“My work tangibly furthered the nonprofit organization’s mission of making innovative and life-saving care available and accessible to those in need.”

Summer Responsibilities: Shelita wrote a white paper reviewing innovative financing that could be used to encourage manufacturers to develop therapies for rare diseases. Her paper was part of Virginia Bio’s efforts to defeat prescription drug legislation that would lead to price caps and potentially discourage innovation.

Background: During Shelita’s academic career, she has had the opportunity to gain invaluable research experience as an undergraduate research assistant for various projects funded by the Department of Defense (DOD), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In 2022, the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity selected her for its ninth cohort of HBCU Scholars. Currently, Shelita is a member of Dr. Haynes Schniepp’s Diatom Group at William & Mary.