- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/tag/nawab-ali/ ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Thu, 15 Nov 2018 12:52:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Campus living provides home away from home for international student /news-archive/2018/11/15/het-adhvaryu/ Thu, 15 Nov 2018 12:52:28 +0000 /news/?p=72665 ...]]> Het Adhvaryu, a senior biology major and chemistry minor, is a long way from his native India, but over the past three years, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has become his second home. For the past three years, he has been an International Student Services Ambassador, and he is president of the International Club, a student organization for international students. As a senior, he’s now focused on finishing his final year with a high GPA and getting his research published, both of which he needs for admission into a Ph.D. program. Having attended an international boarding school in India for much of his childhood, Adhvaryu was already fluent in English, Hindi, Gujarati and several other regional dialects spoken in India. The most difficult aspect of being an international student, he said, was understanding the culture. “I’ve tried to embrace the culture here and blend it with what I grew up with,” he said. Living on campus helped him meet other students. He also participates in International Friendship Outreach, a group that that meets regularly to have fun while practicing their English. The group has taken hiking and canoeing trips, enjoyed barbecues, and experienced Thanksgiving dinner with local families. “It is good for widening your social circle and meeting people,” he said.

Adhvaryu wanted to attend college in the U.S., and he has family in Arkansas. After researching the state’s colleges and universities, he chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The No. 1 selling point: the quality of the science faculty. Adhvaryu, who wants to be a researcher and immunologist, knew he wanted to be involved in research as soon as possible. “When you are a science major, what matters most are the people you work with,” he said. Dr. Nawab Ali, associate professor of biology, soon became his mentor. “When I came here, my first semester was a bit slow trying to figure things out and settling in,” he said. “By second semester, I went to all my biology professors in the department and showed them what I had done in high school. I asked if I could work in the lab, and Dr. Ali said, ‘Of course, you can work in my lab.’” Adhvaryu has worked on projects related to cellular apoptosis. He’s also figured out that his research interests lie primarily in the field of immunology. “That is the area where I have skills and knowledge through which I can most efficiently help the world and make a difference,” he said. Top right photo: Het Adhvaryu, a biology major and chemistry minor, is involved in research on campus and plans to work in the field of immunology. Above left: Het Adhvaryu, an international student from India, serves as president of the International Club and works to help other international students feel at home. Photos by Benjamin Krain ]]> Science Scholars present research at state conference /news-archive/2017/11/20/science-scholars-inbre/ Mon, 20 Nov 2017 17:51:44 +0000 /news/?p=68651 ...]]> The students were among more than 200 statewide participants. Six of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students are in the Science Scholars program, a scholarship and enrichment program for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students majoring in biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics. Two students are members of the Arkansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program (LSAMP). The (Arkansas INBRE) is funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program of the National Institutes of Health. The Arkansas INBRE aims to promote biomedical research in Arkansas. “The INBRE conference is the premier undergraduate research conference in STEM in the Tri-state area (Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma),” said Dr. Jim Winter, co-director of the Science Scholars and Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “We are pleased that our students participated and gained a rewarding experience. We look forward to having students present at this conference every year.” The students and their research are as follows: Kassandra Castrillo of Little Rock, an environmental engineering major presented “How to find an internship and maximize the benefits.” Her mentor is Dr. Lashun Thomas in the Environmental Engineering Program, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Courtney Curry of Waldo, a biology major, presented “Examining the antimicrobial activity of doped carbon nanoparticles.” She is mentored by Dr. Nawab Ali, Biology Department, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Jaylen Gregory of Jacksonville, a computer and systems engineering major, presented “The effects of cell phones on the human head.” His mentor is Dr. Hussein Al-Rizzo, Systems Engineering Department, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Kristen Gregory of Jacksonville, a chemistry and biology major, presented “Investigations into the effects of caffeine on cell death in the slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum.” Her mentor is Dr. John Bush, Biology Department, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Lora Heath of Little Rock, a chemistry major, presented “Improving sample collection of flurbiprofen using concentration gradients and size with porous membranes.” Her mentor is Dr. Julie Stenken, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, ��Vlog��ý Fayetteville Paloma Salazar of Little Rock, a chemistry major, presented “Using carbonized algal cells to synthesize copper oxide and split water to produce hydrogen fuel.” Her mentor is Dr. Wei Zhao, Chemistry Department, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Sylvia Szwedo of Little Rock, a chemistry major, presented “Isolating exosomes using tumor-specific antibodies in the serum and abdominal fluid as a step towards an ovarian cancer screening method.” Her mentor is Dr. Karen Abbott, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, ��Vlog��ýMS Nathan Taylor of Cabot, a chemistry major, presented “Analysis of animal kidney stones through infrared spectroscopy.” His mentor is Dr. Russ Summers, Arkansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory In upper right photo are student researchers Nathan Taylor, Sylvia Szwedo, Kassandra Castrillo, Paloma Salazar and Lora Heath with Dr. Jim Winter.]]>