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HGSC/BCM Success Stories

Abdul Gabisi

Abdul Gabisi is our first Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC)-Pre-Graduate Education Training (PGET) program participant to enter into graduate school in August 2004. He graduated in Fall 2007 with a Master of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Abdul worked in the HGSC Closure Laboratory and was the first HGSC employee to apply to this employee postbac program.

Abdul said the following about the HGSC-PGET program: "During my first week at UIUC, I realized how valuable my postbac program was for me. Without it I would not have gotten into graduate school, because I did not have the resources both financially and in preparation. I learned how to properly apply to graduate school, how to contact the schools, how to properly prepare for my interviews and received assistance with my applications."

Pictured (left to right): Dr. George Weinstock, Abdul Gabisi, Dr. Richard Gibbs

Michael Benard and Erica Taylor

Michael Benard, our first mechanical engineering summer student in our HGSC-Summer Research program, received his Master's in Mechanical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. Erica Taylor participated in our 2004 and 2005 summer research programs. In August 2006, she started graduate school at the University of Alabama-Birmingham in their Integrative Biomedical Sciences program.

Erica says: "the program showed me that sometimes you have to go outside avenues already available to you to achieve your goals. I did not understand the fine art of networking, time management, or planning by setting short term and long term goals. I now understand that I had to take small steps in order to take a big leap in order to reach my long term goals."

Sidney Morris

Sidney Morris, our HGSC-Engineering Scholar, received his associate degree in science in August, 2005. He transferred to Prairie View A&M University and is majoring in mechanical engineering. He was a summer intern (2005) and worked with an HGSC scientist to design new sequencing technology.

Sidney says: "Without the HGSC program, I would not be able to achieve my educational goals. HGSC provides me with all of the needed resources in order to succeed. The program provides funding, mentoring and exposure to others in my field of study."

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Last Reviewed: August 25, 2008