College of Engineering hosts cancer lecturer

By Melissa Patrick| @KyKernel

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The UK College of Engineering will host a free lunch and lecture with Mark Davis, a renowned cancer researcher and triple UK alumnus on Friday. It also will host “Engineering Cares: Cancer Education Week” to accompany Davis’ eStudio E-Day speaker event.

Davis’ lecture will start at 11:30 a.m. in the Raymond Student Commons of the Ralph G. Anderson Building.

This event marks the sixth annual talk celebrating the role of communication skills in the lives of notable engineers.

“Industry tells us clearly that in order to be successful, our engineers need to develop not just solid technical skills, but also strong communication skills,” said Emily Dotson, associate director of the Elbert C. Ray eStudio, in an email to the Kernel.

Davis, a chemical engineer at the California Institute of Technology, initially focused his career on issues related to the oil industry, but shifted his focus to nanotechnology in hopes of finding a new way to deliver cancer treatment that directly targets the cancer, minimizing damage to non-affected cells and tissue.

This shift was prompted by his wife’s diagnosis of breast cancer and her experience with chemotherapy.

His wife, Mary, is a survivor, but encouraged her husband to find a better way of treatment.

The cancer education week will open with a scavenger hunt Monday at 8 a.m. Facts about cancer will be hidden throughout the engineering complex and the first student to find all the facts will win up to 32G of jump drive storage courtesy of the eStudio.

“We are really excited to be bringing a man who is as accomplished as Dr. Davis is to the university,” said Meredith Renz, a civil engineering junior, in an email to the Kernel.

“It only seemed fitting that to gear up for his arrival we took the opportunity to educate the students about how they can get involved in fighting cancer, even as college students.”

A daily health fair to promote cancer education will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Raymond Student Commons.

Guest visitors from organizations, including Relay for Life, the Markey Cancer Center, University Health, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, will distribute information about cancer prevention, treatment and support.

All events have been organized by the eStudio and Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society.