Recent Penn State Harrisburg graduate Mario Soliman has received the 2015 JoAnne Day Student of the Year Award in the Technical Category by the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Employers (PennACE).  Soliman graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Science, Engineering and Technology in fall 2015.

The JoAnne Day Student of the Year intern award is presented to one Pennsylvania student who excels in their STEM-oriented career and has secured a summer internship during summer of 2015.

Soliman was nominated for the PennACE award for his summer internship at Harvard Medical School where he worked in the Harvard Catalyst Summer Clinical and Translational Research Program. The 10-week, research-intensive internship provides scholars with the opportunity to be mentored by a Harvard-affiliated researcher.

“This award has made me a more competitive applicant as I am applying for medical school. I am confident that I will pursue my dream of providing medical care for underprivileged and underserved individuals. This award has played a part in getting me one step closer to serving others,” said Soliman. 

In addition to his internship, Mario attended weekly seminars with Harvard faculty focusing on topics such as research methodology, health disparities, and ethics. His internship research in the Mitchison Lab at Harvard Medical School has led to the discovery agonistic cancer drug that may potentially be entered in clinical trials at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“I encourage all students to seek opportunities by reaching out to their professors, mentors, and advisers,” said Soliman, “I would not be where I am today without the continuous support and mentorship of Dr. Sairam Rudrabhatla and Dr. Shobha Potlakayala. I deeply appreciate all that they have done.”

For more information on the PennACE Student of the Year Intern award, visit: http://www.pennace.info/joanne-day-award.