Nine students are presenting their summer research from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, July 26 in Peters Building 192 on topics ranging from pesticide exposure and smog emissions to reintroducing salmon in the San Joaquin River.

The research is part of the Mentoring, Education, Teaching, Research and Outreach (METRO) Program at Fresno State. The Geosciences METRO Center is a collaborative effort between Fresno State, Fresno City College and Reedley College to increase awareness and interest in geosciences careers among minority and under-represented college students in the Central California region. The program provides community outreach, as well as undergraduate mentoring and professional development.

“The philosophy of the program is to provide research opportunities to all students,” said Dr. Alam Hasson, faculty in the Department of Chemistry. “We make a concerted effort to recruit students from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math. Many students don’t realize these research opportunities and careers even exist and a major goal is to change that.”

Undergraduates in the program work on various research projects in geology, environmental science, engineering, geography, chemistry and biology. Students gain hands-on experience while interacting daily with mentors who are respected in their fields.

“There has been a major transformation in the level of research in science and math in the 12 years that I have been at Fresno State,” Hasson said. “I can think of few other institutions where the quality of undergraduate research experience is so high.”

In total, 35 students are working in research labs this summer. Historically, about 90 percent of participants are from underrepresented and minority groups, and all of the community college participants have successfully transferred to a four-year institution. Of the first 65 students in the program, more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference presentations were produced.

This summer’s research presentations include:

9:30-9:45 a.m.: Aramais Orkusyan (Fresno State)
“Cellular Thiols Protect Cyanobacteria from Environmental Stresses”
(Adviser: Dr. Mamta Rawat)

9:45-10 a.m.: Alexander Tran (Fresno State)
“Pesticide Influences of Tumor Cell Metabolites via NMR Analysis”
(Adviser: Dr. Jason Bush)

10-10:15 a.m.: Jessica Wilson (Fresno State)
“Measuring Metabolism Variation in FL5.12 Cell Lines”
(Adviser: Dr. Laurent Dejean)

10:15-10:30 a.m.: Julio Perez (Fresno State)
“Efforts to Restore and fill data gaps of the San Joaquin River”
(Adviser: Dr. Steven Blumenshine)

10:30-10:45 a.m.: Johnathan Benson (Fresno State)
“Analysis of Packrat Midden Macrofossils of Santa Rosa, New Mexico”
(Adviser: Dr. Peter Van de Water)
11-11:30 a.m.: Leanne Cheng and Joshua Jimenez (Willow/International)
“Emissions of Smog Precursors from a California Dairy”
(Adviser: Dr. Alam Hasson)

11:30-11:45 a.m. Phuong Ho (Fresno State)
“Luminescence Intensity Effects of Polar Thiolate Ligands in Protecting Monolayers of Ag Nanoparticles”
(Adviser: Dr. Jai-Pil Choi)

11:45 a.m.-noon: Troy Sharp (Reedley College)
“Testing the Electrical Resistance of Conductors and Semiconductors”
(Adviser: Dr. Melissa Golden)

Related Links:

Geosciences METRO Center
Department of Chemistry