Scholarships
Edwin T. Mertz was a professor of Biochemistry at Purdue from 1946-1976. Dr. Mertz was recognized globally for his co-discovery of high-lysine corn. He received honorary degrees from Purdue and the University of Montana and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1975. In 2001, Ronald (BS 1956, PhD 1962) and Carolyn Chance provided a substantial gift to launch a campaign to establish the Edwin T. Mertz Memorial Scholarship for undergraduate students in Biochemistry.
Application deadline: April 1
Patrick C. Matchette received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Purdue in 1958 and a DVM in 1966. He is a retired manager of Abbott Laboratories Agricultural Research and Development. He established this scholarship in 2000 for the benefit of Illinois students from the Greater Chicago region who are enrolled in the Department of Biochemistry at Purdue.
Application deadline: April 1
Ray W. Fuller received his PhD from the Department of Biochemistry at Purdue in 1961. As a graduate student, he worked in the lab of Dr. Edwin Mertz and served as a teaching assistant for BCHM 561. David Schroeder (BS 1962, PhD 1968) had Ray Fuller as a teaching assistant and sought his advice about attending graduate school. Drs. Fuller and Schroeder each went on to have successful careers in the pharmaceutical industry, Fuller with Eli Lilly and Schroeder with Wellcome (later GlaxoSmithKline). In 2007, Dr. Schroeder established the Ray W. Fuller Memorial Scholarship to honor Dr. Fuller for his contributions to science and education.
Application deadline: April 1
This scholarship for Indiana residents studying biochemistry at Purdue University was endowed by Dr. Deb Zygmunt and her mother, Mrs. Loretta Zygmunt, in memory of Deb’s father Walter A. Zygmunt. He grew up in Calumet City, Indiana, then attended the University of Illinois, receiving a Ph.D. after serving in WWII. He was employed at Merck, Mead Johnson and Bristol-Myers pharmaceutical companies. Walt and Loretta resided in Evansville, Indiana. Deb Zygmunt received her B.S. in biochemistry from Purdue and her M.D. from Indiana University.
Application deadline: April 1
This scholarship for Indiana residents studying biochemistry at Purdue University was endowed by Dr. J Yun Tso in honor of his father. Dr. Tso received his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from Purdue University, and was a post-doctoral fellow at Cornell and Stanford Universities. Dr. Tso is a cofounder and managing partner of JN Biosciences and has twenty-six years of antibody drug development experience. Prior to JN Biosciences, Dr. Tso was Director of Oncology at Protein Design Labs, Inc. During his seventeen year tenure at Protein Design Labs, he created several humanized antibodies against cancer targets as well as molecules that are pivotal for T-cell functions. Dr. Tso’s group studied the efficacy of these antibodies through in vitro and in vivo characterizations. He brought two humanized antibodies into the clinic. He is a co-inventor of 18 US patents.
This scholarship for Indiana residents studying biochemistry at Purdue University was endowed by David and Mary Scheible. David received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and master’s in industrial administration from Purdue. He is President and CEO of Graphic Packaging Corporation in Marietta, Georgia.
This scholarship for undergraduates enrolled in the Department of Biochemistry was established by the Weeks in 2013. Dr. Weeks earned his B.S. from Purdue University in 1963, and his Ph.D. from University of Illinois in 1967. Dr. Weeks is the Maxcy Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He is internationally known for developing a novel approach to engineering herbicide-resistant crops.
This scholarship for undergraduates enrolled in the Department of Biochemistry who have demonstrated financial need and a minimum GPA of 3.0. Dr. Coburn earned his B.S. from Rutgers University in 1958, his M.S. in Biochemistry from Purdue University in 1961, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Purdue University in 1963. Dr. Coburn is a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and past director of the Biochemistry Department and Clinical Laboratory at the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne.
This scholarship for in-state students enrolled in the Department of Biochemistry was established by Dr. Jian-Min Zhao in honor of retired Purdue Biochemistry professor Klauss Herrmann. Dr. Zhao received his PhD in biochemistry from Purdue in 1992 and works for Monsanto.
This scholarship for students enrolled in the Department of Biochemistry was established by Dr. David Schroeder (BS 1962, PhD 1968) in honor of former Purdue Biochemistry professor and department head Bernard Axelrod. Dr. Axelrod began his career as a professor at Purdue University in 1954, after 15 years of research with the USDA. He served as chair of the Department of Biochemistry from 1964 to 1975. Dr. Axelrod retired in 1985, but remained active as an emeritus professor for many years. Dr. Axelrod passed away in 2011.
A variety of scholarships are awarded each year. The deadline for applications is February 1 for current students and high school seniors.
Agriculture Research Fund Scholarships
Recipients are required to enroll in research credit and submit a progress report each semester they receive funding. In addition, students participate in the spring poster exhibition to showcase their research.
Application deadline: March 25
Entering freshmen admitted for the fall are automatically considered for some University-wide scholarships regardless of the academic program to which they have been admitted. Most awards are based on academic performance as defined by standardized test scores, high school GPA, and/or class rank. Others take leadership, service, and financial need into consideration. While many of the University-wide scholarships do not have an application, some do have a deadline by which a student must have applied for admission to the University.
The Honors College maintains a list of prestigious national and international scholarships and fellowships. These include such awards as Rhodes, Fulbright and Churchill, along with many others. Some awards are for undergraduate study, while others are graduate fellowships.
American Chemical Society sponsors scholarships for qualified applications who want to enter the fields of chemistry, biochemistry or chemical engineering. These scholarships are for high school seniors or college freshmen, sophomores or juniors who are African-American, Hispanic or Native American. Applicants should be high achievers in science (GPA of 3.0 or higher) and be able to demonstrate financial need according to the FAFSA.
The deadline for applications is March 1
The deadline for applications is May 18