In this day and age where "geek is the new sexy," there are few cultural phenomena that have created as much conscience and love for sciences as the show starring Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons - and the CBS sitcom is taking another step towards science lovers with the new "The Big Bang Theory" scholarship!
After a successful eight-season run so far and having turned its three primary cast members into the highest-earning actors on television making one million per episode, now it's turn for the Chuck Lorre-created show to take a step forward in recognizing truly scientific talent with "The Big Bang Theory" scholarship.
According to Yahoo! News, the cast and creators of the show have gotten together to create the "Big Bang Theory" scholarship through the creation of a $4 million fund to help young undergrads who want to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (what is known as STEM fields) but cannot afford to do so - and through the scholarship, they'll get to study at famed university UCLA.
Variety reports that the "Big Bang Theory" scholarship is the first of its kind, which is to say, a UCLA one created by and named after a television series, and it was first funded by the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation as well as getting donations from the show's stars Cuoco, Galecki, Parsons, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Melissa Raucn and Mayim Bialik - plus executive producers Steven Molaro and Bill Pady and even CBS and Warner Bros. Television.
As BBC reports, the "Big Bang Theory" scholarship is not entirely without irony: while the show's four main male characters work as researchers in CalTech, it's actually UCLA getting the scholarship; and UCLA is also where Bialik, who plays Amy Farrah Fowler, got her PhD in neuroscience.
The first 20 scholars chosen to receive the "Big Bang Theory" scholarship will be announced on the set of the show next fall.
