This year’s dinner will feature guest speaker Mitchell H. Gold, MD, who currently serves as president and chief executive officer for Dendreon Corporation. Gold will be describing an innovative new cancer therapy in his presentation entitled, “Winning the War." 

Dendreon, a Seattle-based company, recently completed a $70 million Immunotherapy Manufacturing Facility in Union City which brought over 450 jobs to Georgia. Dendreon’s product, Provenge, is the first ever FDA-approved immunotherapy for prostate cancer. 

The Petit Scholars program began in 2000 as part of a ten-year National Sciences Foundation grant and has been continued and expanded with the help of private donations.  With this year’s fundraising goal of $100,000, sponsorship opportunities are available at platinum, gold, silver and bronze levels as well as individual dinner ticket purchases. 

To date, the Petit Scholars program has provided funding and programs for 166 students from Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Georgia State University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Agnes Scott College, Gwinnett Technical College and the University of Georgia over the past 12 years. IBB Undergraduate Research Scholars program is a competitive scholarship program that allows undergraduates to develop independent research projects in Petit Institute laboratories under the director mentorship of a graduate student and faculty member.  The programs’ alumni go on to use their valuable research experiences in careers as research scientists, academics and physicians.