Nuclear engineering freshman Madison Allen is the recipient of the American Nuclear Society Hans P. Loewen Memorial Scholarship. She set out to study nuclear engineering and medicine because of her passion for science and desire to be on the cutting edge of cancer research.

As a cancer survivor herself, nuclear medicine gives her great hope for others battling the disease, and she wants to help pave the way for more breakthroughs in treatments. She greatly admires doctors and physicians who study and work with different types of cancer treatments.

“Fortunately, through many prayers and modern medicine, I’m thankful that I can be recognized as a cancer survivor of a rare type of childhood eye cancer, Bilateral Retinoblastoma (cancer in both eyes),” said Allen. “It has left me visually-impaired, but I do not let my disability get in the way of striving for my future goals.”

She says that being a nuclear engineering major will provide her with a foundation to assist in fulfilling her desire to save future lives of those battling cancer, which is why she’s determined to become an engineer.

Allen says that her resilience as a cancer survivor and visually-impaired person has molded her into the person she is today and has shaped her overall character. Allen has limited distance vision and has had to learn from experience that in order to exceed in education she must advocate for herself in order to improvise, adapt and overcome her eyesight challenges.

Allen’s experience at UT has proven supportive in providing accommodations for her visual impairment, such as special links for easy viewing of material provided by the department. Additionally, the Student Health Center has recently acquired and installed a new large screen monitor and has large print versions of selected forms available for students. She also takes advantage of the library’s Zoom Text and other assistive technologies in their accessibility room.

“Overall, the UT faculty, staff and UT Student Disability Services have been exceptionally helpful at providing accommodations for visually impaired persons,” she said.

“We are thrilled to have Madison as a student in the Department of Nuclear Engineering,” said Amanda Lovelace, the department’s advisor for undergraduate students. “She is enthusiastic about the major and the field of nuclear medicine; her positive attitude and smile are contagious around the department. Being awarded the ANS scholarship will give Madison the boost she needs to accomplish her educational goals.”