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Christopher Davies, Ph.D., center, presents the Edwin R. Hughes Memorial Award to Angela Russ, left, and Sicily Hardy. |
Christopher Davies, Ph.D., associate dean for research at the Whiddon College of Medicine, presented Hardy and Russ with the award and plaque at the meet and greet for new students on Aug. 15.
Hardy, who earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences at the University of South Alabama, decided to continue her education at South after working in the lab of Allyson Shea, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology.
“The environment and valuable mentorship made me feel this was the right place to continue my academic and professional growth,” Hardy said. “At South I've had so many incredible mentors, and I felt it would be a mistake to leave when I could continue building on that foundation here.”
She described her first year in the program as challenging and rewarding. “The coursework was rigorous, but I learned more than just the material for exams. I became a better critical thinker and learned to approach problems from different perspectives by the end of the year,” she said. “I always felt supported by staff and professors.”
Hardy is in the graduate program’s Infectious Disease and Host Defense track under Shea’s mentorship. Her research focuses on how riboside pyridones influence host-pathogen interactions and contribute to infection susceptibility.
Receiving the award, she said, was especially meaningful. “It was validating to have my hard work recognized, especially given the challenging coursework and the many hours of studying last year.”
Russ, who earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from USA, joined the Biomedical Engineering and Bioinformatics track of the graduate program. She is working under the mentorship of Mark Gillespie, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, with research centered on DNA base damage and modifications.
“South has a great environment for collaboration and supportive faculty that help students develop the skills they need for whatever career path they want to pursue,” Russ said
Coming from a background outside of the biomedical sciences, Russ said she had to put in extra hours to fill in the gaps. “It was a great feeling to be in a program I was passionate about, though, and to know that everything I was studying would help me build a foundation in this field,” she said.
Russ said she is honored and proud to receive the award. “After putting in so much work to adapt to a new field,” she said, “it feels great to come out the other side and to know that it all worked out.”
The award is named in memory of Edwin R. Hughes, M.D., who served as director of the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program at the College of Medicine from its inception in 1978 until 1990.
