Pitt's College of General Studies Senior Named 2009 Emma W. Locke Award Winner

PITTSBURGH- Ugochi Okoroafor, a University of Pittsburgh College of General Studies senior and dedicated community volunteer, was named the 2009 Emma W. Locke Award winner at Pitt's Honors Convocation Feb. 27.

Established in 1946 by Charles A. Locke in memory of his mother, the Emma W. Locke Award is presented annually to a graduating senior in recognition of high scholarship, character, and devotion to the ideals of the University. The student must have at least a 3.85 GPA and plan to continue his or her education after graduation.

Okoroafor, who hails from Atlanta, Ga., and holds a 3.97 GPA, will graduate in April with a BS degree in natural sciences, BA degree in administration of justice, and a minor in chemistry. She is a University Scholar on the Dean's Honor List and class marshall for the College of General Studies Class of 2009.

Displaced to Pitt after Hurricane Katrina, Okoroafor says that witnessing the devastation caused her to "reassess her priorities." While maintaining her own highly impressive academic record, she has helped struggling students by mentoring at an inner-city high school.

Okoroafor's extensive research experience includes two summers conducting molecular genetics research at the University of South Carolina with a fellowship award from the National Science Foundation and clinical research pertaining to the cardiovascular manifestations of lupus at the Lupus Center of Excellence at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC.

Okoroafor also is the recipient of several other awards, including the Helen Faison Scholarship, the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship, and the 2006 Quest Scholars Award for Undergraduate Research. As vice president of Pitt's chapter of the American Medical Student Association, Okoroafor has headed several service projects to deliver medical supplies and establish an ongoing book drive that would provide scientific textbooks and research journals for the University of Nigeria.

Okoroafor hopes to practice as a physician in underprivileged U.S. communities and start a nonprofit organization to fund, construct, and staff clinics in rural Nigerian villages. She is currently deciding which medical school to attend-from a pool of 11 acceptances.

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