Tracing the Evolution of a Scholarship Recipient

Using mitochondrial DNA, Anthony Moore ’09 traces the genetic hybridization of male primates to determine their place of origin. Fortunately for us, it is not nearly as difficult to discover how Moore came to develop a passion for evolutionary genetics research at Rice.

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Moore began working at the age of 14 to help financially support his family. By the time he graduated from high school, he had been promoted to manager of a grocery store and had won several awards for his achievements as a student, including national recognition as one of Ebony magazine’s Top Black High School Seniors of 2005.

 Thanks to two endowed Rice scholarships — the Carl A. Robertus and Ellen J. Robertus Scholarship in Science and the Eugene L. and Annie Maye Wilson Scholarship — Moore did not have to follow financial aid wherever it led. Instead, he was able to determine his own destiny.  He chose Rice over other high-caliber universities partly for its research opportunities and partly for its dedication to student life.

Now, the future is wide open for Moore, and he hopes to eventually pursue a Ph.D. “I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given,” he said. “Without these scholarships, I, and other students with backgrounds similar to mine, could never hope to study at such a fantastic institution.”