On Thursday, February 23rd, Morehouse College welcomed over 60 ARCS members and guests to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of ARCS Atlanta. The event was held in the Walter E. Massey Leadership Center on the Morehouse Campus. Dr. Juana Mendenhall, Assistant Professor in the Morehouse Department of Chemistry, provided a scientific presentation on the creation of gels to combat osteoarthritis. Her research centers on polymer chemistry, nanotechnology and tissue engineering. Dr. Mendenhall’s comments were followed by a presentation by former ARCS scholar and Georgia Tech Professor Dr. Manu O. Platt. Dr. Platt shared his insights and encouragement to the Morehouse ARCS scholars. He cited Maya Angelou, by sharing the quote “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.” He encouraged scholars to think locally about their research and act locally. Identify local needs, such as sickle cell disease, and transfer the learning to impact the entire world to combat disease. He also encouraged scholars to be a mentor by reaching back and pulling someone up with you along your career journey. A light lunch was served after which the Morehouse ARCS Scholars conducted a series of poster presentations for our Atlanta ARCS members. This celebratory event was a joint effort with Funds Development.
