OMRF has selected 10 Oklahoma high school and college students as Sir Alexander Fleming Scholars for 2013.
Those chosen as Fleming scholars will spend 8 weeks working side-by-side with senior-level OMRF scientists. They will complete research projects on topics such as autoimmune disease, cancer and heart disease, and at summer’s end, they will write scientific papers and give seminar presentations to OMRF’s scientific staff.
“These students infuse our summer with a sense of excitement and curiosity,” said OMRF Fleming Scholar Program coordinator Carlisa Curry. “A summer at OMRF is an experience like none they’ve had before, and they learn not only about science but about themselves, as well. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students at this point in their educational journey.”
The students were selected following a competitive statewide application and interview process. Since it started in 1956, the Fleming Scholar Program has provided more than 500 Oklahoma students with a first-hand look at careers in medical research and medicine. Two OMRF senior scientists, Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., and Rodger McEver, M.D., started their research careers as Fleming Scholars.
The 2013 Fleming Scholars, their hometowns and current schools, are:
Jamin Brown, Woodward, Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Cole Davis, Sand Springs, University of Oklahoma
Nick Elroy, Marlow, Oklahoma State University
Conrad Fernandes, Edmond, Rice University
Kevin Gaffney, Oklahoma City, Bishop McGuinness
Jared Ontko, Oklahoma City, Classen School of Advanced Studies
Aniruddha Parikh, Norman, Vanderbilt University
Eleanor Sun, Edmond, Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
Isabel Vannarath, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
Neal Walia, Oklahoma City, University of Oklahoma
For more information on the Fleming Scholar Program, visit www.omrf.org/fleming.
* Updated 6/4/2013
