May 12, 2011

Harding student wins national chemist award

Harding University student LaBianca Wright, a senior biochemistry
major from Searcy, was named Outstanding Graduating Biochemistry Major
at the university for 2011 by the American Institute of Chemists. The
award was presented at the university’s science and nursing
convocation April 22.

Wright also received an award as one of four Harding students named
Outstanding Chemistry Graduate at the Central Arkansas Section of the
American Chemical Society banquet April 19.

Wright plans to pursue a career in medicine and will begin her medical
training at Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
this summer. Last year she was appointed to a medical internship at
Harvard University.

“LaBianca is a wonderful young lady and outstanding student,” said Dr.
Ed Wilson, professor chemistry at Harding. “She will be a kind,
sensitive and intelligent physician and will help many people during
her lifetime. I truly feel honored to be able to work with such a
talented person. She is a credit to Searcy, Arkansas and Harding
University.”

Wilson went on to say that Wright is an “excellent researcher” and was
awarded an Arkansas Space Grant Undergraduate Researcher Award for the
2010-11 academic year. Her project was to make measurements of gases
in the earth’s atmosphere by using the moon as the source of light.
Wright and Wilson presented a poster on her project at the 19th
Arkansas Space Grant Consortium at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
April 22.

Wright is a 2007 graduate of Harding Academy and will graduate from
the university with a bachelor’s degree May 14.