The David Marc Belkin MemorialUndergraduate Research Scholarship

The David Marc Belkin Memorial Scholarship provides financial support to undergraduate students who wish to conduct research projects relevant to environmental and ecological issues. It was established by the family and friends of David Belkin, an honors graduate of Muir College, who died in a backpacking accident shortly after graduating from UCSD in 1978.

While David was an accomplished photographer, scuba diver, swimmer, and bicyclist, he was happiest when he was exploring the wonders and beauty of nature. Because of that, his family felt that the most meaningful tribute to his memory would be to support other young people who share those feelings.

The fund originally supported an annual lectureship which brought renowned environmentalists to UCSD to meet with students and deliver a public lecture. Because of the limited resources to support undergraduate research in the natural sciences, the fund was redirected and is now exclusively dedicated to providing research scholarships for that purpose.

David's father, Dr. Gerald Belkin, is a physician and member of the UC faculty who turned to the development of medical software following his retirement from medical practice. Those programs for the management of medical records are still widely used in hospitals throughout the United States. David's mother, Rebecca Belkin, died in 1998.