The Dr. Maureen and Edward Shamgochian Endowed Scholarship
Criteria: ($500.00 Award). Available to Biology majors who are sophomores, juniors or seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
“I know from a student’s perspective what it’s like to go to school and try to meet all the challenges that go along with it,” says Biology Professor Maureen Shamgochian, Ph.D. “So my husband, Edward, and I are very happy to be able to help.”Shamgochian, a Worcester State alumna from the class of 1980, earned a Ph.D. from UMass Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and worked for several years as a research scientist before joining the WSU faculty in 1993. She teaches Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology and Human Anatomy and Physiology and was also interim vice president of Academic Affairs.
“I really enjoy helping students understand difficult concepts. Worcester State students are very motivated and bright,” she says. “They’re a pleasure to teach.”
Shamgochian and her husband, an attorney and musician who serves as president of the Worcester Musician’s Union, have established two academic awards in addition to their endowed scholarship. She says that their philanthropy was inspired in part by the example set by former Biology Department Chair Edwin Boger, Ph.D.
“When I was a new faculty member in the Biology Department, he established a culture of giving back, often mentioning at meetings how he felt very fortunate to work at such a great place,” she recalls. “We were encouraged to give back in whatever small way we could and to always support and attend school functions, especially those honoring students. When I talked to my husband about establishing a scholarship, he was just as excited as I was to donate.”
Shamgochian takes a great deal of satisfaction in helping students succeed as undergraduates. “Worcester State students have goals. They know what they want in their future and they’re willing to work for it,” she says. “As a professor and as a donor, it is very rewarding to help them achieve their goals.”