– 2009 Scholarship Awarded to 40 Deserving Recipients –
ATLANTA, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ — UCB, Inc. today announced the 2009 recipients of the UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship Programä. This year’s scholarship was awarded to 40 inspiring people whose lives have been affected by epilepsy and who seek personal growth through higher learning. Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that can affect anyone at anytime. In the United States, 1 in 100 people are living with epilepsy.
“Epilepsy can have a significant impact on people living with the condition, as well as their family members and caregivers. UCB recognizes the obstacles that these deserving people have overcome and we are inspired by their accomplishments,” said Shelia Frame, Vice President of the Central Nervous System business unit at UCB. “It is our honor to provide this type of support to ensure that they have the means to achieve their academic goals.”
This year, the number of applications submitted for the UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship increased by 30 percent. In direct response to the increased interest, UCB awarded 30 percent more scholarships — 28 to people living with epilepsy and 12 to family members or caregivers of someone living with epilepsy. Recipients will use scholarships for tuition at colleges, graduate schools and technical schools across the country. Since 2005, UCB has awarded more than 150 scholarships, totaling almost $1 million.
“As a clinician, I spend the majority of my time helping patients find treatments to control seizures,” said selection committee member Robert Leroy MD, an epileptologist in Dallas, TX. “It is inspiring to see patients achieve success, not only in treatment, but also in life.”
This year’s recipients will be honored on the UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship Facebook page. To see photos and read quotes from recipients, and for more information about the UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship, please go to Facebook.com/UCBEpilepsyScholarship.
2009 Scholarship Recipients:
The 40 recipients were selected from a pool of 800 applicants. Each recipient was considered based on his or her application, personal essay and letters of recommendation.
2009 recipients and their selected learning institution:
Gilbert Baca Santa Fe Community College
Suzanne Bixler Delaware Community College
Scott Brookshire City College of San Francisco
Nicholas Bunker Schoolcraft College
Jessica Chock-Goldman Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva
University
Courtney Collins Kennesaw State University
Katherine Cooney Northwestern University
Brandi Crespin University of New Mexico
Mitchell DeSimone Marist College
James Enright Franklin Pierce University
Matt Farmen University of Arizona
Brenda Flaherty Penn State University
Kaitlin Foster Blinn College
Christina France International Academy of Art and Design
Lauren Gallegos Cal State University Northridge
Bailey Henry University of Northern Iowa
Keyana Johnson Howard University
Nathanael Kube University of Wisconsin-Baraboo
Brittany Langkamp University of Dubuque
Katherine Looney Auburn University
Megan McGahan Niagara University
Connor Merrill Central Washington University
Stephen Mikolaitis Penn State, Erie
Ellen Millard Southeast Missouri State University
Virginia Miller University of Phoenix at Axia
John Julian Miller-Ready University of Hawaii Leeward Community College
Alyssa Muller SUNY Plattsburgh
Jackson Newsome Marshall University
Rachael Palumbo University of Notre Dame
Katherine Panich University of Southern California
Tiffany Parish Texas Woman’s University
Patrick Piaggio, Jr. Montclair State University
Sharie Pulliam Carroll Community College
Claudia Ramirez Joliet Junior College
Sandra Rushing College of DuPage – Registered Nurse Program
Susan Sheets Nazareth College
Kelly Towne Front Range Community College
Kayla Trundle University of Michigan – Flint
Brooke Warner Otterbein College
Angela Wright University of Texas at Arlington
About Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting approximately 50 million people worldwide and three million people in the U.S.—making it more common than multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined. It is caused by abnormal, excessive electrical discharges of the nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Epilepsy is characterized by a tendency to have recurrent seizures and defined by two or more unprovoked seizures. There are many different seizure types and epileptic syndromes. Roughly 20-30 percent of people living with epilepsy have either uncontrolled seizures or significant side effects secondary to medication. This highlights the ongoing need for the development of new AEDs. For more information about epilepsy, visit www.EpilepsyAdvocate.com.
About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development and commercialization of innovative medicines with a focus on the fields of central nervous system and immunology disorders. Employing approx. 10,000 people in over 40 countries, UCB achieved revenues of 3.6 billion Euro in 2008. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).
The UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship Program™ is a trademark of the UCB group of companies.
Further Information
Andrea Levin
Public Relations Manager, CNS, UCB
T 770.970.8352
M 404.483.7329
Laura Finley
Cooney/Waters Group
T 212.886.2258
CONTACT: Andrea Levin, Public Relations Manager, CNS, UCB, +1-770-970-8352, or mobile, +1-404-483-7329, Andrea.levin@ucb.com; or Laura Finley, Cooney/Waters Group, +1-212-886-2258, LFinley@cooneywaters.com