
“Going into the biotech field has proven that Drew provides amazing lab experience.”
Vanessa is a research assistant in Shenandoah Biotechnology's molecular biology department.
RISE
Speaker: Dr. Dafydd Owen, Senior Scientific Director, Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer
Monday Nov. 14th 2022
Link to event flyer: 2022 RISE_The Discovery of Paxlovid for the treatment of Covid-19 patients
In our RISE program, science students study with star researchers like Drew Fellow and 2015 Nobel Prize Winner William Campbell, as well as other industrial scientists who come to Drew from industry leaders like AT&T Bell Labs, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Merck and Schering-Plough. With decades of leadership in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics, these researchers work one-on-one with Drew undergraduate students, mentoring and guiding them as they perform hands-on research.
See what some of our recent grads are doing now, and how RISE helped them get there.
Vanessa is a research assistant in Shenandoah Biotechnology's molecular biology department.
Erin is a PhD student in Ohio State's Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program.
Benjamin is a PhD student in UNC-Chapel Hill's Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry program
Makayla is a PhD student in Brown University's Pathobiology Program.
Junhui is a student in Columbia's applied math bachelors of science program.
Stefanie is a research associate at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Jillian is a Doctor of Optometry student in the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Lloyd is a statistics PhD student at The Ohio State University
Drew Professor Emeritus, James Miller, when he was Chair of the Chemistry Department, had the initial inspiration. Jim observed that Northern New Jersey has a plentiful supply of research-oriented companies, especially in the pharmaceutical and telecommunications industries. He realized that Drew was strategically located to attract talented researchers from these companies when they retired.
In 1979, George deStevens, who had been Executive Vice President and Director of Research at Ciba-Geigy, joined the Drew faculty and later became the Founding Director of RISE. He was instrumental in raising over $1,000,000 for construction of office and laboratory space for RISE.
RISE has mentored well over 350 undergraduate science students since its inception. Some are able to begin research as early as their freshman year. Others may start by participating in Drew’s popular Summer Science Institute. Many are able to turn their research into Honors Theses in their senior year. Whenever possible, students present their research results at professional meetings and publish them in peer-reviewed journals. RISE students have an enviable record of being admitted to top-notch Ph.D. programs and medical, dental, and veterinary schools.
Members of RISE not only maintain their natural ties with former employers but also cultivate new ones as opportunities present themselves. We encourage students to undertake internships with local companies, and we welcome the chance to collaborate on research where it would be mutually advantageous. Historically, RISE has benefited enormously from corporate donations of surplus equipment for our laboratories. Other examples include visitor exchanges and shared seminars. For nearly 40 years we have organized and hosted the Residential School on Medicinal Chemistry for professionals from the pharmaceutical industry. About 4,000 people from around the world have attended during this long period.
Benjamin Strickland C’21
Fall 2020, Winner of the BioSolveIT Scientific Challenge Award
RISE Mentor: Dr. Vincent Gullo
“In Silico Discovery of Potent Novel Antibacterial Lead Compounds Inhibiting FtsZ”
Shivani Mody C’21
October 2020, Becton Dickinson Healthcare Scholarship
RISE Mentor: Dr. Marvin Bayne
Parkinson’s disease models
Stephanie Wang C’22
October 2020, J & J Pre-Professional Healthcare Scholarship
RISE Mentor: Dr. Marvin Bayne
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) gene models
Benjamin Strickland C’21
October 2020, Novartis Science Scholar Award
RISE mentor: Dr. Vincent Gullo
Computer assisted drug design
Dr. George deStevens, Director of RISE, 1979–1995
Dr. deStevens retired from the Pharmaceutical Division of CIBA-Geigy Corporation as Executive Vice President and Director of Research in 1979. The Dr. George deStevens Award for RISE Research aas established by Mrs. Ruby deStevens in loving memory of her husband. Awarded annually to a student or students who conducted research under the tutelage of RISE Fellows
2021 – Yusef Shibly
2020 – Benjamin Strickland
2019 – Janaya Reeves
2018 – David Van Dongen
2017 – Matthew Owen
2016 – Austin Larocca and Ian Pavlak
2015 – Drew Stenger
2014 – Elizabeth Regedanz
2013 – Antonios Apostolidis and Steven Ketchum
2012 – Maria Falzone
2011 – Yasmine Mourad
2010 – Yang Yang
Dr. Sidney Udenfriend, Director of RISE, 1996–1999
Awarded annually to one or more students majoring in science who demonstrate exceptional promise for fundamental or applied research. Dr. Udenfriend was the Founding Director of the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology. In 1996 he retired as Director Emeritus of the Institute.
Established in 2000 by family and friends of Sidney Udenfriend, second director of theCharles A. Dana Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti. Awarded annually to one or more students majoring in science who demonstrate exceptional promise for fundamental or applied research.
2021 – Vanessa Raab
2020 – Stefanie DeFronzo
2019 – Emilio Penate
2018 – Allison Ramos
2017 – Erin Connors and Diana Lourenco
2016 – Victoria Korn
2015 – Lissette Londono
2014- Randa Barsoom
2013 – Brittany Barreto
2012 – Gregory Hunt & Rachel Masia
2011 – Heather Tynan
2010 – Christian Maggio
2009 – Amanda Driesse & Kimy Yeung
2008 – No Prize Awarded
2007 – Kellie Joyce & Doria Tsatsos
2006 – Daniel Riccio
2005 – Elena Tartaglia
2004 – Anthony Miller
2003 – Lauren Campbell
2002 – Katherine Fish
2001 – Carmen Drahl
Current RISE Students, please fill out a Student Information Form. If you are a current RISE Research Student and have filled out a Student Information Form in the past, please do so again. Thank you!
As a student, you may do work that gets you named in a scientific paper with a RISE Fellow. Working with our faculty—some of whom have as many as 200 patents to their names—puts you out in front of the professional scientific community.
RISE gives you experience with analytic equipment you’ll use on the job, from liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry—for separating and identifying components of a mixture—to high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry—for determining molecular structures.