Biomedical Sciences
Duke Tanaka Jr. Anatomy Scholarship



Phone: 616-331-3318
Fax: 616-331-2090
A. Nieuwkoop, Ph.D., Chair
nieuwkot@gvsu.edu

Grand Valley State University
312 Padnos
Allendale, MI 49401

 The Duke Tanaka Jr. Anatomy Scholarship


The Duke Tanaka Jr. Anatomy Scholarship was established in 2006 by Tim Strickler of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Duke's family and friends. Duke and Tim were fellow graduate students in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Chicago. Born in 1945 in Sidney, Nebraska, where his family had been relocated from California by the US government at the start of WWII, Duke grew up near Beaver Falls, PA and graduated from the local Geneva College with a BS in Biology in 1967. In 1971 he was awarded a PhD in Anatomy from the University of Chicago, and proceeded to a postdoctoral position at UCLA. Duke was on the faculty of Howard University from 1973-1980, and Michigan State University from 1980 until his death from a heart attack in 1998. His early research involved  aspects of motor control by the central nervous system, and later the effects of toxins on the mature and developing nervous system. Duke was loved and respected by his veterinary anatomy students at MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, and he received several teaching awards from them. He was a dedicated scientist, and a challenging teacher. Above all, Duke was fascinated by the general field of zoology (he kept several large snakes and salamanders as pets), and anatomy in particular, and he was the first in his family to pursue graduate training in these fields. This scholarship is offered with the hope that it will enable similarly-inclined students to pursue their dreams in these areas.
 
Qualifications: Candidates for and/or recipients of, as applicable, this scholarship must meet the following criteria:
  • Recipients must be entering their Senior year (minimum 85 earned credit hours) at Grand Valley State University
  • Candidates must previously have taken and received, at Grand Valley State University, credit for BMS 208 and 309 or BIO 302. The earned GPA for these courses must be 3.50 or greater (4.00 system).
  • Recipients must be enrolled with full-time status as a degree-seeking student.
  • Recipients shall be making satisfactory academic progress according to the norms established by the University and have an overall GPA of 3.40 or greater.
Demonstration of financial need as defined by government programs is required. Candidates must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
 
Scholarship Specifications:
Scholarships will be awarded annually provided there are qualified candidates who meet the criteria stated herein. Award amounts and numbers will be determined, in part, by funds available.
 
This scholarship will be received over the two semesters of the recipient’s senior year and is non-renewable thereafter.
 
Applications are available in the BMS office, 312 Padnos Hall.
  Last Modified Date: April 21, 2009
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