[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO ISAAC DARKO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 4, 1999

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to once again congratulate and to 
pay tribute to Mr. Isaac Darko, a constituent of mine and a 
distinguished student at Columbia University in New York. He will be 
recognized for his academic and scientific achievements as a 
participant in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate 
Scholarship Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds 
(UGSP) on August 5, 1999 for the second year in a row.
  Isaac graduated from the Health Professions and Human Services High 
School in 1997 and has just completed his freshman year at Columbia 
University. This summer he has been working at the NIH Department of 
Molecular Biology under the supervision of Dr. Alfred Johnson. He has 
been working on the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is 
expressed in such cancers as breast and prostate cancer and in other 
cancer cell lines.
  Mr. Speaker, the UGSP scholars search is highly competitive and 
nationwide. Currently, the program has 24 scholars from all over the 
nation, from institutions such as Columbia University, MIT, Harvard, 
Georgetown, U.C. Davis, and Stanford. In order to participate in the 
program, a Scholar must either have a 3.5 Grade Point Average or be in 
the top 5 percent of his/her class. Candidates must also demonstrate a 
commitment to pursuing careers in biomedical research and must be from 
a disadvantaged background. The current group is composed of 32 percent 
Hispanics, 32 percent African Americans, 21 percent Asians, 10 percent 
Caucasians, and 5 percent Native American, with a balance between the 
genders of 52 percent female and 48 percent male.
  Mr. Speaker, being selected for this program for two consecutive 
years indicates that Isaac has demonstrated that he has the ability and 
the desire to be an asset and a role model in our community. We are 
proud of his accomplishments and I know he is taking full advantage of 
the opportunity presented to him. He is a terrific example for future 
participants in this program and others like it.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating once 
again Mr. Issac Darko for his outstanding accomplishments and also in 
commending the National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship 
Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds for offering 
opportunities to students like Isaac.

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