Schieuer Wins Inaugural Emperor Science Award
Natalie Schieuer has been named one of 100 award recipients for the inaugural year of The Emperor Science Award program. Bristol-Myers Squibb is a founding donor of the program, an initiative designed to encourage high school students to explore careers in science, specifically cancer research and care, through a unique mentoring opportunity.
“Bristol-Myers Squibb is proud to recognize Natalie as an Emperor Science Award recipient. She was chosen from a pool of nearly 1,200 well-qualified 10th and 11th grade students from across the country with a passion for pursuing a career in science and cancer research,” said Laura Bessen, Vice President, Head of U.S. Medical, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “Our hope is to inspire more students to explore careers that may lead to future innovation in cancer care, and know Natalie will represent Pius X High School and the entire Lincoln community as she continues to enhance her knowledge and skills through this one-of-a-kind mentorship program.”
“I am most excited to work alongside my mentor and observe what it takes to be successful in the medical profession,” shared Natalie who recently had a teleconference with her mentor. Natalie’s mentor will be esteemed scientist Dr. Hussein Tawbi from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. In addition to working with Dr. Tawbi on a multi-week cancer research project, Natalie will also receive a Google Chrome Notebook to enhance her studies and to extend the collaboration with her mentor, a $1,500 stipend for expenses, and the opportunity to continue her mentoring program throughout high school in order to further her academic pursuits.
“Dr. Tawbi and I are hoping to work on our project from early July to late August, and that I will be able to go to MD Anderson in Texas for at least part of the project and to shadow Dr. Tawbi,” noted Natalie. The remainder of the time, she will be able to work on the research project from a facility in Lincoln and contact Dr. Tawbi via Skype.
Natalie learned of this career opportunity and the award in November from Pius X Anatomy teacher, Mrs. Shari Schneider. “I want to thank Mrs. Schneider for telling me about this opportunity,” said Natalie. “I want to pursue a career as a doctor and this program is a once in a lifetime opportunity to expose myself to the medical profession in a hands on way.”
Natalie joins 99 other students from rural, suburban and urban communities in 40 states to comprise the first class of Emperor Science Awardees. “Part of the application process was to write an essay concerning the importance of cancer research, as well as answering questions about how this program would impact me if I were to win and why I was interested. I had a lot of fun learning about cancer and cancer research while I formulated my essay.”
The students selected for this opportunity demonstrated awareness of emerging developments in cancer treatment including precision medicine, immunotherapy and epigenetics. They are interested in nanotechnology, basic cellular biology, gene mapping, toxicology, genetics, DNA splicing, development of biomarkers and computational sciences. From laboratory studies and mouse models to exploring marine organisms and their potential to provide “natural” cytotoxins for cancer research, students’ research interests were impressive.
Bristol-Myers Squibb, along with Genentech and Novartis, has provided the funding to award this opportunity to 100 students every year, for three years. Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and PBS Learning Media, a media-on-demand service designed for K-12 classrooms, partnered to promote the opportunity to students interested in a career in science research.
