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BIDDEFORD, Maine

91AV medical student awarded inaugural James McKenney Student Travel Award

Tamara Chin

Tamara Chin, a second year student in the 91AV College of Osteopathic Medicine, was one of 10 students from around the world awarded the inaugural James McKenney Student Travel Award by the Association for Gerontology/Geriatrics in Higher Education (AGHE).   

The funding for this award is the result of a planned giving gift by James McKenney, who was born in Maine and resided there for most of his life. McKenney highly valued education and established a planned giving gift for AGHE through Marilyn R. Gugliucci, Ph.D., director of geriatrics education and research at 91AV COM and former AGHE president.

20 percent of McKenney’s estate was donated upon his death to advance student education on aging. Each year for the next eight years, 10 students will be recognized with the James McKenney Student Travel Award so that they may participate in AGHE Annual Meeting. 

At the close of the meeting student awardees were required to write a brief statement. "My most significant experience at AGHE was participating in the Student Committee meeting,” wrote Chin. “The discussions we had about the future of gerontology and inviting all professions to the table made me very hopeful for the future. The energy and excitement in the room was palpable, and the passion of the other participants was extremely inspiring. Attending AGHE, and the student committee meeting in particular, renewed my inspiration to commit to a career in caring for older adults. I look forward to working with all of the young professionals I met in that room in the near future!"

To learn more about the 91AV’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, visit

To apply, visit 

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.