Morehouse College celebrates Bilal Ibrahim, a sophomore Biology major, for being named a 2025 Student Presentation Awardee at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS). This national conference, organized by the American Society for Microbiology, brings together thousands of students and scientists from historically excluded communities in STEM.
Bilal was selected as one of 32 awardees in the competitive Social & Behavioral Sciences/Public Health division. His presentation, “Exploring Education, Income, Ethnicity and Enterococci Levels within Metropolitan Atlanta, GA (USA) Watersheds,” stood out for its rigorous methodology, clear communication, and important contributions to environmental justice and public health. Judges also noted several promising directions for future research.
His study examines how bacterial contamination in Atlanta’s urban watersheds relates to community-level income, education, and demographic patterns. By connecting environmental data to social conditions, Bilal’s research highlights critical health and environmental inequities and reflects Morehouse’s focus on community-centered STEM scholarship.
Bilal’s achievement builds on extensive research training. As an Environmental Justice & Sustainability Program Summer Fellow, he completed a 10-week research internship under Dr. Ethell Vereen at the Vereen Research Institute. He gained hands-on experience in environmental microbiology, field sampling, laboratory testing, and data analysis, preparing him to present confidently at a national stage.
Support from the SPRUST office made Bilal’s participation in ABRCMS possible, strengthening his research experience and amplifying the visibility of Morehouse scholars nationwide.In addition to his ABRCMS recognition, Bilal has been honored for excellence in mathematics, inducted into the Health Careers Society, and named Best Overall Scholar in his EJSP fellowship.
Morehouse is proud of Bilal and looks forward to the continued contributions he will make to STEM and the broader community.