FAMU Doctoral Student Featured among Diverse Rising Graduate Scholars

Florida A&M University doctoral student Nzinga Mack is among a group of 10 exceptional graduate scholars featured in the March 18, 2021, special issue of Diverse: Issues In Higher Education.

Mack, a student in the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health’s Ph.D. program, is included in the publication’s inaugural cohort of Diverse Rising Graduate Scholars.

Mack, who earned her bachelor’s at Howard University, was nominated by FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D.

“I am honored to be chosen to represent FAMU and to have my work nationally recognized by an organization that not only promotes inclusivity in higher education but also works to address problems caused by the overall homogeneity of higher education,” Mack said. “The Florida A&M University motto of “Excellence With Caring” has truly exemplified my doctoral experience. I would not be at this junction in my career if not for the numerous professors, administrators, students, and alumni at FAMU who saw the light in me and provided the necessary oxygen to keep that eternal flame of progress shining. I am forever grateful, and in turn, hope to illuminate the pathway for others.”

Mack’s research focuses on cancer metabolism. One of her earliest articles, published in the journal Anti-Cancer Research, was on triple-negative breast cancer, which disproportionately affects African American women.

Mack, who is expected to graduate later this year, has been awarded a three-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Post-Doctoral Award (IRACDA) Fellowship at John’s Hopkins University in Baltimore. This fellowship is in collaboration with Morgan State University and Coppin State University and aims to prepare broadly trained biomedical engineers for careers in diverse academic environments that combine research and teaching.

As one of the Diverse Rising Graduate Scholars, Mack joins students from University of Michigan-Flint, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of California, Berkeley, Virginia Commonwealth University, Hood College, University of California, Berkeley, Radford University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

“The Diverse team identified this group of 10 exceptional graduate students based on standout scholarship thus far and their current trajectory toward a very promising future in academia and beyond,” the publication announced. “The issue will have laser focus on current matters affecting graduate school faculty, administrators, and students.”

This article originally appeared on FAMUFOWARD on March 19, 2021