Awards & Scholarships

Graduate Scholarships and Awards

The Department of Health and Kinesiology is pleased to announce the availability of the awards for graduate students majoring in Health and Kinesiology. Students in Graduate Professional Programs (MPH, MHA, MSHT) are welcome to apply. The awards ceremony will take place at the I Hotel and Convention Center at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Information describing each award and the eligibility criteria is listed below.  The application form can be found here.

Applications and recommendations are due Feb. 1, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. 

Reginald J. Alston Award for Excellence in Community Health and Rehabilitation: To support a student in the Department of Health and Kinesiology in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Preference shall be given to a student with a concentration in Rehabilitation. Special preference given to a student who is taking, has taken or will be taking scholarly work and applying it to clinical and/or practical applications within the community. If no one meets the above criteria, the award will be given to a student within a concentration in Community Health. Two $1,500 awards will be given in 2025.

Joanne M. and Charles M. Carraway Scholarship: Scholarship for students in the Department of Health and Kinesiology who show academic merit, professional promise, and financial need. Five $2,000 awards will be given in 2025.

William H. Creswell Jr. Scholarship: Scholarship for graduate students in Community Health. Preference will be given to students who are studying health education, health promotion, or public health, with an emphasis on education.  Recipients will be selected based on academic merit, participation in health-related professional organizations, and potential leadership in the field of health education. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

F. Patricia Cullen Scholarship Fund: This award supports graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

T. K. Cureton Physical Fitness Research Award: This award is to support research directed toward physical performance and fitness. The award is based upon the relative merits of a research proposal evaluated by a review committee. Graduate students must be enrolled in residence at the time the award is granted. One $500 award will be given in 2025.

Kathleen M. Haywood Graduate Kinesiology Scholarship Fund: This award supports graduate students studying kinesiology or physical education. Two $1,500 awards will be given in 2025.

Hoyman Student Award Fund: Awarded to a graduate or undergraduate student focusing on community health with a preference for graduate students with families or demonstrating a financial need. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Laura J. Huelster Award: Awarded to a graduate student in the kinesiology graduate curriculum working on their dissertation and who has successfully completed the required preliminary examination and accompanying requirements. Four $3,000 awards will be given in 2025.

H. E. Hek Kenney Memorial Award: Awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student in Health and Kinesiology. Recipients shall be students who focus on physical education who provide evidence of scholarly competence and professional promise in the field of physical education, and demonstrate financial need. Two $1,000 awards will be given in 2025.

Benjamin H. Massey Memorial Award: Awarded to a graduate student in the kinesiology program who is pursuing research in physical activity. Two $1,500 awards will be given in 2025.

Pam and Betty Milchrist Scholarship: The award will support graduate scholarships for Kinesiology Master’s or Ph.D. degree students. Recipients shall be students who focus on physical activity and quality of life for aging populations. Preference shall be given to students who focus on cognitive health and/or social cognitive factors resulting from older adults’ participation in meaningful movement activities. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Roger Winfield Morse Memorial Scholarship: To support students in kinesiology who show academic merit, professional promise, and a financial need. This award is in memory of Roger Winfield Morse, Class of 1934. Three $1,500 awards will be given in 2025.

Ann E. Penstone Scholarship: To support graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Health and Kinesiology.  One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Karin A. Rosenblatt Community Health Graduate Scholarship: This award is to support graduate students in the field of Community Health. Three $2,000 awards will be given in 2025.

Robert L. Sprague Graduate Student Award:  Awarded to a graduate student in the kinesiology program to help defray thesis expenses. This award is based on academic merit. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Kinesiology Scholarship Fund: To support a graduate or undergraduate student in Kinesiology. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Submission Requirements

Please prepare the following items:

Brief Research Proposal (typed in APA format; 3 pages maximum): Include an introduction indicating the purpose and significance of the research, a concise overview of the existing literature, a description of the study design, and the measurement and evaluation procedures to be employed. Note: A research proposal is not needed for students applying for the:

• Reginald J. Alston Award for Excellence in Community Health and Rehabilitation
• Joanne M. and Charles M. Carraway Scholarship
• Kathleen M. Haywood Graduate Kinesiology Scholarship Fund
• Pam and Betty Milchrist Scholarship
• Roger Winfield Morse Memorial Scholarship
• Ann E. Penstone Scholarship
• Karin A. Rosenblatt Community Health Graduate Scholarship
• William H. Creswell Jr. Scholarship

Per APA format, please use one-inch margins, double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font.

Vita: Include a current copy of your vita.

Narrative: Type a one-page narrative that describes your interest in your chosen field of study, career goals, and reasons for deserving an award. Please use one-inch margins, double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font.

Recommendations: Provide two recommendations—one from a faculty member supervising the research or graduate program, and one from a person familiar with your professional involvement (who could also be a faculty member). Recommendations are limited to 500 words. Recommenders can submit their recommendations using this form.

Financial Need: Please prepare a brief paragraph describing your financial need for the awards you are applying for.  Many of the awards take into consideration the financial needs of the applicant.  Please note:  This information will be seen by the honors and awards selection committee, but will not be shared during the award presentation or with anyone outside the committee. Please limit your response to 150 words.
 
 

Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards

The Department of Health and Kinesiology is pleased to announce the availability of the awards for undergraduate students in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. Students in Kinesiology, Community Health, and Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (I-Health) may apply. The awards ceremony will take place at the I Hotel and Convention Center at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Information describing each award and the eligibility criteria is listed below.  The application form can be found here.

Applications and recommendations are due Feb. 1, 2025. 

Reginald J. Alston Award for Excellence in Community Health and Rehabilitation: To support a student with a concentration in Rehabilitation. Special preference given to a student who is taking, has taken or will be taking scholarly work and applying it to a clinical and/or practical application within the community. If no one meets the above criteria, the award will be given to a student focusing on a concentration in Community Health. Two $1,500 awards will be given in 2025.

Pamela C. Butler Scholarship Fund: Scholarship for undergraduate students in the Department of Health and Kinesiology.  Recipients shall display financial need.  One $2,500 award will be given in 2025.

Joanne M. and Charles M. Carraway Scholarship: Scholarship for students, in the Department of Health and Kinesiology who show academic merit, professional promise, and financial need. Five $2,000 awards will be given in 2025.

Carol L. Chittenden Scholarship: Awarded to undergraduate students in Kinesiology and who show academic merit, professional promise, and financial need.  Two $2,000 awards will be given in 2025.

F. Patricia Cullen Scholarship Fund: This award is to support graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Helga M. Deutsch Scholarship: Awarded to full-time students with a minimum of junior status (60 hours of earned credit) who are studying the kinesiology curriculum, who are in good standing academically, show professional promise, and have financial need. Two $2,000 awards will be given in 2025.

Beulah Drom Scholarship: Scholarship for students in the Department of Health and Kinesiology shall be selected based on academic merit and potential leadership in the health education field. One $1,500 award will be given in 2025.

Hoyman Student Award Fund: Awarded to a graduate or undergraduate student focusing on community health with a preference for graduate students with families or demonstrating a financial need. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

H. E. Hek Kenney Memorial Award: Awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student in Health and Kinesiology. Recipients shall be students who focus on physical education who provide evidence of scholarly competence and professional promise in the field of physical education and demonstrate financial need. Two $1,000 awards will be given in 2025.

Roger Winfield Morse Memorial Scholarship: To support students in kinesiology who show academic merit, professional promise, and financial need. This award is in memory of Roger Winfield Morse, Class of 1934. Three $1,500 awards will be given in 2025.

Ann E. Penstone Scholarship: This scholarship is for graduate and undergraduate students, in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Carita Robertson/PEW Scholarship Fund: The Carita Robertson Scholarship was established to recognize outstanding junior or seniors majoring in Physical Education. Recipients must show a significant personal involvement in the domain of physical education and must also exhibit financial need. This honor is presented to those who demonstrate the personal and professional involvement which Miss Robertson exemplified, as this award was established by The Alumnae Association of Physical Education for Women in honor of Carita Robertson, a ’29 alumna of the University of Illinois. Five $2,000 awards will be given in 2025.

Seward C. Staley Scholarship: To support undergraduate students who are enrolled in a curriculum in kinesiology studying physical education. Scholarship recipients shall be selected on the basis of academic merit with priority given to those students who show a special interest in the field of Physical Education and to those students demonstrating a financial need. Two $2,000 awards will be given in 2025.

Marianna F. Trekell Scholarship: To support an undergraduate student who is continuing their studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Kinesiology and demonstrates professional promise and has financial need. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Agnes Radich Vidovic Award: Awarded to an outstanding junior or senior student in the Department of Health and Kinesiology who has shown scholarly merit, professional promise, and financial need. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Kinesiology Scholarship Fund: To support a graduate or undergraduate student in Kinesiology. One $1,000 award will be given in 2025.

Application Requirements

Resume: Please submit a one-page resume in which you list information relevant to your academic history, volunteer experiences, research experiences, extra-curricular activities, athletics, awards received, and any other relevant experiences. 

Narrative: Please submit a one-page narrative that describes your interest in your field of study, career goals, and reasons for deserving the specific scholarship or award(s) you are applying for.  Please also include information that highlights evidence of a high level of scholarship and professional promise in the field (e.g., achievements, projects, honors received, contributions to the profession within the department, college, state, or national professional associations).   Please use 1” margins, double spaced, 12 pt., times new roman font.

Financial Need: Please prepare a brief paragraph describing your financial need for the awards you are applying for.  Many of the awards take into consideration the financial needs of the applicant.  Please note:  This information will be seen by the honors and awards selection committee, but will not be shared during the award presentation or with anyone outside the committee. Please limit your response to 150 words.

Recommendations

Provide two recommendations—at least one should be from a faculty member. Please verify your recommenders’ roles to ensure at least one is a faculty member. The other can also be a faculty member or may be another individual familiar with your academic and professional involvement, including a teaching assistant or research supervisor. Recommendations are limited to 500 words. Recommenders can submit their recommendations using this form.

Please direct any questions to: HK-AWARDS@illinois.edu

See the HK award recipients here.