Connor Fullenwider, a 2005 graduate of Muskogee High School, will spend his summer vacation as a Presidential Scholar at OMRF.
Fullenwider, currently a sophomore at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., will complete a research project focused on the study of anthrax under the guidance of Darise Farris, Ph.D., in OMRF’s Arthritis and Immunology Research Program.
“A research experience like this for a student Connor’s age can be life-changing,” said OMRF President Stephen M. Prescott, M.D. “This provides an atmosphere quite different from your typical high school or college laboratory. The in-depth experience gained here leaves a student much better prepared to establish a career path.”
As a Presidential Scholar, Fullenwider will work alongside OMRF’s Sir Alexander Fleming Scholars. Since 1956, more than 400 Oklahoma high school and college science students have taken advantage of the Fleming program to complete a medical research project in a real-world laboratory. The program offers students a first look at research outside a classroom and opens doors to a wide range of career options.
Three Muskogee residents, John W. Griffin, Martha Griffin and Dr. John H. Saxon III, serve as members of OMRF’s board of directors.
