Michael P. Bernstein, M.D. ’78 (CLAS) ’82 (SoM), who graduated as an Honors Scholar, has committed $2,500 per year over four years through the Annual Scholarship Award Program (ASAP) to support honors students’ summer undergraduate research.
“I just wanted to give back to the Honors Program because it had really done so much for me,” says Bernstein, whose son is a junior at UConn. “Anything good that’s happened to me in my career can be traced back to the Honors Program and the staff and professors who were so committed.”
The Alan Bernstein Memorial Award, named in memory of Bernstein’s father, helps defray the costs associated with conducting summer research locally, around the country or abroad.
“Being able to do this gave me a great opportunity to honor my father, who passed away a few years ago. He didn’t have the opportunity to go to college, but he made sure that not only I, but also my two brothers, went through college. I was happy to be able to have his name be linked to something that was important to me,” says Bernstein.
The opportunity afforded by the Bernstein scholarship is invaluable, explains Lynne Goodstein, Ph.D., associate vice provost and director of the Honors Program.
“What this means is that a student can use the precious weeks of the summer to engage in constructive, resume-building experiences instead of working for pocket money for the next semester,” says Goodstein.“It means a student can get another enrichment experience under their belt, to travel, research, network, see another part of the world in some cases and learn from professionals in their field.”
Kristine Folkerts ’07 was the first recipient of the Alan Bernstein Memorial Award. Folkerts is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cell biology with a minor in African studies. After graduation, she plans to pursue a combined M.D./M.P.H.
“[The scholarship] was definitely useful because it paid for all of my expenses and it allowed me to travel overseas,” she says.
The scholarship supported her research trip last summer to Ghana, where she studied traditional and home-based medical treatments used for malaria in young children. Folkerts researched her topic from various perspectives, interviewing mothers, a traditional medical practitioner, a pharmacist and nurses. She also was able to work with preeminent faculty at the University of Ghana.
“I went for six weeks, stayed in a research house, and interviewed 24 mothers to find out what sort of treatments for malaria they use for their children, and hear about the difficulties they face in accessing care,” says Folkerts.“It was really rewarding.”
“I was very impressed with the level of things honors students want to do—go to Africa, work with communities in underdeveloped countries.These things that they’re working on are world-reaching,” says Bernstein.“If I can help and support even one of these students, that I would get a lot of pride out of.”
To support the Honors Program or for more information about the ASAP scholarship, please contact Becky McEnery, director of development, at 860.486.6851.
