Medical College of Georgia medical illustration students and alumni collected 14 awards recently at the 65th annual meeting of the Association of Medical Illustrators in Portland, Ore.
“I am very appreciative of the support our program and students receive from the MCG administration and the deans, faculty and staff of all five schools,” said Dr. Steve Harrison, chairman of the Department of Medical Illustration. “Over the years, our students have collaborated with faculty to develop communication projects for varying audiences: medical specialists, students, patients and the lay public. It is through these collaborations that our students prosper in the profession and receive recognition and awards.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award, the organization’s highest award, was given to MCG alumnus William B. Westwood, Class of 1972, of Westwood Medical Communications in Albany, N.Y.
Student Salon winners include:
· Paul Kim (’11), Orville Parkes Award for Student Best of Show and Award of Excellence for “Superficial Parotidectomy,” Instructional Line category
· Douglas Walp (’10), Award of Merit for “Kidney Physiology: Reabsorption in the Proximal Tubule,” Animation
Professional Salon winners include:
· Patrick Eckhold (’08), Award of Merit for “FDL Transfer for Drop Foot Using the Bio-Tenodesis System,” Instructional Color
· Glen Hintz (’85), Award of Merit for “Pressure Ulcer Stages,” Instructional Color
· Andy Rekito (’02), Max Brödel Award of Excellence for “Optimal Management of Malignant Epidural Spinal Cord Compression,” Instructional Tone, and Award of Merit for “Medical and Surgical Treatment of Movement Disorders,” Marketing/Promotion
· Hardy Fowler (’07), Award of Excellence for “Severe Facial Laceration with Repair,” Medical-Legal, and Award of Merit for “Tension on Anastomosis Leading to Leakage,” Medical-Legal
· Paul Gross (’86), Award of Merit for “Weakened Cough Allows Aspiration,” Medical-Legal
· Nobles Green II (’05), Awards of Merit for “Colon Resection” and “Ovulation,” Animation
· Birck Cox (’80), Award of Merit for “Spine Surgery Tricks of the Trade,” Illustrated Medical Book - Atlas
In addition, three corporate awards included MCG alumni on the production team.
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Showing posts with label augusta. Show all posts
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Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Two high school teams advance to national TEAMS competition
Teams from two Georgia high schools—The Academy of Richmond County in Augusta and Grayson High School in Loganville—who competed at the University of Georgia earlier this year have advanced nationally in the 2009 Junior Engineering Technical Society’s TEAMS competition.
TEAMS, which stands for Test of Engineering, Aptitude, Mathematics and Science, brought 44 student participants to UGA earlier this year for a competition that fosters creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving, said John Mativo, an assistant professor in the College of Education’s department of workforce education, leadership and social foundations; and member in the faculty of engineering.
The TEAMS 2009 theme was “Behind the Scenes: Theme Parks.” There were two sessions within the competition: a 90-minute, 80 multiple choice question session in the morning and a 90-minute, open-ended, four-question session in the afternoon.
The Academy of Richmond County, coached by Patricia Croft, and Grayson High School, coached by Billy Jones, were among six student teams advancing from Georgia, the national TEAMS office announced on April 2. The other four were Chamblee High School of Chamblee, Northside High School of Columbus, Frederick Douglass High School of Atlanta and Columbus High School of Columbus.
Other high scoring teams in the competition at UGA included Rockdale Magnet School of Conyers, coached by David Bonar; Lucy C. Laney High School of Augusta, Hephzibah High School of Hephzibah, and A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet High School of Augusta, all coached by Patricia Croft.
“Many high school students perceive math and science classes as dry,” Mativo said. “To bring these two courses to life, students need to use these disciplines in a systematic way to solve real problems. For example, the flow rate of fluid in a tube can model the blood traveling in a vein or artery. Math would be used to find out of where the blood’s velocity is highest by calculating the flow rate, while the science part would analyze conditions of the substrate in which the blood flows. Combined, math and science become the basis of engineering design and analysis.”
Mativo worked with Chi Thai, an associate professor in the department of biological and agricultural engineering, which co-sponsored the project that was praised by student participants and coaches.
“I was not aware of the strong engineering program at Georgia before this competition,” Croft said. “It was well run. My students were excited to be a part of this competition and look forward to participating again.”
Annually, more than 14,000 students across the country participate in TEAMS competitions. Questions are aligned with national education standards. UGA is one of four competition sites for Georgia students. Other sites include Atlanta University Center, Savannah State University, and Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.
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TEAMS, which stands for Test of Engineering, Aptitude, Mathematics and Science, brought 44 student participants to UGA earlier this year for a competition that fosters creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving, said John Mativo, an assistant professor in the College of Education’s department of workforce education, leadership and social foundations; and member in the faculty of engineering.
The TEAMS 2009 theme was “Behind the Scenes: Theme Parks.” There were two sessions within the competition: a 90-minute, 80 multiple choice question session in the morning and a 90-minute, open-ended, four-question session in the afternoon.
The Academy of Richmond County, coached by Patricia Croft, and Grayson High School, coached by Billy Jones, were among six student teams advancing from Georgia, the national TEAMS office announced on April 2. The other four were Chamblee High School of Chamblee, Northside High School of Columbus, Frederick Douglass High School of Atlanta and Columbus High School of Columbus.
Other high scoring teams in the competition at UGA included Rockdale Magnet School of Conyers, coached by David Bonar; Lucy C. Laney High School of Augusta, Hephzibah High School of Hephzibah, and A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet High School of Augusta, all coached by Patricia Croft.
“Many high school students perceive math and science classes as dry,” Mativo said. “To bring these two courses to life, students need to use these disciplines in a systematic way to solve real problems. For example, the flow rate of fluid in a tube can model the blood traveling in a vein or artery. Math would be used to find out of where the blood’s velocity is highest by calculating the flow rate, while the science part would analyze conditions of the substrate in which the blood flows. Combined, math and science become the basis of engineering design and analysis.”
Mativo worked with Chi Thai, an associate professor in the department of biological and agricultural engineering, which co-sponsored the project that was praised by student participants and coaches.
“I was not aware of the strong engineering program at Georgia before this competition,” Croft said. “It was well run. My students were excited to be a part of this competition and look forward to participating again.”
Annually, more than 14,000 students across the country participate in TEAMS competitions. Questions are aligned with national education standards. UGA is one of four competition sites for Georgia students. Other sites include Atlanta University Center, Savannah State University, and Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
MCG Department of Otolaryngology Featured among Country's Best
The Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery in the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine is one of the most innovative in the nation, according to the Academic Physician and Scientist.
“Many of our peers and colleagues from around the country have taken notice of what’s been going on here,” said Dr. David Terris, department chair and Porubsky Distinguished Professor in Otolaryngology. “It’s gratifying because it has been our goal to continually grow and improve this program and we have tried to accomplish that in a number of novel ways.”
In a feature in the January issue, the magazine notes the department’s “innovative educational and clinical growth strategies” which have included:
Doubling the number of faculty and adding specialists in rhinology, voice and swallowing disorders, plastic surgery and hearing and balance disorders
Dramatically increasing the number of department publications and the emphasis on research excellence; and
Encouraging the formation of multidisciplinary physician teams to tackle tough clinical cases.
Developing a roadmap for the department’s growth was both simple and challenging, Dr. Terris said. It began just before his arrival at MCG in 2002, when he imagined what the picture of a “perfect” department would be and laid out the steps it would take to achieve it.
Initiatives pursued included the development of a head-and-neck tumor group, consisting of radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, oral surgeons and otolaryngologists, which this year reviewed and consulted on nearly 300 propsective patient cases. Dr. Terris has also worked with Drs. Ted Chin and Tony Mulloy from the Department of Endocrinology to develop the Thyroid Center for MCGHealth, the clinical arm of MCG. Last year, more than 200 patients from 15 states had thyroidectomies at MCG.
The roadmap also included quality initiatives, such as weekly conferences where faculty can preview difficult surgical cases to brainstorm ways to optimize outcomes, and teaching conferences that allow faculty to collaborate in their educational efforts.
“This is a department where everyone is fully engaged in teaching and therefore continually learns from each other,” Dr. Terris said. “That philosophy trickles down to our students so that they are instilled with the notion of being a lifetime learner and educator upon leaving us.”
The department’s near-term goals include adding more faculty and increasing students’ exposure to the highest levels of clinical expertise, thereby increasing competitiveness for the department’s two residency and three fellowship slots. The result will attract more patients and bolster the department’s reputation among physicians, students, residents and former patients, Dr. Terris said.
“We are already known as a place to which patients from all over can come and receive the best medical care available,” he said. “We know what makes us stand out and we will continue to focus our energy on becoming the best in those areas. But none of this would be possible without the efforts put forth by all of our faculty, staff and students.”
The Academic Physician & Scientist is mailed to every academic physician, scientist, senior resident, fellow, residency program director and 3,000 senior-level administrators at medical schools and affiliated teaching hospitals across the country.
By Jennifer Hilliard
MCG
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“Many of our peers and colleagues from around the country have taken notice of what’s been going on here,” said Dr. David Terris, department chair and Porubsky Distinguished Professor in Otolaryngology. “It’s gratifying because it has been our goal to continually grow and improve this program and we have tried to accomplish that in a number of novel ways.”
In a feature in the January issue, the magazine notes the department’s “innovative educational and clinical growth strategies” which have included:
Doubling the number of faculty and adding specialists in rhinology, voice and swallowing disorders, plastic surgery and hearing and balance disorders
Dramatically increasing the number of department publications and the emphasis on research excellence; and
Encouraging the formation of multidisciplinary physician teams to tackle tough clinical cases.
Developing a roadmap for the department’s growth was both simple and challenging, Dr. Terris said. It began just before his arrival at MCG in 2002, when he imagined what the picture of a “perfect” department would be and laid out the steps it would take to achieve it.
Initiatives pursued included the development of a head-and-neck tumor group, consisting of radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, oral surgeons and otolaryngologists, which this year reviewed and consulted on nearly 300 propsective patient cases. Dr. Terris has also worked with Drs. Ted Chin and Tony Mulloy from the Department of Endocrinology to develop the Thyroid Center for MCGHealth, the clinical arm of MCG. Last year, more than 200 patients from 15 states had thyroidectomies at MCG.
The roadmap also included quality initiatives, such as weekly conferences where faculty can preview difficult surgical cases to brainstorm ways to optimize outcomes, and teaching conferences that allow faculty to collaborate in their educational efforts.
“This is a department where everyone is fully engaged in teaching and therefore continually learns from each other,” Dr. Terris said. “That philosophy trickles down to our students so that they are instilled with the notion of being a lifetime learner and educator upon leaving us.”
The department’s near-term goals include adding more faculty and increasing students’ exposure to the highest levels of clinical expertise, thereby increasing competitiveness for the department’s two residency and three fellowship slots. The result will attract more patients and bolster the department’s reputation among physicians, students, residents and former patients, Dr. Terris said.
“We are already known as a place to which patients from all over can come and receive the best medical care available,” he said. “We know what makes us stand out and we will continue to focus our energy on becoming the best in those areas. But none of this would be possible without the efforts put forth by all of our faculty, staff and students.”
The Academic Physician & Scientist is mailed to every academic physician, scientist, senior resident, fellow, residency program director and 3,000 senior-level administrators at medical schools and affiliated teaching hospitals across the country.
By Jennifer Hilliard
MCG
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Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Award to Hispanics of Augusta
/PRNewswire/ -- On the 9th of this past October, HOLA successfully celebrated their first 2008 HOLA (Hispanic Outstanding Leadership Achievement) award ceremony at the Doubletree Hotel. With over 150 people in attendance, HOLA recognized the hard work of local leaders and their contribution to the well-being of the Hispanic community in the Central Savannah River Area.
Award recipients were the following:
1. Culture: Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana (ACHA)
2. Health: Nancy Shear
3. Education: Maria A. Mallar
4. Organization: Debra McKenzie - Small Business Development Center
5. Youth Leader: Gilbert Lewis
6. Hispanic Friendly Company: Coca-Cola Company
7. Religious Leader: Angel Maestre
8. Entrepreneur: Marilyn Mercado
9. Special Award (Journalist): Anibal Ibarra
10. Special Award (Courage and Determination): Orlando Perez
Volunteers from the Clinica Latina de Salud ALAS were recognized for their arduous labor. These volunteers are doctors, nurses, students, and translators who freely sacrifice their time every third Wednesday of each month in order to help others who need medical attention.
Special guests included Pedro Marin, State Representative, and Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. These two honorable guests both gave speeches to those present that emphasized, using statistics, the impact of Hispanics in the state of Georgia and the importance of their participation in the electoral process. At the same time, HOLA Augusta Newspaper (http://www.holaaugusta.com/) was recognized for its service and commitment to the community.
To culminate, the charismatic and talented Valencian Noelia Zanon took it upon herself to share, for the audience's enjoyment, her beautiful voice in a true artistic performance. Caribbean music and a dance concluded the night.
Without a doubt, the 2008 HOLA awards was able to set a precedent in providing the first event to recognize outstanding Hispanics in the city of Augusta and its neighboring areas.
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Award recipients were the following:
1. Culture: Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana (ACHA)
2. Health: Nancy Shear
3. Education: Maria A. Mallar
4. Organization: Debra McKenzie - Small Business Development Center
5. Youth Leader: Gilbert Lewis
6. Hispanic Friendly Company: Coca-Cola Company
7. Religious Leader: Angel Maestre
8. Entrepreneur: Marilyn Mercado
9. Special Award (Journalist): Anibal Ibarra
10. Special Award (Courage and Determination): Orlando Perez
Volunteers from the Clinica Latina de Salud ALAS were recognized for their arduous labor. These volunteers are doctors, nurses, students, and translators who freely sacrifice their time every third Wednesday of each month in order to help others who need medical attention.
Special guests included Pedro Marin, State Representative, and Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. These two honorable guests both gave speeches to those present that emphasized, using statistics, the impact of Hispanics in the state of Georgia and the importance of their participation in the electoral process. At the same time, HOLA Augusta Newspaper (http://www.holaaugusta.com/) was recognized for its service and commitment to the community.
To culminate, the charismatic and talented Valencian Noelia Zanon took it upon herself to share, for the audience's enjoyment, her beautiful voice in a true artistic performance. Caribbean music and a dance concluded the night.
Without a doubt, the 2008 HOLA awards was able to set a precedent in providing the first event to recognize outstanding Hispanics in the city of Augusta and its neighboring areas.
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Monday, November 24, 2008
Georgia and North Carolina Teens Honored for Research in Biochemistry and Genetics in Nation's Premier High School Science Competition
/PRNewswire/ -- Research projects in Biochemistry and Genetics boasted top marks this evening for James Meixiong and the team of Sajith Wickramasekara and Andrew Guo in the Region Six Finals of the 2008 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation's premier high school science competition.
The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board. Tonight's winners will receive thousands of dollars in college scholarships and be invited to compete at the National Finals in New York City, where the winners of six regional competitions across the United States will vie for scholarships ranging from $10,000 to the top prize of $100,000.
"These students have competed with some of the greatest young minds in our country, and are now on an amazing journey to the finals for the most coveted high school science prize in the nation," said James Whaley, President of the Siemens Foundation, based in Iselin, New Jersey. "The fact that we've experienced a record-setting year, including a 10 percent increase in both team and individual project submissions and more than a 16 percent increase in the number of registrations, makes their achievement even more commendable. We congratulate them on their hard work and look forward to welcoming them to the national event."
The students presented their research this weekend to a panel of judges from the Georgia Institute of Technology, host of the Siemens Competition Region Six Finals.
Individual Winner
James Meixiong, a senior at Lakeside High School in Evans, Georgia, won the individual category and a $3,000 college scholarship for his biochemistry research that took several approaches to address how the structure of mitochondria influences the cellular levels of two proteins, Bax and Bak. His project is titled Inhibition of Bax/Bak activation by mitochondrial fusion: a novel mechanism to block programmed cell death.
"The long term goals of Mr. Meixiong's research are to fully comprehend the complex integrated pathways that lead to apoptosis, or cell death, with the hope that a small molecule therapeutic could be designed to control apoptosis in diseased cells," said Dr. Raquel Lieberman, Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "Mr. Meixiong used three different and technically challenging approaches and drew responses consistent with his hypothesis in each case, ultimately creating a shift in the way we think about controlling cell death for diseases such as Parkinson's, Muscular Dystrophy and Cancer."
Mr. Meixiong is the Team Captain of his school's Science Bowl and the Olympiad Team and also manages his school's swim team. He won the Department of Energy's Regional Science Bowl Competition in April 2008. Mr. Meixiong has won numerous medals at the State Science Olympiad Tournament, including a first place medal in Ecology. He heard about the Siemens Competition after a friend was named a Regional Finalist last year.
Mr. Meixiong is fluent in Chinese and is a member of a volunteer organization called Chinese School United Student Action. He spends his free time as a math tutor and a junior volunteer at the University Hospital of Augusta, Georgia. Both of his parents are research scientists at the Medical College of Georgia. His mentors for this project are Dr. Craig Brooks, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Medical College of Georgia and Dr. Zheng Dong, Professor at the Medical College of Georgia.
Team Winners
Sajith M. Wickramasekara and Andrew Y. Guo, both seniors at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, North Carolina, won the team category and will share a $6,000 scholarship for their research that has the potential to easily identify new chemotherapeutic drugs and greatly improve existing ones. The team's project combined traditional genetics with cutting edge computational modeling to streamline the gene discovery process. Their project is titled, A Functional Genomic Framework for Chemotherapeutic Drug Improvement and Identification.
"Mr. Wickramasekara and Mr. Guo's project was chosen because despite an enormous amount of research on cancer therapeutics, there is still a need to identify new genes to target for treatment," said Dr. Kostas Konstantinidis, Assistant Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the school of Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "Their approach has the potential to identify novel treatments that could lead the way to personalized medicine in the future. The team had exceptional communication and coordination in executing their project."
Mr. Wickramasekara is the team leader and heard about the Siemens Competition in 2006 when seniors from his high school were selected as Regional Finalists. Mr. Wickramasekara has participated in various science competitions including the 2008 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the North Carolina State Science and Engineering Fair and the North Carolina Junior Science Humanities Symposium. He is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America and dreams of one day owning his own biotech startup, specializing in personalized medicine.
Mr. Guo is a Science Olympiad winner and Co-Captain of the Science Bowl and the Quiz Bowl. He recently received First Place State Team in the Goldman Sachs National Economics Challenge. Mr. Guo is Co-Founder and Editor of the Student Journal of Research at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
The team worked on this project with the help of their mentor, Dr. Craig B. Bennett, Assistant Professor, Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. and their high school advisor, Dr. Myra Halpin, Dean of Science, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, NC.
Regional Finalists
Regional Finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship. In addition, the Siemens Foundation awards $2,000 per project to the high school of every Regional Finalist.
Regional Finalists in the individual category were:
-- Rohit Thummalapalli, American Heritage School, Plantation, FL
-- Alexander M. Kim, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and
Technology, Alexandria, VA
-- Agatha A. Cummings, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge, TN
-- Varun Bansal, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology,
Alexandria, VA
Regional Finalists in the team category were:
-- Jonathan Wang and Jared V. Goodman, Oak Hall School, Gainesville, FL
-- Katherine S. Xue and Alborz Bejnood, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge,
TN
-- Ruowan Yan and Melissa H. Hou, duPont Manual High School, Louisville,
KY
The Siemens Competition
The Siemens Competition was launched in 1998 to recognize America's best and brightest math and science students. In another record-setting year, 1,893 students registered to enter the Siemens Competition with a total of 1,205 projects submitted -- this includes an increase of more than 10 percent in team and individual project submissions and an increase of more than 16 percent in the number of registrations.
Entries are judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists at six leading research universities which host the regional competitions: California Institute of Technology. Carnegie Mellon University. Georgia Institute of Technology. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. University of Notre Dame. and The University of Texas at Austin.
Winners of the regional events are invited to compete at the National Finals at New York University in New York City, December 5 - December 8, 2008. Visit www.siemens-foundation.org on December 8, 2008 at 9:30 am EST to view a live webcast of the National Finalist Award Presentation.
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The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board. Tonight's winners will receive thousands of dollars in college scholarships and be invited to compete at the National Finals in New York City, where the winners of six regional competitions across the United States will vie for scholarships ranging from $10,000 to the top prize of $100,000.
"These students have competed with some of the greatest young minds in our country, and are now on an amazing journey to the finals for the most coveted high school science prize in the nation," said James Whaley, President of the Siemens Foundation, based in Iselin, New Jersey. "The fact that we've experienced a record-setting year, including a 10 percent increase in both team and individual project submissions and more than a 16 percent increase in the number of registrations, makes their achievement even more commendable. We congratulate them on their hard work and look forward to welcoming them to the national event."
The students presented their research this weekend to a panel of judges from the Georgia Institute of Technology, host of the Siemens Competition Region Six Finals.
Individual Winner
James Meixiong, a senior at Lakeside High School in Evans, Georgia, won the individual category and a $3,000 college scholarship for his biochemistry research that took several approaches to address how the structure of mitochondria influences the cellular levels of two proteins, Bax and Bak. His project is titled Inhibition of Bax/Bak activation by mitochondrial fusion: a novel mechanism to block programmed cell death.
"The long term goals of Mr. Meixiong's research are to fully comprehend the complex integrated pathways that lead to apoptosis, or cell death, with the hope that a small molecule therapeutic could be designed to control apoptosis in diseased cells," said Dr. Raquel Lieberman, Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "Mr. Meixiong used three different and technically challenging approaches and drew responses consistent with his hypothesis in each case, ultimately creating a shift in the way we think about controlling cell death for diseases such as Parkinson's, Muscular Dystrophy and Cancer."
Mr. Meixiong is the Team Captain of his school's Science Bowl and the Olympiad Team and also manages his school's swim team. He won the Department of Energy's Regional Science Bowl Competition in April 2008. Mr. Meixiong has won numerous medals at the State Science Olympiad Tournament, including a first place medal in Ecology. He heard about the Siemens Competition after a friend was named a Regional Finalist last year.
Mr. Meixiong is fluent in Chinese and is a member of a volunteer organization called Chinese School United Student Action. He spends his free time as a math tutor and a junior volunteer at the University Hospital of Augusta, Georgia. Both of his parents are research scientists at the Medical College of Georgia. His mentors for this project are Dr. Craig Brooks, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Medical College of Georgia and Dr. Zheng Dong, Professor at the Medical College of Georgia.
Team Winners
Sajith M. Wickramasekara and Andrew Y. Guo, both seniors at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, North Carolina, won the team category and will share a $6,000 scholarship for their research that has the potential to easily identify new chemotherapeutic drugs and greatly improve existing ones. The team's project combined traditional genetics with cutting edge computational modeling to streamline the gene discovery process. Their project is titled, A Functional Genomic Framework for Chemotherapeutic Drug Improvement and Identification.
"Mr. Wickramasekara and Mr. Guo's project was chosen because despite an enormous amount of research on cancer therapeutics, there is still a need to identify new genes to target for treatment," said Dr. Kostas Konstantinidis, Assistant Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the school of Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "Their approach has the potential to identify novel treatments that could lead the way to personalized medicine in the future. The team had exceptional communication and coordination in executing their project."
Mr. Wickramasekara is the team leader and heard about the Siemens Competition in 2006 when seniors from his high school were selected as Regional Finalists. Mr. Wickramasekara has participated in various science competitions including the 2008 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the North Carolina State Science and Engineering Fair and the North Carolina Junior Science Humanities Symposium. He is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America and dreams of one day owning his own biotech startup, specializing in personalized medicine.
Mr. Guo is a Science Olympiad winner and Co-Captain of the Science Bowl and the Quiz Bowl. He recently received First Place State Team in the Goldman Sachs National Economics Challenge. Mr. Guo is Co-Founder and Editor of the Student Journal of Research at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
The team worked on this project with the help of their mentor, Dr. Craig B. Bennett, Assistant Professor, Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. and their high school advisor, Dr. Myra Halpin, Dean of Science, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, NC.
Regional Finalists
Regional Finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship. In addition, the Siemens Foundation awards $2,000 per project to the high school of every Regional Finalist.
Regional Finalists in the individual category were:
-- Rohit Thummalapalli, American Heritage School, Plantation, FL
-- Alexander M. Kim, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and
Technology, Alexandria, VA
-- Agatha A. Cummings, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge, TN
-- Varun Bansal, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology,
Alexandria, VA
Regional Finalists in the team category were:
-- Jonathan Wang and Jared V. Goodman, Oak Hall School, Gainesville, FL
-- Katherine S. Xue and Alborz Bejnood, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge,
TN
-- Ruowan Yan and Melissa H. Hou, duPont Manual High School, Louisville,
KY
The Siemens Competition
The Siemens Competition was launched in 1998 to recognize America's best and brightest math and science students. In another record-setting year, 1,893 students registered to enter the Siemens Competition with a total of 1,205 projects submitted -- this includes an increase of more than 10 percent in team and individual project submissions and an increase of more than 16 percent in the number of registrations.
Entries are judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists at six leading research universities which host the regional competitions: California Institute of Technology. Carnegie Mellon University. Georgia Institute of Technology. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. University of Notre Dame. and The University of Texas at Austin.
Winners of the regional events are invited to compete at the National Finals at New York University in New York City, December 5 - December 8, 2008. Visit www.siemens-foundation.org on December 8, 2008 at 9:30 am EST to view a live webcast of the National Finalist Award Presentation.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
MCG Honors City of Augusta and Augusta Housing Authority
The Medical College of Georgia presented President's Awards to the city of Augusta and the Augusta Housing Authority for their partnership in enabling the university's expansion in Augusta.
President Daniel W. Rahn presented the awards, which recognize exemplary service to the university's mission and are the highest honor MCG bestows, at the annual President's Dinner Nov. 15.
The Augusta Commission provided the University System of Georgia Board of Regents with $10 million in September to purchase the Gilbert Manor property from the Augusta Housing Authority for MCG's expansion.
"The recently completed transfer of the Gilbert Manor property to the Board of Regents and MCG could never have taken place except through the sustained efforts of the Augusta Housing Authority, members of the Augusta city leadership and our legislative delegation," said Dr. Rahn in presenting the awards. "This collaboration will enable MCG to expand its impact on health and to increase our economic impact in the Augusta region while also providing resources for renewed public housing.
"This award is presented in recognition of efforts to craft a significant partnership with MCG, for leadership in affecting a win-win opportunity for the residents of Gilbert Manor, the citizens of Augusta, the Medical College of Georgia and the greater community we all serve."
While all entities will benefit substantially from the partnership, the real winner in the long run will be Augusta, Dr. Rahn said.
“The successful collaborative efforts of the Augusta Housing Authority, city of Augusta and the Medical College of Georgia benefit the CSRA community as a whole, establish and increase the opportunity of employment through the expansion of MCG and ensure the development of much-needed affordable housing," said Jacob Oglesby, executive director of the Augusta Housing Authority.
“The partnership between the city and MCG as it continues its expansion locally should serve as a model for other communities," said Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver. "Our local government's historic investment in helping to grow the medical college, one of Augusta's primary economic engines, is both an investment in the health and wellness of our state and an investment in our city's future.”
The Gilbert Manor housing complex sits on a 15-acre, triangular plot contiguous to MCG and bordered by R.A. Dent Boulevard, Goss Lane and Spellman Street. The property will house a new School of Dentistry building.
Planning also is under way for expansion of School of Medicine facilities at the site and an Education Commons to be shared by the medical and dental schools.
Paula Hinely
Medical College of Georgia
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President Daniel W. Rahn presented the awards, which recognize exemplary service to the university's mission and are the highest honor MCG bestows, at the annual President's Dinner Nov. 15.
The Augusta Commission provided the University System of Georgia Board of Regents with $10 million in September to purchase the Gilbert Manor property from the Augusta Housing Authority for MCG's expansion.
"The recently completed transfer of the Gilbert Manor property to the Board of Regents and MCG could never have taken place except through the sustained efforts of the Augusta Housing Authority, members of the Augusta city leadership and our legislative delegation," said Dr. Rahn in presenting the awards. "This collaboration will enable MCG to expand its impact on health and to increase our economic impact in the Augusta region while also providing resources for renewed public housing.
"This award is presented in recognition of efforts to craft a significant partnership with MCG, for leadership in affecting a win-win opportunity for the residents of Gilbert Manor, the citizens of Augusta, the Medical College of Georgia and the greater community we all serve."
While all entities will benefit substantially from the partnership, the real winner in the long run will be Augusta, Dr. Rahn said.
“The successful collaborative efforts of the Augusta Housing Authority, city of Augusta and the Medical College of Georgia benefit the CSRA community as a whole, establish and increase the opportunity of employment through the expansion of MCG and ensure the development of much-needed affordable housing," said Jacob Oglesby, executive director of the Augusta Housing Authority.
“The partnership between the city and MCG as it continues its expansion locally should serve as a model for other communities," said Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver. "Our local government's historic investment in helping to grow the medical college, one of Augusta's primary economic engines, is both an investment in the health and wellness of our state and an investment in our city's future.”
The Gilbert Manor housing complex sits on a 15-acre, triangular plot contiguous to MCG and bordered by R.A. Dent Boulevard, Goss Lane and Spellman Street. The property will house a new School of Dentistry building.
Planning also is under way for expansion of School of Medicine facilities at the site and an Education Commons to be shared by the medical and dental schools.
Paula Hinely
Medical College of Georgia
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