Support Biology
Scholarships from the ALSAM Foundation
Alice and Samuel Bessman established their ALSAM Foundation to nurture undergraduates into independent-minded researchers. Their funding provides students with the opportunity and freedom to develop both independence and a strong spirit of skepticism.
Four Biology undergraduates currently receive funding through scholarships from the ALSAM Foundation.
Samuel Bessman's chemistry studies at William and Mary were interrupted by WWII, and he later earned an M.D. He carried out ground-breaking medical research in the treatment of a number of genetic and environmental health problems. Early in his career he developed the first effective treatment for acute lead poisoning. Sam retired as a biomedical researcher from UCLA. Alice Bessman also holds an M.D. and has an active clinical practice.
A great benefit of the Biology Department's extended community is the lifelong connections and professional collaborations we enjoy. The involvement of alumni contributes significantly to the department. Two recent examples:
As part of our 2009 Fall Seminar Series Don Fox '00 returned to campus and presented his current research on cellular repair of intestinal tissues of fruit flies (Drosophila). His studies are expanding basic scientific knowledge and have applications for human health research, such as healing of damaged liver tissue. Don is currently the Jane Coffin Child Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Carnegie Institute for Science in Washington, D.C.
Wes Northam '10 spent his entire summer doing field work and research in the lab, receiving a stipend and funding for research supplies from the ALSAM Foundation (see sidebar). To determine if biologists can show that wolf spiders eat mayflies, Wes extracted mitochondrial DNA sequences from the spiders and mayflies and applied polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques in Professor Allison's lab. After writing up his work as an Honors thesis and graduating, Wes plans to attend medical school and to pursue a career in clinical and laboratory research.
If you have ideas for how you'd like to get involved, we encourage to get in touch at [[biology, biology@wm.edu]]. We also hope you'll consider contributing online to our departmental account, a discretionary fund we use to provide the best learning experience to current students.
