Congratulations to Noah Garrett for being awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship!
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Two Senior B.S. Chemistry Majors Receive 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships!
Congratulations to B.S. Chemistry Majors Ethan Lambert & Mary Beth VanLandingham for Receiving 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships!
Chemistry Doctoral Graduate Named Finalist for Prestigious Award
Dr. Leigh Anna Hunt honored at national graduate student awards symposium
Leigh Anna Hunt, who completed a doctorate in chemistry in May from UM, is a finalist for awards presented by the American Chemical Society and the Journal of Physical Chemistry. Submitted photo
A University of Mississippi doctoral student’s research that may help harness solar power earned her a spot as a finalist for awards presented by the American Chemical Society and the Journal of Physical Chemistry.
Leigh Anna Hunt, of Grenada, was honored at the recent ACS Physical Chemistry Experimental and Theory Graduate Student Award Symposium. Hunt, who earned her doctorate in chemistry in May, was selected based on her dissertation on photo-induced electron transfer dynamics in dye-sensitized solar cells.
Hunt describes her research as focusing on the electronic characterization of complex systems using laser-based and time-resolved molecular spectroscopy.
“More specifically, the spectroscopic characterization of photo-induced charge separation and electron transfer processes in heterogeneous environments that are of critical importance for efficient chemical and solar-to-electric energy conversion,” she said. “That’s a complex way of saying that I use light to study chemical systems that are designed to generate and/or store energy from sunlight.”
Nathan Hammer, UM professor of chemistry and biochemistry and Hunt’s adviser, nominated her for the award.
“Dr. Hunt thrived in my research group for over five years, having not only the passion for learning the advanced mathematics and physics necessary for our research, but also the aptitude, enthusiasm and patience to learn how to use new advanced instrumentation,” Hammer said.
Hunt served as Hammer’s lead graduate student, moving the group in new directions. Hunt introduced transient absorption spectroscopy into the research group, resulting in almost 20 publications in top journals, many of which contributed to her dissertation, he said.
Jared Delcamp, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry and a frequent collaborator with Hunt, found her input to be invaluable in his work with solar cell and solar-to-fuel devices.
“Her research was incredibly helpful in pinpointing problems inside of devices,” Delcamp said. “She is relentless in her pursuit of knowledge, which is very important in chemistry; you have to be able to press on in spite of setbacks.
“And she is fearless, able to take on very challenging work. Dr. Hunt is a good representative of what Ole Miss is capable of doing.”
Hunt’s recognition by the ACS is significant in showing that Ole Miss research and graduate students compete with top students across the country, Hammer said. The other finalists in this year’s ACS competition were from MIT; Harvard, Texas A&M and Yale universities, the universities of Illinois and Texas.
“When people see names like MIT or Yale or Harvard, they generally associate them with both academic excellence and top-class scientific research,” Hunt said. “I think it’s important for people to be able to see Mississippi and think the same.
“I put a lot of time and effort into my Ph.D. research and it’s really gratifying to see this finally recognized. It’s certainly a proud moment to be considered for something among such an elite group of early career scientists.”
Hunt is continuing her work on a prestigious postdoctoral appointment at Uppsala University in Sweden with professor Leif Hammarström, one of the world’s leading spectroscopists.
“Dr. Hunt’s selection as a finalist highlights the important role graduate students play in advancing science at the University of Mississippi and other research institutions across nation,” said Annette Kluck, dean of the UM Graduate School.
This work was supported by National Science Foundation awards CHE-1954922 and OIA-1757220.
Chemistry Major Among New Stamps Scholars for 2022
Stamps Scholars are selected based on academic excellence, leadership experience and exceptional character. UM freshmen in the Class of 2026 cohort are (front, from left) Mary-del Jansen, Amber Amis and Ryleigh Johnson; (second row) Yasmine Ware, Olivia Bacon and Dymond Mitchell; (third row) Jasmine Sanders, Layla Ashley, Carolena Graham and McKenzie Cox; and (fourth row) Ethan Roberts, Hayden Walker and Andrew Nichols. Photo by Bill Dabney/UM Foundation
The Stamps Scholars Program awards scholarships based on academic excellence, leadership experience and exceptional character. The program awarded 247 scholarships this year to students at 31 partner institutions across the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Jasmine Sanders, a biochemistry major from Prosper, Texas, is one of the 13 new scholars.
The new class brings the number of Stamps Scholars at Ole Miss to 58, making the university the second-largest in the program.
At UM, each scholarship covers the full cost of attendance, along with a $12,000 stipend for enrichment activities such as study abroad, academic conferences and leadership training.
The complete roster of freshmen UM Stamps Scholars is:
- Amber Amis, an economics major from Clinton
- Layla Ashley, a public policy leadership major from Chicago
- Olivia Bacon, an English major from Atlanta
- McKenzie Cox, a journalism major from Concord, North Carolina
- Carolena Graham, a civil engineering major from Columbus
- Mary Jansen, a mechanical engineering major from Brandon
- Ryleigh Johnson, an international studies major from Olive Branch
- Dymond Mitchell, a sociology major from Prosper, Texas
- Andrew Nichols, a public policy leadership major from Monroe, North Carolina
- Ethan Roberts, an engineering major from Paducah, Kentucky
- Jasmine Sanders, a biochemistry major from Prosper, Texas
- Hayden Walker, a public policy leadership and engineering major from Oxford
- Yasmine Ware, an international studies major from Madison
Ashleen Williams, a fellow in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, serves as an academic mentor for the scholars. She said that this year’s class is poised to do great things.
“I hope that they will learn to ask big questions and seek answers to them, and to extend their ideas of what is possible,” Williams said.
Georgia native Roe Stamps and his late wife, Penny, launched the Stamps Scholarship in 2006. Though Penny Stamps died in 2018, her legacy continues through the Stamps Scholars community, which has grown into an international network of more than 2,600 scholars and alumni.
“The Stamps family and organization are true partners in helping identify students that want to think creatively and solve big problems,” said Katie Morrison, director of foundation relations and strategic partnerships at UM. “What we have been able to grow together – a supportive scholar community that enriches our whole campus culture – is a testament to what higher education should deliver.
“We appreciate their investment that has made the Ole Miss program the second-largest Stamps Scholars collective. Our students live out their dreams because of Roe and Penny Stamps’ vision and generosity.”
For more about this class of Stamps Scholars, visit https://www.stampsscholars.org/. To learn more about supporting scholarship programs at UM, contact Morrison at katie@olemiss.edu.
STEM Facility Construction Nears Halfway Point
Largest academic building in university history to feature innovative lab spaces, TEAL classrooms
The Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation, in the university’s Science District, is on track to open in fall 2024. Construction began a year ago and is approaching the halfway point.
Imagine standing in the atrium of the largest academic building in the history of the University of Mississippi‘s main campus. Looking up, four floors of laboratories and lecture halls are all dedicated to increasing STEM student success and teaching.
This vision is quickly becoming a reality as the Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation is approaching 50% complete, and on track to open in fall 2024.
“This space will be a fantastic space,” said Chad Hunter, associate university architect. “It’s an incredible building because of its function, but also simply because of its size.”
The 202,000 square-foot facility will support science, technology, engineering and math-related endeavors at the university. It will include classrooms with low student-instructor ratios, as well as state-of-the-art undergraduate lab spaces. The building is anticipated to be one of the nation’s top facilities for STEM education.
Kurt Shettles, president and CEO of McCarty Architects, is the project’s architect of record. He said the center stands out among other buildings at Ole Miss because of its interdisciplinary nature and the broad audience that it will serve.
It is unique in many ways, one of which is the teaching style that it supports.
The Duff Center will include more than 50 TEAL classrooms, traditional labs and classrooms to accommodate some 2,000 students at a time. The building will be equipped with technology to support a range of teaching methods and support interactive learning.
“We’ve used the term ‘Swiss watch’ when referencing the science labs in the building,” Shettles said. “They are extremely intricate and designed for flexible teaching pedagogy.
“We have ‘TEAL’ classrooms, which are technology-enabled active learning classrooms. They support a different method of instruction with less lecture and more demonstration and participation. The students learn through the technology and the process of interacting and collaborating with each other, while the professor is more of a participant in that process, as opposed to just standing in front of the classroom lecturing.”
The Center for Science and Technology Innovation will include more than 50 TEAL classrooms, traditional labs and classrooms to accommodate some 2,000 students at any given hour throughout the day, Hunter said. It will also have a dedicated center for success and supplemental instruction, study rooms, a food service venue, more than 60 faculty offices and a 3D visualization lab, which is like a small IMAX theater.
The building is in the heart of the UM Science District. Construction is presently focused on the exterior – tasks such as installing windows, weatherproofing, waterproofing and laying brick. Once the exterior walls and roof are completed in the next couple of months, construction will begin on interior walls and finishes.
Cristiane Surbeck, chair and professor of civil engineering, can see the construction from her office window. She is eagerly anticipating the opening, which will have a major impact on her department.
“I’ve been taking a photo of it almost every day,” Surbeck said. “It’s going to provide a big upgrade to the teaching spaces that we have now. There’s going to be a specific room for civil engineering students to work on their senior design projects. It’s laid out for them to be able to work together in a space that is dedicated just for them.
“We are also going to have a water resources engineering and environmental engineering teaching lab that our students are really going to be able to take advantage of. It can even be shared among different departments if they have students who are doing experiments with water and environmental pollutants.”
The center will be an asset to the university community – especially its students, Surbeck said.
Among the many features of the Duff Center is an environmental engineering teaching lab that will provide a major resource for civil engineering students and anyone conducting experiments with water and environmental pollutants.
“I’m proud that we will have such a modern building that we are going to use to educate our engineering students,” she said. “I believe our engineering students are going to feel the same way. They are going to feel confident to go out and practice as engineers, having been educated in a such a high-quality facility.”
A new animated walk-through of the building’s interior gives viewers a better sense of the layout.
“You can see all four floors from the atrium; you can orient yourself by standing in it,” Hunter said. “The laboratories also have large windows, so you can observe what’s going on inside.
“It was designed this way on purpose to promote collaborative and interdisciplinary teaching and learning.”
Shettles said he hopes that once the center opens, students will find a home there.
“As designers, the best compliment we could receive would be to see students using this building even if they don’t have a class there,” he said. “We would love it to be a hangout destination for students simply because of the quality of the interior and exterior spaces, and because it promotes engagement and collaboration.”
Brothers Jim and Thomas Duff, of Hattiesburg, have committed $26 million to the construction of the building. The total project cost is $175 million, with $135 million in construction expenses.
Hunter has been part of the project since it was first imagined some 10 years ago.
“It’s a major honor to be part of this project,” he said. “To work so long on something and then seeing it actually being built is amazing.”
Click here for the original story.
Chemistry Major Named 2022 Mentee for the Toxicology Mentoring Skills Development and Training Program
First-generation student Ember Suh, a senior chemistry major at the University of Mississippi, has been named a 2022 mentee for Toxicology Mentoring Skills Development and Training, a program that bolsters underrepresented populations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The program will allow the Southaven native to discover different applications of toxicology – the study of diagnosing and treating exposure to toxins – and find the niche she is most passionate about, Suh said. A member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honor College majoring in forensic chemistry, Suh said she hopes to use the skills she picks up to help make a real-world impact on communities around her.
Ember Suh, a senior forensic chemistry major, has been named a 2022 mentee for the Toxicology Mentoring Skills Development and Training program. The Southaven native hopes to use the skills she picks up to make a real-world impact on communities around her and to encourage other minorities to consider STEM career fields. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services
“I actually was interested in lead being found in drinking water and other chemicals in water supplies in the past,” Suh said. “I became interested in that because I wanted to do something about the Jackson and Flint water crises.”
Suh took a toxicology class in 2021 under Kristine Willett, professor of pharmacology and environmental toxicology and chair of the Department of Biomolecular Sciences, in 2021. It was Willett who encouraged Suh to apply for the mentorship program.
“She stuck out among her classmates because she got a 100% on everything – nobody gets a 100 on everything,” Willett said.
As a part of the program, Suh will attend a workshop at the University of California at Davis, meet monthly with her mentor and, if successful, be awarded a certificate of completion at Tuskegee University.
Each participant in the 2022 class of 25 mentees is assigned a mentor in their field of study. Suh will shadow Mike Peterson in his role as a principal at Gradient, an environmental and risk sciences consulting firm.
Having an assigned mentor helps to bridge cultural gaps in education while alleviating some of the burden on underrepresented groups, Willett said.
“If you’re a first-generation or underrepresented student, you may not know all of the options,” Willett said. “If you happen to have one good mentor, they can do that for you. But that’s more of a luck, positional and potentially privileged thing.
“This will build community and help participants see the diversity of career pathways and options.”
Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Toxicology MSDT program provides career development opportunities for students of underserved backgrounds in the field, where there is a “critical lack” of diversity, the program’s description cites.
Eden Tanner, an Ole Miss assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, said she has noted a lack of diversity in STEM fields, and that the lack of different voices in research can have real-world effects, particularly on underserved populations.
“Diverse teams are more creative, better at their jobs, and they’re better at science,” Tanner said. “A lot of what we do stems from that diversity. A lot of the great ideas that our teams have happened because team members bring different life experiences to the table.
“… The critical lack of diversity in many fields, including toxicology, has hugely deleterious effects on people, and it goes some way to explaining health disparities.”
Suh’s parents emigrated from South Korea in the 1990s. Growing up as a second-generation American and first-generation student, Suh said her South Korean background has influenced how she communicates with professors and peers.
“I’m still having problems talking with mentors and professors,” she said. “I think it’s a part of South Korean culture. If there’s someone older than us or in a higher position than us, we’re supposed to respect them.
“I think because of that mindset, I’ve been nervous talking to people older than me and in a higher position than me, especially professors. I think I’m still trying to find a way to relate to them and talk comfortably with them.”
This problem is rampant among many underserved populations, Tanner said. Not having generational knowledge about higher education – how to apply for scholarships and graduate schools, different fields of study available, even not knowing about office hours – means some students never take advantage of university resources.
Finding a good mentor, someone who can open doors for students and nurture their passions, is at best a matter of luck, and at worst a matter of privilege, Tanner said. Programs such as Toxicology MSDT take luck out of the equation by partnering students with mentors directly.
As a toxicologist, Suh hopes to continue advocating for minority and underprivileged populations.
During her graduate research, Suh said she wants to analyze airborne pollutants in the Memphis area. This interest arose after she heard of a recent finding of an EPA-classified carcinogen in the air there, she said.
“They may not know all of the resources they might have,” Suh said. “Having someone they can look to is one of the reasons I wanted to go into toxicology.”
OPEN POSITION: Assistant Professor of Chemistry (ORGANIC CHEMISTRY)
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, Mississippi, invites applications for a tenure track faculty position at the ASSISTANT PROFESSOR level in the area of ORGANIC CHEMISTRY to begin August 2023.
Individuals with expertise in any area of organic chemistry, including those complementing active research programs in the Department, are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. and relevant postdoctoral experience in chemistry or a closely related field. The Department has 17 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 6 teaching faculty, and a vibrant graduate Ph.D. program. Construction of a new $175M STEM education facility on campus is underway that will foster interdisciplinary opportunities to fulfill our commitment to inclusive excellence in chemical education. The successful candidate is expected to establish a nationally recognized, externally funded research program; provide mentorship for graduate and undergraduate researchers; perform service to the department, college, and university; and demonstrate excellence in teaching.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until an adequate applicant pool is established. Applications must be submitted online (https://careers.olemiss.edu) and should include a cover letter, a current CV, research plans, and a teaching philosophy statement.
Because the University of Mississippi is committed to building an inclusive and diverse university community as outlined in its Pathways to Equity plan (https://chancellor.olemiss.edu/pathways-to-equity), applicants should specify within their application how their teaching, scholarship, and service will contribute to a diverse and inclusive community. During the online application process, applicants will be prompted to provide the names and email addresses of three professional references that will provide letters of recommendation.
The University of Mississippi has a Carnegie classification of R1 and is rated a “Great Colleges to Work For” by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The University of Mississippi is an EOE / AA / Minority / Female / Vet / Disability / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity / Title VI / Title VII / Title IX / 504 / ADA /ADEA employer
About the University of MS & Oxford, MS
Founded in 1848, the University of Mississippi (UM), affectionately known to alumni, students and friends as Ole Miss, is Mississippi’s flagship university. Included in the elite group of R-1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity by the Carnegie Classification, it has a long history of producing leaders in public service, academics and business. The University of Mississippi, consistently named by The Chronicle of Higher Education as a “Great College to Work For,” is located in Oxford, MS, which is ranked one of the “Top 10 Best College Towns.” With more than 24,000 students, UM is the state’s largest university and is ranked among the nation’s fastest-growing institutions. The University of Mississippi, which has aggressively implemented many health and wellness initiatives for its more than 2,900 employees, has consistently been named one of Mississippi’s Healthiest Workplaces.
Touted as the “Cultural Mecca of the South”, creativity abounds in Oxford as musicians, artists and writers alike find inspiration in Oxford’s rich history, small town charm and creative community. Oxford is a one-hour drive south of Memphis, TN and is known as the home of Nobel Prize winning author William Faulkner. Over the years Oxford has also been known for offering exceptional culinary experiences and as the home of the University of Mississippi and the Ole Miss Rebels, there is always something here to immerse yourself in. Oxford has also been featured as a literary and arts destination in such publications as The New York Times, Southern Living, Condé Nast Traveler, and GQ. Among other cultural activities, annual events include the Oxford Film Festival, a thriving local music scene, and the Ford Center Performing Arts Series. Oxford is a vibrant university town, filled with unique shops and galleries, eclectic restaurants and clubs, historic landmarks, and comfortable inns.
OPEN POSITION: Assistant Professor of Chemistry (CHEMICAL EDUCATION)
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi, located in Oxford, Mississippi, invites applications for a tenure track faculty position at the ASSISTANT PROFESSOR level in the area of CHEMICAL EDUCATION to begin in August 2023. Areas of specialization could include but are not limited to pedagogy, inclusive teaching practices, STEM outreach, assessment and other themes related to inclusive pedagogy in chemistry. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in chemistry or a closely related field as well as relevant professional experience after obtaining the doctoral degree.
The Department has 17 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 6 teaching faculty, and a vibrant graduate Ph.D. program. Construction of a new $175M STEM education facility on campus is underway that will foster interdisciplinary opportunities to fulfill our commitment to inclusive excellence in chemical education. The successful candidate is expected to establish a nationally recognized, externally funded research program; provide mentorship for graduate and undergraduate researchers; perform service to the department, college, and university; and demonstrate excellence in teaching.
Review of applications will begin October 17, 2022 and will continue until an adequate applicant pool is established. Applications must be submitted online (https://careers.olemiss.edu) and should include a cover letter, a current CV, research plans, and a teaching philosophy statement. Because the University of Mississippi is committed to building an inclusive and diverse university community as outlined in its Pathways to Equity plan (https://chancellor.olemiss.edu/pathways-to-equity), applicants should specify within their application how their teaching, scholarship, and service will contribute to a diverse and inclusive community. During the online application process, applicants will be prompted to provide the names and email addresses of three professional references that will provide letters of recommendation. The University of Mississippi has a Carnegie classification of R1 and is rated a “Great Colleges to Work For” by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The University of Mississippi is an EOE / AA / Minority / Female / Vet / Disability / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity / Title VI / Title VII / Title IX / 504 / ADA /ADEA employer.
This tenure-track position is included in the University of Mississippi, College of Liberal Arts multi-year faculty cluster hire initiative. This initiative is designed to expand our understanding of multicultural competence in a number of areas including, among others to be named in future years: successful, effective, and ethical leadership; inclusive pedagogy in STEM; and Black intellectual thought in the Humanities. We seek scholars and scholarship with a focus on the experiences of African Americans and other underrepresented groups and attention to identities with respect to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. The goal is to attract and support a diverse cohort of tenure-track scholars who will produce cutting-edge research, scholarship, and creative achievement around the theme of inclusive pedagogy in STEM. For more information and the list of the other positions included in this cluster hire, please visit the College of Liberal Arts website at https://libarts.olemiss.edu/cluster-hire/.
About the University of MS & Oxford, MS
Founded in 1848, the University of Mississippi (UM), affectionately known to alumni, students and friends as Ole Miss, is Mississippi’s flagship university. Included in the elite group of R-1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity by the Carnegie Classification, it has a long history of producing leaders in public service, academics and business. The University of Mississippi, consistently named by The Chronicle of Higher Education as a “Great College to Work For,” is located in Oxford, MS, which is ranked one of the “Top 10 Best College Towns.” With more than 24,000 students, UM is the state’s largest university and is ranked among the nation’s fastest-growing institutions. The University of Mississippi, which has aggressively implemented many health and wellness initiatives for its more than 2,900 employees, has consistently been named one of Mississippi’s Healthiest Workplaces.
Touted as the “Cultural Mecca of the South”, creativity abounds in Oxford as musicians, artists and writers alike find inspiration in Oxford’s rich history, small town charm and creative community. Oxford is a one-hour drive south of Memphis, TN and is known as the home of Nobel Prize winning author William Faulkner. Over the years Oxford has also been known for offering exceptional culinary experiences and as the home of the University of Mississippi and the Ole Miss Rebels, there is always something here to immerse yourself in. Oxford has also been featured as a literary and arts destination in such publications as The New York Times, Southern Living, Condé Nast Traveler, and GQ. Among other cultural activities, annual events include the Oxford Film Festival, a thriving local music scene, and the Ford Center Performing Arts Series. Oxford is a vibrant university town, filled with unique shops and galleries, eclectic restaurants and clubs, historic landmarks, and comfortable inns.
Join Prof. Tanner on Tuesday September 20th at 6pm at Heartbreak Coffee for her free Science Cafe!
Join Prof. Tanner on Tuesday September 20th at 6pm at Heartbreak Coffee for her free Science Cafe!
Dr. J. Steven Blake, DO, M.Sc., FACOI
BA chemistry and zoology ’80
Dr. J. Steven Blake is a physician and owner of Blake Gastroenterology Associates, LLC in Philadelphia, PA. He is also the current chair of the College of Liberal Arts Alumni Advisory Board.
Dr. J. Steven Blake was born in Columbus, Mississippi, but at the age of three he moved with his parents, Alfred and Irma Blake, and siblings to Peoria, Illinois. The family returned to Clarksdale, Mississippi, a few years later where Steven was the valedictorian of his 1975 graduating class at Coahoma Agricultural High School. This historically black public school is located on the campus of Coahoma Community College, where his father taught automobile mechanics, and his mother served as a dietitian. He went on to graduate from UM with degrees in zoology and chemistry in 1980.
After earning his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), Dr. Blake further studied at the University of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis, completed a residency in internal medicine at the hospital of PCOM in 1992, and fellowship in gastroenterology in 1994. The Osteopathic Heritage Health Policy Fellowship through Ohio University and New York Institute of Technology was completed in 2001.
Dr. Blake established Blake Gastroenterology Associates, LLC in 1996, which houses both the medical gastroenterology practice and the state of the art Mt. Airy Ambulatory Endoscopy Surgery Center, established in 2005.
He is a graduate of Leadership Philadelphia (a premiere leadership development program) class of 2004. He sits on the Board of Trustees of the PCOM, has served on the Alumni Board of Directors for PCOM, and is a fellow of the Osteopathic Heritage Health Policy Institute. He is an assistant clinical professor in the department of medicine at PCOM, lecturing in the subspecialty of gastroenterology. Steven has been chairman of the minority scholarship committee at PCOM. He is also a member of the National Medical Association and the National Osteopathic Medical Association (past national president 1998 – 2003); American Osteopathic Association; Pennsylvania Osteopathic Association; Pennsylvania Gastroenterology Association and of the Philadelphia County and Pennsylvania Medical Society. He is a member of Mt. Airy Business Association and the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. In 2000 he was accepted by the National Registry of Who’s Who as a life member. He currently holds a staff position at Albert Einstein Medical Center. He is board certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists.
Dr. Blake continues to devote considerable time, money and effort to benefit high school students in his hometown of Clarksdale. With a strong history of giving back to his community, he endowed a scholarship in 2013 at Coahoma Community College in honor of his parents – committed to ‘sharing his blessings.’ Through his efforts to prevent colon cancer in his current hometown of Philadelphia or reaching out to provide cultural and educational opportunities to students in his childhood home in Mississippi, Steven’s commitment to helping others extends far beyond his clinic.
“It’s all about the community. It’s all about reaching back.”
Click here for a UM Alumni Association profile story.