Dr. Everett “Tex” Beneke made tremendous contributions to Michigan State University and to the discipline of mycology and the profession of medical mycology over his 40 year career as a faculty member. His medical mycology course was the highlight of many mycology and medical technology students and his research on the fungi that infect humans had national and international impact. Dr. Beneke was a long-standing member of the Medical Mycology Society of America and the International Society for the Human and Animal Mycology, as well as other disciplinary and professional organizations.

He and co-author Alvin Rogers wrote Medical Mycology and Human Mycoses, a book updated and reprinted several times since 1970 and was the book of choice for researchers and physicians on the topic. Dr. Beneke won many prestigious awards during his distinguished career including the William H. Weston Award in 1984 from the Mycological Society of America for outstanding teaching in mycology and the Rhoda Benham Award from the Medical Mycology Society of the Americas also in 1984. Dr. Beneke served as Chairman of the American Board of Bioanalysis for 36 years. In 1987, Dr. Beneke was awarded the College of Natural Science Meritorious Faculty Award to recognize his outstanding mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students at Michigan State University. This award is, for dozens of his former Master’s and Ph.D. graduate students, the one most remembered and appreciated because it recognized a caring, good-humored, superb mentor who provided an excellent environment for learning and research that inevitably lead to success. The Beneke fellowship will contribute to the creation of a similar excellent environment for each of the recipients.

AWARD INFORMATION

The Graduate School will award a minimum of 2 awards. Students will apply in the Spring semester; recipients will be awarded for the following academic year.