The programs give students an excellent opportunity to gain exposure to the professional world of cancer research and biomedicine. The AACR Science Education Committee organizes both.
Twenty undergraduate students will receive AACR-Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Awards. Dr. Bardos, a native of Hungary, came to the United States after World War II to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame. He went on to hold a full professorship at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he was a member of the faculty until his retirement in 1995 and still holds emeritus status. He has been a member of the AACR for 45 years and has supported the Science Education Awards for college students since 1997.
Thanks to Dr. Bardos' support and dedication to the future of cancer research, recipients of the award receive financial support to attend two consecutive Annual Meetings. His contributions are matched by the AACR.
To qualify for the award, candidates must be full-time, third-year undergraduates majoring in science. There are 10 winners for 2003-2004, as well as the 10 winners from 2004-2005 who will be attending their second AACR Annual Meeting. The names and affiliations of the recipients are as listed below, in alphabetical order by state.
2004-2005 AACR-Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Awardees
| Arizona | William P. Hendricks, Arizona State University, Phoenix |
| Georgia | Jonathan G. Iaconelli, Emory University, Atlanta |
| Louisiana | Jeremy D. Daigle, Dillard University, New Orleans |
| Maryland | Seth M. Miller, University of Maryland, Baltimore |
| Michigan | Karl A. Merrick, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor |
| Ohio | Christopher A. Alvarez-Breckenridge, The Ohio State University, Columbus |
| Oregon | Daniel J. Albershardt, Oregon State University, Corvallis |
| Pennsylvania | Elizabeth M. Chislock, Pennsylvania State University, University Park Zachary J. Reitman, Pennsylvania State University, University Park |
| Utah | Nyall R. London, Jr., Brigham Young University, Provo |
2003-2004 AACR-Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Awardees
| Arkansas | Skeetora D. Taylor, University of Arkansas, Little Rock |
| California | Brian S. Robinson, University of California, Davis |
| Colorado | Joy K. Zartman, Colorado State University, Fort Collins |
| Connecticut | Nancy Huynh, Yale University, New Haven |
| Illinois | Divya Babbar, University of Illinois, Chicago |
| Massachusetts | Dana L. Goldner, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston |
| North Carolina | Nicole D. Gaskins, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill |
| Ohio | Michelle M. Kim, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland |
| Pennsylvania | Kevin W. Jenkins, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia |
| Canada | Yasmin Deaniel, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario |
Winners will be made Student Members of the AACR.
Under the auspices of the AACR Special Program for High School Students, about 300 students in the Orlando area also will get a chance to attend the Annual Meeting and present posters displaying the findings from their school projects. Participating schools include:
- Apopka High School, Apopka, Fla.
- Bishop Moore High School, Orlando, Fla.
- Robert Hungerford Prepatory High School, Eatonville, Fla.
- Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs, Fla.
- Orlando Christian Preparatory High School, Orlando, Fla.
- Satellite High School, Satellite Beach, Fla.
- Seminole High School, Sanford, Fla.
- University High School, Orlando, Fla.
- Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Fla.
These students will be given escorted tours of the posters and exhibit booths. They will attend lectures presented by accomplished cancer researchers Drs. Donald S. Coffey, Eduardo M. Sotomayor and Diana Montes, and have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with leading scientists to ask questions about many areas of research. The students also will attend a networking reception, where they can learn about job opportunities and summer internships in the Orlando area.
The Special Program for High School Students will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Monday, March 29, 2004, in Room 414 CD of the Orange County Convention Center.
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research is a professional society of more than 22,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical scientists engaged in all areas of cancer research in the United States and in more than 60 other countries. AACR's mission is to accelerate the prevention and cure of cancer through research, education, communication, and advocacy. Its principal activities include the publication of five major peer-reviewed scientific journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. AACR's Annual Meetings attract more than 15,000 participants who share new and significant discoveries in the cancer field. Specialty meetings, held throughout the year, focus on the latest developments in all areas of cancer research.