Scholarship Opens Doors

When Pankita Pandya and Marina Touch were in high school, they never dreamed that their participation in Project SEED—a program that provides a summer science research experience to high school students sponsored by the local and national chapters of the American Chemical Society—would lead to a scholarship to attend IUPUI. Pandya and Touch are the most recent recipients of the Indianapolis Project SEED Scholarship established in the School of Science at IUPUI.

Touch is thrilled to be given the opportunity. “Receiving this scholarship is a real honor,” she says.

Roseanne Bonjouklian, a retired medicinal chemist in discovery research at Eli Lilly and Company, established the scholarship to benefit local Project SEED participants interested in studying science in college. “I have always had a strong interest in science education,” she notes.

Bonjouklian became familiar with IUPUI through her long-time involvement with Project SEED, which allows high school students to work side-by-side with professional scientists in laboratories at Eli Lilly, the School of Science or the IU School of Medicine.

“IUPUI offers students an excellent education at an affordable price with the added bonus of its connections to the medical school,” she explains. “The scholarship is a way to help local students get a good, affordable science education.”

Pandya, the 2006 salutatorian at Arsenal Tech High School, says the scholarship gives her the financial cushion she needs to concentrate on her education. “The scholarship makes it easier to focus on my studies because I do not have to worry about the finances,” she explains.

And her previous experience as a Project SEED participant helped her to choose her major in pre-medicine biology. “I’ve always wanted to be a doctor. And, because of my summer experiences, I also want to be a researcher. I’m interested in neurology and plan to perform clinical trials for medical research,” Pandya comments.

Likewise, Touch’s summer research experiences have taught her “to think outside the box” and led her to choose a major in forensic and investigative sciences.

“I want to be stimulated and challenged. I love the feeling of accomplishment when a mystery has been solved,” says Touch with a grin. “I want to work in the forensic science and criminal justice fields. This scholarship will open doors for me.”