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Even before Kiserian Jackson, from Brockton, Massachusetts, was one of nineteen Â鶹ɫÇéƬ students who presented scientific research projects at the 10th Annual Rhode Island Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) Conference, he had been recognized by Â鶹ɫÇéƬ as a young leader capable of accomplishing great things.

In 2014, Jackson was selected as a recipient of Â鶹ɫÇéƬ’s Intercultural Leadership Ambassador Program & Scholarship, which provides a full-tuition scholarship to students from diverse backgrounds who demonstrate great academic and leadership potential. ILAPS, through its financial and personal support, has allowed him to thrive at Â鶹ɫÇéƬ and take full advantage of the opportunities he's come across here, such as his experience as a SURF fellow.

There, Jackson conducted PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing of eastern oysters infected with a common bacterium (Vibrio parahaemolyticus) that can be pathogenic to humans who consume raw oysters. Together with Â鶹ɫÇéƬ Professor Roxanna Smolowitz and Â鶹ɫÇéƬ Aquatic Diagnostic Laboratory Technician Abbey Scro, he investigated whether oysters infected with three common diseases —  â€” are more prone to accumulate more of the bacteria (Vibrio parahaemolyticus) than an uninfected or mildly infected oyster, to help inform the state’s Shellfish Management Plan.

The experience required full-time lab work, he says, allowing him to get first-hand experience and has helped prepare him for post-graduate studies and a career in science. He is starting a Ph.D. program in molecular and cell biology at UMass-Amherst.