Southeast Missouri State University prides itself on offering undergraduate students the opportunity to work alongside doctoral faculty and participate in research studies.

May 2009 graduate James "Joe" Gholson of Harrisburg, Ill., is one such student. He assisted Dr. Walt Lilly and Dr. Allen Gathman, Southeast professors of biology, in their ongoing study to complete the genome sequence for the Coprinus Cinereus mushroom. The project began in 2004 when Lilly and Gathman received a $744,055 National Science Foundation grant to collaborate with scientists at Duke University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

The study, which is part of the NFS's Microbial Genome Sequencing Program, involved sequencing about 5,000 genes in the organism and closing remaining gaps in the known sequence. This experience, along with hard work and dedication, paved the way for Gholson to be admitted into Harvard Medical School this fall.

Last year, Southeast launched its new Biomedical Scholars Program. Students in the program participate in a rigorous academic regimen and receive advising and resources necessary for medical school preparation.

The program also offers a Biomedical Advisors Committee through which members of the chemistry and biology faculty and representatives from local hospitals provide expert advice to students for medical school applications and interviews. Because of the department's devoted staff and the challenging pre-medical curriculum, Southeast students are accepted to medical schools well above the national average.

Gholson, who scored in the 97th percentile on the MCAT exam, graduated with a 4.0 GPA and many other honors. At the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society induction ceremony, he was named a Slater Fellow, an award that goes to the nationally top-ranked student in biological sciences. Gholson was the first Southeast student to receive a named Phi Kappa Phi fellowship.

"It is exciting to see my academic and philanthropic endeavors recognized at a national level," said Gholson, who volunteered aboard the USNS Mercy, a Military Sealift Command hospital ship in Southeast Asia in summer 2008. There, he served as a surgical technician and field optician, providing more than 2,000 patients with glasses, eye drops, anti-biotics and other medication.

Last fall Gholson worked for 15 weeks as a research intern for NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center studying the West Nile virus. His manuscript about the experience has been submitted for publication. Gholson also pioneered a pre-med honor society at Southeast.

At Southeast, "you are given the opportunity to do what you want to do extracurricularly. There's an opportunity to do whatever a person wants to do here," Gholson said.

Read more about Gholson and learn about Southeast online at semo.edu.