TU Honors College student wins Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowship

Chinenye Ofor, a rising senior in Towson University’s Honors College, has won the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowship.

Launched in 2010, this highly competitive national honors research grant supports creative and innovative cross-disciplinary research projects for honors students from two-year or four-year colleges and universities.

“It feels awesome knowing that people believe in me and the work that I do,” Ofor says. “This is the second grant I've received for this research project, so it's extremely validating and rewarding. It being a national award and me being the first Towson University student to receive it also means a lot.”

Her project, "Navigating the Aftermath: Understanding Barriers to Care After Sexual Violence for Nigerian Women," seeks to examine the gap between how survivors experience navigating care and accessing sexual and reproductive health resources through research methods grounded in communication and public health frameworks. She is collaborating with her faculty sponsor Tosin Adebayo, a professor in TU’s Department of Communication Studies.

“I hope to better understand the barriers women face when receiving healthcare all over the world,” Ofor says. “Although my research focuses on Nigerian women, many of the themes apply to immigrant groups and women from all over the world, which brings me to my long-term goal: bridging medical technology and women's health.”

Her research has impressed Honors College leadership.

“Chinenye's research embodies the creative research and innovative, interdisciplinary thinking that we encourage at the TU Honors College,” says Alison McCartney, its dean. “She has invested significant time and energy into building this project with Dr. Adebayo, and, as demonstrated by this scholarship award, her project is a national example of high-quality honors work.”

Chinenye Ofor and fellow student researcher conducting protein research as part of the biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) program.

A veteran student-researcher  

This is not Ofor’s first time navigating complex research topics. In the molecular biology, biochemistry & bioinformatics program, she has researched protein characterization through a biology-focused course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) and stands out as a member of the Hill-Lopes Scholars Program and a TEDxTowsonU 2025 speaker.

“I want to show others that you can be interested in different things and ambitious and pave your own way even if it doesn't make sense or seem easy at first,” she says.

Ofor’s interdisciplinary success in research, public speaking and mentoring has been consistently nurtured by dedicated faculty and staff members in the Honors College, the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

"She has been a clear leader in undergraduate research on campus through her role as an officer in the Undergraduate Research Club, a member of Dr. Nancy Grasmick's student leaders group, and an Honors College student director,” McCartney says.

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of her research and mentorship experiences in the Honors College, Ofor is harnessing her skills in the STEM and communication studies realms to bring impactful insights in women’s health and medical technology to light.

“Nobody starts out college thinking they’re going to conduct research or even host a TED Talk,” Ofor says. “TU has allowed me to explore and discover so much, which is really what college is about. Being able to do that in a space where you have the support to do so makes a difference.”