Sophie Tanker, a junior computer science major, is one of the first two recipients of the inaugural Shumaker Undergraduate Diversity Science Scholarship.
The scholarship, presented by the Shumaker Law Firm, is aimed at promoting diversity in the field of patent law. In addition to the $5,000 award, recipients receive hands-on experience in the field of patent preparation and prosecution through a paid summer internship with the firm.
Tanker stated the scholarship will enable her to focus on academics during her final year at Charlotte. “I will be taking classes that pertain both to my major and my future career, like Biotechnology and the Law. This summer, I am training to be a patent agent while continuing the fight for diversity in male-dominated fields like the intersection of law and technology, which is incredibly important to me.”
Currently a research assistant in the Department of Bioinformatics, Tanker is a member of the Student Senate, social media chair for Alpha Omega Epsilon and a volunteer notetaker for the Office of Disability Services.
Clemson University student Ivy Gray was the other inaugural recipient of the Shumaker Undergraduate Diversity Science Scholarship.