The Seitz Award

The Seitz Award is designed to financially assist Natural Science students who desire to study science and conduct research abroad, outside the normal academic classroom setting. All students with sophomore or junior status majoring in Astronomy & Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics are eligible to apply. Sophomore and junior majors in Psychology, studying Physiological or Cognitive/Neuropsychology, or in Anthropology, studying Biological Anthropology, Primatology or Archaeology, are also eligible to apply.

Funded by the Katrina Roch Seitz Science Education Fund, the Seitz Study Abroad Experience allows students to extend their science education outside the classroom. Expectations are that a student will have a science educational experience (short courses, special seminars or learning opportunities, etc.) along with an immersion into the language, history, culture, art, and economics of the country. The study abroad experience should provide an opportunity for the student to study, travel, and interact with students and scientists in a foreign country and gain an appreciation for the educational, cultural and economic environment of the country. Butler University’s Center for Global Education is available to help with arrangements for student housing, language instruction and travel, if needed. Students will be selected by a committee including department heads in the natural sciences and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The number of student awards will be contingent on funds available. At the completion of the study abroad experience, the student will submit a written report to the Office of the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences and be available to make an oral presentation to the Seitz family and the Butler community.

Meet with your department head or advisor to discuss study/research options.
Write a statement describing the nature of the academic experience and the importance of this experience to personal development and career plans—no more than 2 pages.
Provide a timeline of where you are going and what you intend to accomplish.
Develop a budget estimating the cost of the trip (transportation expenses, lodging, registration fee, etc.)
Print a copy of your transcript from my.butler.edu and append it to your statement.
If applicable, supply documentation showing that what you intend to do is feasible (e.g., you have a letter from a research lab welcoming you to their lab/field station).
For travel to non-English-speaking countries, verification of language proficiency is required. Language proficiency is defined as skill equivalent to that achieved after a minimum of two full years of collegiate study.

Apply by February 17. Bring the complete application package to the LAS Dean’s Office in Jordan Hall, Room 237.

At the completion of the study abroad experience, the student will submit a written report to the office of the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences and be available to make an oral presentation to the Seitz family and the Butler community.

Dr. Katrina Roch Seitz ’79 and her husband, Dr. David Seitz, presented the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a gift to establish the Katrina Roch Seitz Science Education Endowed Fund.

Dr. Seitz, a native of Dallas, received her Bachelor of Science degree in zoology (cum laude) from Butler and her M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine. She served her residency at Indiana University Medical Center and practiced medicine for over 20 years. She recently retired from her practice as an obstetrician-gynecologist with Southside OB-GYN in Indianapolis.

The fund, designated to benefit the natural sciences at Butler University, provides scholarship assistance to science majors who are interested in extending their education outside the classroom through seminars, field expeditions, and meetings. It also has enabled the college to host a scholar-in-residence at Butler to enhance the science curriculum through lectures, seminars, and workshops.

Guiyang, China – Ceridwyn Snow, Astronomy & Astrophysics / Philosophy

Guiyang, China – Casey Sobecks, Physics / Electrical Engineering

Guiyang, China – Rachel Terheide, Physics / Astronomy & Astrophysics
Tanzania – David Ryskamp, Biology
Valladolid, Spain – Alex Glickfield, Physics / Biomedical Engineering

Panama—Faculty/Student research trip in Biology (biannual trip for 16 students)

Madrid, Spain—Christopher Felder
Tokyo, Japan—Jackson O’Brien, Physics/Bio. Med.
Guiyang, China—Amanda Hashimoto, Physics/Mathematics
Mossel Bay, South Africa—Maggie Moellering
Belize—Faculty/Student research trip in Biology (biannual trip for 12-15 students)

Osaka, Japan—Brad Magnetta, Physics/Mechanical Engineering
Osaka, Japan—William Grabb, Physics
Panama—Faculty/Student research trip in Biology (biannual trip for 16 students)
South Africa—Keiffer Williams

South Africa—Taylor Evans
Belize—Faculty/Student research trip in Biology (biannual trip for 12-15 students)

Dublin, Ireland—Brittany Foerg

Hefei, China—Adam Kidd, Physics/Mechanical Engineering
Cadiz, Spain—Kala Ghooray, Chemistry/Spanish
Leipzig, Germany—Michael Slack, Music/Chemistry/German

Togo—Hilary Broderick, Biology

Panama—Caleb Fischer, Biology
Belize—Faculty/Student research trip in Biology (biannual trip for 12-15 students)

China—Kyle Obergfell, Physics
Panama—Stacey Summitt, Biology
Germany—Meagan Hinze, Chemistry
Kenya—Jonathon Irons, Anthropology

Belize—Faculty/Student research trip in Biology (biannual trip for 12-15 students)

Australia—Tyler Blakley, Biology/Chemistry
Australia—Lauren Gersbach, Biology
Spain—Laura White, Biology

Belize—Faculty/Student research trip in Biology (biannual trip for 12-15 students)
San Jose, Costa Rica—Kelsey Burton, Biology/Chemistry
Copenhagen, Denmark—Laura Quilter, Biology/Spanish
Marseille, France—Jeff Carvell, Physics/Engineering
Paris, France—Jenna Gross, Chemistry
Taipei, Taiwan—Faculty/Student research trip in Chemistry—Tara Benz, Greg Campanello, Ken Clevenger, Victoria Fahrenbach, Carrie Hedge, Sheetal Mistry

Oxford, England—Matthew Riley, Biology
Paris, France—Deborah Hill, Chemistry/Dance
Taipei, Taiwan—Faculty/Student research trip in Chemistry—Katie Brocksmith, Keith Gligorich, Scott Hocker

Paris, France—Samantha Keith, Biology/Spanish
South Africa—Joanna Thomas, Chemistry
Stirling, Scotland—Marcy Taylor, Chemistry
United Kingdom—Emily Shrode, Chemistry

Holzkirchen, Germany—Rachel Miller, Chemistry
Honduras—Jennifer Cockrill, Biology
Spain—Krystal Briney, Physics/Mathematics/Engineering
Spain—Brian Steurerwald, Chemistry

France—Shannon Basford, Chemistry/French
France—Kristen Schuster, Biology
Spain—Florian Stamm, Biology/Anthropology

internal resources

internal resources

The Seitz Award

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