CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Two University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduate students have won the 2004-2005 Paul D. Doolen graduate scholarships for the study of aging. Each will receive $4,000 to continue research in the field of gerontology.
Brian Berg of Champaign, winner of the Doolen award in biological-biomedical sciences, is pursing a doctorate in nutritional sciences. His research examines the effect of antioxidants on immune and neurological functions controlling sickness behaviors induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), particularly sickness recovery associated with diets high in selenium and vitamin E. Berg received a bachelor's degree in biology from East Carolina University and his master's degree from North Carolina State University.
Steriani Elavsky of Champaign, winner of the Doolen award in behavioral social sciences, is pursuing a doctorate in exercise psychology. Her research will examine the effects of exercise on women over 50, particularly on their self-esteem and mental well-being, following menopause. She received her bachelor's degree in Czech literature from the University of Ostrava, and her master's degree in kinesiology from Illinois.
The Doolen Scholarship is awarded annually to graduate students in their second year of study or beyond whose principal scholarly interest is in the field of aging. The scholarship was established in 1986 by an endowment from the Retirement Research Foundation, Oak Park, Ill., to honor the late Paul D. Doolen, a longtime member of the foundation's board of directors and a 1927 Illinois graduate.