INDIANAPOLIS – The School of Science at IU Indianapolis is pleased to announce a $1 million endowment made possible through a gift from Kent Hawryluk, President, CEO and co-founder of MBX Biosciences and alumnus of the School of Science, to establish the Simon J. Rhodes Legacy Scholarship.
The scholarship, named after former School of Science Dean and professor Simon J. Rhodes, will be offered to applicable freshmen and sophomores who are pursuing their first undergraduate degree in the School of Science at IU Indianapolis, have demonstrated financial need and are in good academic standing as determined by the scholarship committee. Preference will be given to students who attended high school in the Indianapolis Public Schools district or in Marion County, Indiana.
“The School of Science is proud of its long tradition of educating Indiana’s students and its contributions to the State of Indiana STEM workforce,” John F. DiTusa, Dean of the School of Science, said. “This scholarship will help take these missions to the next level. We’re incredibly thankful to Kent for not only believing in us and our vision, but for his dedication to the students who make our university one of the best urban education and research centers in the United States.”
The Simon J Rhodes Legacy Scholarship will serve as a precursor to the already established Hawryluk Family Scholarship, which supports juniors and seniors in the School of Science who are pursuing their first undergraduate degree, are in good academic standing and have demonstrated financial need.
In May, IU Indianapolis announced it was expanding its seamless admissions program to include all IPS schools, helping set the stage for Hawryluk’s endowment. This program, started in 2023, automatically admits IPS students who achieve a 3.0 GPA or higher. In addition, students admitted through the program have special access to career and advising services on campus, as well as the Indy Achieves Program, funded by the city of Indianapolis.
“I believe strongly in the School of Science engaging with IPS and Marion County schools to help create undergraduate STEM opportunities for students who otherwise would find them out of reach,” Hawryluk said. “I see this scholarship as key to enabling promising Indianapolis students with financial needs to pursue their education at IU Indianapolis after successful high school careers.”
The endowment being in Rhodes’ honor comes twofold. During his time as Dean, Rhodes fostered a supportive and inclusive environment for underrepresented students. As such, he increased merit- and need-based scholarships for School of Science students, including last mile scholarships to help students who experience hardship as they near the end of their studies, and the Hawryluk Family Scholarship.
Secondly, it was largely due to Rhodes’ influence that Hawryluk would end up earning a master’s degree in biology at the School of Science in 2013. As a biotech entrepreneur, Hawryluk didn’t initially have ambitions to pursue a degree when he audited one of Rhodes’ graduate-level developmental biology courses for a deeper background in the subject. Eventually, Rhodes convinced him, and the decision ended up being an important one for his career.
“Simon is a close friend and mentor,” Hawryluk said. “He has had a major influence on my life and career path. I know firsthand what a caring, gracious, visionary and inspiring educator he is. He also leads by example as an exceptional human being.”
During his time at the School of Science, Hawryluk saw numerous individuals on campus balancing studies with their full-time jobs, sometimes with the additional duties of supporting a family. A desire to help hardworking students focus on earning their degrees with less financial stress inspired Hawryluk to give back, and thus establish both scholarship funds.
“Seeing the financial need and the passion of these talented and dedicated students has motivated me to provide tuition support for all four years,” he said. “STEM is central to so much of Indiana’s economic growth. There will be a strong return on investment for these scholarships as the graduates enter the workforce and have a positive impact in our communities.”