The U-RISE Program at UNCG is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and seeks to increase the number of individuals from groups that are underrepresented in biomedical sciences by preparing students for high-caliber graduate training at the Ph.D. level. This program is NOT for students who want to pursue a (M.D.) medical degree. The U-RISE Program is for students who want to earn a Ph.D.
Why should You become a Fellow?
U-RISE Fellows get hands-on research experience during their junior and senior years and support that includes1:
- A generous monthly stipend (total of approximately $14,340 yearly)
- Tuition at UNCG is paid at the in-state level
- UNCG Health Insurance fee is paid by the program
- Undergraduate research in a faculty mentor’s lab
- Paid summer research experiences
- Specialized courses and workshops
- Guidance in applying to graduate school
- Travel funds to attend approved national scientific conferences
- Opportunities to publish and present your work
- Note: Student payments and other benefits from participating in this program may have income tax obligations. For more information, please consult a tax professional and/or the IRS. You may also wish to review IRS Publication 970, “Tax Benefits for Education.” ↩︎
Fellow Spotlight
Scroll through to see what our former Fellows have to say about MARC / U-RISE
Sydney Thompson '24
“Being a part of this cohort has meant a lot to me. It’s absolutely changed the trajectory of my career path. Through helping me connect with so many mentors, discover what research interested me, exposing me to all these different types of sciences and connections via these giant national conferences and the local ones too … And I would not still be in science still today if I had not been a part of the MARC U-STAR cohort.”
Major: Biochemistry | Mentor: Dr. Prashanti Manda | Research: Sydney led a project to analyze and compare the top RNA secondary-structure prediction programs under Dr. Manda’s supervision for accuracy, ease of use, and other criteria to give better insight into the tools of the field. Her project is an extension of her work done with the Rouskin Lab at Harvard Medical School.
Seyi Isijola '20
“I had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of public health, which remains central to the work that I do as a strategy analyst today. … I’m grateful to have been involved in what is now known as the U-RISE program, and very excited to see it’s continued success.”
Major: Public Health | Minor: Spanish | Mentor: Dr. Sandra Echeverria | Research: Seyi worked with an epidemiologist in the UNCG public health department to examine the relationship between occupational stress and leisure-time physical activity. He conducted focus groups with Latinos in the Greensboro community to gather information for an evidence-based intervention that targets diabetes.
Logan Brown '22
“… Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this MARC fellowship was the people and the connections I’ve encountered along the way. My mentors and collaborators and fellow recipients have enriched my journey in ways I’ve never imagined.”
Major: Biochemistry | Mentor: Dr. Mitch Croatt | Research: Logan researched different organic chemistry synthetic methods under the supervision of Dr. Croatt. Previously, he worked with a novel compound and the Diels-Alder reaction and became part of a larger project creating a substrate scope for the Claisen rearrangement.
Lauren Dorn '20
“I feel I wouldn’t be where I am today, which is a current second year graduate student at Baylor College of Medicine’s M.D. PhD program without all of the amazing assistance from MARC.”
Major: Kinesiology | Minors: Chemistry & Psychology | Mentors: Dr. Laurie (Gold) Wideman & Dr. Meghan Rose (Gangel) | Research: Lauren studied the protective effect of positive parenting on neighborhood quality/socioeconomic status on insulin resistance (Psychology/Endocrinology).
Jonathan Dean '23
“I think one of the things that overall the MARC program really helped provide me with was a great support network during my undergraduate years, and then giving me a good foundation to build off of going into grad school, something I’ll always be grateful for.”
Major: Biochemistry | Mentor: Dr. Kimberly Petersen | Research: Jonathan studied new asymmetric methods of synthesizing simple enantioenriched compounds, which can be used as building blocks to more complex molecules with biologically important properties. He was part of a project to synthesize lactones with chiral centers.
Jade Lyons '22
“The MARC program really provided a strong foundation for my research pursuits, and I learned a lot of different professional development skills related to analyzing scientific literature, understanding research ethics, and practicing science communication, you know, all of which are really essential for a PhD. And I’m really grateful for these opportunities and the financial support provided from the MARC fellowship, not only for myself but for other underrepresented minorities. And I believe the guidance, mentorship and training were invaluable and really solidified my belief of my place within this field.”
Major: Biology, Biotechnology Concentration | Minor: Chemistry | Mentor: Dr. Ayalew Osena | Research: Jade worked on enhancing the nutritional quality, yield, and stress resilience of cassava via genetic engineering. This involved inserting transgenes into the plant’s genome and then doing a molecular characterization of the transgenic plant. | Awards: ABRCMS ePoster Award in Cell Biology (2021); STEM “Honorable Mention” in the UNCG Carolyn and Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo (2021); UNCG Biology Department Undergraduate Research Award (Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022)
David Miller '22
“I think that the biggest thing that the MARC program probably gave to me throughout the years that I was there was the confidence to not only formulate my own ideas and follow them to their natural conclusions, but also to bring them up in front of researchers and my peers to have them critically examined and not being afraid of the feedback that I might get there.”
Major: Psychology | Mentor: Dr. Kari Eddington | Research: David’s research sought to identify a potential causal relationship between behaviors learned through military training, reinforcement, and social folkways and maladaptive post-service adjustment. These behaviors and perceptions, while a functional necessity during combat or training, manifest in maladaptive forms post-discharge as the veteran is removed from the conditions in which they were practical.
Caroline Nelson '22
“The mentorship that I received from our MARC mentors, as well as the program directors, really allowed me to believe in my capabilities and shoot for the stars, so to speak, in terms of my academic endeavors.”
Major: Biology | Minor: Chemistry | Mentor: Dr. Rebecca Sappington | Research: Caroline studied the effects of interleukin-6 signaling on interactions between the microtubule associated protein stathmin, and the major downstream effector of the cytokine, STAT3, in retinal ganglion cell health and function. Her most recent project focused on identifying the roles of interleukin-6 in age-related retinal degeneration and axonal transport in the optic nerve. | Awards: ABRCMS ePoster Award in Cell Biology (2020)
Jennifer Obike '22
“This program has impacted me by giving me the chance to understand how to advocate for myself and my research and definitely know how to communicate my science to the general public. And with that, the MARC program was one of the best years in college, so thanks.”
Major: Biochemistry | Minor: Biochemistry | Mentor: Dr. Nicholas Oberlies | Research: Jennifer worked on the isolation of compounds from fungi. It involves extractions and analyzing the extracts to identify the compounds present in the fungi culture. | Awards: (NSF GRFP) National Science Foundation Graduate Research Honorable Mention (2022); ABRCMS ePoster Award in Chemistry (2021); STEM “Honorable Mention” in the UNCG Carolyn and Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo (2021 and 2022)
Lashunta Rodgers '20
“So all in all, I would say that the program’s emphasis on both technical proficiency, and interpersonal skills have prepared me immensely for the challenges of the pharmaceutical research and development area.”
Major: Biology – Human Biology concentration | Minor: Chemistry and Psychology | Mentor: Dr. Joseph Graves | Research: Lashunta studied the phage and metal resistance antagonistism in Escherichia coli.
