/news-archive/tag/university-science-scholars-program/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Thu, 10 Mar 2016 16:10:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2016/03/10/ualr-science-scholars-national-conference/ Thu, 10 Mar 2016 16:10:31 +0000 /news/?p=63687 ... 糖心Vlog传媒LR Science Scholars present research at national conference]]> Six University of Arkansas at Little Rock students presented research at the in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Feb. 25-28 in Washington, D.C., with one student taking home a first place award in chemistry. C鈥橝sia James, a biology major, earned the top award for her research investigating the potential of using light and phosphorus-nitrogen doped carbon compounds, which can be made from renewable resources such as coffee and wood chips, to remove a dye that represents organic materials from contaminated drinking water. James,聽a member of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, conducted her research with Dr. Brian Berry, a 糖心Vlog传媒LR associate professor of chemistry. The materials used in her research were created by Dr. Tito Viswanathan, a 糖心Vlog传媒LR professor of chemistry. The additional five students who presented research at the conference included Amber Hill, a biology major; Kristina Frogoso, an environmental health sciences major; Taylor McClanahan, a mathematics major; Taylor Washington, a biology major; and Osvaldo Cossio, a chemistry major. The American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Science Foundation hosted the conference. The conference is aimed at college and university undergraduate and graduate students who participate in programs funded by the NSF Division of Human Resource Development, including underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities. All six students were members of the University Science Scholars and Arkansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation programs at 糖心Vlog传媒LR. They were awarded travel grants based on the quality of their abstracts, research, and personal statements. 鈥淭he Emerging Researchers National Conference is one of the premier student conferences in science and technology,鈥� said Dr. Jim Winter, co-director of the Science Scholars and Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. In addition to James, student scholars and their research presentations include:

• 听听听听听Amber Hill examined the contamination of sediment from the Tri-State Mining District in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas. Her research was conducted with Dr. Laura Ruhl, an assistant professor in the 糖心Vlog传媒LR Department of Earth Sciences.
• 听听听听听Kristina Frogoso conducted research at the University of Georgia to use environmental and natural history traits to predict the threat of die-off of amphibian species.
• 听听听听听Taylor McClanahan conducted research at the University of Georgia to study the effects of microclimate on tiger mosquito populations, which are vectors for many diseases.
• 听听听听听Taylor Washington examined the treatment of psoriasis with topically applied tumor necrosis factor alpha compounds, a protein involved in inflammation and regulation of cells in the immune system, at Northwestern University Medical School.
• 听听听听听Osvaldo Cossio searched for small molecules that would reduce the production of the focal adhesion kinase protein while conducting research at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre. The protein promotes cancer tumors and metastasis.

In the upper right photo, six University of Arkansas at Little Rock students present research at the Emerging Researchers National Conference in Stem Feb. 25-28 at Washington, D.C. Pictured from left to right are Dr. Jim Winter, Osvaldo Cossio, Kristina Frogoso, C鈥橝sia James, Amber Hill, Taylor McClanahan, and Taylor Washington.]]> /news-archive/2015/12/15/student-overcomes-hardships-so-she-can-give-back/ Tue, 15 Dec 2015 22:26:33 +0000 /news/?p=63212 ... Student overcomes hardships so she can give back]]> C鈥橝sia James was homeless for three months. Her son had surgeries. She found out her child had autism. Through it all, James kept going 鈥� holding a full-time job while working toward a biology degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 鈥淪chool has always been the only constant entity in my life,鈥� James said. 鈥淚 always liked going to school because no matter what is going on in my personal life I knew I had to go to school, so I never stopped going even during the bad times.鈥� James is set to graduate this month, and her long-term goal is to become a physician who treats disadvantaged and underserved people. She can relate. James knows how it feels to be without health insurance, to not have the money to pay for medical care or even reliable transportation to go to medical appointments. James鈥� son was born with Hirschsprung鈥檚 disease, a condition of the colon that requires surgery 鈥� something James couldn鈥檛 afford. 聽A doctor helped James find the resources she needed for her baby, and that assistance inspired James to want to do the same for others. James鈥� now 4-year-old son is her biggest motivation. He survived two surgeries before his first birthday. 鈥�I believe if he can do that, then I can become a physician,鈥� she said. While at 糖心Vlog传媒LR, James worked hard to raise her GPA to become a member of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and University Science Scholars programs. She also won a first-place award for her research presentation at the Ronald McNair Summer Research Program for her on-site water purification project. Dr. Janet Lanza, 糖心Vlog传媒LR professor of biology and mentor, described James as somebody who pulled herself up by the bootstraps. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been through so many hardships and is still upbeat, hard working, and doesn鈥檛 make any excuses,鈥� Lanza said. 鈥�She is a student who has taught herself how to learn through persistence and drive.鈥�]]>