On May 23, Siva Sreedhar from York Community High School was announced as one of 100 award recipients for the second year of PBS LearningMedia’s and Stand Up To Cancer’s Emperor Science Award program. The Emperor Science Award program is an initiative designed to encourage high school students to explore careers in science, specifically cancer research and care, through a unique mentoring opportunity.
PBS LearningMedia, a digital educational resource library for teachers and students, along with Stand Up To Cancer, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, received nearly 800 applications from eligible 10th and 11th grade students in 44 states throughout the U.S. who are interested in pursuing a career in science research.
Prominent scientists served as judges and evaluated the students’ applications: written essays submitted online January 10 through March 17, addressing why scientific research is so important in finding a cure for cancer, what scientific field they would study and why. Two of the Awardees are students receiving support for a second year of mentorship, as allowed by the program.
“York High School is proud to recognize Siva Sreedhar as an Emperor Science Award recipient. Siva was chosen from a pool of hundreds of 10th and 11th grade students from across the country who are interested in pursuing a career in science and cancer research,” said York Principal Erin DeLuga. “She will represent York and the entire District 205 community as she continues to enhance her knowledge and skills through this one-of-a-kind mentorship program.”
Siva learned about this research opportunity/award from her AP chemistry teacher, Mark Golebiowski, who mentioned this in the class. She was actively looking for a summer research activity since her current plans are to pursue a STEM-based career preferably in Bio Chemical Engineering. She is the daughter of Madhu and Radhika Sreedhar of Elmhurst.
The 100 Emperor Science Award recipients will have an opportunity to conduct research in a lab, virtually, or a combination of both, working with an esteemed scientist on a rewarding multi-week cancer research project and will receive a Google Chrome computer to enhance their studies, as well as to facilitate mentor access for those students who live at a distance from their mentor’s research facility. In addition, they will receive a $1,500 stipend for expenses. Those entering the program for the first year will also have the opportunity to apply for a second year.
Students from rural, suburban and urban communities in 29 states comprise the second class of Emperor Science Awardees. These students demonstrated awareness of emerging developments in cancer treatment, including precision medicine, immunotherapy and epigenetics, and have an impressive range of research focuses and interests, including nanotechnology and engineering, basic cellular biology, gene mapping, bioinformatics, DNA splicing and computational sciences.
The Emperor Science Award Program has been made possible by generous financial support from Founding Donors Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Novartis. Their support will fund a total of 300 awards through the first three years.
