Students in Biola University's Inaugural Stewart Science Honors Cohort

Biola University's new Stewart Science Honors Program welcomes twelve students into its inaugural class. Following the opening of Biola's $63 million Alton and Lydia Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health earlier this year, the program offers a cohort of 12 advanced science, technology and health students a unique opportunity to pursue a rigorous course of academic study coupled with focused undergraduate research and internship opportunities.

"The rapidly developing fields of science, technology, and health demand a new level of academic rigor, a focus on original, innovative technology-driven research, and an interdisciplinary approach to solving science's most pressing problems," said Behzad Varamini, associate professor of biological sciences and director of the Stewart Science Honors Program.

Named after Biola co-founder Lyman Stewart, the Stewart Science Honors Program seeks to provide students with an excellent science education grounded in a deeper understanding of a Christian worldview and how faith and science align.

"The Stewart Science Honors Program aims to provide students with an opportunity to be exceptionally prepared for their post-graduate careers as insightful leaders in the sciences," said Varamini.

Stewart Science Honors Program provides students with additional specialty coursework in computer programming, data analysis, the philosophy of science, and scientific communication to complement their general education courses. The Stewart Science Honors Program is a highly selective program, open to 12 incoming undergraduates each fall. Students are selected based on GPA, test scores and an application with essay questions. The inaugural cohort in fall 2018 had a high school average GPA of 4.0 and average SAT score of 1439 (ranking in the 95th to 98th percentile nationally).

The Lim Center, which is now the home for Biola's School of Science, Technology and Health serves 1,112 students and provides state-of- the-art equipment and collaborative spaces for research, learning and community. Biola graduates advance to top medical school and graduate programs across the country, such as UCLA, USC, Dartmouth, University of Chicago, Georgetown, Yale, Harvard and MIT. In addition, Biola graduates demonstrate excellence in their careers post-graduation and work in well-known organizations such as City of Hope, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Apple, Amazon, and NASA.