Biology Major Honored by State Association and Eberly College of Science Cooperative Education Office

5 December 2002 -- Brooke Scheremeta of Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania, has been selected as the 2002 Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Employers (PennACE) Student of the Year and the 2002 Eberly College of Science Cooperative Education Student of the Year.

A biology major who is pursuing the genetics and developmental biology option, Scheremeta held a co-op position at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2001. Her work with the NIH's National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research centered on defining the mechanism of action of thymosin beta 4, an amino-acid protein, which has been found to promote blood-vessel formation and wound healing. Scheremeta also held a co-op position last summer at the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil, where she initiated a collaborative project with the NIH to investigate tumor cells in the salivary gland.

Scheremeta, who will graduate in December, will receive a monetary award from PennACE at its state conference in May. She also will receive a monetary award and a certificate of achievement at the Eberly College of Science Co-Op Student of the Year Award Luncheon on Dec. 6 at the Nittany Lion Inn.

Mychi Nguyen, a biology major who completed co-op rotations with the NIH and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, was selected as runner-up for the Eberly College of Science Co-op Student of the Year Award and also will receive a monetary award.