Pictured above from left to right (back row) are: Zoe Johnson, White House ambassador and graduate mentor; Kenneh Koker, SSI mentee, Dr. Tracy Bell, faculty in the Department of Natural Sciences; Teemer Barry, SSI mentee; Cy’Anna Scott, graduate mentor; Chinedu Ahuchaogu, graduate mentor; and Eguono Omagamre, graduate mentor. Front Row (ltor): Jocelyn Simmons, graduate mentor; Ijeoma Ngoka, graduate mentor; Annette Kenney, graduate mentor; Madeline Farmer, graduate mentor; Miles Jordan, SSI mentee; Grace Yerokun, SSI mentee; and Bethany Ngere, SSI mentee.
Zoe Johnson has been recognized for his commitment through actions to help strengthen the education and economic competitiveness of HBCUs, their students and the communities they serve. A White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ Excellence in Innovation and Competitiveness Award (EICA), it will be presented during the 2019 Annual National HBCU Week Conference on September 9.
The Initiative’s annual EICAs are designed to recognize private, public partners as well as students. In particular, Johnson received the award for his work as an ambassador to the Initiative for over 3 years. He has helped create opportunities for students, both graduate and undergraduate, to fulfill their educational and career potentials. One such opportunity is the Sophomore Success Initiative (SSI) that he carries out in collaboration with fellow graduate student mentors and the UMES Department of Natural Sciences to increase student persistence and the participation of minorities in STEM.
Johnson, a Ph.D. candidate studying toxically, is poised to defend his dissertation Fall 2020. His research is focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of environmental toxicants that play a role in the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders and neuroprotective strategies for neurodegeneration. In laymen’s terms, he is studying promising approaches to attenuating Parkinson’s disease processes in the laboratory.
