Rising senior Robert Tumasian, from Olivebridge, N.Y., has been selected to attend Harvard University’s Summer Program in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. The five-week program will be held at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
Tumasian, an applied math major who is on the pre-med track, says that he applied to the program because he wants to “deeply investigate the fields of epidemiology and biostatistics.”
The Summer Program in Epidemiology & Biostatistics integrates mathematics and quantitative methods to provide students with an understanding of the skills and processes necessary to pursue a career in public health. Areas of study in epidemiology include cancer, aging, infectious disease, cardiovascular, neuro-psychiatric, and genetics.
“I'm very excited about the program,” Tumasian says. “These fields allow me to bridge mathematics and medicine, my two greatest passions. It will also help me determine if public health is the right field for me.”
"Robert is a prime example of the talented and ambitious students that Geneseo attracts,” says Michael Mills, director of national fellowships and scholarships at Geneseo.
Last summer Tumasian attended Harvard T.H. Chan School's Annual Conference to Increase Diversity in Mathematics Modeling and Public Health. He was also awarded a pre-med fellowship with the Atlantic Project in Portugal to learn plastic and reconstructive surgical techniques.
Tumasian, a resident assistant, is currently a research assistant in Biology Professor Gregg Hartvigsen's lab, where he has participated in experiments on the epidemiology of leprosy. After graduation, Tumasian hopes to earn his master’s degree in public health at Harvard.