Asanté Quintana, a premed senior in Human Biology, Health and Society, won first place in the 2017 Elsie Van Buren Rice Award in Public Speaking for his presentation of research by Dr. Patrick Stover on the impacts of folate deficiency on cell metabolism.

Quintana, who has been rapping since middle school, credits his music experiences with preparing him for public speaking. Both rapping and public speaking form a relationship between performer and audience, Quintana explained, requiring the performer to tap into their understanding of the world and communicate it in a way that makes sense to others.

Video - I Am Human Ecology:  Asante Quintana