The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is pleased to denote the 2022 recipients of the Marion B. Sewer Distinguished Scholarship for Undergraduates.
The ASBMB’s Maximizing Access Committee (formerly known arsenic the Minority Affairs Committee) created this grant successful 2016 to enactment undergraduate students who show an involvement successful the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology and heighten the diverseness of science. This year, acknowledgment successful portion to a generous donation from New England Biolabs, the ASBMB is awarding 10 $2,000 scholarships that volition beryllium applied to undergraduate tuition costs.
The grant honors Marion B. Sewer, an ASBMB subordinate and past seat of the MAC who died successful 2016 astatine property 43. Sewer was a main researcher connected projects devoted to expanding information among historically underrepresented groups and furthering pupil training. Within the ASBMB, she organized the MAC’s Interactive Mentoring Activities for Grantsmanship Enhancement workshop for postdoctoral fellows and early-career scientists, known arsenic IMAGE, which addresses disparities successful scientists’ quality to unafraid national probe grants. She besides wrote astir issues that historically underrepresented scientists face, such arsenic impostor syndrome.
Here, the 10 recipients of the 2022 Sewer assistance picture their idiosyncratic goals and however they beforehand diversity. Their statements person been edited.
Moyofoluwa (Rachel) Aguda, University astatine Buffalo
My vocation extremity is to go a physician–scientist moving straight with patients portion seeking applicable cognition that tin amended wellness done research. As a physician–scientist, I anticipation to span the connection spread betwixt research, patients and their wellness attraction plans, portion encouraging the emergence of much physician–scientists. After graduation, I volition instrumentality a spread twelvemonth to fulfill my work to the National Institutes of Health arsenic a trainee earlier applying to M.D.–Ph.D. programs.
Rita Anoh, Mount St. Mary’s University
After graduating with a treble large successful biochemistry and French, I mean to prosecute my Ph.D. successful biochemistry and structural biology and research different areas of involvement specified arsenic genetics and molecular biology during my training. As a scientist, my extremity is to marque subject much accessible and to beryllium a bully mentor to trainees. I americium passionate astir not lone inviting those from underrepresented backgrounds but besides maintaining their progressive beingness successful the subject assemblage and fostering meaningful and productive experiences.
Sara Gallegos, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
My nonrecreational aspiration is to advocator for easier entree to science, technology, engineering and mathematics and supply mentorship for others seeking it. As a portion of this, I would similar to spot lit and probe much accessible and understandable to the wide public. I person been arrogant to service underserved communities astatine Virginia Tech. As a Howard Hughes Medical Institute pupil fellow, I correspond members of historically underrepresented groups wrong the biochemistry section and be student-led panels connected however the assemblage tin advocator for diversity, equity and inclusion wrong STEM fields.
Natasha Garcia Rodriguez, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
My extremity is to be naturopathic aesculapian schoolhouse astatine the Sonoran University of Health Sciences and proceed gaining probe acquisition astatine the Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research. After completing these goals, I volition beryllium capable to lend a unsocial position to some naturopathic medicine and research, and I anticipation to service arsenic an taste number pistillate wellness nonrecreational and researcher successful my community, making a affirmative and productive interaction connected patients, students and science.
Michelle Haigbea, College of the Holy Cross
My vocation extremity is to go a pharmacist and usage my pharmacy grade to enactment arsenic a trusted nexus betwixt aesculapian doctors and patients. Pharmacists treble cheque the dose of medicine and its interactions with different medications to amended diligent acquisition and health. Pharmacists are among the astir accessible wellness attraction professionals due to the fact that they commonly enactment successful assemblage settings. With the busyness of beingness and the emergence of galore diseases and illnesses, I privation to beryllium a nonrecreational who is accessible implicit the counter, with oregon without appointment.
Phinn Markson, Edgewood College
I americium a first-generation assemblage assemblage transportation pupil and a biology major. I mean to spell connected for a Ph.D. successful probe astatine the intersection of beingness sciences, information sciences and societal sciences truthful I tin facilitate expanding diverseness and equity successful probe by decreasing bias successful information collection. The beingness sciences clasp solutions to galore threats to humanity. To execute these solutions, beingness sciences indispensable admit the humanities relation we person played successful structural sexism and racism. I anticipation to enactment toward this extremity by bridging information gaps and creating much equitable probe questions.
Taylor McGee, Hampden–Sydney College
My superior probe involvement is anti-HIV compartment therapy, and I volition beryllium applying to applicable Ph.D. programs and planetary fellowships. I would similar to beryllium a prof and beryllium capable to supply holistic and transformative mentorship experiences successful overmuch the aforesaid mode that my professors person provided meaningful, transformative experiences for me.
Katie Nuñez, Towson University
After graduating with a grade successful molecular biology, biochemistry and bioinformatics, I program to prosecute a postbaccalaureate fellowship astatine the National Institutes of Health to summation experiences with translational research. I past volition use to doctoral programs for immunology oregon molecular biology. I program to stay successful the tract of immunology oregon subdivision into molecular medicine arsenic a researcher, arsenic I bask my existent probe surrounding septic shock. Figuring retired the interior workings of the quality immune strategy and exploring probe and treatments of the illness has been precise rewarding.
Sam J. Shepard, University of North Carolina astatine Asheville
As an aspiring physician–scientist, I anticipation to instrumentality an interdisciplinary attack to amended knowing and treating diseases. Additionally, arsenic a trans idiosyncratic with halfway values of anti-racism and anti-oppression, I americium committed to gathering inroads for historically excluded groups to excel successful and bask subject and medicine. My technological interests halfway astir the cellular mechanisms of cancer, immunology and the mitochondria. I americium presently looking for postbaccalaureate probe opportunities to research these interests further earlier applying to MD-PhD programs.
Myrah Sheriff, University of Texas astatine Austin
I program to be aesculapian schoolhouse to prosecute a vocation arsenic a pediatrician. My prime of vocation is mostly owed to my ain acquisition with having country connected my look astatine a precise young age. I ever person wanted to supply aesculapian attraction to young children, and I person a sincere involvement successful helping patients header with the repercussions of surgery, some affirmative and negative. I americium funny successful spreading acquisition astir aesculapian resources and improving entree to superior attraction physicians, particularly successful my father’s colony of Assin–Fosu, Ghana. I would emotion to acceptable up a donation programme wherever secondhand instrumentality from the U.S. could beryllium sent to amended conditions successful processing nations.
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