Honors Program Scholarship Winners
Phillip Grayeski UGA’s newest Goldwater Scholar
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hillip Grayeski, a third-year Honors student from Raritan, NJ, majoring in genetics and chemistry, has been named a 2013 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. Tuan Nguyen, a second-year student from Douglasville, GA, who is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology and mathematics, earned an honorable mention. The Goldwater Scholarship recognizes exceptional secondyear and third-year students in engineering, mathematics, and the natural sciences. “The steady progression of UGA students receiving national academic scholarships such as the Goldwater is testament to the quality of the student body; the hard work and dedication of the faculty; and the skilled mentoring of the staff in the Honors Program,” said President Adams.
Phil Grayeski
Phillip intends to pursue a combined M.D./Ph.D. degree with a focus on gene therapy and translating academic research into treatments for cancer and hereditary disorders. He works in the genetics laboratory of Dr. Jonathan Eggenschwiler. He also has conducted research with Dr. Janet Westpheling as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Center. He spent three months at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany, researching genetic approaches for targeting melanoma treatments. He has presented his research findings at the UGA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) Symposium and at a meeting of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in Versailles, France. Phillip is the co-founder and executive director of Whatever It Takes at UGA, where he coordinates a network of more than 300 student volunteers for educational and health and wellness programs targeting families in Athens-Clarke County. He directs two after-school programs in Athens and manages 40 volunteers at each location to provide a one-toone ratio of tutors to students. He served as vice president of programming for the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and coaches three youth basketball teams for the Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department. In 2012, he travelled to Peru to assemble mobile clinics in medically underserved communities.
Tuan Nguyen
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