Past Events
May 1, 2014
We would like to inform you regarding our recent Access Med Ceremony on May 1, 2014. The event was attended by over 300 guests, including graduating students and their proud parents, rising sophomore and junior students, and faculty/staff members. In attendance were: Dr. Richard Falk, Executive Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Kenneth Breslauer, Vice President for Health Science Partnerships; and Dr. Michael Beals, Vice Dean – Office of Undergraduate Education. We were extremely proud to celebrate 30 past participants of the program who are now graduating from medical, dental, osteopathic and public health schools. We also celebrated the acceptance of 61 ODASIS students into health professions and scientific graduate programs and the healthcare workforce. Lastly, all 22 New Brunswick high school students in our Johnson & Johnson Saturday Scholars’ Academy were accepted to colleges, with 18 of them being accepted to Rutgers University.
Attendees were blessed by the words of several distinguished speakers. This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Wise Young, Founding Director of the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, who discussed his professional journey and challenged the audience to consider the importance of giving back. In addition to Dr. Young's keynote presentation, Gbolabo Sokunbi, MD, an ODASIS alumnus and Orthopedic Surgeon, shared his experiences in medicine, motivating and encouraging ODASIS students while they are preparing for finals and the MCAT. ODASIS had the privilege of Dr.’s Young, Breslauer, and Sokunbi who generously spoke to the awardees and their proud family members, offering inspirational assurances, words of encouragement, and commemorating their successes at the undergraduate level. Attendees old and young each walked away with a newfound appreciation for the sciences and medical field after the touching keynote speeches. Current ODASIS student, Andy Reyes, also gave a heartwarming bilingual speech alongside his mother, Dominga Reyes, who both thanked Dr. Khan, Director of ODASIS, and his staff for their endless support, commitment, and dedication to their students.
We wish to thank you for your continued interest in and support of our programs.
With kind regards,
Dr. Kamal Khan
September 13, 2013
On behalf of the Office for Diversity and Academic Success in the Sciences (ODASIS) and the students we serve, I write to share our success at the Fall Orientation. Towards the beginning, we had opening remarks by Dr. Martha Haviland, Director, Office of Undergraduate Instruction, who introduced our keynote speaker for the evening, Dr. Jorge Reina Schement, Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion. Lastly, we heard closing remarks from former ODASIS alumnus, Dr. Foluso Fakorede, board-certified Cardiologist.
During the course of the night, students situated at different information tables gave presentations highlighting their research and clinical experiences. They talked about their involvement in various programs such as Biomedical Careers Program (BCP), the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP), the Summer Pre-Medical Research Education Program (PREP), the NYU Summer Program (SURP), and the Northeast Regional Alliance (NERA) MedPrep Scholars Program. The student presentations exemplified the caliber of their research and their endless commitment to their educational endeavors.
We also had an inspiring talk from current ODASIS Access Med Phase II students, who each spoke about their undergraduate experience with ODASIS and about managing time with classes, extra-curricular activities, and ODASIS supplemental programs. Vice President Schement and Dr. Fakorede further emphasized the importance of being proactive and staying focused as an undergraduate at Rutgers. Dr. Fakorede also reminded the students and families that at ODASIS they would be able to meet a passionate and approachable group of instructors and advisers well equipped to offer them guidance and support in terms of supplemental instruction, valuable resources, and academic advice.
I thank you for your time and I hope that in the near future, you may be able to attend our other fall programs. I look forward to keeping you informed about future events held by ODASIS.
Thanks,
Dr. Kamal Khan
Director
Office for Diversity and Academic Success in the Sciences
