HONORS STUDENT AT THE COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE
RECEIVES TWO LEADING SCHOLARSHIPS

NEW ROCHELLE, NY, September 8, 2006 -- The College of New Rochelle today announced that Blanca Paccha, a resident of Norwalk, CT, and a junior in the School of Arts & Sciences (SAS), has been awarded two scholarships for the 2006-07 academic year. They include:

Undergraduate Scholarship from the National Institute of Health (NIH)
Blanca was among 15 undergraduates honored this year. The NIH scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds that are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research.  Applicants must be academically gifted and have earned an overall 3.5 grade point average, or be within the top 5 percent of their class. The yearly renewable scholarships pay for tuition and related educational and reasonable living expenses up to $20,000 per academic year.  Blanca’s scholarship will provide her with the opportunity to do a 10-week summer internship at a NIH laboratory as a paid Federal employee. After graduation, she will serve as an NIH employee, for each year of scholarship support.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the world’s premier centers for biomedical research, lies at the heart of Federal efforts to support and stimulate research aimed at improving health and fighting disease. The mission of NIH is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone.

The Connecticut Association of Latinos in Higher Education (CALAHE)
Blanca was one of 15 young women honored with a $1,000 award.  The Connecticut Association of Latinos in Higher Education, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the participation of Latinos in different areas of post-secondary education in Connecticut.  Membership is comprised of Latinos and non-Latino personnel and students from institutions of higher and secondary education, business, and other professional organizations who share in the spirit of their mission.

"We are delighted that Blanca’s academic accomplishments have been acknowledged by the NIH and CALAHE," said Dr. Dick Thompson, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.  "As one of the first participants in our Student-Faculty Research Program, Blanca has demonstrated her enormous aptitude and skills for college-level research.  She is an outstanding role model for all CNR students."

Blanca, the first of her family to attend college, immigrated to the United States from Ecuador in 1999 without speaking a word of English.  She graduated with honors from Norwalk High School in 2004 and was recognized with a scholarship for leadership and academic achievement.  

A member of the highly competitive Honors Program at CNR, Blanca is participating in the SAS Student-Faculty Research Scholarship Program for the third consecutive year. Under the guidance of Dr. Lynn Petrullo, Professor of Biology, Blanca has been conducting research for a project titled “Eugenics then and now.”  This study focuses on how genetic determinism has been, and continues to be, popularized in the media.  Blanca has been reviewing an extensive amount of popular and scientific literature on this subject using sources from the web, academic libraries, and historical archives.  In addition to her biology and research interests, Blanca also is a Peer Minister, a member and treasurer of S.A.M.S. (Science & Math Society) club, and a member of the CNR Drama group.

 The School of Arts & Sciences, established in 1904, continues its tradition of enrolling only women. It offers undergraduate degrees in all traditional disciplines of liberal arts and sciences and a number of professional fields.  A core curriculum is required, and dual-degree programs, interdisciplinary studies, independent-study options and flexible honors programs are also offered.  SAS alumnae include: Mary O’Connor Donohue, lieutenant governor of the State of New York; Mercedes Ruehl, Academy- and Tony-Award winning actress; Anne Marie Sweeney, Co-chair, Disney Media Networks Unit and President, Disney-ABC Television Group; and Aulana Pharis Peters, the first African-American woman to serve as an SEC Commissioner.