October 22, 2012
We are proud to announce that three UC Merced undergraduate students won research awards at the recent conference of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) in Seattle. All three students are SNS majors and part of the UC LEADS program.
- Adriana Lopez, Biological Sciences (UC LEADS Mentor: Dr. Tao Ye)
- Jose Moreno, Chemical Sciences (UC LEADS mentor: Dr. Teamrat Ghezzehei and Dr. Carlos Guerrero, UCSD, LEADS Second Summer Mentor)
- Stacey Van, Biological Sciences (UC LEADS Mentor: Dr. Kara McCloskey)
Undergraduate, graduate students, and postdocs were invited to submit abstracts for a chance to present their research at the conference.
“This is wonderful news for UC Merced,” said Tony Jimenez, UC Merced’s graduate recruitment, outreach and retention coordinator. “We had a small group of 10-14 students who attended the conference. Eleven participated in UC LEADS or the California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP). Having three awardees from a small group speaks of the quality of our UC Merced undergraduate students and the mentorship from our faculty.”
SACNAS is a Washington, D.C.-based society of scientists dedicated to fostering the success of Hispanic/Chicano and Native American scientists — from college students to professionals — to attain advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership. The organization serves more than 25,000 students and professionals each year with its conference and year-round programs, and thrives on the dedication and support of hundreds of volunteers.
This year’s national conference was held Oct. 11-14 in Seattle, and focused on “Science, Technology and Diversity for a Healthy World.”
More than 3,500 people attended the four-day conference with its scientific research presentations, professional development opportunities, networking, exhibits, culture and community.
Congratulations to our students!
