News Harris-Stowe State University For Immediate Release Contact: Courtney McCall (314) 340-3391 mccallc@hssu.edu Harris-Stowe Student Places Second in National STEM Competition ST. LOUIS, MO (March 12, 2012) - Harris-Stowe State University senior biology major David Marango received second-place honors at the recent 2012 Emerging Researchers National Competition in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in Atlanta, Ga. A panel of judges awarded Marango a $200 prize in the undergraduate level for his oral presentation in the Mathematics and Statistics category, in which he researched "Mathematical Modeling of Genetic Counseling with Application to Sickle Cell Anemia." Specifically, the project looked at how genetic counseling affects prevalence of sickle cell anemia in different populations. Marango, along with his faculty advisor Dr. Ann Podleski, an HSSU professor of mathematics, hypothesized that genetic counseling would result in deviation from random mating and from the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) for sickle cell genotype. The project was supported by the $2.5 million National Science Foundation HBCU-UP Implementation grant that HSSU acquired in 2009. Harris-Stowe State University, located in midtown St. Louis, is a four-year institution that offers 14 degree programs in the areas of Accounting, Business Administration, Biology, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Health Care Management, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Information Sciences and Computer Technology, Mathematics, Middle School Education, Professional Interdisciplinary Studies, Secondary Education and Urban Affairs. Ranked by U.S. News as one of America's Best Colleges in the Midwest, the university, which has been in existence for more than 150 years, offers the most affordable bachelor's degree in the metropolitan area. ### Courtney Z. McCall Assistant Vice President Communications, Marketing, Alumni Affairs & Development Harris-Stowe State University Ofc: (314) 340-3391 I mobile: (314) 280-9964 I fax: (314) 340-3575 web: www.hssu.edu <http://www.hssu.edu/> **********************Harris-Stowe State University********************** This e-mail is confidential and sent only to specified recipient(s). However, all e-mail is subject to possible interception by third parties. *************Contact postmaster@hssu.edu to report problems**************