The Neuroscience Undergraduate Program offers several awards and scholarships supported by our generous donors. Through the Experiential Learning Fellowships, students are provided with an in-person experience to learn and work along side faculty and contribute to a research lab. It is an opportunity for students to gain knowledge and guidance from other lab members as they identify their specific area of research.
Brian Phillip Rakusin Neuroscience Scholarship Award
Established in memory of Brian Phillip Rakusin, USC’s first Neuroscience Major. Recipients of this award must have sophomore or junior standing and remain on campus for a year following receipt of the award (2024 or 2025 graduates). Successful candidates must demonstrate outstanding achievements and aspirations in the field of Neuroscience. Applicants must be majoring in Neuroscience, with an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher. Award honorees will be decided by the Executive Committee of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Major Program. (deadline March 6, 2024, 5 pm); submission will include a resume, STARS report, a paragraph describing the student’s research (limit 650 words) that highlights their scientific contribution to the research and a letter of support from your PI; an example of their scholarship (paper or poster) may also be submitted. Please submit all materials (in a single combined PDF file) and in the subject line put Brian Phillip Rakusin Scholarship Application – First Name, Last Name to Melissa Salido at msalido@usc.edu.
Recipients:
2023: Lisa Tchitchkan
2022: Alethea Vittali de Jesus
2021: Ammar Dharani, Isabella Gianatiempo and Nishan Sohoni
2020: Zihan Sun
2019: Ali Sahimi
2018: Catrina Hacker
2017: Kevin Jiang
2016: Mehak Khan
2015: Eshed Margalit
2014: Sarah Herald
2013: Manan Shah
2012: Russell Stewart
2011: Brenda Yang and Jeannie Zhang
2010: Erika Schnaps
2009: Ashnoo Nanavatu
2008: Timothy J. Florence
2007: Ehte Bahiru
2006: Krissti Coonce
2005: Ashley Wofford
Brian Phillip Rakusin Neuroscience Scholarship Award Recipient 2023
Lisa Tchitchkan is a junior double-majoring in neuroscience and Spanish. She has been a member of Dr. Dion Dickman’s lab for over two years, where her project focuses on the application of superresolution STED microscopy to characterizing protein interactions within the presynaptic terminal, both under wild type and mutant conditions. Apart from school and research, she enjoys volunteering through USC lnteraxon, Spanglish, and Trojan Health Interpretation Services. In her free time, Lisa can always be found outside – whether that be running, playing tennis, surfing, or hiking.
Lisa is truly honored to have been selected as this year’s recipient of the Brian Phillip Rakusin Scholarship Award. She is especially thankful for the support of Dr. Dickman and the wonderful research team she has the privilege of working with.
Neuroscience Outstanding Student of the Year Award
Candidates for this award will typically be graduating seniors (although students at all levels are eligible) and must demonstrate outstanding achievements and aspirations in the field of Neuroscience. Applicants must be undergraduate students majoring in Neuroscience, with an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher. Award honorees will be decided by the Executive Committee of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Major Program. (deadline March 6, 2024, 5 pm); the submission will include a resume, a STARS report, a paragraph describing the student’s research (limit 650 words) that highlights their scientific contribution to the research, and a letter of support from your PI; an example of their scholarship (paper or poster) may also be submitted. Please submit all materials (in a single combined PDF file) and in the subject line put Neuroscience Outstanding Student of the Year Award Application – First Name, Last Name to Melissa Salido at msalido@usc.edu
Recipients:
2023: Arun Ahuja
2022: Alicia Kao and Zasca Ristianto
2021: Alex (Jin Hyung) Chung and Bryce Lorenz
2020: Rae Lan
2019: Catrina Hacker
2018: Kevin Jiang
2017: Mekah Khan
2016: Samantha Howard, Eshed Margalit, and Arvin Saremi
2015: Sarah Herald and Manan Shah
2014: Joshua Dreyzen
2013: Katherine Fu and Russell Stewart
2012: Brenda Yang
2011: Kelly Girskis, Yvonne Kaptein, and Jeremy Tanner
Arun is a junior majoring in Neuroscience. In Dr. Kanoski’s lab, Arun has been investigating how the brain is negatively impacted by dietary and metabolic factors. Specifically, consumption of Western diets (high in saturated fats and sugars) produces deficits in learning and memory He plans to attend medical school and pursue surgery. In his free time, he loves to be outside playing soccer, mountain biking, and surfing.
Special thanks to Anna Hayes, Logan Tierno Lauer, Alicia Kao, Molly Klug, Linda Tsan, Keshav Subramanian, Jessica Rea, Kristen Donohue, Lea Decarie-Spain, Scott Kanoski, and the rest of the team for their assistance. Arun is very grateful for receiving this award and hopes that this research can someday be used to inform decisions on healthy living.
Dornsife Neuroscience Experiential Learning Fellowship
The Dornsife Neuroscience Experiential Learning Fellowship provides USC Dornsife Neuroscience undergraduate students with a limited number of fellowships for undergraduate research in the neurosciences. Each undergraduate student funded by the program will receive a stipend in the amount of $1000 to support research specifically in the Dornsife College. Students are expected to conduct research during the awarded term (the Fall 2023 semester) of not less than 10 hours per week. All full-time USC Dornsife faculty engaged in neuroscience research are eligible to serve as faculty supervisors. The Faculty supervisors will also receive $500 toward their lab for each student supervised.
Eligibility and Application Requirements:
Students must be a declared Neuroscience major or minor in good academic standing in order to apply. Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis. Students are asked to provide the following:
- A support letter from a faculty member in the Dornsife College who agrees to sponsor the student.
- A one-two page research proposal detailing the research that the student will be conducting, and specifically how it relates to the neurosciences.
All applications are to be emailed to msalido@usc.edu by July 31, 2023 in order to receive full consideration.
Ng Family Fellowships in Computational Neurosciences
The Ng Family Fellowships in Computational Neurosciences provides USC Dornsife Computational Neuroscience undergraduate students with a limited number of fellowships for undergraduate research in the neurosciences. Each undergraduate student funded by the program will receive a stipend in the amount of $2000 to support research specifically in the Dornsife College. Students are expected to conduct research during the awarded academic year (2023-2024) of not less than 10 hours per week. All full-time USC Dornsife faculty engaged in neuroscience research are eligible to serve as faculty supervisors. The Faculty supervisors will also receive $500 toward their lab for each student supervised.
Eligibility and Application Requirements:
Students must be a declared Computational Neuroscience major in good academic standing in order to apply. Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis. Students are asked to provide the following:
- A support letter from a faculty member in the Dornsife College who agrees to sponsor the student.
- A one-two page research proposal detailing the research that the student will be conducting, and specifically how it relates to the neurosciences.
All applications are to be emailed to msalido@usc.edu by July 31, 2023 in order to receive full consideration.