CSUDH Students Attend National Conference for Minority Scientists

CSU Dominguez Hills students from throughout the sciences attended the annual conference of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) was held in Tampa, FL, in October. The conference, designed to provide resources for students that are pursing advanced degrees in the sciences, featured career advancement workshops, scientific symposia, exhibitors, student presentations and noted scientists. Workshops included topics such as pursuing a doctoral degree, how to select an academic specialty, and applying for graduate school. Informal mentoring during the conference is available as well as many opportunities for formalized mentoring. Exhibitors from colleges, universities, government agencies, laboratories, research hospitals and more interacted with and recruited minority students for graduate schools, research internships, financial aid, fellowships, summer programs and post-doctoral positions.

“Not only was I able to meet professionals in my field of interest, but I was also reassured of the career possibilities available to me after graduating,” says Onyeka Uzomah (Biology). “Before attending SACNAS, I was debating on whether to forget my dream of research and go into a business-related specialty, but now I'm looking forward to post-doc fellowships and mentoring others who may come after me and feel the way I used to feel.”

Oral and poster presentations provide students the chance to meet, share research, and receive guidance from professional scientists. Ten CSUDH students from the Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS) Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program were in attendance, with two students presenting their research. Kathy Nugal (Geology/Geography) presented a poster titled, “Contamination of groundwater in California by MTBE: How do we constrain the problem?” Marvin Malone (Chemistry) was awarded as a top entry for his poster presentation in the chemistry division titled, “Predicting bulk properties by extrapolating the energetics of buckytubes (SWNTs).” Representing the CSUDH faculty, Laura Robles, dean of Graduate Studies and Research and MBRS program director, presented her research titled “Lights on in the octopus retina:
Cells change shape and proteins move, ”at a symposium sponsored by the American Society for Cell Biology.

“My poster presentation award was a great personal achievement, but it was an even greater achievement for the MBRS RISE program here at CSUDH,” says Malone. “I received so much support and encouragement from my mentor, Leonardo Martinez (professor of chemistry), the RISE program director, Laura Robles, and program manager, Tigress Briggs, as well as my peers in the RISE program and I would like to thank them for helping me win the award.”

Also attending were Sylvia Bonilla (Biology); Julissa Castaneda (Biology); Breyon Clemmons, (Psychology); Cheyenne Cummings (Psychology/Geology); Abraham Gallegos (Biology); Cristi Huffman (Psychology); Steve Martinez (Chemistry); Erick Medina (Biology. Former MBRS RISE student and SACNAS 2006 student board member Teresa Ramirez, and MBRS research associate and lecturer in biology and chemistry Shannon Kelly also were present.

Travel and lodging for 10 students was provided by SACNAS. The National Science Foundation also enabled one CSUDH student to attend the conference.

“SACNAS was my first conference, but I appreciated the cultural diversity that was present,” says Cummings. “It represented how professionals in the field should look, because every culture has something different to offer toward advancing the
sciences.”

- Tigress Briggs

Above photos, top to bottom:

(L-R) Abraham Gallegos (Biology); Onyeka Uzomah (Biology); Julissa Castaneda (Biology); Sylvia Bonilla (Biology); Shannon Kelly, MBRS research associate and lecturer in biology and chemistry; Steve Martinez (Chemistry); Breyon Clemmons, (Psychology); Erick Medina (Biology); Marvin Malone (Chemistry); Cristi Huffman (Psychology); and Cheyenne Cummings (Psychology/Geology).

Kathy Nugal (Geology/Geography) presents her reasearch on “Contamination of groundwater in California by MTBE: How do we constrain the problem?”

Marvin Malone (Chemistry) shares his poster presentation in the chemistry division
titled, “Predicting bulk properties by extrapolating the energetics of buckytubes (SWNTs)” with Breyon Clemmons, (Psychology).