UF junior chosen as one of 20 Beinecke Scholarship winners nationwide

May 19, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Beinecke Foundation has selected Jenna Battillo, a junior majoring in anthropology and classical studies and minoring in geological sciences at the University of Florida, as one of 20 national winners of the prestigious Beinecke Scholarship.

A native of Interlachen, Battillo participated in an intensive archaeological dig through the Research Experience for Undergraduates through the National Science Foundation in summer 2005 in Cyprus. She is an Anderson Scholar and a member of Eta Sigma Phi classics honor society, Lambda Alpha anthropology honor society, and the University Honors Program. She intends to pursue a doctoral degree in anthropological archaeology.

Students receiving the Beinecke Scholarship have demonstrated superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement and personal promise during his or her undergraduate career, are juniors, plan to enter a master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities or social sciences, are United States citizens, and have a documented history of receiving need-based financial aid during his or her undergraduate years.

The University of Florida was first invited to submit one nominee for the Beinecke Scholarship in 2003, along with about 100 colleges and universities. This year, there were a total of 87 nominations; winners of the 2006 Beinecke Scholarship attend Stanford University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, and other prestigious institutions.

The Beinecke Scholarship Program seeks to encourage and enable highly motivated students to pursue opportunities available to them and to be courageous in the selection of a graduated course of study. Since 1975 the program has selected more than 315 college juniors from 94 different schools for support during graduate study at any accredited university. Each scholar receives $2,000 immediately prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school.

The first winner of the Beinecke Scholarship from the University of Florida was Adena Rottenstein, who was selected in 2004.