WHO: Pauletta and Denzel Washington will present two neuroscience scholarship awards in their name – one to a graduate student and one to an undergraduate. The Washingtons and the scholarship recipients are available for interviews, as is Keith L. Black, M.D., chairman of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

This year’s recipients are George K. Hanna, a resident of Panorama City, Calif.; and Joseph H. McAbee, of Woodruff, S.C.

WHAT: The Pauletta and Denzel Washington Family Gifted Scholars Program in Neuroscience awards program is offered by the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Department of Neurosurgery and allows recipients to work during the summer with world-renowned physicians, neurosurgeons and scientists. Recipients are expected to prepare a scientific abstract or paper to submit to a national neuroscience, cancer, or neurosurgery organization.

WHEN: Monday, June 7, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

WHERE: Harlem Village Academy Leadership Middle School Auditorium, 2351 First Avenue, 1st Floor, New York, NY

WHY: When Black, chairman of Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Neurosurgery, announced seven years ago the establishment of the scholarship program, he noted that math and science scores were down nationwide and many college graduates were opting for more lucrative but less rewarding careers than those in science and medicine. He envisioned the Washington Family scholarships as one small way to encourage students to pursue challenging professions that offer more than immediate gain.

Pauletta and Denzel Washington gladly offered their name and ongoing involvement in the neuroscience scholarship program when it was launched in 2004 because they are strong believers in the value of family and the empowerment of education.

Credentialed Press Only. Media clearances are needed in advance and are being issued on a first-come, first-served basis.