Awards presented at 6th annual Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture and Undergraduate Research Symposium

We just completed another very successful Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture and Undergraduate Research Symposium, our 6th Annual.  There were 18 student poster presentations this year, and the overall quality was better than ever!  All of the students can be proud of their accomplishments.  The awards competition was very difficult to judge, but we are pleased to announce the following research presentation awards:

• First Place ($100): Sean M. Thompson
  Seed germination of two Texas Gulf Coast Helianthus species on clay and sand
• Second Place ($75): Sarah Bayer                
  Effect of ethanol and pore water exposures on two populations of the grass shrimp Hippolyte clarki
• Third Place ($50): Felischa Cullins            
  Historical transport of NORM in the Mabel-New Superior (MNS) Mine
• Honorable Mention ($25): Megan Thompson
  Combinatorial selection of monothio DNA apatamers targeted against the envelope protein of dengue virus

Special thanks are due to the organizers of the Research Symposium, Gregory Buck, Ph.D. and Suzzette Chopin,. Ph.D.  The Sigma Xi Student Affiliates, Mr. Woody Wingfield and Joey Navejar were also instrumental in the successful event.  Sponsors were the South Texas Chapter of Sigma Xi, the College of Science and Technology, and the TAMU-CC Office of Pre-Professional Education and Special Programs.  Thanks also go to the judges for the presentation awards: Gregory Buck, Ph.D., Suzzette Chopin, Ph.D., Jack Southard, Ph.D., Kevin Strychar, Ph.D., Philippe Tissot, Ph.D., and Kirk Cammarata, Ph.D.

The Sigma XI Distinguished Lecture was given this year by Virginia Huxley, Ph.D. from the University of Missouri Medical School.  Approximately 200 people were in attendance Friday evening.  Dr. Huxley’s talk, “Your Sex Influences More Than Your Love Life: Examples From Cardiovascular Physiology” called attention to a number of interesting cardiovascular conundrums and provided words of wisdom to young and old researchers alike.