Society honors more students than ever before with Ward Research Fellowships

Former biology department chair Linda Roberson named 2024 Hero of Science at annual Ward Society dinner.

Janel Shoun-Smith  |  04/15/2024

Each spring, Lipscomb’s J.S. Ward Society gathers to award students involved in health science study and research with fellowships and awards intended to advance their future careers in medicine, health science professions or research.

This year, the society, a group of committed donors, fundraisers, advisors and advocates working to connect science alumni and friends to Lipscomb in meaningful ways, awarded more research fellowships than ever before. Ten undergraduate students will be spending their summer conducting research one-on-one with faculty at Meharry Medical School, Vanderbilt University and Lipscomb.

Also at the dinner, the society awarded former biology chair Linda Roberson with the annual Hero of Science Award and announced the students selected for the Herman G. LaVelle Scholars Program and the Langford-Yates Summer Fellowship program.

Roberson has influenced thousands of Lipscomb students since 1975 and has been dedicated to the Lipscomb community for more than 45 years. She began her own educational journey at Vanderbilt, followed by a master’s in biological sciences from Stanford in 1965. She received her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Vanderbilt in 1969. 

She continued to conduct research in immunology and infectious disease in the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt until she came to Lipscomb. Here she served as chair of the biology department for nine years, was appointed the first dean of the College of Math and Science in 1997 and served as chair of the Health Professions Advisory Council (HPAC) for more than 10 years.

The J.S. Ward Society was created to encourage support for Lipscomb’s health sciences programs in various ways including recognizing the best and brightest among the university’s students to help them reach their dreams in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and allied health professions.

The J.S. Ward Society Research Fellowship allows Lipscomb’s pre-health students to conduct undergraduate research in the summer at an off-site location. Undergraduate research is a high impact educational practice that is transformative. Students gain skills that prepare them for success in their current and future programs.

The 2024 Ward Research fellows are:

• Obaid Ashari, a molecular biology major from Nashville who plans to study medicine, will conduct his summer research at Meharry. He said the Ward fellowship is “a constant motivation to pursue excellence.”
• Lincoln Brown, a biology major from Cookeville who plans to study medicine, will conduct research at Vanderbilt through the Undergraduate Clinical Research Internship Program (UCRIP). He said that Lipscomb has “granted me lifelong friendships, wonderful mentors, exceptional opportunities and has, most importantly, helped me find God in the field I am most passionate about, medicine.”
• Arlo Colvard, a molecular biology major from Raleigh, North Carolina, who plans to study medicine, will conduct research at Vanderbilt through the UCRIP. He said, “I expect the J.S. Ward Fellowship Award will be one of the greatest opportunities of my undergraduate career.” Colvard won an outstanding presenter honor in April’s Student Scholars Symposium for a presentation of his past research with Associate Professor of Biology Kyle Brawner.
• Maryam Gerges, a molecular biology major from Mt. Juliet who plans to study medicine, will conduct research at Meharry through its Summer Research Program. She said, “The fellowship is giving me the opportunity to experience high level cancer research, which is my aspiration. Gerges won an outstanding presenter honor in April’s Student Scholars Symposium for a presentation of her past research with Assistant Professor of Biology Amanda Williams.
• Joy Hana, a biology major from Franklin who intends to study dentistry, will conduct her summer research at Lipscomb. She said the fellowship ”has allowed me to express my curiosity through a research project, giving me the attributes and skills I need to succeed in dental school and beyond.”
• Leah Jacob, a biochemistry and molecular biology major who intends to study medicine, will conduct her summer research at Meharry. She is originally from Kerala, India, and now resides in Brentwood. She said, “With the rapidly growing nature of medicine and healthcare, the Ward Society has provided me with great opportunities to investigate the overlap of research and clinical advancements.” Jacob won an outstanding presenter honor in April’s Student Scholars Symposium for a presentation of her past research with Vanderbilt’s Department of Otolaryngology.
• Trevor Keele, from Hendersonville, is majoring in biochemistry for health professionals and intends to study medicine. He will conduct his summer research at Lipscomb. He said of the fellowship, “Over the summer I will conduct research to help aid those diagnosed with schizophrenia. Thanks to the Ward Society and this fellowship award, I can help others around me.”
• Helana Khalif, a biochemistry major from Nashville who intends to study medicine, will conduct research at Vanderbilt through the UCRIP. She said that the Ward fellowship “enables me to broaden my perspective on evidence-based medicine and reinforces my commitment to lifelong learning." Khalif won an outstanding presenter honor in April’s Student Scholars Symposium for a presentation of her past research with Assistant Professor of Biology Josh Owens.
• Joyce Katherine Lawson, a molecular biology major from Madison, Mississippi who intends to study medicine. She will conduct her summer research at Lipscomb. She said of the Ward fellowship, “not only does it allow growth in my scientific reasoning, research, and curiosity, but it will also serve as a life-changing experience for me to develop independence and confidence within a lab.”
• Carolyn Tran is a molecular biology major from Nashville who intends to take on advanced study in health care. She will carry out her summer research with Vanderbilt with Lipscomb alumnus Dr. Eric Grogan (‘95). She said of the fellowship,“I now know that research is the backbone for improving medical techniques and an innovative bridge to finding new cures.“ Tran was awarded a Ward research fellowship last year to work with Jermaine Davis at Meharry Medical College on the structural characterization of Tim50 in Trypanosoma brucci. She won an outstanding presenter honor in April’s Student Scholars Symposium for a presentation of her work at Meharry.

This Langford-Yates Summer Fellowship Program was established in honor of former Lipscomb science faculty Paul Langford and the late Oliver Yates to support undergraduate research in the sciences. Each year, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences awards the research fellowships to select science students with outstanding research proposals. The fellowships allow recipients to stay on campus over the summer and engage in research with a faculty mentor.

The 2024 Langford-Yates Fellows are:

• Jackson Head, a molecular biology major from Indianapolis, Indiana, plans to study  medicine. He will research the potential effects of eubacteria halii on fat metabolism with Brawner. Head won an outstanding presenter honor in April’s Student Scholars Symposium for a presentation of his past research with Owens.
• Gabriella Longoria, a molecular biology from Indian Head, Maryland, is plans to study medicine. She will study the potential ability of the TLR4-NF-KB axis to reduce aryl hydrocarbon receptor expression in intestinal epithelial cells with Owens.
• Morgan Martin, a molecular biology major from Nashville, plans to study medicine. She will study the effects of Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum on fat metabolism via the E78 transcription factor with Owens. Martin won an outstanding presenter honor in April’s Student Scholars Symposium for a presentation of his past research with Owens.

The Herman G. LaVelle Scholars Program honors the life and legacy of Dr. Herman G. LaVelle, the first member of his family to attend college and medical school. In doing so, he paved the way for generations of his family to have hope and a future. Each LaVelle Scholar receives a Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) prep-course completely free of charge.

Students selected for the LaVelle program must be first-generation college students and/or students from underserved communities who have exceptional scholastic ability and who have demonstrated outstanding potential for the field of medicine.

The 2024 LaVelle Scholars are:

• Miriam Iskandar, a biology major originally from Cairo, Egypt, and raised in Nashville, who plans to study medicine. 
• Hunter Hulke, a molecular biology major from Elkin, Illinois, who plans to study medicine.
• Helana Khalif, a biochemisty major from Nashville, who plans to study medicine.
• Mohamud Mohamed, a biomedical sciences major from Nashville, who plans to study to become a physician assistant. Mohamed won an outstanding presenter honor in April’s Student Scholars Symposium for a presentation of his past research with Owens.