UM-Flint Senior Selected for Prestigious Scholarships and Research Opportunities

Cameron Waites finished his four years in the armyas a medic with more than 4,000 hours of patient care experience.

"It was during my time in the army, and subsequenttime in the Iraqi desert, that I discovered my true calling to become an M.D.,Ph.D. and advance the understanding of science and medicine," recalls Waites. "Ultimately,I decided to attend UM-Flint after learning about the Honors Program fromDr.Maureen Thum and the Health Sciences degree from Dr.Suzanne Selig. These two facets of my education would allowme to be with my family and also have an opportunity to truly stand out andmake a difference in the Flint community."

Waites will have that opportunity to advance hiseducation at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country. He hasbeen named one of about 15 recipients selected from hundreds of applicationsfor the highly competitive National Institutes of Health (NIH) UndergraduateScholarship Program (USP). During the 10- week summer laboratory experience, hewill be assigned to an NIH researcher and a postdoctoral fellow, who will serveas mentors.

Waites has also been selected for the StanfordSummer Research Program/Amgen Scholars Program. Each participant is matched with a member of theschool's distinguished faculty, and will work in one of Stanford'sstate-of-the-art research facilities.

Washington D.C. is also on his itinerary. He isone of only 25 undergraduates from all majors to participate in the "Michiganin Washington" program. While there, he will combine coursework with aninternship that reflects his particular area of interest.The areas of interest include (but are not limited to) American politics,international relations, history, the arts, public health, economics, themedia, the environment, and science and technology policy. While classesare taught by University of Michigan faculty, students also gain access tolocal Washington experts in their research area.

Waites recentlyreceived confirmation that the Scholarship Program Board of Directors selected him tobe one of five scholars for the 2009-2010 Gallagher Koster ScholarshipProgram. The scholarship programwas established to provide outstanding, financially-needy undergraduatestudents with the financial assistance they need to pursue their health-relatedcareer. In late September, Waites will be attending a scholar's dinner inBoston where recipients will be honored.