As recipients of a pair of prestigious national fellowships, two graduating seniors Azim Karim, a biology major and history minor, and Hassan A. Khalil, a biomedical engineering major and mathematics minor are getting closer to making that dream a reality. Karim received a Merage Foundation for the American Dream Fellowship, and Khalil received an Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship and Award of Excellence.

"We are tremendously pleased that these students have received such national recognition for their outstanding work and creativity. I am delighted for them and for their families," said Donald J. Foss, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "The University of Houston has many opportunities for undergraduates to obtain hands-on, individualized learning experiences. The success of these students is a testimony to them, primarily, but also to the faculty members who worked with them."

Karim's goal is to become a medical doctor, specializing in cardiovascular sciences, as well as perform clinical investigations into treatments for cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. His two-year, $20,000 Merage fellowship will bring him a step closer. While attending UH, his research experience included roles as research assistant with Baylor College of Medicine, Methodist Hospital's DeBakey Heart Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center.

"Azim is an outstanding student, and he has given much of himself to the community," said John Bear, dean of the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. "He is very deserving of this award, and we are proud that he is one of our students."

A native of Pakistan, Karim moved to Houston with his family when he was an infant. During his freshman year at UH, he volunteered for a medical
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Contact: Lisa Merkl
lkmerkl@uh.edu
713-743-8192
University of Houston
30-May-2006