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OXFORD, Miss. – Heath Stevens arrived at ·¬ÇÑÉçÇø with a scholarship and left with a calling: to practice medicine in Mississippi and confront the state’s cancer mortality rate, which is the nation's highest. 

Stevens, a senior biomedical engineering major and member of the , aims to enroll at the this fall. He plans to remain in Mississippi. 

“Staying in Mississippi is really important to me,” Stevens said. 

A recipient of the Lena Mitchell Marquette Council Scholarship, the Oxford native has distinguished himself academically and through service.  

He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi academic honor society and Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, and earned a Taylor Medal, the university’s highest undergraduate honor. He’s also an Honors College ambassador 

Atkins Trout, scholar adviser, said Stevens is an amazing young man with a voracious appetite for knowledge and research and a calm, quiet and unassuming nature. 

“His diligence and commitment to biomedical research during his undergraduate studies rightfully earned him a Taylor Medal, and I'm certain that someday soon his hard work will benefit a wide range of patient populations around the world,” Trout said. “I get to say, ‘I knew him when ... ’” 

Stevens’ campus involvement reflects a strong emphasis on service.  

He serves as chair of the facilities and collections committee for Grove Grocery, the university’s campus food pantry. He’s also a special events coordinator for Operation Smile, which helps those born with cleft conditions benefit from free, life-changing surgery and comprehensive care.  

He also volunteers at Baptist Cancer Center, and those volunteer experiences reinforced his desire to practice medicine in Mississippi, where health disparities remain pronounced. 

His research experience spans multiple labs and institutions. Stevens previously worked in the university’s molecular biophysics and engineering lab and completed a research internship at the in Boston.

He serves as a research assistant in the interdisciplinary nano biosciences lab, where he helps develop implantable drug delivery devices designed to improve medication compliance. 

Stevens said the Women’s Council played a central role in shaping his undergraduate experience.  

The council provides each scholar with a $40,000 scholarship as well as guidance and training in leadership skills and life and career development. It also offers chances for personal growth through cultural and travel opportunities and alumni networking throughout the students’ tenure at the university. 

“There’s the support system that pushes you to grow and to seek out opportunities to get involved, to serve,” Stevens said. “One of the four main tenants is service, and when I started, I didn’t know the extent of it.  

"We hear from leaders in our community about what we can do here, and it’s pushed us all to get involved.” 

Women's Council board member Liza Frugẻ said Stevens is outstanding among his peers. 

“He’s never needed the spotlight to stand out; his quiet determination, deep commitment to his community and excellence in the classroom and beyond speak for themselves,” Frugẻ said. “With his quick mind, sense of humor and unmatched work ethic, the future is incredibly bright as he heads to medical school.” 

Looking back, Stevens said Ole Miss exceeded his expectations. 

“I didn’t know what it was going to be like,” he said. “I think I thought it would be more of the same, but it is a home away from home at home. Seeing the progress I have made is indicative of the many opportunities there are to grow here.” 

Top: Heath Stevens, a biomedical engineering senior from Oxford, distinguished himself at Ole Miss through cancer research, volunteer work at Baptist Cancer Center and academic honors including a Taylor Medal before setting his sights on medical school at UMMC and a career fighting Mississippi's nation-leading cancer mortality rate. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

See more photos from Heath Stevens' Journey to Commencement