College of Science - Biological Sciences - Karen Dundas Sorci Endowed Scholarship

11/18/24: Eligibility criteria updates: Minimum GPA and number of work hours required, removal of U.S. Citizenship requirement

Mario Sorci and Karen Dundas Sorci established the Karen Dundas Sorci Endowed Scholarship for Biology in March of 2002. In 1971, Mario earned his degree in chemistry, and Karen earned her degree in zoology. Mario and Karen developed AES, Inc., a custom medical equipment firm, into one of the leading nationwide providers of anesthesia products.

ELIGIBILITY
•Undergraduate applicants must expect to be enrolled full-time during the academic year in which the student applies; graduate applicants must be enrolled as part-time or full-time students during the previous academic year and must be enrolled for the next academic term. Newly admitted Freshmen are eligible to apply.
•Applicants must have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA., be enrolled full-time, and employed at least 30 hrs/week OR
• Applicants must have a minimum 2.75 GPA, be enrolled full-time, and employed at least 22 hrs/week
•Applicants must provide evidence of being employed a minimum of 22 hrs/week. For graduate applicants, appointments as a TA or GA do not satisfy the minimum work hours.

Application Requirements
1) Application form: Applicants must complete the Cal Poly Pomona General Scholarship Application and all requirements below.
2) Transcripts: Submit a transcript of your coursework at Cal Poly Pomona as well as transferred coursework from other schools (unofficial transcripts are accepted).
3) Personal Statement: Describe your employment and related work. Discuss how employment helps you to gain transferable skills that will help you in your education and career. (1000 words maximum)
4) Employment History: Provide evidence/documentation of current employment. Preferably, this is done in the form of a reference letter from your work supervisor. This letter will only be used to evaluate for this award and does not need to cover other scholarships/awards.
5) Recommendation Letters: Arrange for one letter from a Professor in support of your application. The letter should be addressed to the Scholarships and Awards Committee. In addition, each recommender’s letter must cover ALL scholarships/awards for which the student is applying, NOT separate letters for each scholarship.
6) Curriculum Vitae: Include a 1-page CV outlining all relevant education and work experience.

SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION AND AWARD NOTIFICATION DATE
A committee comprised of members of the Biological Sciences faculty will review the applications and select the scholarship recipient. The scholarship recipient will be notified of the result of their application at the end of April, and the scholarship will be presented near the end of the Spring Semester at the Biological Sciences Department Awards Ceremony.

In addition to the scholarship, the recipient will be given a certificate of recognition, and their name will be added to a plaque of commendation in the Department Office.

To begin the application process, please complete the General Scholarship Application first then proceed to search this scholarship in the “Opportunities>>Recommended” Tab and APPLY. You can save your application at any time by clicking Save and Keep Editing at the bottom of the form. Once completed, you can submit your application by clicking Finish and Submit.