Jacob Morris, of Kansas City, Kan., a junior in microbiology at Kansas State University, has been selected to participate in a research mentoring and award program.
Morris was one of 46 undergraduate students at K-State selected for the Johnson Cancer Research Center program.
The center’s undergraduate Cancer Research Award program promotes early participation in laboratory research, encouraging students to consider careers in cancer research and medicine while they’re still deciding what academic and professional paths to take.
“We are enlisting a new generation of cancer researchers and medical workers, and helping train them to do scientific research,” said Rob Denell, center director and university distinguished professor of biology.
The award program, which is open to Kansas State University undergraduate students interested in doing cancer-relevant research, provides $1,000 awards to about 50 students a year, and $1,000 per student for research expenses.
“These are outstanding students working closely with faculty on real research projects, and some, as we’ve seen in the past, will undoubtedly go on to be top scientists and physicians,” Denell said.
Students applied for the awards by co-writing research proposals with faculty mentors affiliated with the center. The awardees conduct their research in the mentors’ laboratories during the spring semester.
The students will be recognized in the spring at a banquet attended by their families, center supporters and university faculty and administrators.
The center provides other undergraduate scholarships as well, and supports research and training of affiliated faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. All of these programs are funded through private gifts.
The center advances and funds cancer research at Kansas State University, and supports higher education and public outreach.
