By Jordan Orbank
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Three St. Bonaventure University students have been chosen as the Dr. Arnold T. Borer Summer Research Scholars for 2011.
Jennifer Andrews, Alvin Kim and David Samuel will spend 10 weeks this summer working on different research projects. Each scholar will be advised by a major-specific St. Bonaventure faculty member.
Kim, a junior biology major from Los Angeles, Calif., will research an effective method to culture different types of neuronal cells with assistant professor of biology, Dr. Nick Mitchell. Kim said he hopes to learn more about the nervous system in more detail than what classes teach. The hands-on experience in the laboratory will help him in his future career as a medical doctor, said Kim.
Kim plans to attend George Washington University School of Medicine through St. Bonaventure’s Franciscan Health Care Professions program.
Samuel, a junior biology major from Markham, Ontario, Canada, will work with Dr. David Himley, assistant professor of chemistry. Samuel will research the functions of PLP, or pyridoxal-phosphate, which is an important enzyme factor.
Samuel said he hopes his experiences in the laboratory will help familiarize him with the process of primary research.
Samuel also plans to attend George Washington University School of Medicine through the dual admissions program. The program guarantees both Samuel and Kim a spot in the medical school after their undergraduate studies.
Andrews, a sophomore biochemistry major from Randolph, N.Y., will research in the laboratory of assistant professor Dr. Julie Hens, assistant professor of biology.
Dr. Wolfgang Natter, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, called the fellowship an exceptional experience for some of St. Bonaventure’s best students.
“As dean of Arts and Sciences, I am proud of the accomplishments to date of our 2011 Research Scholars, and of the work of their dedicated teachers and advisers. I look forward to hearing from them in due course about the results of their research projects,” said Natter.
The Dr. Arnold T. Borer Summer Fellowship Program began in 1992 from a donation to St. Bonaventure University from Gertrude Borer and her son, Francis E. Borer, ’69. They established the scholarship in honor of her late husband, Arnold. Scholars are selected because they have shown to be excellent students, achieving excellent math and science GPAs and have potential career interests in the biomedical research field.
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About the University: Inspired for more than 150 years by the Franciscan values of individual dignity, community inclusiveness, and service, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. No wonder U.S. News and World Report has for years considered us a “Great School at a Great Price.”