UNLV Life Sciences student Karen Levy was awarded a 2008-09 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for her undergraduate research in the natural sciences, the premier undergraduate award of its type in the field. This is the fifth competitive award Levy has received for her undergraduate research in the sciences.
Levy is the only student in Nevada this year to be awarded the prestigious scholarship and one of only 321 recipients nationwide. Goldwater Scholars have very impressive academic qualifications that often garner the attention of prestigious post-graduate fellowship programs. Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 70 Rhodes Scholarships, 94 Marshall Awards, and numerous other distinguished fellowships.
"Karen is a prime example of the kind of engaged and motivated students we have in our programs," said UNLV Life Sciences Professor Helen Wing. "Karen works incredibly hard and her love of science has allowed her to excel in her chosen scientific fields of biochemistry and life sciences. Her enthusiasm and natural ability will undoubtedly allow her to achieve her ambitious academic and professional goals."
Levy was selected for the scholarship in part for her undergraduate research in Wing's bacterial infectious disease laboratory at UNLV, where she studies gene expression in a pathogen called Shigella - a close relative to the pathogenic strain of E. coli. Under the direction of Wing, Levy focuses on how Shigella modifies its gene expression when it enters the human body and which environmental signals trigger changes in its virulence gene expression. As a result of this work, Levy will present her research this summer at a regional meeting of the American Society of Microbiology and an International Meeting on Prokaryotic Biology to be held in Colorado.
"Receiving the Goldwater Scholarship reinforces my passion for a career in scientific research and enables me to understand the impact that my work can potentially have on the world," said Levy. "I am confident my academic plans, commitment to research, and receipt of this award will facilitate my becoming a leader in science. I am truly honored to have received this opportunity."
This is not the only opportunity Levy has earned because of her academic accomplishments. In addition to being awarded two consecutive NSF/EPSCoR grants to fund her research (one for her work at the Desert Research Institute under the direction of Duane Moser; the other with Helen Wing at UNLV), she was also awarded a scholarship from the Amgen Corporation last year to perform microbiology research at Columbia University. Additionally, she was recently awarded an NIH INBRE award (IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence) to fund her ongoing research with Wing this summer.
Following the completion of her undergraduate degrees in biology and biochemistry at UNLV in 2010, Levy plans to pursue a dual M.D./Ph.D in biochemistry. Ultimately, she hopes to someday lead a team of researchers in the field of biotechnology.
Established by Congress in 1986 to honor the late senator, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships and Excellence in Education Program seeks to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in those fields. The one and two year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.
