Emmanuel Fordjour, a University of Texas at Arlington undergraduate majoring in biology and microbiology, has won one of just 15 UNCF Merck Science Research Scholarship Awards for 2014, which comes with up to $25,000 in scholarship money for tuition, housing and billable fees.

UNCF, or the United Negro College Fund, teams with The Merck Company Foundation and Merck Global Diversity Inclusion to create the UNCF Merck Science Initiative. The effort recognizes outstanding African-American students and postdoctoral leaders. Fordjour's scholarship award also includes research internship opportunities with Merck and travel expenses to an orientation and research conferences.

Ashley Purgason, UT Arlington College of Science assistant dean for undergraduate research and student advancement, said the college is grateful to UNCF and Merck for recognizing Fordjour.

"Emmanuel is very deserving due not only to his academic prowess and research experience, but because of his enthusiasm about science and training the next generation of scientists as well," she said. "He is a bright and shining representative of the wonderful student body at UT Arlington and their hunger to succeed and advance the world around them."

Fordjour plans to graduate from UT Arlington in 2015 and complete a combined M.D./Ph.D. program to become a physician, educator and researcher. The Washington D.C.-based Council on Undergraduate Research and the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Foundation honored him earlier this year for his work with Julian Hurdle, an assistant professor of biology at UT Arlington. Hurdle's lab researches ways to fight a dangerous, hospital-acquired disease called Clostridium difficile infection or CDI.