APRIL 28, 2021 – Ifigenia “Niya” Omiridis, a freshman at TMI Episcopal, was named as one of 23 local high-school students accepted to the Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy at UT Health San Antonio.

Starting as rising sophomores, students commit to three summer sessions of seven weeks each. This elite program pairs participants with outstanding biomedical scientists from UT Health, who have included Nobel Prize winners. The Academy provides students with an immersive biomedical research and education experience, focusing on pursuing a research project from choosing a topic to creating a presentation of their results.

“This is an incredible opportunity,” said TMI Physics teacher Mark Philippi, who coordinates Voelcker applications for the school, noting that the professional-level training “sets (participants) apart from others when it comes time to apply to and select colleges.”

At TMI, Omiridis served as president of the National Junior Honor Society, has been a contributor to “The Muse” literary magazine, had her artwork chosen to be featured in a school exhibit at the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas Bishop Jones Center and plays varsity basketball.

TMI alumni who have completed the Voelcker program include Simon Bruhn, class of 2020, Hannah Wool ’17, Julia Wool ’17,  Taylor Devlin ’14 and Megan Abbott ’12.

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Founded in 1893, TMI is a private, coeducational, college-preparatory school for grades six-12, with optional Junior ROTC and boarding programs. For information, visit www.tmi-sa.org or call 210-698-7171.