FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

May 21, 2004    

Contact: Tom Uribes

(559) 278-5366 or 246-1717

NOTE: See the Commencement News Web Site at FresnoStateNews.com for general info about Commencement. Parking is free at the Save Mart Center and on campus parking lots for all commencement activities. Media parking is in the Bulldog Lot on Chestnut and Shaw. Routine bag inspection will be conducted at the Save Mart Center entrances. Helium balloons and signs will not be allowed into the center. Concession stands in the arena will be open for water and soft drink purchases only. Click here for original Commencement press release. See names and portraits of Graduate Deans Medallists through links at FresnoStateNews.com.

Robert T. Gaeta Awarded Fresno State’s Top Honor -- University Graduate Medal 

Robert T. Gaeta of Madison, Wisc., whose graduate thesis showed the feasibility of crop improvement via technology that could help farmers, was awarded the University Graduate Medal today (May 21) as the outstanding graduate degree student in the Class of 2004 at California State University, Fresno. 

Gaeta was presented the silver University Graduate Medal by university President John D. Welty and a plaque by Dr. Vivian A. Vidoli, Graduate Studies dean, at the Graduate Degree Hooding Ceremony for master’s and doctoral candidates held in the Save Mart Center for the first time. 

Nearly 700 students received their graduate master’s or doctoral degree hoods at the event attended by more than 6,000 persons.

Two other top students were also honored at the Hooding Ceremony: Victoria Malko received the Outstanding Thesis Award and Ratan Boparai received the Phyllis Watts Eudy Award for the Outstanding International Graduate Student

Malko, who is from Ukraine, earned her Master of Arts in History and Boparai, of India, earned a Master in Business Administration.

Gaeta, who earned his Master of Science degree in Biology with a 4.0 GPA, is the Dean’s Graduate Medallist from the College of Science and Mathematics. He was selected as the top graduate student from the Dean’s Medallists of the nine academic colleges, schools and divisions. 

On Saturday (May 22), Gaeta will be recognized at Fresno State’s 93rd annual Commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. in the Save Mart Center. The President’s Medal honoring the top undergraduate student also will be announced at Commencement. 

The President’s Medal and the University Graduate Medal are the highest honors given by the university to graduating bachelor’s and graduate degree students.  The medals are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, service to the school and contributions to the community.

While at Fresno State, Gaeta taught undergraduate students in the research lab and conducted his own crop improvement research.  He has been published in several academic journals and given several presentations related to his research.

“Robert’s research accomplishments are substantial,” said Dr. Kin Ping Wong, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, who noted that he has four presentations with several at meetings of major societies in his field and three papers in preparation.

“His colleagues in Biology describe him as an already creative scholar and researcher in experimental biology,” Wong said.

In 2002, he was one of only 20 recipients nationwide of a fellowship from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Graduate Research.

Vidoli said this distinction alone shines a proud light not only on Gaeta but the university and the Central California community as well.

“This is an incredible achievement to be recognized for his work in science on the national level,” Vidoli said after the ceremony. “It shows Robert’s promise as a scientist and the university's capacity to attract and educate students of his caliber.”

His work at Fresno State was widely recognized and earned him a coveted position in the PhD program in plant breeding and genetics at the University of Wisconsin where he enjoys a full scholarship and support.

Gaeta returned to Fresno Thursday for the Hooding Ceremony and Commencement and was not aware he would be named the university’s top graduate student until it was announced Friday night.

“Mr. Gaeta is an outstanding scholar with a striking sense of personal responsibility for the campus and community,” Wong said.

He was awarded the Lillian D. Wells academic scholarship and was recognized at the 24th Annual Central California Research Symposium for an oral presentation on his thesis project, “Disruption of the cell death protection gene, ced9, in C elegans using RNA interference.”

He credits his faculty adviser and mentor, Dr Alejandro Caldron–Urrea and the Biology Determent at Fresno State in general for his success in the laboratory ands as a student.

He said part of his research with Caldron–Urrea involved investigations into the feasibility of crop improvement via technology, and specifically addressed possible ways to develop plants resistant to plant-pathogenic nematodes.

“Using biotechnology, the use of environmentally toxic pesticides can be avoided, and many important food crops and their farmers could be saved from nematode-related losses,” Gaeta said.

Caldron-Urrea, an associate professor of development biology, is currently preparing three publications that were derived directly from the work Gaeta conducted in his laboratory.

 “Robert is a showcase example and advocate of the quality of graduate education at Fresno State,” Caldron said. 

In addition to Gaeta, the other 2004 Graduate Dean’s Medallists are:

Christopher John Mortensen of Del Mar – College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology  

Michael Don Anderson of Dinuba – College of Arts and Humanities     

Ryan Nelson Jacobsen of Easton – Craig School of Business

Sumer Ortiz of Fresno – Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Rei Suryana of Indonesia – College of Engineering and Computer Science

Crystal A. Johnson of Bakersfield – College of Health and Human Services

Victoria A. Malko of Ukraine – College of Social Sciences

Marie Regina Soto of Selma– Division of Student Affairs

Portraits and bios of the medallists, as well as coverage of the various 2004 events, can be seen on the FresnoStateNews.com Commencement News Web Site.

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