One of the best parts of my job is hearing student success stories.

Recently I had an opportunity to hear from a proud grandfather whose grandson attends Weber State University. Derek Shenefelt, a senior pursuing a degree in zoology, plans to graduate in 2008.

Last year Derek received a prestigious undergraduate research fellowship offered at the University of Colorado. He was one of only 12 students selected from a national pool of applicants.

For 10 weeks last summer Derek conducted lab research on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) at the University of Colorado’s Health and Science Center in Denver.  His research team co-authored an article documenting their findings. The only undergraduate on the project, Derek’s name appears on the publication alongside medical doctors and Ph.D. candidates.

The experience didn’t end with the fellowship. In November, Derek reported on the findings of his research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. He was invited to present at an undergraduate research conference at the University of Utah, and in late February he presented his work in Los Angeles at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.

Undergraduate research opportunities like this are invaluable to Derek, who plans to attend graduate school and hopes to pursue a career in biomedical research. The experience will give him a competitive edge when applying to master’s and doctoral programs.

His grandfather was quick to mention that Derek is already applying for another research fellowship this summer.

Derek credits the faculty and curriculum at Weber State, especially professors Sam Zeveloff and Barbara Trask in the zoology department, with providing him the academic resources he needed to succeed in the research fellowship alongside students from universities such as Stanford and the Ivy League schools.

“The professors and curriculum prepare you for what you need to know—now and for the future,” Derek said.

Barbara Trask is the faculty advisor for the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke Family Pre-Medical Program at WSU. In that role, she works closely with our students, helping them prepare for a career in medicine, beginning with rigorous academic coursework.

“Our professors realize that pre-med students are very motivated to learn, so we tend to push our students beyond even what they think they’re capable of,” said Trask. “Pushing them in the classroom improves preparation for the medical college admission test (MCAT), medical school and beyond.”

Medical schools also value extracurricular activities, and WSU’s program supports numerous clubs, organizations, projects and trips that help students develop and hone their leadership skills.

During her students’ time in the program, Barb learns a lot about them. It’s imperative that she knows their strengths and interests so she can write a personalized letter of recommendation for each one who applies to medical school.

Those letters, combined with a student’s demonstrated leadership, research agenda and volunteer work, are a deciding factor for admissions counselors at medical schools. Based on the data, Barb and the pre-med faculty are doing something right.

Acceptance rates for our pre-med students over the past six years far exceed the 45 percent placement rate of pre-med programs nationwide. Currently, nearly 60 percent of WSU’s pre-med class of 2006-07 already has been accepted to medical schools across the country, including The Ohio State University, the University of Virginia and George Washington University. Dr. Trask believes that percentage will grow, possibly reaching an astonishing 80 percent acceptance rate by July.

That kind of success is a testament to the dedication of our students and faculty. It’s enough to make any grandparent—or university president—proud.

Sincerely,

F. Ann Millner
President