Centenary Student Receives Howard Hughes Med-Grad Fellowship

SHREVEPORT, La. (Centenary News Service)—A Centenary College student has been awarded the UAB Howard Hughes Medical Institute Med-Grad Fellowship, a revolutionary Ph.D. program which combines translational research and drug discovery, and provides graduate students in training with career development opportunities.

Mark Moehle

Mark Moehle, neuroscience major from Baton Rouge, La., will study neuroscience at the University of Alabama-Birmingham beginning the fall semester.

"I wasn't too surprised to learn that Mark had been awarded a fellowship to attend graduate school," said Dr. Greg Butcher, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience. "He has devoted a great deal of time to his research project over the past few years and has a remarkable amount of experience for an undergraduate. However, I was thrilled to learn that the award is a HHMI fellowship. These are highly competitive and only given to the most promising young scientists."

UAB is one of only 23 schools in the nation to receive funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute $16-million dollar initiative for the Med into Grad Fellowship Program. The Fellowship program Moehle has been selected for only accepts eight highly-motivated and academically-qualified applicants each year who are admitted through one of the existing interdisciplinary doctoral programs.

"It is very gratifying to have been awarded this fellowship," said Moehle. "It helps me see that the incredible education and mentoring I received while at Centenary is nationally competitive with other, larger universities. In terms of my graduate education, the HHMI Fellowship will help me to better understand the clinical side of human disease and its relevance in basic and translational research. This is an aspect that is not regularly highlighted. Also, this fellowship will give me practical training in drug discovery and design which will help me with possible future careers."

Moehle is a senior at Centenary College and a graduate Catholic High School in Baton Rouge. His parent's are Beverly and William Moehle, who reside in Baton Rouge.

About Centenary College of Louisiana

Centenary College is a private, four-year arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Centenary is one of 16 colleges and universities constituting the Associated Colleges of the South and has been recognized as "One of the Best 371 Colleges" by the Princeton Review and one of "America's Best Colleges" and one of "America's Best Private Colleges" by Forbes.com. In 2008 Centenary College celebrated 100 years in Shreveport and Bossier City.