Excellence in Chemistry Research

King Wins First Place in Lyceum Student Research Showcase

Chemistry major J. Michael King was a first-place winner in UT Tyler's fifth annual Lyceum Student Research Showcase for his work in the fight against cancer.

A campuswide event presented by the Honors Program and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, the Lyceum featured 237 student presenters, representing all six UT Tyler colleges. Traditionally held on campus, the event was presented online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

King, who completed his Bachelor of Science degree in May, placed first in the undergraduate oral presentation category for his project titled "Developing the HK97 Virus-Like Particle as a Drug Delivery System.''

"I was very grateful and honored to receive the award,'' King said. "I was familiar with the excellent work and presentations given by my peers and I knew that my competition was very tough.''

His award-winning project was part of his work with Dr. Dustin Patterson, associate professor of biochemistry, to develop a drug delivery system targeting cancer cells. A freshman when he joined Patterson in research, King is preparing for a career as a physician.

"The research appealed to me from the beginning because of how strongly it is connected with medicine,'' King said. "One of the amazing things about Dr. Patterson's research group is that students conduct all of their own work from the beginning and learning is very active. Once I worked independently for some time and learned more about my research, I was afforded a lot of freedom to direct the project and contribute intellectually.''

He also placed first in oral presentation at the 2018 Lyceum and was named Outstanding Student in Undergraduate Research in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, among other awards. He presented his research at 12 conferences during his time at UT Tyler, including the 255th and 257th National American Chemical Society Convention, the 121st and 123rd Texas Academy of Science meetings and the Great Plains Honors Conference.

King was an Honors Program student and served as president of the American Chemical Society Student Chapter during his time at UT Tyler.