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At the recent OMNI Distinguished Scientist Seminar, Brian Clark, Ph.D., announced that the annual student poster competition and research awards held during the Ģ����Ƶ Osteopathic Symposium has been renamed the Nathaniel Szewczyk Student Research Excellence Awards, to honor the life and legacy of the late Nathaniel “Nate” Szewczyk, Ph.D. He was a professor at the Ģ����Ƶ University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and principal investigator at the Ģ����Ƶ Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI).

The renamed competition will continue to recognize students who do outstanding biomedical, clinical, behavioral medicine and medical education research, as well as case reports. At the symposium, the Nathaniel Szewczyk Student Research Excellence Awards totaling $3,000 will be distributed to medical students to recognize exceptional scientific inquiry and presentation of their research – values that defined Szewczyk’s career and mentorship.

The prizes are made possible through donations to the . Donors can contribute to the fund through Dec. 31. All proceeds will directly support the continuation of Szewczyk’s legacy through the encouragement and recognition of future generations of medical researchers.

“This is in memory of his life of inquiry, mentorship and devotion to student success,” said Clark, who serves as executive director of OMNI and holds the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Harold E. Clybourne, D.O., Endowed Research Chair.

Szewczyk passed away on July 26, 2025. In addition to his roles at the Heritage College and OMNI, he was also the former Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Ralph S. Licklider, D.O., Endowed Professor in Molecular Medicine. Known not only for his groundbreaking research but also for his warmth and generosity, Szewczyk was a deeply respected colleague and mentor.

“Many of us in this room lost a dear colleague a few months ago. Nate made immense contributions to science and leaves behind a profound personal legacy,” said Clark during the seminar. “He was one of the most highly cited scholars at Ģ����Ƶ University at the time of his passing, with more than 20,000 citations to his name.”

A pioneering space biologist, Szewczyk’s research explored how living organisms adapt to microgravity. His work sent experiments involving C. elegans worms to the Space Shuttle and International Space Station, contributing critical insights into neuromuscular adaptation in space.

“His work was not just academic—it was deeply impactful,” Clark added.

Szewczyk earned his B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University and his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, later completing postdoctoral space biology research with NASA at the Ames Research Center in California. Before joining Ģ����Ƶ University in 2020, he spent 12 years at the University of Nottingham in England, where he continued to advance the field of space life sciences.