June 28, 2022
Shawnee State University junior Hanna Tackett recently received an SSU Works Grant award through the SSU Development Foundation (SSUDF). The grant, in the amount of $2,400, will support Tackett’s time in a ten-week undergraduate research field experience at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York. A Biomedical Sciences major, she will work in the center’s Pharmacology & Therapeutics department on the project “Mitochondrial Regulation of Cell Death & Resistance in Cancer”.
“I am most excited about being able to see how our research effects patients,” said Tackett, who started her internship earlier this summer. “Since I am directly on the medical campus, I pass the main hospital on the way to my car. On only my second day, I was almost moved to tears being able to see a patient walking out with balloons to celebrate another birthday with their family. Throughout the summer, I’ll be able to see more moments like this, hear the stories of survivors, and I honestly can’t wait to experience so much more.”
Throughout her time at the center, Tackett will conduct research, learn about cancer biology, and attend seminars on pertinent cancer topics. She will also have the opportunity to participate in professional development activities, tour medical clinics in the facility and participate in peer-mentored cross-training activities. The experience will assist in the continued development of Tackett’s research and critical thinking skills, and at the end of the program, she will have the opportunity to present her research at Buffalo Health Day.
“The support I’ve experienced from SSU has been unmatched,” she said on receiving an SSU Works Grant to assist in her internship. “The financial support this institution has granted me is allowing for more amazing opportunities in the field and in life. To get funding like this makes me appreciate our community and creates a clear reason to work harder on my goals and reflect on how I will give back.”
The SSU Works Grant is made possible by SSUDF as a program to support full-time students who incur transportation, housing, and other expenses related to performing field experiences relevant to their majors that take place more than forty-five miles away from SSU’s campus.
“The SSU Works Grant is yet another way the Shawnee State University Development Foundation can support students,” said Chris Moore, SSU Executive Director of the SSUDF. “Internships can come with unexpected costs and SSUDF is committed to continuing to help provide access to this type of experiential learning.”
To learn more about programs within the Shawnee State University Development Foundation, contact Chris Moore, Executive Director, at (740) 351-3284 or visit givetossu.com.