From the gridiron to a national research spotlight

Augustana’s Zion Williams ’26 was among a select group of undergraduate researchers chosen to present at ABRCMS (Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists), a national conference that draws thousands of attendees each year. Williams earned his spot after two summers of research at Johns Hopkins University.

But Williams’ story did not start in a biology lab at Augustana. It started on the football field and changed direction when he got injured.

“I came solely because of football, honestly,” said Williams, whose hometown is Normal, Ill.. “I played football here for three years until I tore my ACL and decided not to play this last year.”

But what kept him choosing Augie, and what made him feel like he belonged, was bigger than the sport. He found friends who checked in on him, and the campus felt personal. Football opened the door, but the community made him want to stay.

At Augustana, Williams found a sense of belonging through campus groups, including the Black Student Union and Phi Omega Phi fraternity, and in the day-to-day relationships that develop on a smaller campus. The shift from athlete to researcher was not instant, but it became possible because Augustana did not treat his initial goals like a one-way path.

“Other schools felt more transactional and business-like,” he said. “Augie always felt more personal. I also really appreciated the smaller class sizes.”

Now a senior majoring in biology and psychology on the pre-medicine track, Williams said the combination reflects how he hopes to practice medicine. 

“The medical field in general is moving toward focusing on social determinants of health,” Williams said. “Psychology helps with understanding how people think, how they’ll take treatment advice, and how they’ll understand the news they’re given.”

At Johns Hopkins, Williams studied why some blood cells survive longer than others.

“Without the protein, the stem cells use more energy and run out faster,” he said, adding that the work could eventually affect treatment for diseases including leukemia.

Williams credits Augustana with giving him early lab experience that translated in a real way once he entered the fast-paced research environment at Johns Hopkins.

“One class that really prepared me was BIO 130, especially the lab,” he said. “A lot of the base skills I needed at Johns Hopkins were covered there.”

But preparation didn’t necessarily create comfort, at least not at the start. The pace and expectations were different. The first summer, he said, felt like he stepped into a room where everyone else already knew the language.

“I was on lap zero while everyone else was on lap 100," he said. "But by the end of the summer, I was teaching graduate students how to do certain techniques and procedures.”

Presenting at ABRCMS gave him a new kind of pressure — explaining his work clearly to people outside his day-to-day lab life. That challenge, he said, made him realize what kind of scientist he wants to be.

“If nobody can understand what you’re saying or researching, then what’s the point of your research?” Williams said.

For incoming students, his advice is simple and practical: build relationships early and take chances before you feel ready.

“Talk to your professors,” he said. “Get to know them. I literally applied on the Johns Hopkins website thinking it was a long shot, but things happen, and you can get in.”

After graduation, Williams plans to attend medical school and is especially interested in trauma or reconstructive surgery.

By Summer Pandey '27