UNO Alum Receives Prestigious Scholarship

After graduating from the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), Mavericks go on to do great things. Recent biotechnology graduate Harim Won is a perfect example.

Won was recently awarded the prestigious Marcus L. Urann Fellowship from the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Only six students from across the nation are selected to receive the honor each year.

During his time at UNO, Won was an undergraduate research assistant and an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program scholar in the molecular parasitology laboratory of Dr. Paul Davis.

“I attribute my success to the environment in Dr. Paul Davis’ lab,” Won said. “He allows us to do big things and experiment, which helps us learn and develop as independent researchers.”

The fellowship includes a $15,000 scholarship to be used on whatever the recipient desires. Won plans to spend part of his money on moving expenses from Omaha to Boston. He will study at Harvard in a fully-funded position within the Biological Sciences in Public Health doctorate program.

Won’s goal is to work on solutions to many of the current biological issues that our world is facing, especially those involving malaria or tuberculosis. He wants to use his research to address how those issues can be resolved on a global scale through biomedical interventions and public health efforts.

Reflecting on his time at UNO, Won said he will always be grateful to his mentors and the experiences the university has provided.

“It has meant a lot to have the Honors Program encourage me to pursue these opportunities. I have also had access to great mentors, of which there are too many to name at UNO, that have given me the confidence to apply for the fellowship. There were no guarantees on what the result of this application would be, so I’m very excited to have been selected.”