WHITE PLAINS, NY – The Dannon Company announced the launch of the Dannon Probiotics Fellow Program to support the education of a student who excels in science and shows a strong interest in probiotics studies. The company will award a scholarship equivalent to one year’s tuition (up to $25,000) to a current or incoming graduate student to enhance his or her academic path in this field. The student will also receive an all-expense-paid trip to the Danone Research Center in Palaiseau, France to explore topics in probiotics, nutrition, and human physiology alongside leading experts.
“The study of probiotics is one of the most exciting and rapidly emerging areas of scientific exploration,” said Dr. Miguel Freitas, Director of Health Affairs at The Dannon Company. “As a company leading the way in probiotic research and education, Dannon hopes to instill the same enthusiasm we have for probiotics in the next generation of scientists. This is an exciting opportunity for a student to not only receive educational support, but also have access to some of the leading minds in the discipline.”
“The benefits of probiotics may not stop with what we know today—in fact, additional potential attributes of probiotics are still being discovered,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders, Dairy and Food Culture Technologies Consultant, and Executive Director of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). “It’s important for companies like Dannon to continue supporting the education of future experts within the field, and I am honored to sit on the judging panel for this exciting Probiotics Fellow Program.”
Scholarship applications are now being accepted, and must be submitted by March 31, 2012 to qualify. The winning applicant will be determined by a panel including Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders; Daniel Merenstein, MD, Associate Professor and Director of Research Programs at the Department of Family Medicine at the Georgetown University Medical Center; Dr. Patrick Veiga, Senior Scientist, The Danone Research Center; and Dr. Miguel Freitas, Director of Health Affairs, The Dannon Company. Visit http://www.dannon.com/fellowship to download an application and read the full scholarship details.
About the Dannon Probiotics Fellow Program
To qualify for the Dannon Probiotics Fellow Program, individuals must be currently enrolled in or applying to a full-time graduate program with a focus on probiotics (e.g., probiotic mechanisms of action, probiotics foods, probiotics supplements, and clinical research). Only incoming or current graduate students will be considered. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and be able to utilize the scholarship funds for the fall 2012 semester at an accredited U.S. institution. Applicants will be required to submit a complete application package, including a personal essay, recommendations from two professors, and proof of good academic standing. The application and full scholarship details are available at http://www.dannon.com/fellowship.
One winner will be selected by an expert judging panel. The Dannon Company will not provide the scholarship recipient a check, but will instead work directly with the individual’s graduate school finance department to credit $25,000 toward the student’s tuition.
About The Dannon Company, Inc.
The Dannon Company is America's founding national yogurt company and continually leverages its expertise to develop and market innovative cultured fresh dairy products in the United States. Headquartered in White Plains, NY, Dannon has plants in Minster, OH, Fort Worth, TX, and West Jordan, UT and produces approximately 100 different types of flavors, styles and sizes of cultured fresh dairy products. Dannon is a subsidiary of Danone, one of the world's leading producers of packaged foods and beverages, and Dannon is the top-selling brand of yogurt products worldwide, sold under the names Dannon and Danone. With a strong commitment to high-quality, wholesome, nutritious and innovative products, The Dannon Company is committed to encouraging people to eat a balanced diet and live a healthy lifestyle. In 2010, for the tenth year in a row, Danone was listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a worldwide reference for socially responsible businesses. Danone is a recognized leader for its contributions to nutrition and health and was ranked best in class in a 2008 JPMorgan & Insight Investment study about the response of the world's largest food companies to obesity and health-related concerns. This commitment is also illustrated through The Dannon Company's support of the Dannon Institute, an independent, non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting research, education, and communication about the links between nutrition, diet and health. For more information, please visit www.dannon.com.
Source: The Dannon Company, Inc.