In biomedical research, talent is everywhere, and career opportunities are competitive. The Emory National Primate Research Center (EPC) established the Jon C. Allen Undergraduate Research and Mentorship Endowment to honor a long-term employee by helping the next generation of scientists broaden their perspectives, facilitate their innovations and pursue their career goals. Jon was a long-term Emory employee who devoted more than 20 years of service to the EPC, Emory Vaccine Center and Emory University School of Medicine.
“Jon Allen spent his career in pursuit of science, while also mentoring and inspiring careers of people underrepresented in biomedical research. The Emory Primate Center honors his legacy with the creation of the Jon C. Allen Undergraduate Research and Mentorship Endowment,” says Eric Hunter, PhD, an Emory Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Jon’s research team leader for more than 12 years.
Each student selected to receive funding from the Jon C. Allen Undergraduate Research and Mentorship Endowment will be part of the Emory Laney Graduate School SOAR program, a competitive, 10-week, summer research opportunity for rising college juniors or seniors who are from ethnic and racial backgrounds historically underrepresented in academic research, or who qualify under certain categories of first-generation scholars.
EPC faculty who are leaders in HIV/AIDS and other infectious disease research will mentor and work side-by-side with the Jon C. Allen Scholars in conducting research and exposing the students to other professional development opportunities. This collaborative approach provides a solid foundation for the students to excel in school and throughout their research careers.
