University of Akron biomedical engineering and honors student Gregory Howard was recently accepted into the prestigious NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program (OxCam), in which top scholars from around the world have access to mentors and resources from three collaborating institutions: the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
After graduating summa cum laude on Saturday, May 9, at the 2 p.m. ceremony at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, Howard — one of two UA undergraduates to win the Barry Goldwater Scholarship in 2014 — will head to The University of Oxford to begin a four-year doctorate program in biomedical sciences.
Gregory Howard
“I feel very honored and happy to have been offered this tremendous opportunity,” says Howard, of Austinburg, Ohio, who will conduct laboratory research for his thesis — which concerns the development of more efficient drug delivery systems, diagnostic tools and other technologies — at both Oxford and the NIH in Maryland, the largest biomedical research facility in the world.
Having been involved in Phi Delta Theta, Tau Beta Pi, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Undergraduate Student Government, Residence Life and Housing and College of Engineering tutoring, Howard says his Akron Experience has prepared him “exceptionally well for this highly accelerated and independent research program.
“Both in and out of the classroom, my experience at UA has been fantastic,” he says. “It has allowed me to grow tremendously as an individual and thus has given me the tools and skills to be successful in the NIH OxCam program.”
After receiving his Ph.D., Howard says he would like to hone his research skills in a postdoctoral program, work for and eventually found a biotechnology firm that develops diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, and then become a full-time professor.
See more on the Graduation website.
Story by Nicholas Nussen
Media contact: Dan Minnich, 330-972-6476 or dminnich@uakron.edu.