Sterling Scholar: Philo T. Farnsworth Governor's Award

Philo T. Farnsworth Governor's Award

Sami Safiullah

West High School

Parents: Sheikh and Shaheen Safiullah

Last winter I explored the elimination of Helicobacter phlori using h2 receptor antagonists. I spent two months working at a lab at the University of Utah where I learned what it truly means to be a scientist. This project helped develop my interest in medicine and helped me become a more independent and assiduous individual. It has also opened my eyes to the different challenges scientists face in the future regarding bacterial resilience. My interest in science has solidified through my trip to my ancestral village in Bangladesh last summer. At Shimarkanda Elementary School, I distributed backpacks, mosquito nets, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste to cyclone-ravaged students from four villages. The children learned simple malaria prevention and oral hygiene techniques.

AWARD: This award is given jointly by the governor's office and the Deseret News/KSL 5 Television to an outstanding Sterling Scholar in science. Named after the father of television, Utah's own Philo T. Farnsworth, the award includes a statuette of Farnsworth that is a replica of the "heroic-size" statue in the U.S. Capitol as well as the Utah Capitol. The award also includes $400 from the Deseret News and KSL 5 Television.