Thirty-five University of Nebraska Medical Center students received cash awards April 18 to support their research in cancer or neurodegenerative diseases or nursing education.
Each award winner will receive $500, thanks to Norman Harris, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln alum, who established three funds in honor of his late wife Bernice Harris, who passed away in 2007.
Harris started the Norman and Bernice Harris Graduate Student Cancer Research Award Fund in 1999 with the University of Nebraska Foundation. He has since added the Bernice Harris Nursing Awards and the Bernice and Norman Harris Graduate Students in Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Research Fellowship Awards.
Both Norman and Bernice battled cancer. Bernice Harris also was afflicted with Lewy Body, a rare form of dementia. Through it all, Harris said they received excellent nursing care. “A good nurse is worth her weight in gold,” Harris said.
Originally from Omaha, the Harrises moved to San Diego in 1965. Norman Harris earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UNL in 1941. Until his retirement in 1973, he was a manager for a chain of retail discount stores. He then embarked on entrepreneurial adventures in real estate, franchising, accounting, tax preparation, banking and finance. His wife was an artist and decorative consultant.
“It’s my pleasure to do this,” Harris said at the ceremony, in which he passed out the awards personally to each of the students.
The following is a listing of award recipients by hometown and their area of study.
Recipients of the Bernice Harris Nursing Scholarship:
Alliance: Jason McClaren
Colombus: Amanda Ott
Grand Island: Ashley Washburn
Kearney: Melissa Glatter, Tyler Steffensmeier
Lincoln: Sean Schinstock, Dawn Bailey, MaKayla Hile
Minden: Sheila Driver
North Platte: Beverly Brezenski
Omaha: Smita Anchan, Lisa Avery, Margaret Latka
Plattsmouth: Cassandra Lyons
Pleasant Dale: Melissa Carder
Papillion: Amanda Lerum
Stella: Cassidy Anderson
South Sioux City: Kelli Bartels
Schuyler: Jennifer Kaup
Sioux Falls, S.D.: Megan Huizenga
Recipients of the Norman and Bernice Harris Graduate Student Cancer Research Fellowships:
Omaha: Jennifer Bailey
New Town, N.D.: Heidi Johnson
San Diego, Calif.: Nicholas George
Outside of U.S.:
Huimin Geng
Amit K. Mittal
Mahak Sharma
Yuri Fukumoto
Shalini Mitra
Shonali Deb
Alamelu Bharadwaj
Recipients of the new Bernice and Norman Harris Graduate Student Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Research Fellowships:
Columbus: Nicholas Whitney
Holdrege: Daniel Flaherty
Forest Grove, Ore.: Stephanie Kraft-Terry
Spring Hope, N.C.: Ashley Reynolds
Outside of U.S.: Vivek Gautam
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
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