|
3
<br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
<br /> PROCLAMATION
<br /> HONORING DR. KIZZMEKIA S. CORBETT
<br /> WHEREAS, Kizzmekia S. Corbett, PhD, is currently a research fellow in the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory
<br /> at the National Institutes of Health [NIH], National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [NIAID],
<br /> Vaccine Research Center; and
<br /> WHEREAS, Kizzmekia Corbett, raised in the Cedar Grove community of Orange County, North Carolina,
<br /> attended Orange County Schools during which time she spent two summers in the Project SEED Summer
<br /> Intern program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, thus becoming a testament to her innate
<br /> abilities and to the value of investing in the education of youth; and
<br /> WHEREAS, Dr. Corbett received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, with a secondary major in
<br /> Sociology, in 2008 from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, where she was a Meyerhoff Scholar
<br /> and an NIH undergraduate scholar; and
<br /> WHEREAS, Dr. Corbett earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology at the
<br /> University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014; and
<br /> WHEREAS, a viral immunologist by training, Dr. Corbett was appointed to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory
<br /> in 2014, and has focused her work on developing novel coronavirus vaccines, including mRNA-1273, which
<br /> has become a primary vaccine against the virus that causes COVID-19; and
<br /> WHEREAS, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Corbett and her team designed the vaccine concept
<br /> incorporated in mRNA-1273 from viral sequence and rapidly deployed to Moderna, Inc., for FDA-approved
<br /> Phase 1 clinical trial, which began only 66 days from the viral sequence release, and was shown to be 94.1%
<br /> effective in Phase 3 trial and received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA; and
<br /> WHEREAS, Dr. Corbett has received numerous honors, awards and fellowships, has been a keynote
<br /> speaker and invited lecturer at universities, medical schools and research centers across the nation, and has
<br /> published as a co-author, senior author and first author; and
<br /> WHEREAS, Dr. Corbett has been acknowledged by Dr. Anthony Fauci, NIAID Director, for her research and
<br /> successful results in the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, and is now receiving national
<br /> acclaim; and
<br /> WHEREAS, Dr. Corbett is an active member of the NIH Fellows Committee, an advocate of STEM education
<br /> and vaccine awareness, and a mentor, and engages in outreach to African American youth and adults;
<br /> NOW, THEREFORE, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, on behalf of the people of Orange
<br /> County, does hereby proclaim this day, Wednesday, January 20, 2021 as
<br /> DR. KIZZMEKIA S. CORBETT DAY
<br /> in recognition of her remarkable accomplishments in the sciences and medicine, in acknowledgement of her
<br /> unprecedented research and success in thwarting a life-threatening pandemic, and in honor of her
<br /> compassionate dedication to the health, safety and well-being of humanity.
<br /> This the 19'h day of January, 2021.
<br /> Renee Price, Chair
<br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners
<br />
|