Hemali Batra, a 2008 graduate of West Des Moines Valley High School, was awarded the Roberta Ahmanson Intern Award during the 2008 World Food Prize Laureate Ceremony on October 16, 2008 at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.
Hemali was awarded the Ahmanson Intern Award for her remarkable work at AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center in Shanhua, Tainan, Taiwan.
Hemali worked in southwestern Taiwan under the general supervision of Molecular Geneticist Dr. Robert C. de la Peña. She was involved in the project “Risk Assessment of Bt-transgenic Vegetable Brassica” under the supervision of Molecular Geneticist Dr. Robert C. de la Peña. She contributed to two parts of the project: 1) Effect of Bt on susceptible and non-susceptible insect pests and 2) Using outcrossing to introduce Bt genes into Brassica species. She also studied the cross-compatibility and outcrossing potential of various B. oleracea subspecies by assessing genetic relationships in the C genome with DNA markers.
Hemali is currently freshman at the University of Iowa in Iowa City with a double major in Biochemistry and International Studies. She aspires to be a physician.
Hemali was selected as a Borlaug-Ruan International Intern after completing the World Food Prize Youth Institute in October of 2006. The Youth Institute, a prerequisite for International Internship eligibility, exposes young Iowans to opportunities associated with careers in food, agriculture and natural resource disciplines. Youth Institute participants interact with World Food Prize Laureates and Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug to discuss issues of food security throughout the world.
The Ahmanson Intern Award was created in 2001 and is named in honor of former teacher and journalist Roberta Green Ahmanson, for her generous endowment of the World Food Prize International Internship Program and Youth Institute.
Brown received his award prior to the awarding of the 2008 World Food Prize to former United States Senators Robert Dole and George McGovern. The event was televised live throughout the state of Iowa on Iowa Public Television..
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Borlaug-Ruan Internship