Named scholarships & funds
When it comes to earning a college degree, the greatest obstacle can be funding.
For this reason, The University of Akron is pleased for the opportunity each year to assist talented, deserving students achieve their dreams, thanks to more than 1,300 named scholarships established through the kindness and generosity of thousands of °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ alumni and friends, corporations, and foundations.
Scholarships truly are the best way to ensure that today’s students persist to graduation. Scholarships allow students to enroll full time and remain focused on their studies; they also reduce drop-out rates, decrease the stress of student loans, and shorten the road to graduation.
If you are interested in making a significant contribution to student success, please consider a gift to scholarships. You may also establish a named scholarship at The University of Akron, which can be created to honor a living person, in memory of a loved one, or to contribute to the growth of an area of study.
To learn more, please contact the Department of Development at 330-972-7238.
How do I apply for a scholarship?
This is not the page to apply for scholarships.
Students who want to apply for scholarships should visit the scholarship page on the Financial Aid site. You can find the link for the online application here.
The Department of Development does not accept applications for or distribute scholarships. Scholarships are distributed through the University’s Office of Student Financial Aid.
Search for a Named Scholarship
Sterns, Dr. Harvey L. Scholarship
The Dr. Harvey L. Sterns Scholarship was established in 2021 by colleagues and friends of Harvey L. Sterns, Ph.D., to honor his distinguished 50-year career with The University of Akron and as part of °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ's We Rise Together Campaign. The scholarship reflects Dr. Sterns' passion for his field and for the °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ students to whom he dedicated his career.
Dr. Sterns retired from °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ in 2017 as Professor Emeritus of Psychology and participated in the Transition After Retirement Program for three years. In May 2021, he stepped away from his role as Director of the Institute for Life-Span Development & Gerontology (which he founded) and transitioned to Director Emeritus and Life Fellow of the Institute. Sterns also has served °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ as a faculty member in the Adult Development and Aging and Industrial/Organizational Psychology graduate programs, and has chaired the specialization in Industrial Gerontological Psychology. In addition, he has been a research professor of gerontology in Family and Community Medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University.
Dr. Sterns received his A.B. in biology and psychology from Bard College in 1965 and his M.A. in experimental psychology from State University of New York at Buffalo in 1968. He earned his doctorate in life-span developmental psychology from West Virginia University in 1971, with additional training in gerontology at the University of Southern California and Pennsylvania State University.
Since joining °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ in 1971, Dr. Sterns has become nationally and internationally recognized for his work in the psychology of adult development and aging, industrial gerontology, and research on cognitive intervention and aging. For five decades, he has addressed issues related to training and retraining, career development, retirement, and age discrimination in the workplace. He served as Co-Chair of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education Committee on Business and Aging, and served as Chair, Task Force on Accreditation and Member of the Executive Committee of the Association for Gerontology and Higher Education. He currently is President of the Board of Governors, Accreditation for Gerontology Education Council.
Dr. Sterns is a licensed psychologist in Ohio and a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, and Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. He has served as president of Division 20 Adult Development and Aging of the American Psychological Association, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, and Sigma Phi Omega National Academic and Professional Society in Gerontology. He is a past board of trustees member of the American Society on Aging. He has served or serves on the editorial boards of International Journal of Aging and Human Development, Gerontology and Geriatric Education, Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Aging, Experimental Aging Research, The Gerontologist, Research on Aging, and Women and Aging.
He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Direction Home and the Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities. He chairs the city of Akron's Senior Citizen Commission to the Mayor and City Council and has served as President of Jewish Family Services, as well as Chair and Trustee of Mature Services, Inc. (now Vantage Aging). His many accolades include being honored by Menorah Park Center for Senior Living with The Dr. Arnold L. Heller Memorial Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations in Northeast Ohio for their compassion, competence, and devotion to the field of gerontology.
Dr. Sterns has published extensively on cognitive intervention, work and retirement, career development, training and retraining, and self-management of career and retirement. He is the author of more than 100 journal articles and book chapters and has co-edited three books related to gerontology and geriatric education.
The Dr. Harvey L. Sterns Scholarship is open to University of Akron undergraduate students pursuing a certificate in gerontology in the Institute for Life-Span Development and Gerontology. Candidates must be in good standing with the University, have demonstrated need, and be enrolled full- or part-time. The scholarship is renewable if the recipient continues to meet the above-stated criteria.
Selection of the recipient will be made by the University's Scholarship Committee.
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