Fort Valley State University News June 8, 2011 FVSU pre-med interns participate in groundbreaking research When asked the classic question, "What did you do for summer vacation?" in a few months, four Fort Valley State University pre-med students can tell their professors and peers about major research projects they completed. Kenny Regis, Shawn Harrison, James Cook and Charles Banks III are participating in groundbreaking research at several of the most recognized medical institutions throughout the country. The Wildcats are members of the FVSU chapter of Black Men with Initiative, a national academic enhancement program for African-American male college students. This summer, Regis, a junior, is working as a researcher for Genome Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. studying the cause of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a common form of cancer characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. Regis said he's excited about working at the institute. The Kennesaw native turned down offers made by other medical programs at Yale and Duke universities once he learned about Genome's widely- respected program. "I choose to come to the Genome Institute in Washington because it's ranked 4th among the best school of medical research in the nation," he said. Juniors Harrison and Cook are interning at Meharry Medical College's Health Career Opportunity Program (HCOP). The graduate and professional college is currently the largest private historically black institution in the country solely dedicated to educating healthcare professionals and scientists. Banks, a senior, is also interning with the HCOP program, but in a different location. The Petersburg, Virginia native is working at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, the leading institution in emerging disease and afflictions of the liver. Banks chose the program because it seemed most challenging on his list of potential internships. "I hope to gain tons of knowledge from this program that will better prepare me for my future career as an anesthesiologist," said Banks. FVSU's Academic Success Center Executive Director Dr. Said Sewell, also the Black Men with Initiative advisor, presented a list of 40 programs to the students for consideration, and then instructed them to submit applications to at least five. The students were encouraged not to apply to the same program as their classmates. "If they all went to the same program, they would have experienced and learned the same things. I encouraged them to go to different places so that they would each have different information to share with one another." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.