Student achievement:
Basketball player
recognized for on and off the court success
Blanche Alverson, a junior in biomedical sciences, fourth-generation
Auburn student, and member of the Auburn University women's basketball team,
was featured in the Auburn Plainsman for her accomplishments both on and off
the court. To read the full story, click HERE. (Photo by Todd Van Emst) http://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_story/14859937/article-Alverson-may-joke-with-teammates--but-it-is-all-competition-on-the-court
CMB
program holds Undergraduate Summer Research Scholars Colloquium
Auburn University Cellular and Molecular Biosciences program held the
Undergraduate Summer Research Scholars Colloquium on July 26. Presenting at the
colloquium were five students, each of whom spent the summer working with a
mentor performing research. The presenters were: Ian Justement, mentored by associate professor Suresh Mathews, who
gave a talk titled, “Serine Phosphorylation of Fetuin-A: A Requirement for
Inhibition of Insulin Receptor Function?”; Jordan
Suh, mentored by associate professor Douglas Goodwin, who gave a talk
titled, “Using Cysteine Substitutions to Investigate the Unique Structural
Features of KatG”; Paul Bergen,
mentored by assistant professor Mark Liles, who gave a talk titled,
“Investigating the Genetic Determinants and Biochemical Structure of a Novel
Antibiotic Produced by a metagenomic Clone”; Charles Fryberger, mentored by associate professor Michael
Squillacote, who gave a talk titled, “The Synthesis of Asymmetrical Dienes as
Models of the Chromophore of the Visual System, Retinal”; and Miriam Ojima, mentored by associate
professor Anthony Moss, who gave a talk titled, “Analysis of geotactic
responses to variation in dissolved oxygen by the comb jelly, Mnemiopsis
leidyi.”
Biological
Sciences student wins Distinguished Dissertation Award
In the Fall of 2009, the Graduate
School announced that it would recognize the achievements of outstanding
doctoral students by creating the Auburn University Graduate School
Distinguished Dissertation Awards. For 2011, nominations were solicited
from the colleges and schools in two categories: Biological/Life Sciences and
Humanities/Fine Arts. Two awards committees, made up of graduate faculty
members with established records in these disciplinary areas, reviewed
nominations and selected four winners, three from Biological/Life Sciences and
one from Humanities/Fine Arts. Among the winners in the Biological/Life
Sciences division is biological sciences graduate student Larissa C. Parsley for her dissertation titled “Discovery and
Characterization of Novel Antibiotic Synthesis and Resistence Determinants from
Diverse Microbial Metagenomes.” Parsley's advisor is Associate Professor
Mark R. Liles. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/cosam/faculty/biology/liles/
Two Physics students
receive university research fellowship
Physics
sophomores Patrick Donnan and Joe Denison have been awarded a
one-year Auburn University Undergraduate Research Fellowship, beginning in
summer 2011. Patrick Donnan will be
mentored by Physics Professor Francis Robicheaux on projects related to
anti-hydrogen trapping. Joe Denison will
be mentored by Physics Professor J. D. Perez on a project for the TWINS
satellite science team.
COSAM students successful at the
ninth annual Undergraduate Research Forum
Open to all academic disciplines at Auburn University, of the 46 students
who participated in the ninth annual Undergraduate Research Forum, 19 were from
COSAM. Students were required to present their research either in a poster
session or in a podium presentation. Winners were announced at the awards
ceremony and included the following COSAM students: Outstanding
Research Presentation Award, Cellular & Molecular Biosciences, first
place, Jessica Makofske, Chemistry
and Biochemistry; Outstanding Research Presentation Award, Competitive
Undergraduate Research Fellowship, second place, Andrew Kiene, Physics; and William R. Gwin, Jr. Outstanding
Research Presentation Award, University Honors College, second
place, Erika Bisgaard,
Microbiology. COSAM's Associate Professor of Chemistry Michael Squillacote was also honored during the ceremony with the
2011 Provost's Award for Excellence in Fostering Undergraduate Research and
Creative Scholarship.
Winners of a
2011-2012 Undergraduate Research fellowship announced
COSAM's associate dean for Research,
Chris Rodger, announced the winners of the 2011-2012 COSAM Undergraduate
Research Fellowship. The selection committee for this competitive fellowship
reviewed several factors including GPA, long-term goals, previous honors,
awards and activities, letters of recommendation, and area of research
interest. The winners are: Brandon
Bakr, Mathematics and Statistics; James Barnett, Biomedical Sciences; Joseph Denison, Physics; and Kiley Seitz, Biological Sciences.
Science poster
presentation award
Md. Alam in the Department of Geology and Geography
received third place in the Science Poster Presentations during the 2011
Graduate Scholars Symposium.
Graduate students
wins Outstanding Doctoral Student award
Chemistry graduate student Sambasivarao Somisetti was selected by
the Graduate Council as one of 10 Outstanding Doctoral students for the
2010-2011 academic year and was honored at the Graduate Awards Ceremony on
April 21.
Chemistry student
wins graduate fellowship
Dana Lashley, a graduate student in the research
group of Chemistry Professor Stewart Schneller, received a Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey
Annual Graduate Fellowship for Women in Science for the 2011-2012 academic
year.
2011 Department of
Biological Sciences Graduate Student Award winners
The Department of Biological Sciences announced the recipients of the 2011
Graduate Student Awards. Winners are: Kenneth Ottis Distinguished Graduate
Fellowship, Kevin Kocot; Biological
Sciences' Departmental Service Award, David
Weese; and Biological Sciences' Outstanding GTA Awards, Dorothy Cheruiyot and Maria Mazzillo.
2011 SGA Outstanding Student award
The Auburn University Graduate School selected Department of Biological
Sciences master's student Jessica Stephens as the recipient of
the 2011 SGA Outstanding Student Award. Stephens was chosen by the college
faculty and Dean of the Graduate School, George Flowers, for her exemplary
performance in university, college and school activities, community service,
leadership, and career potential. Stephens was recognized at the 2011 SGA
Honors Ceremony on Monday April 11. Stephens is a member of Professor Debbie
Folkert's lab as well as the Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and
Climate Change Studies. More on her research interests can be found at this
link: http://www.auburn.edu/~santosr/bogs.htm.
2011 Honors Convocation recognized
achievement
COSAM held its yearly Honors Convocation on April 15, 2011. Students were
recognized for outstanding academic achievement during the 2010-2011 school
year. Interim Dean Charles Savrda also congratulated several COSAM students for
exceptional performance including the following:
2011 COSAM Dean's Medalists: Brianna Dailey, Biological Sciences; Zachary C. DeVries, Biological
Sciences; Cameron A. Welch,
Biological Sciences; G. Joseph Coffman,
Jr., Biomedical Sciences; Rebecca L.
Williams, Biomedical Sciences; Audrey
S. Duke, Chemistry and Biochemistry; Mike
G. Natter, Geology and Geography; Joseph
H. Peake, Mathematics and Statistics; and Robert A. Jefferson, Physics.
Outstanding COSAM Graduate Teaching
Assistant: Kira A. Armacost,
Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Julie F.
Rogers, Mathematics and Statistics.
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