“Some students' financial or social situations may make this seem like an impossible goal. I'm trying to reach those students and show them what is possible.”

— Professor Victor Corces

Biology professor Victor Corces was one of 20 scientists across the country to be named a 2006 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor.

Corces will receive a $1-million grant to fund unique approaches to igniting and inspiring undergraduate students in the sciences.

“The scientists whom we have selected are true pioneers—not only in their research, but also in their creative approaches and dedication to teaching,” said Thomas R. Cech, HHMI president. “We are hopeful that their educational experiments will energize undergraduate science education throughout the nation.”

As a “million-dollar professor,” Corces will spearhead a program called Research Internship and Science Education (RISE), aiming to increase the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds who study biology. Students from Baltimore City public schools will work—full-time in the summer and part-time during the school year—in Corces’ lab on projects directly related to his research, supervised by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

“There are many intellectually gifted students out there, but they lack the kind of mentoring and role models that could really make a difference,” says Corces, who also plans to have the high school students take a lecture course designed for them. “In addition, they don't always know what careers are available in the sciences. Students need the inspiration of tangible career goals to pursue biomedical research when they reach college.”

Corces hopes that RISE will eventually motivate five seniors each year to apply for the Baltimore Scholars Program, a Johns Hopkins program that provides a full, four-year scholarship to Baltimore City public school graduates who gain admission to the university.

“We need to increase the pipeline of underprivileged students in research,” Corces says. “Some students' financial or social situations may make this seem like an impossible goal. I'm trying to reach those students and show them what is possible.”