Carolina Joins Prestigious Beckman Scholars Program

Posted on June 17, 2008

Biology and biochemistry major Sung Taek Kim and chemistry major Katie Deigan have been tapped as the first Beckman Scholars at Carolina.

The students will each receive $16,000 to support their undergraduate research. They will also receive additional funds to travel to scientific meetings and for research supplies.

UNC was among 15 institutions invited to join the Beckman Scholars Program this year. Established by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation in 1997, the program provides scholarships for highly talented and promising undergraduate researchers.

Kim, a sophomore from Fayetteville, will examine DNA manipulation in bacteria and its role in antibiotic resistance.

Deigan, a senior from Clayton, has created her own project that involves using new technology to analyze the effects of antibiotics on the E.coli ribosome. She will be observing the changes in the structure of the ribosome that ultimately lead to bacterial cell death.

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