Molecular Biophysics student Geyer receives elite P.E.O. Scholar Award
By Lin Lofley
Elisabeth Geyer, a third-year student in the UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, has received a P.E.O. Scholar Award from the Philanthropic Education Organization, which annually provides awards for women who are pursuing a doctoral level degree at an accredited college or university.
Ms. Geyer, who earned an undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, is studying in the laboratory of Dr. Luke Rice, Associate Professor of Biophysics and Biochemistry.
“I am incredibly honored and grateful to have been awarded the P.E.O. Scholar Award,” Ms. Geyer said. “My time at UT Southwestern as a graduate student has been an amazing journey, particularly because of the people that I work with and have met throughout the years, and the supportive faculty in the Biophysics Department.
“Working with Dr. Rice has allowed me to grow tremendously as a scientist, as he constantly encourages me to ask and explore the difficult questions and to continue to expand my horizons to be the best scientist I am capable of becoming. As a female scientist, it is very encouraging to have the support of the Philanthropic Educational Organization in my educational journey. I’m looking forward to all the opportunities that lay ahead in the future because of this award, including attending conferences and continuing to research and network with others in and out of my field."
Dr. Rice said, “Beth is an exemplary graduate student who really stands out for her intellect, fearlessness, and drive. It is great to see Beth win this award in recognition of her accomplishments and future potential. I’m sure that she will continue to make a difference in my lab, and that she’ll have a major impact wherever she goes next.”
The P.E.O. Awards – which annually honor 85 women in the United States and Canada, across all academic disciplines – were established in 1991. Recipients are provided $15,000 each for the upcoming academic year.
“I was thrilled that Beth was selected to receive the nationally competitive P.E.O. Scholar Award. She is our 14th P.E.O. Scholar Award recipient in 13 years, which is an excellent reflection of the quality of our Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. students, our educational process, and the biomedical research being carried out at UT Southwestern Medical Center,” said Dr. Nancy Street, Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Assistant Professor of Microbiology. “We are extremely proud of these awardees and delighted that their potential to impact their respective fields of research has been recognized by the P.E.O.”
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Dr. Rice is a Thomas O. Hicks Scholar in Medical Research.
P.E.O. Award recipients
The Philanthropic Education Organization has selected UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences student Elisabeth Geyer to receive a 2016 P.E.O. Scholar Award. She is the 14th female student at the Medical Center so honored.
Previous P.E.O. Award recipients, almost all of whom now hold M.D. and/or Ph.D. degrees, and the year they were selected as students are:
Angelique Whitehurst (2003); Paula Guidry (2005); Amy Mellgren Archer and Ann Davis Wamsley (2007); Anita Autry Dixon and Meredith Shidler Goertz (2010); Anna Patrick and Sade Spencer (2011); Bethany Weigle (2012); Gina Aloisio, Bethany Cartwright, Chelsea Stamm, and Rachel Thomas (2014).
