Beckman Foundation Announces High School Legacy Program Awardees


OC Beckman Legacy Program

“These young scientists demonstrated innovation, creativity, and determination in designing and completing their research projects during the remote program year. We are excited for what the future holds…” – Dr. Anne Hultgren

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation announced today the selection of its 2021 class of Orange County Beckman Legacy Awardees. Six high school students were awarded for their excellent lab work after conducting an independent research project and building a spectrophotometer under mentorship from their science teachers. This annual high school program supported by the Foundation honors the legacy of Dr. Arnold O. Beckman and his many inventions, including the spectrophotometer, and exemplifies the Foundation’s mission of supporting young scientists.

High schools from the Irvine, Tustin, and Santa Ana Unified School Districts were invited to participate in the second year of the program. The awarded students were selected after a competitive application process, which included a two-part, double-blind review by a panel of high school science teachers, college professors, and industry experts.

This year’s award is comprised of $72,000 in scholarships to support the following students:

First Place, $16,000 scholarship, each

  • Lawrence Chen, Northwood High School
  • Shuangyue (Angela) Li, Northwood High School


Second Place, $12,000 scholarship, each

  • Grace Jones, Woodbridge High School
  • Ashley Kao, University High School


Third Place, $8,000 scholarship, each

  • Mahdi Ayman, Woodbridge High School
  • Tara Nguyen, University High School


“These young scientists demonstrated innovation, creativity, and determination in designing and completing their research projects during the remote program year. We are excited for what the future holds for these individuals and are grateful for the enthusiasm of the science teachers who mentored all the program participants,” shared Dr. Anne Hultgren, Executive Director of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.

High schools from the Anaheim Union, Garden Grove, Irvine, Tustin, and Santa Ana Unified School Districts have been invited by the Foundation to participate in the program’s third year.

About the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation

Located in Irvine, California, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supports researchers and nonprofit research institutions in making the next generation of breakthroughs in chemistry and the life sciences. Founded in 1978 by 20th century scientific instrumentation pioneer Dr. Arnold O. Beckman, the Foundation supports United States institutions and young scientists whose creative, high-risk, and interdisciplinary research will lead to innovations and new tools and methods for scientific discovery. For more information, visit beckman-foundation.org.

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