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 Four
California State University, Fresno students are back on campus after
spending the summer at Yale University as part of the elite Science,
Technology and Research Scholars (STARS) Summer Program.
The students spent eight weeks in the classroom and engaged in
laboratory research in genomics and bioinformatics under the guidance of
Yale faculty mentors.
The STARS participants and their projects were:
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Christian G. Aguilar,
sophomore, Riverside – The Subcellular Localization of the
Tasselseed2 Protein of Maize
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Leslie M. Dominguez,
sophomore, Placentia – Developing markers in order to map out the
allorecognition complex in wild type hydractinia
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Melany R. Klauser,
sophomore, Visalia – Creating mutant Y RNAs lacking the large
internal loop structure to test the function of this conserved
feature of the Y RNA
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Jacqueline W. Ma, junior,
San Jose – Cataloging transcriptomes present in parenchyma and
aerenchyma cells of the rice plant
The students were nominated
for the program by Dr. Alejandro Calderón-Urrea, associate professor of
biology at Fresno State, who has worked with two Yale researchers to
increase the number of students conducting Ph.D. research in biological
sciences.
The students were selected based on their academic achievement,
potential for research involvement and interest in conducting research.
Yale provided each student with room and board, textbooks and a $2,000
stipend. Their travel expenses were paid for by the College of Science
and Mathematics at Fresno State.
The participants said the experience was invaluable to their educational
and career development.
“Involvement in the STARS program has helped me gain introductory
research experience in the genomics field,” said Ma. “I have been able
to learn new techniques and further expand my research interests.”
“The valuable advice and encouragement given by the various STARS
coordinators and mentors at Yale helped me further identify myself as a
scientist as well as a person,” she added.
Aguilar said: “Often I would spend 10-hour days bouncing between class,
the lab and the greenhouse, and even though the work could be tedious at
times, being there was an incredible experience and has only reinforced
my dreams to obtain a Ph.D.”
Calderón-Urrea said he hopes Fresno State can continue to develop and
strengthen collaboration with the Yale scientists and others.
“They provide Fresno State’s excellent students – like these four women
– with much-needed experiences that will encourage them and help prepare
them for Ph.D. programs,” he said.
For further information about program with Yale University, or more
information on careers in scientific research, contact Calderón-Urrea at
calalea@csufresno.edu.
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