Meharry Medical College School of Applied and Computational Sciences is proud to announce that Ange Rukundo, a data science master’s student, and Jean-Hus Theodore, a biomedical data science student, have been awarded a scholarship from the esteemed Thurgood Marshall College Fund offered in partnership with Novartis pharmaceuticals. This highly competitive award, named after the renowned Supreme Court Justice and civil rights icon, recognizes exceptional students committed to academic excellence and the advancement of their respective fields.
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which provides financial support for students pursuing careers in law, science, and public policy. Since its inception in 1987, the scholarship fund has raised $500 million to assist top-performing students in need of support.
Now, in partnership with Novartis, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund will not only provide funding, but also professional support in the form of webinars, career-readiness and mentorship programs and immersive educational experiences for students like Rukundo and Theodore in continuing their studies and contributing to the growth of their professions.
“The TMCF and Novartis immersion program, as well as the career program, especially intrigue me because they both present opportunities to better learn how to advocate for myself as a data scientist,” says scholarship recipient Theodore.
“This scholarship has allowed me to focus fully on my studies, gain valuable experiences, and grow as a professional, paving the way for my career in data science,” says Rukundo.
Rukundo’s dedication to excellence and his commitment to bridging gaps in healthcare and technology made him an ideal candidate for this honor. The Thurgood Marshall awardee is also the recipient of a prestigious scholarship from Oracle, the cloud technology juggernaut. In what little free time he has left over from his commitments, Rukundo also works as a research assistant for Vibhuti Gupta, Ph.D., assistant professor, computer science and data science, on the NSF CAP: Capacity Building for Trustworthy AI in Medical Systems.
“This opportunity has been transformative,” says Rukundo. “It provides not only financial support, but also the confidence to pursue my academic and professional aspirations without compromise.”
The second Thurgood Marshall scholarship recipient, Jean-Hus Theodore, reflects this sentiment. Theodore’s demonstrated commitment to improving healthcare for all via biomedical research sent him to the top of the 2024-2025 class of candidates. The Thurgood Marshall scholar was also honored by the Meharry SACS Data Science Scholarship Award and Omega Psi Phi Undergraduate Grant Award, among several others.
“The Novartis HBCU graduate scholarship will serve as a professional and financial auxiliary as I transition to a third-degree program and eventual career in biomedical research,” says Theodore.
To work towards a fruitful career in biomedical research, Theodore has worked as a research assistant under Aize Cao, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical data science. He has also performed research in AI/ML techniques in a lab funded by the NIH’s AIM-AHEAD grant, been a research scholar in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Foundation’s Summer Institute of Biostatistics, and been a research assistant part of a John Hopkins program hosted at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“Throughout my time here in Meharry, mentors have guided me to this point giving me confidence that has not left me,” says Theodore. “It would be apropos that I pass that good will on as an ambassador for the Novartis Graduate Scholarship.”
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund continues to serve as a beacon of hope and opportunity for Meharry SACS students like Ange Rukundo and Jean-Hus Theodore, whose academic and professional pursuits are set to make a lasting impact.
