Jannese Stallworth

Daleville, Alabama

Birmingham-Southern senior biology major Jannese Stallworth loves a good challenge. And that's exactly what she gets from her professors in the BSC Biology Department.

“The professors have challenged me like I've never been challenged before, and I have actually enjoyed most of it,” Stallworth says. “One of the best things about our biology department is that they are always there and are willing to help, even if it's not within office hours.”

Stallworth has tackled a number of research projects during her time on campus. Her senior project is keeping her plenty busy, however, as she examines whether the protein Ral-GDS causes downregulation in the potential tumor suppressor gene, Pigment Epithelium Derived Factor (PEDF). She was named a Vail Distinguished Research Fellow as part of the protein study.

In addition to her biology work and research, Stallworth is a major contributor to a number of organizations and events across BSC's campus. She is a BSC Southern Ambassador and a member of Students Offering Support (S.O.S.), the Commuter Student Union, the Mentoring Program, Beta Beta Beta (Biology Honors Society), and the BSC Academic Resource Center.

Stallworth is still deciding whether to pursue her medical degree, or to earn her PhD. One path will lead her to a medical practice, while the other would allow her to continue her research into the effects of Ral-GDS on tumors or to study her favorite animal—the kangaroo.