Beth Juge graduated from Kansas University in 1966 with a B.S. degree in Chemistry, one of the few women graduates in the Sciences. She was hired by Shell Oil Co., in Houston, Texas as a quality control chemist. It was there that she met her future husband, Frank Juge, who was employed as a Research Chemist. In 1967 they were married, and in 1968 they moved to Orlando, Florida, when her husband joined the faculty of Florida Technological University (now UCF) as a charter member of the faculty. In August of 1995 she underwent surgery for Colon Cancer, and after a courageous six-year battle against the disease she passed away in May of 2001. In her memory, her friends and family established the Beth Juge Scholarship.

This scholarship is available to Burnett Honors College students who are majoring in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

For questions, please contact OPA@ucf.edu.

The Dupuis Family Scholarship for BHC Student Athletes was established by Burnett Honors College senior associate dean, Dr. Martin Dupuis and his sister Alison Clemence, in honor of their parents. The purpose of the award is to recognize outstanding scholar athletes in the Burnett Honors College. Interested NCAA student athletes should contact their athletic student advisor in the Academic Services for Student- Athletes Office for consideration.

The Emerging Scholars Award was founded collaboratively by Burnett Honors College alumni S. Jonas (’01), R.J. Salzman (’00), Lauren Murphy (’12), and Sandra Miles (’03, ’05) in the spring of 2012. This award is an institutional scholarship recognizing the achievements and potential of students in STEM and social sciences early in their academic careers. An annual $1,000 award will support Burnett Honors College students who show promise in leadership, public service, and research within their field of study.

Each application must provide the following a resume or CV.

In selecting the scholarship recipient, the committee will consider the following elements:

• The recipient must be a full-time student in the Burnett Honors College and have completed two semesters at UCF
• Students must be STEM or social science majors
• The recipient must have a GPA of at least 3.5 or higher
• Applicant must be a US citizen
• Application will demonstrate ability in two of the three categories: leadership, public service, research

For questions, please contact OPA@ucf.edu.

The Dorothy Gillespie Art Scholarship provides awards to students enrolled in the Burnett Honors College. This scholarship will be awarded annually and paid on a semester basis. This scholarship fund honors the life of artist Dorothy Gillespie. During her career, Dorothy contributed to the women’s art movement and was well known as a painter, sculptor, and installation artist whose work encompassed many significant 20th century trends in art.

This scholarship is available to Burnett Honors College students of any major, but preference is given to underrepresented minorities, specifically women or women studying the arts/arts education.

The Grocery Manufacturers’ Representatives Scholarship was established by The Florida Grocery Manufacturers’ Representatives (GMR) in 2013 to support Burnett Honors College business students, who are interested in careers in the consumer packaged goods and/or food industry. The GMR exists to foster the interaction and development of Florida grocery industry professionals.

Each GMR scholarship is $2,000 and is awarded each fall and spring semester. Eligible recipients must be business students who have a GPA of 3.3 or higher. Recipients will be selected based on their academic record, leadership, community activities and work experience. Student awardees are encouraged to attend one Florida GMR networking event annually.

For questions, please contact OPA@ucf.edu.

Paolo Giordano was the Neil E. Euliano Distinguished Professor of Italian and Italian American Studies at the University of Central Florida. He served as president of the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI) and as Associate Editor of the Association’s journal, Italica. He is also co-founder of Bordighera Press and the journals Voices in Italian Americana and Italiana.

His essays and articles on Italian literature and art and Italian American studies appeared in Italian and American journals. The books he has authored include From the Margin: Writings in Italian Americana; Beyond the Margin; and Joseph Tusiani: Poet Translator Humanist.

Dr. Giordano was honored by the Italian government with the title of "Cavaliere, Stella della Solidarietà Italiana" (Knight, Star of Italian Solidarity). He was recognized by the Association of Teachers of Italian with a lifetime distinguished service award. He also was recognized by the City of Bordighera in Italy with the “Parmurelu d’oru” (Golden Palm) for lifetime achievement.

The purpose of the Fund is to provide scholarship awards to full-time or part-time undergraduate students at the University. This Scholarship may be used to pay for tuition, textbooks, fees, and any other items included in the cost of education published annually by the University.

Recipients will be selected based on the following established criteria:

• Applicant must be enrolled and in good standing at the University and in the College
• Applicant must demonstrate financial need based upon guidelines set forth in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

For questions, please contact OPA@ucf.edu.

The Katherine Keller Scholarship recognizes outstanding Burnett Honors students who demonstrate the academic and leadership qualities embodied by past Director of the Honors Program, Dr. Katherine Keller.

At the University of Toronto, Dr. Keller completed her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. with an emphasis on 17th-Century drama. Her first academic position was at LaSalle College in Philadelphia. Afterward, she joined the English Department at UCF in 1984. While in the English Department, she chaired the committee that created Honors in English program, one of the first of the HIM programs at UCF. Dr. Keller also chaired the University Honors Advisory Committee and subsequently served as the Director of UCF’s Honors Program (1994-1996). Following her tenure at UCF, Dr. Keller served as the Associate Dean of Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

One $1,000 award will be made to the student who best exemplifies:

• A commitment to helping others achieve academic potential
• Academic excellence, including the ability to communicate ideas clearly
• Leadership skills

For questions, please contact OPA@ucf.edu.

The Pham Honors Academic Merit Scholarship was established by Mr. T Pham (’98), a Burnett Honors College alumni with a degree in Finance. Mr. Pham graduated with University Honors and the Honors in the Major distinction while serving in several student leadership capacities while at UCF, including as an Honors Team Leader. The Pham Academic Merit Scholarship supports high achieving Honors students annually who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership with a $1,000 award.

In order to be eligible students must:

• Be full-time and in good standing with the Burnett Honors College.
• Have a 3.5 GPA or higher.
• Have 60 or more credit hours.

Additionally, preference will be given to University Honors students who are also pursuing Honors in the Major or those who are engaged in a leadership position within the college, but this is not a requirement for eligibility.

For questions, please contact opa@ucf.edu

The Polson Family Scholarship Fund was established in 2017 by Annette and Shane Polson to provide support to students with financial need. In order to be eligible students must be full-time and in good standing with the Burnett Honors College. Applicants will be considered on a combination of merit and financial need based upon guidelines established by the University Office of Student Financial Assistance. The criteria for awarding the scholarship will be consistent with the guidelines established by the University Office of Student Financial Assistance.

The Lopez-Ojeda Emergency Grant was established by Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences & Burnett Honors College Professor, Dr. Wilfredo Lopez-Ojeda in the fall of 2014 to support students who encounter a true unexpected emergency during the course of their undergraduate education. Dr. Lopez-Ojeda created this fund in honor of the UCF students that inspire him every day.

Please direct any questions to Burnett Honors College student advisor, Mr. Rex Roberts.

The Walker STEM Scholarship Endowment was established in 2017 by Woody '92 and Chris '94 Walker to recognize the achievements and potential of students in STEM fields. In order to be eligible students must be full-time and in good standing with the Burnett Honors College. They must also major in or study a designated STEM discipline.

Preference will be given to female applicants with financial need based upon guidelines established by the University Office of Student Financial Assistance. The criteria for awarding the scholarship will be consistent with the guidelines established by the University Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Preference will be also given to applicants that are members of an approved Student Development and Enrollment Services organization that focuses on women in S.T.E.M., including but not limited to applicants to the Society of Women Engineers, Society for the Advancement of Minorities in S.T.E.M., Scientista, Alpha Sigma Kappa-Women in Technical Studies and Society of Women in Space Exploration.