SMART Program Produces Four Siemens Science Competition

BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION of Northwest Louisiana
December 2009
SMART Program Produces Four Siemens Science Competition Semifinalists
Four students from the Foundation-sponsored Science and
Medicine Academic Research Training (SMART) Program were
recognized by the Siemens Foundation as semifinalists of the Siemens
Competition in Math, Science and Technology, one of the nation’s most
coveted teen science competitions.
A record 2,151 students entered the Siemens Competition. Of these
2,151 entrants, 318 students reached the semifinals. The semifinalists
represented 34 states and the District of Columbia. Four of the seven
semifinalists from Louisiana were SMART program participants.
The four Siemens semifinalists from the SMART
program and their LSU Health Sciences Center
in Shreveport faculty mentors are
DANTE’ JOHNSON MENTORED BY DR. CHANTAL RIVERA
PROJECT: Explores using antibiotics as a possible treatment for
liver disease caused by obesity.
STEPHANIE AXELSON MENTORED BY DR. KEVIN PRUITT
PROJECT: Explores why some genes do not work to suppress
cancerous tumor growth.
ANVESH KOMPELLI MENTORED BY DR. TAMMY DUGAS
PROJECT: Explores why a certain chemical might affect how blood
vessels work after angioplasty.
KAITLIN MCCARTHY MENTORED BY DR. KEVIN MCCARTHY
PROJECT: Explores the role of the gradual decline in kidney
function in poorly controlled diabetes.
The SMART program, now in its thirteenth year, provides
academically advanced Shreveport-Bossier high school seniors who
are interested in careers related to medicine, scientific research,
and biomedical engineering opportunities to engage in intensive
research with medical clinicians, researchers, and academic staff.
One hundred twenty-three students (123) will have completed the
SMART program by May 2010.
SIEMENS SCIENCE COMPETITION SEMIFINALISTS
AND MENTOR, LEFT TO RIGHT:
ANVESH KOMPELLI, STEPHANIE AXELSON, MENTOR DR. KEVIN PRUITT, DANTE’ JOHNSON,
AND KAITLIN MCCARTHY SHOW OFF THEIR CERTIFICATES AND SIEMENS T-SHIRTS.
Over the past decade, the SMART program has produced 85% of
Louisiana’s Intel and Siemens Foundation Semifinalists and Regional
Finalists of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology.
Over 80% of SMART students acquire a bachelor’s degree in the
sciences and intend to embark on a career in the sciences. This year
13 students are participating in the yearlong internship program with
LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport faculty. Their faculty
mentors are Dr. Wayne Orr, Dr. Heather Kleiner, Dr. Andrew Yurochko,
Dr. Chantal Rivera, Dr. Chris Kevil, Dr. Mary Lowery Nordberg, Dr. Lisa
Schrott, Dr. Kevin Pruitt, Dr. John Clifford, Dr. Lynn Harrison, Dr.
Tammy Dugas, Dr. Kevin McCarthy, and Dr. Jill Williams.
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
of Northwest Louisiana
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2009
OFFICERS
RAND FALBAUM
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
THOMAS E. MCELROY
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN
KEITH BERGERON
VICE CHAIRMAN
BONNIE MOORE
SECRETARY
JOHN ATKINS
TREASURER
VIRGINIA K. SHEHEE
CHAIR EMERITUS
DIRECTORS
JOHN E. ATKINS
ERIC BARKLEY
ROBERT A. BARISH, M.D., MBA
FRANCESCA BENTEN MORELAND
R. KEITH BERGERON
RENAE CHANDLER
ANIL CHHABRA, M.D.
JAMES K. ELROD
RAND FALBAUM
SHANNAN L. HICKS
CAROLYN HUCKABAY
THOMAS E. MCELROY
BILLY MONTGOMERY
BONNIE MOORE
CAROLYN MOORE
BARROW PEACOCK
DANIEL D. RENEAU, PH.D.
SANDRA C. ROERIG, PH.D.
JOHN F. SHARP
VIRGINIA K. SHEHEE
STEPHEN F. SKRIVANOS
CRAIG SPOHN
ANN STOKES
ARTHUR THOMPSON
W. JUAN WATKINS, M.D.
WILLIE WHITE
J. BENNETT JOHNSTON, JR.
HONORARY MEMBER
MANAGEMENT
JOHN F. SHARP
PRESIDENT & CEO
JAMES D. DEAN
VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
DENNIS E. LOWER
VICE PRESIDENT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
DAVID LILIEN, M.D.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR PET IMAGING CENTER
JAY D. MEYERS
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
PLEASE DIRECT QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION TO:
VIRGINIA HOBAN LEWIS
DONOR RELATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR
TELEPHONE: (318) 675-4147
E-MAIL: [email protected]
WEB SITE: www.biomed.org
2009-2010 SMART Students
TOP ROW: LEFT TO RIGHT
TYLER VINCENT Benton High School
CAMERON HUGHES Southwood High School
SECOND ROW: LEFT TO RIGHT
DANTE’ JOHNSON Caddo Magnet High School
KATHRYN LI Caddo Magnet High School
SCARLET GRAY Airline High School
ANVESH KOMPELLI Caddo Magnet High School
THIRD ROW: LEFT TO RIGHT
HANNAH BURSON Haughton High School
STEPHANIE AXELSON Airline High School
ASHLEY MCHUGH Caddo Magnet High School
CARSON ALLGOOD Haughton High School
FOURTH ROW: LEFT TO RIGHT
MICHAEL DAI Caddo Magnet High School
KAITLIN MCCARTHY Caddo Magnet High School
KAYLEE SELF Parkway High School
ACADEMY STUDENTS LEFT TO RIGHT: JEFFREY LATIN, JUSTICE HORN, MASON BROADWAY, KANESHA GILLYARD,
AND TEILA EBARB COLLABORATE IN SOUTHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE LAB.
Biotechnology Magnet Academy Begins Biostart Internship Program
A new internship program involving scientists from the LSU Health
Sciences Center at Shreveport and seniors from the Biotechnology
Magnet Academy at Southwood High School began in August 2009.
The BioStart Internship program is the brainchild of Southwood High
School Biotechnology Magnet Academy faculty, Biomedical Research
Foundation administrators and LSUHSC-S faculty and administrators.
BioStart is introducing thirteen seniors from Southwood High School’s
Biotechnology Magnet Academy to intensive and exciting hands-on
laboratory research experiences with LSU Health Sciences Center
faculty. BioStart students will increase their understanding of science
and how basic biomedical findings translate into clinical research.
Students will not be conducting clinical research themselves, but will
learn how their studies can contribute to medical breakthroughs.
BioStart’s two primary purposes are to increase understanding among
parents, teachers and students of the link between basic science
discoveries and clinical research and to address the need to improve
the quality and increase the number of area graduates in the medical,
biotechnology, and life science fields.
The four key BioStart program areas
and activities are
1. INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCES,
2. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS,
3. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS, AND
4. COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND FEEDBACK.
The eight major underwriters of the program include The Community
Foundation of Shreveport-Bossier–Women’s Philanthropy Network,
the Poindexter Foundation, Dr. George A. Khoury, Mrs. Bobbie C.
Hicks, Business First Bank, Mrs. Jasmine C. Morelock and George
and Jean Baldwin.
The Biotechnology Magnet Academy opened in 2006 as a four-year
freshman-to-senior program that challenges students with a 2.5+ GPA
through an intensive, advanced hands-on science curriculum. There are
currently 85 students in the program, now in its fourth year, with 25-30
freshmen expected to enter the program each year.
2009-10 BIOSTART INTERNSHIP STUDENTS
FRONT ROW L-R: ALEXANDREIA WILSON, JENNIFER
HUMPHREY, KANESHA GILLYARD, BRANDY ADAMS, JEFFREY
LATIN, DEMRI ROBINSON BACK ROW L-R: TELIA EBARB,
JUSTICE HORN, CAMERON HUGHES, CHRIS CHRISTOPHE,
WHITNEY GASTON-LOYD, MASON BROADWAY, JASMINE
HOLDEN, KADAVIEN BAYLOR
FIRST Robotics Curriculum Enhanced
FIRST STUDENTS LEFT TO RIGHT: ALEJANDRO DE LA PAZ, KEYON LEWIS, BRYAN CHANDLER, JEREMY PIAZZA,
AND CIERRA BLAKE WORK AS A TEAM WITH NEW BOE-BOT ROBOTIC KITS.
FIRST is an international
program founded in 1989 by inventor
and entrepreneur Dean Kamen. Its
mission is to inspire young people to be
science and technology leaders by
engaging them in exciting mentor-based
programs that build science,
engineering and technology skills that
inspire innovation and foster wellrounded life capabilities including selfconfidence, communication, and
leadership.
FIRST redefines winning for these
students because they are rewarded not
only for excellence in design but also
for demonstrated team spirit, gracious
professionalism and maturity, and the
ability to overcome obstacles.
Accumulating the highest score is a
secondary goal. Winning is achieved by
building partnerships that last.
Southwood High School launched its FIRST robotics lab as an elective course in fall
2005. The FIRST program at Southwood serves 25-32 students per semester from
grades 9 through 12. Over 160 students have participated in the FIRST Southwood
program over the past four years. Mentors for the program include employees from
AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company, General Motors and Sci-Port: Louisiana’s
Science Center, as well as faculty from LSU in Shreveport.
This year’s program sponsors helped to enhance the robotics curriculum that
complements the learning activities associated with building robots for FIRST
competitions. The BASIC stamps microcontroller and Boe-Bots robot kits and their
associated curricula will provide FIRST robotics students a knowledge set that better
prepares them for engineering and information-based careers. Program sponsors
for 2009-2010 include the Committee of One Hundred, Chesapeake Energy and
Capital One Bank.
Jack’s OUTLOOK:
“N
one of us is as smart as all of us.”
If you read the local newspaper, you have probably seen my friend Phillip
Rozeman’s oft-quoted phrase. It conveys the secret of community and
economic development (including the building of science parks and
educational systems) by noting the importance of working together to
reach audacious and transformative goals.
In fact, the Biomedical Research
Foundation has depended upon working
with others since its inception.
The Virginia Kilpatrick Shehee Biomedical Research Institute was built with
federal and state funds. The educational programs we began, from the
Consortium for Education, Research and Technology (CERT) in 1996 to
the BioStart Internship of 2009, have all been lifted by faculty of teaching
institutions and the financial support of individuals, other non-profits, and
businesses that value education and share our passion for it. InterTech
Science Park has been a community partnership with the citizens of Caddo
Parish, the City of Shreveport, state and federal agencies, corporations, the
Chamber of Commerce and many others. The research effort at LSU
Health Sciences Center in Shreveport has attracted support from many
benefactors who understand the pipeline of activities necessary to link
knowledge to innovation and ultimately to commercial applications. And
finally, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), the unique imaging
technology we were first to bring to Louisiana and our community, has
been a collaboration of health services institutions as well as private
individuals all seeking to better the care of those, rich and poor, afflicted
with cancer and other diseases.
The road to change is well known to us, but we have many more miles to
travel before the work is complete. Indeed, the road and the work along it
may be unending. But we are traveling with friends and colleagues, and so
it is not a lonely trip. We will continue along this road together in the days
and years ahead because it is truly smarter, more productive and far more
pleasurable to do so.
Our thanks to our many partners!
JOHN F. SHARP
President & CEO
Biomedical Research Foundation
NONPROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE
PAID
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
of Northwest Louisiana
SHREVEPORT LA
PERMIT NO. 947
1505 Kings Highway
Shreveport, LA 71103
www.biomed.org
BIOMED BRIEF
Foundation Receives Fifth EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant
The Foundation received its fifth Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields environmental
cleanup grant for a property in its InterTech Science Park in Shreveport. Since 2003, the Foundation has received funds from
EPA to remediate properties along or near the intersection of Kings Highway and Mansfield Road. This latest grant of
$200,000 will focus on environmental cleanup of the property owned by the Foundation at the southeast corner of Linwood
Avenue and Dalzell Street. The property is now occupied by InterTech Science Park tenant SteriFx, Inc., a specialty chemical
company specializing in proprietary antimicrobial solutions for industrial, consumer, healthcare, and defense markets.
The Foundation owns and operates eight facilities in the InterTech Science Park, an 800-acre urban science and technology
park. InterTech facilities include the Biomedical Research Institute, a 160,000 square foot research facility with 56 wet
laboratories; InterTech Business Innovation Center, an 8,000 square foot multi-tenant business center with laboratories and
office suites; and BioSpace1, a 60,000 square foot facility supporting new venture technology development. The 20 tenants
currently resident in the Foundation’s InterTech Science Park employ over 327 with an annual payroll of over $16.7 million.
The average salary of these employees is $50K compared to the Shreveport-Bossier average per capita income of $27K.