Spring Break
New science grants created
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 5/22/07
Posted online at 5:34 AM EST on 5/22/07
In addition to creating two merit-based awards to honor exceptional achievements in the sciences, th Brandeis University National Womens' Committee will also establish a student position on its national board.
BUNWC Presidential Award will go to juniors majoring in biology and biochemistry at the disrection of department heads.
These initiatives grew out of discussions which took place last fall between BUNWC President Dorothy Pierce and Sam Vaghar '08, student representative to the Board of Trustees.
BUNWC is a national fundraising organization, composed of mostly women, of whom 99 percent are not Brandeis graduates. It has chapters all over the United States and organizes study groups and other activities on a regular basis.
BUNWC was created in 1948 when the first president of the University, Abram Sachar, approached eight local Boston women to request support for the new university.
Janice Fineman, the associate executive director of BUNWC, recounted that they "decided to take on the mission of supporting the Brandeis libraries, which in the beginning was a stable filled with a couple of thousand volumes."
Over the past year, BUNWC has been incorporated into the University's departments of Development and Alumni Relations, which Pierce said has improved the relationship between the committee and students.
"The women love to hear about the students, because that's why we're in existence," Pierce said. "We'd like to get to know them, and we'd like them to get to know us."
Fineman described the awards as complements to the committee's recent fundraising campaign for the new science building, called the Science for Life campaign.
"We realized that students could really benefit a lot from being better connected to the National Women's Committee and vice versa," Vaghar said of talks he had with Pierce.
In January, Vaghar recalled, Pierce asked him whether he would be willing to be the first student representative on the board. Vaghar hopes to make it an elected position in the future.
Vaghar and Pierce also talked about the possibility that students would visit study groups organized by BUNWC and speak on an interesting or meaningful aspect of Brandeis.
BUNWC already gives out an award for a student library worker.
Since its founding the committee has raised over $106 million for Brandeis, Fineman said.
BUNWC Presidential Award will go to juniors majoring in biology and biochemistry at the disrection of department heads.
These initiatives grew out of discussions which took place last fall between BUNWC President Dorothy Pierce and Sam Vaghar '08, student representative to the Board of Trustees.
BUNWC is a national fundraising organization, composed of mostly women, of whom 99 percent are not Brandeis graduates. It has chapters all over the United States and organizes study groups and other activities on a regular basis.
BUNWC was created in 1948 when the first president of the University, Abram Sachar, approached eight local Boston women to request support for the new university.
Janice Fineman, the associate executive director of BUNWC, recounted that they "decided to take on the mission of supporting the Brandeis libraries, which in the beginning was a stable filled with a couple of thousand volumes."
Over the past year, BUNWC has been incorporated into the University's departments of Development and Alumni Relations, which Pierce said has improved the relationship between the committee and students.
"The women love to hear about the students, because that's why we're in existence," Pierce said. "We'd like to get to know them, and we'd like them to get to know us."
Fineman described the awards as complements to the committee's recent fundraising campaign for the new science building, called the Science for Life campaign.
"We realized that students could really benefit a lot from being better connected to the National Women's Committee and vice versa," Vaghar said of talks he had with Pierce.
In January, Vaghar recalled, Pierce asked him whether he would be willing to be the first student representative on the board. Vaghar hopes to make it an elected position in the future.
Vaghar and Pierce also talked about the possibility that students would visit study groups organized by BUNWC and speak on an interesting or meaningful aspect of Brandeis.
BUNWC already gives out an award for a student library worker.
Since its founding the committee has raised over $106 million for Brandeis, Fineman said.
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