I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve as the President of Baylor Research Advocates for Student Scientists for the 2020 term. It is an honor to work with the dedicated and dynamic members who serve on the Board of Directors to help me guide this unique and worthwhile organization to fulfill its mission and plan for the future.
This is an exciting year for BRASS, now in our 25th year, we are looking forward to celebrating an impressive milestone anniversary of enhancing the pursuit of excellence in biomedical research at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. Since 1995, BRASS has sponsored 72 of the brightest graduate scholars and many have gone on to achieve great success in leadership positions in research and clinical medicine in academia and private industry. Since the very beginning we have followed each of them as they have progressed in their careers and several of them will be return to be a part of our 25th anniversary celebration on April 15.
Our annual endowed BRASS Scholarships have gradually increased from one in our inaugural year to four beginning in 2012. Today we have 20 active BRASS Scholars. In 2007 we also funded the prestigious addition of the William R. Brinkley Endowed Dean’s chair!
We have been able to make this remarkable progress through the kind generosity of our members, benefactors and the foundations that support us. They understand the need for supporting the financial and social needs of student scientists so they can go on to make their contribution to the scientific research that is leading to breakthroughs and helping to cure the diseases that plague our society today. To date we have raised more than $7 M.
Continued success rests with our ability to focus on the needs of our scholars particularly in funding their research. Funding for biomedical research has been significantly reduced nationally during the last decade. This reduction has had a major financial impact in research labs throughout the nation including Baylor College of Medicine. Your continued financial support for BRASS helps insure we have the ability to fund a crucial margin of excellence for our scholars’ research.
If you are not yet a participating member, we would love to have you join BRASS and become a part of the BRASS family. I can assure you that you will enjoy getting to know our brilliant, multi-faceted BRASS Scholars; they will enrich your lives in so many ways, just as you will theirs.
Sincerely,
Elsie Eckert
BRASS President
For more information about BRASS or our exciting events, contact Nancy Davis at (713) 798-6194 or ndavis@bcm.edu.
