Media contact: Yvonne Taunton
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Parker Rose student Parker Rose, a junior philosophy major and member of the UAB Honors College’s University Honors Program, has been awarded the Beinecke Scholarship to pursue graduate education. She is the first Beinecke Scholar at UAB since the award was first given in 1975.
Each year, approximately 135 colleges and universities are invited to nominate a student for the Beinecke Scholarship Program. All participating institutions are encouraged to submit a single nomination each year. UAB is the first institution in the state of Alabama invited to nominate students for the highly competitive award, and Rose is UAB’s first nominee and first recipient. Rose is mentored by associate Matt King, Ph.D., and assistant professor Brynn Welch, Ph.D., both faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Philosophy.
“We are honored to join the list of participating institutions for the Beinecke Scholarship program,” said Ashley Kuntz, Ph.D., director of UAB National and International Fellowships and Scholarships. “Parker’s mentored research with Dr. Brynn Welch into paid parental leave, her independent study with Dr. Matt King of advanced philosophical topics, and her participation in the University of Colorado Boulder’s Summer Seminar in Philosophy are just a few of the reasons Parker stood out to our faculty nominating committee.”
For her institutional endorsement, Rose met with College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Palazzo, Ph.D., to discuss her plans to pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy.
“In our discussion, I found Parker to be exceedingly curious, intellectually nimble and oftentimes surprising in her originality as expressed through her thoughtful commentary,” Palazzo said. “There can be no doubt about Parker’s promise.”
To be eligible for a Beinecke Scholarship, students must have demonstrated superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement and personal promise during their undergraduate careers. Each scholar receives $4,000 immediately prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school.
“The Beinecke award is designed to encourage exceptional students to ‘be courageous’ in their pursuit of graduate study in the arts, humanities and social sciences,” said Suzanne Austin, UAB senior vice provost and senior international officer. “Parker certainly fits that profile. We are proud of her for putting so much work into this application and all she does in her studies. I am grateful to Dr. Ashley Kuntz in National and International Fellowships and Scholarships for expertly guiding students as they take these exciting chances in competing for such prestigious awards.”
The Beinecke Scholarship Program was established in 1971 by the Board of Directors of The Sperry and Hutchinson Company to honor Edwin, Frederick and Walter Beinecke. The Board created an endowment to provide substantial scholarships for the graduate education of young men and women of exceptional promise.