OSU names 2012-13 Niblack Research Scholars

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Dr. John and Heidi Niblack with the 2012-13 Niblack Research Scholars. (front row, L to R) Heidi Niblack, Pete Storm, Forrest Rogers, Juliet Ellison, Amber Douglas, Whitney Lisenbee, Ryan Greenway, Lauren Foley, Dr. John Niblack. (second row, L to R) Dr. Stephen McKeever, OSU’s VP for research, Micah Webb, Colby Gregg, Patrick Paul, Nick Jordan, Erin Best.

Oklahoma State University has selected 12 undergraduate students to participate in the 2012-13 Niblack Research Scholars program. Funded by a gift from OSU alumnus Dr. John Niblack, each student will receive an $8,000 scholarship and will have the unique opportunity to conduct research in a university lab, assisted by a faculty sponsor and graduate student mentor.

The 2012-13 Niblack Research Scholars are:

Erin Best, a microbiology major from Katy, Texas
Amber Douglas, a zoology major from Lawton, Okla.
Juliet Ellison, an animal science major from Penfield, N.Y.
Lauren Foley, a zoology major from Tulsa, Okla.
Ryan Greenway, a zoology major from Amarillo, Texas
Colby Gregg, an entomology and plant pathology major from Stillwater, Okla.
Nick Jordan, a physiological sciences major from Stillwater, Okla.
Whitney Lisenbee, a biosystems and agricultural engineering major from Jenks, Okla.
Patrick Paul, a physics major from Tulsa, Okla.
Forrest Rogers, a zoology major from Stillwater, Okla.
Pete Storm, a biosystems and agricultural engineering major from Stillwater, Okla.
Micah Webb, a physics major from Stillwater, Okla.

Videos about the students and their research are available at http://research.okstate.edu/nrs.

Niblack, who attributes his own pursuit of research as a profession to the experience he received as an undergraduate at OSU, says he funds the program to give young people that same opportunity. Niblack is the former vice chairman of Pfizer Inc. He worked as an active scientist for the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company from 1967-1980 directing research into drugs for viral illnesses, cancer and autoimmune disorders. He was appointed director of research for the company's U.S. laboratories in 1980 and named president of Pfizer's Central Research Division in 1990. He became vice chairman in 1993 and retired in 2002.

The Niblack Research Scholars will make presentations about their findings during OSU Research Week, Feb. 18-22, 2013.