Craig Pearson, an Honors College senior majoring in neuroscience, biochemistry and molecular biology in the College of Natural Science and English in the College of Arts and Letters, has been nominated for the Churchill Scholarship.
Pearson is from Bloomfield Hills and graduated from University of Detroit Jesuit High School. He entered MSU as an Alumni Distinguished Scholarship recipient. If awarded the Churchill Scholarship, Pearson plans to pursue a master of philosophy in medical science and a doctoral degree in clinical neuroscience at the University of Cambridge.
If awarded, Pearson would become MSU’s 17th Churchill Scholar.
“The capacity to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the sciences is one of the major criteria for the Churchill Scholarship and Craig has demonstrated skill for this type of work during his studies at Michigan State University,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the MSU Honors College. “Craig also has a passion for literature and is active in the student community.”
Volunteering in high school, Pearson worked with students with visual impairments.
“In the past, going from blindness to sight has seemed practically unthinkable,” said Pearson. “But in today’s climate of groundbreaking scientific research, this phenomenon is not merely possible, but a realistic goal. With dedication and rigorous research, we can restore vision and change lives. I want to be part of that phenomenon – to be there when someone opens his or her eyes and experiences the unimaginable rush of new sight.”
Pearson serves as an undergraduate research assistant in the MSU Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and an undergraduate lab manager and lead undergraduate researcher for the MSU Digital Humanities and Literary Cognition Lab.
He has served as a clinical volunteer at the MSU Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology. Pearson also is the student managing editor for ReCUR, the Red Cedar Undergraduate Research Journal, and is the founder and managing editor of Exceptions: The Art and Literary Journal for Students with Visual Disabilities.
Established in 1959, the Winston Churchill Foundation’s Scholarship Program offers 14 American students of exceptional ability and outstanding achievement the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees in engineering, mathematics, or the sciences in Churchill College at the University of Cambridge, England. More information on the Churchill Scholarship can be found at http://www.winstonchurchillfoundation.org.
The National and International Fellowship and Scholarship (NIFS) office at Michigan State University, administered by the Honors College, helps interested undergraduate and graduate students to pursue major national and international opportunities by providing information and direct support throughout the competitive application processes. The Honors College serves academically talented, committed students who wish to pursue and achieve academic excellence. The Honors College strives to ensure an enriched academic and social experience for our members and create an environment that fosters active, innovative learning.