This award is named after Dr. Edward C. Alexander, who was a Professor of Chemistry at San Diego Mesa College and was among 78 distinguished scientists named by the American Chemical Society as a 2015 ACS Fellow. 

Dr Alexander believed in the power of mentorship and mentored multiple people from underrepresented communities while directing the NIH-funded Bridges to the Baccalaureate science research training program at Mesa College. This allowed students to successfully transfer to prestigious four year institutions with many previous students having gone on to establish careers in science. 

Building from Dr Alexander’s philosophy on diversifying the science career space, we wanted to support students currently in need of financial support considering the global increase in the cost of living. We at Black in Cancer understand that to do your best work professionally, there are societal and financial barriers one needs to overcome. It is our hope that we can continue to provide opportunities which level the playing field and take some of the financial burden from PhD candidates in need of that help. 

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