Nikolay Boykov

Nikolay Boykov, PhD student, Department of Geological Sciences, was awarded the Permian Basin Geological Society Scholarship. This fund was established honoring the 75th anniversary of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, the parent society of the Permian Basin Geophysical Society. This fund provides college scholarships to students pursuing a degree in the field of geophysics or the other geosciences with preference given to students either from the Permian Basin or attending college in the Permian Basin.

Meeting with ESCG Management

Miriam Garcia

Miriam Garcia (B.S., Geology) received the National 2007 Minority Student Travel Grant from The Minority and Women in the Geosciences Committee. The award was presented at the National Geological Society of America (GSA) meeting held in Denver, CO, October 24-31,2007.

SOARS & RESESS Protégés of 2007

Ezer Patlan is currently a senior at the University of Texas at El Paso where he is majoring in Geophysics with a double minor in physics and mathematics. He was born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico and moved to El Paso as a teenager. This will be his first year in the RESESS program. Ezer is currently working in a National Science Foundation fellowship program called Pathways conducting research related to a study of a deep earthquake in the subduction zone of the northern South Island of New Zealand. He received awards from the Alpha Phi Omega Engineering and Geology Social Fraternity and the Reese Rowling Foundation. In the future, he plans attain a PhD and work in academia with the intent of discovering methods to further our understanding of seismology and volcanology. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

His study focuses on how to develop a lightweight station that has to operate year round in the polar region where it is cold, windy, and dark during the winter. Four separate sections were performed to assist this project; involving analysis of wind turbine data, testing the power switching behavior of the GPS receiver, testing the accuracy of a battery tester, and measuring interference between Iridium and GPS antennas. From this work we obtained a relationship between wind speed and wind turbine output power, a detailed characterization of GPS receiver power switching behavior, confidence in the accuracy of the battery tester, and knowledge of the antenna separation distance needed to eliminate interference between GPS and Iridium antennas. Each of these projects contributed measurements and analyses that were valuable to the overall success of the project.

American Chemical Society - ACS Student Affiliates Chapter Reports

This week the American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, awarded the Student Affiliates chapter at UTEP with a national award: the Honorable Mention Chapter Award for its 2006-2007 chapter activities including the many community and university performances of the Chemistry CirCus. This is indeed an honor because there are many hundreds of Student Affiliates chapters in the United States; many of them much, much bigger than the chapter here at UTEP. The 2006-07 award winning chapters will be recognized in the November/December issue of "In Chemistry" magazine and at the ACS Student Affiliates Chapter Award Ceremony that will be held at the 235th ACS National Meeting in New Orleans in March 2008. A plaque will be presented to the UTEP Chapter at this ceremony. Nina Heredia, 2006-2007 Affiliates Chapter President, is standing immediately above the 'big' C in the Chemistry CirCus sign. Walter Dickson, 2006-2007 CirCus performance co-coordinator with Nina, is standing next to Dr. Gardea, Chair of Chemistry, (white shirt) on the top row. Dr. Becvar, faculty advisor for the Affiliates at UTEP and creator of the CirCus is at the far left in the top row.

Laura Moreno

My name is Laura Moreno and I spent my summer at the Early Medical School Selection Program at Boston University. For six weeks, I had the opportunity to interact with 14 other juniors and with 14 seniors in the program. The coordinators of the program were really encouraging and helpful to make our summer successful. Each student chose a class to take at BU to count toward their degree at home. I decided to take an elective: Religion and Science. In addition to that course, I had three non-credit classes. The first was Race, Ethnicity, and Health. This class was for both seniors and juniors and it helped everyone to interact and engage in some discussions with the guest speakers from the School of Public Health. Our second class was MCAT Prep; where all questions were answered by two medical students.

We took two practice tests and this class was helpful in shifting my focus to the upcoming MCAT. The last class we had was called Medical Terminology. In addition to the classes, the students in the program were assigned to a doctor for shadowing. This was a great experience for me and the other students to see the different specialties in medicine and to observe doctor to patient interactions. The rest of the time I had free to explore the city, and get to know my fellow students. It was great fun, and I really liked the city. I felt really privileged to be gaining so much useful information for my future and I am more enthusiastic to begin medical school than ever.

Waleed Abdelhafez

For me the Texas-Tech/ UTEP Summer Premedical Program was not just about reviewing MCAT material such as Biology, Organic Chemistry, and Physics. It was about the oppurtunity to get a glimpse of the actual life of a physician. You soon realize from day one that this profession is not exactly as glamorous as TV makes it appear. It's a life of sacrifice, beginning from the day that you start thinking of applying to medical school, till the day you retire. You never stop learning, because you will never acquire all the medical knowledge that is needed. To become a good doctor you learn how to think critically to find solutions, basically you get proficient at learning to learn.

The actual prestige that comes from being a doctor is not the title of M.D., but rather it comes from your patients. The road to becoming a M.D. is hard, and medical schools intentionally make it arduous. It is not impossible to become a doctor, but you need to have a passion for it. I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to be part of the Texas-Tech/ UTEP Summer Premedical Program. The experiences I have gained cannot be read in a book or seen on TV. They provided me with a clearer picture of what it means to be a doctor, and what it takes to become a good one. I am also very thankful that I was assigned to such a wonderful mentor, who made my exposure to medicine an unforgettable moment in life.

Violeta Salais

In this picture I am in the Michigan State Animal Hospital in the Large Animal sector during my Equine Clinics rotation, next to a 6 year old male, Belgian horse. The Vetward Bound summer program included clinical rotations that I was involved in such as Equine Clinics, Equine Theriogenology, Cardiology, and Small Animal Anesthesia and Surgery. I shadowed Dr. Caron, Dr. Carlton, Dr. Olivier, and Dr. Eyester during surgical procedures, consults, and out field visits for check ups.

Miriam Garcia - Undergraduate Geophysics

Miriam Garcia, an undergraduate geophysics major, spent 6 weeks in Hawaii last summer. She took a course on volcanoes/volcanic monitoring and also worked as at intern at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Read full story

Angela Chavez - PhD student in Biological Sciences

Angela Chavez, PhD student in Biological Sciences, photographing a specimen in a cave in Hudspeth County, Texas. Angela is working with fossil animal deposits in the cave.

Geophysical studies of Keystone Heritage Park, El Paso

Miriam Garcia, geophysics major, takes readings of ground resistivity. Hugo Rodriguez, BS in geological sciences summer 2007, locates resistivity electrode positions using a hand held GPS unit. William Clarke, geology major (red shirt), holding ground conductivity meter while Dr. Richard Langford (white hat) notes position with a GPS unit.

Geophysical studies of Keystone Heritage Park, El Paso. Undergraduate students conducted a geophysical to determine where saline and freshwater may be upwelling within the wetlands area of Keystone Park as part of their 2007 geology field camp experience. These photographs show students making field measurements.

Omar Najera - 2007 Summer Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School

I participated in the 2007 Summer Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School. I worked in Dr. Carmen Dessauer's laboratory in the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology. Leslie Piggott, a graduate student, worked with me on my project to identify interactions, if any, of A Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs) with different isoforms of the signal transduction enzyme adenylyl cyclase (AC). AKAPs form signaling complexes that generate and maintain specificity in cell signaling. I used purified AKAP18 to pull down AC activity from rat heart and brain extract and presented my work in front of faculty members and graduate students at the end of the program. The 10 week long program was not limited to the research we did in our labs. Every week on Tuesday we would have enrichment seminars and every Thursday we would be treated to lunch and have guest speakers come and talk about their scientific interests and areas of work. We had so many great speakers and the faculty genuinely loved to share their work and experience with students, always with the utmost energy.

Before the summer program, I had already been conducting research at UTEP in the B.U.R.S. program. I originally became involved in research to gain a richer understanding and appreciation for the moving art that is the living world of life. Although, I am a pre-medical student and plan on applying to medical school, I enjoy taking an active role in the science behind medicine by participating in biomedical research. The summer research program was another opportunity for me to do so, as well as to check out the medical school and get to know some of the faculty. My experience over the summer taught me that cell signaling is one of the most complicated and unknown areas in science, but it is the one that truly holds the answers for formulating and understanding new drugs that will treat and ultimately cure many diseases. My summer in Houston has already become one of my favorite moments in life, working hard during the week, and going to Astros games with my brother Raul on weekends."

Victoria Alexandra Castaneda - Summer Medical and Dental Enrichment Program (SMDEP)

My name is Victoria Alexandra Castaneda, and I am finishing my sophomore year. This past summer I had the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in Seattle, Washington, as a Summer Medical and Dental Enrichment Program (SMDEP) student in the University of Washington at Seattle. Sixty-two students from all over the United States traveled to Seattle for this 6 week program. We stayed at the dormitories and attended introductory classes in Microbiology, Physics, Organic Chemistry,and English development skills.

These classes took place in the mornings from 8 to 12:30 p.m. After lunch, we had speakers talk to us about how it was to be a doctor, a dentist, etc. On top of this exciting exposure to how medical school would be, we also had the opportunity to shadow a doctor/dentist once a week for five weeks. We were able to observe in the Operating Room, Emergency Room, Suture clinic, and Simulation Clinic for dental students. We are also given lectures in Health Care, Cultural Competency, Current Events, and medical cases. Just being there when all the action is taking place was just very satisfying! On our weekends, we had homework but still had plenty of time to be able to go sight seeing and hiking, kayaking, etc.

This program does not give you credits towards your degree but the exposure and the excitement of this spectacular program was just more than what I could have asked for! The application is online at www.smdep.org and there are 12 different sites you can choose from, you must be a rising sophomore or junior to apply. The sites are schools located in Ohio, California, New York, North Carolina, Washington DC, Texas, Nebraska, Kentucky, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington and Conneticut. This is a great opportunity to get your summer going and start getting involved in the medical field, I learned a lot of what I want to do with my life and how I will be able to do in order to succeed at it. I would definitely recommend this program, it will only take you to another way of thinking. Sincerely, Victoria A. Castaneda

Abril A. Ramirez - Senior Chemistry major with a minor in biology

During the summer I participated in both the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) and the Research and Academic Enrichment Program (RACE) at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. During the EMSAP program, I took classes that were focused on future senior-level science course work as well as workshops about the MD and MD PhD application processes. During the RACE program, I conducted clinical research at the Schriner's Burn Hospital for Children. My research was focused on the effects of long term therapy with propranolol on scaring in severely burned children. I assessed scars in severely burned children using Doppler machines for blood perfusion measurement and the Vancouver Scar Scale Score.

David F. Rodriguez - Summer Research Trainee Program at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital

This past summer I participated in the Summer Research Trainee Program at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital. It was truly a great experience to perform research at such great institutions. Because of my interest in healthcare disparities, I was assigned to a preceptor in the Department of Health Policy. I assisted her in conducting research on "The Effects of Medicaid Reimbursement on Access to Pediatric Subspecialty Care". My main tasks were to collect data and analyze it using advanced computer generated statistical models. Although these tasks were challenging, conducting research on this topic expanded my vision on the practice of medicine. I now know that the practice of medicine has the potential to go beyond the clinical or scientific realm and into the social realm. Through this experience I learned that physicians can also act as "social healers" by implementing solutions for problems that afflict a society on a bigger scale; I would love to one day become one of such physicians.-David F. Rodriguez

Rachel Marinch - Summer Premedical Academy (SPA)/Joint Admissions Medical Program (JAMP)

My name is Rachel Marinch, and I am a junior biology major here at UTEP. This summer I attended the Summer Premedical Academy (SPA)/Joint Admissions Medical Program (JAMP) program at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, Texas. It was a six-week-long program, lasting from mid-May until the end of June. The program centered around making us all stronger, more well-rounded candidates for medical school. Although a large portion of our time was concentrated on MCAT preparation, we also participated in several other activities. For example, we took a physiology class that emphasized the "scenario-based learning" which is currently being heavily implemented in many medical schools. In addition, we improved our interview skills through an oral communications class and mock interviews; we also attended discussions about the lifestyle of physicians, the application process, and financial aid for medical school. Lastly, we had the opportunity to shadow physicians, become CPR/AED certified, and volunteer at an elderly care home specializing in patients with Alzheimer's and dementia. Although it was a busy and rigorous six weeks, everyone in the program had a truly invaluable and rewarding experience. This is a photo with Trevor Yates, from the Office of Admissions at Texas Tech Health Science Center School of Medicine in Lubbock, Texas.

Lorraine Melgoza
Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics - Masters Student

Lorraine Melgoza was in Dr. Lesser's fall 2005 Stat 5385 (Statistics in Research -- the section for MAT students) and he asked us if we would be part of a study he would conduct on us to see how we learned the statistics. We all agreed and signed consent forms, excited about getting to experience the research process from the inside (to complement what we were learning about it from the outside).

When we were learning about the technique of ANOVA (analysis of variance) towards the end of the semester, he informed the class that it would be nice if a student in the class were to help him enter and statistically analyze the results/numbers from a long survey with quantitative and qualitative questions about initial learning of underlying ANOVA concepts (e.g., the nature, roles and interplay of between-group variation and within-group variation). Lorraine was interested in it becasue she knew she was getting ready to begin my thesis writing and wanted to be more informed on writing and running statistics. Lorraine spoke to Dr. Lesser of my interest and he later asked me to take part Read full story.

Michael Feinstein - Awarded the Hugh E. McKinstry Student Research Award

Michael was awarded the Hugh E. McKinstry Student Research Award granted to students whose projects involve studies of mines or ore districts; topical studies toward improved understanding of ore genesis; and experimental research with field applications. His project involves studying the relationships between the tectonic evolution of a basin in southwestern Chihuahua to the numerous precious metal deposits within it. So far he has confirmed his hypothesis that the basin is a "pull-apart" related to the opening of the Gulf of California. Michael hopes to ultimately age date these minerals deposits.

He graduates with a Masters in Geological Sciences in August of 2007 and plans to start his doctoral studies in September 2007 under the supervision of Dr. Phillip Goodell. He plans to continue his study of the basin (~1,200 km2). Michael was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where he was always interested in rocks. His interest turned to a vocational interest when he took a physical geology courses at North Harris Community College in Houston.

He graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Geology. He chose UTEP to continue his studies because of its interesting local geology and close proximity to Mexico. While at UTEP he has made many presentations to elementary schools, judged science fairs, and participated in the maintenance of the area arroyos. Congratulations Michael, we are proud of you.

2006 – 2007 UTEP Top Ten Seniors & Five are College of Science

Gabriel Mansouraty: Gabriel is the President of the Medical Professions Organization here at UTEP, a graduate of Coronado High School, and will be graduating from UTEP with a 4.0.

Gabriel Gomez: Gabriel is a Franklin High School graduate and was born in Providence Hospital, “just a short walk from the College of Science.”

Michael Arriaga: Michael graduated from Ysleta High School. He will be graduating from UTEP with a degree in Microbiology and a 3.77 GPA.

Daniel De Los Santos: Danny is a Kinesiology major in the College of Health Science with a double minor in Biology and Chemistry and is a graduate of Cathedral High School. Aaron Rosas:

(Not pictured) Aaron went to Cathedral High School and has served this past year as Vice-President for Internal Affairs in the Student Government Association at UTEP. Read full story.

Karina Castillo
Masters in Chemistry
GPA 4.00
Graduate Student Marshal of Students for the College of Science - Spring 2007

Karina was born in El Paso, Texas and raised in Ciudad Juarez. She moved to El Paso when she enrolled in El Paso Community College in 2000. She transferred to UTEP in 2003 and graduated in 2005 with BS in Chemistry and GPA of 3.8. She started her masters in 2006 focusing her studies on catalysts. Her advisor is Dr. Russell Chianelli. As an undergraduate student Karina received three different scholarship and was inducted into two different honor societies. She was a MARC student as an honors undergraduate

She recently submitted a paper for publication to the Journal of Materials Research. She plans to pursue a doctorate in Chemistry and will be one of the first students to enroll in the New Ph.D. program in Chemistry. Dr. Chianelli will continue as her advisor. When Karina completes her studies, she wants to teach and conduct research at the university level. Karina married in January 2007 and has the support and encourage of her husband and her family. UTEP is a family affair because her little sister is an undergraduate here. We are proud of Karina and know that she will succeed in anything she tries.

Gabriel Mansouraty
BS with a Major in Microbiology
GPA 4.00
University Banner Bearer - Spring 2007

Gabriel was born and raised in El Paso, Texas where he graduated from Coronado High School. As a high school senior, he was accepted into the early medical school acceptance program with UTEP/UTMB.

He has been accepted by several medical schools and has chosen to attend UTMB-Galveston because of his summer involvement in their programs. He plans to practice medicine in El Paso when he has completed his studies.

Gabriel's interest in science started when he was in grade school and became focused on medicine as a result of his grandmother becoming ill and because of his desire to help others. UTEP is a family affair because his younger brother is now a freshman and his mother is UTEP alum. While at UTEP, Gabriel was the recipient of the Presidential Excellence Scholarship, the Middle Eastern Descendants Scholarship, the Southwestern Association of Hispanic American Physicians Scholarship, the El Paso Teachers Federal Credit Union Scholarship, and has made the Dean's list every semester. Read full story

Nada Al-Hanna
BS with a Major in Mathematics and a Minor in Chemistry
GPA 4.00
Student Marshal for the College of Science - Spring 2007

Nada was born in a village in Syria, three hours away from the capital city of Damascus, Syria. She married an El Pasoan and moved to El Paso in 1999. Her husband, Salah Al-Hanna, an El Paso attorney and UTEP graduate, encouraged her to enroll at UTEP. She enrolled at UTEP as a mathematics major in 2001 while pregnant and is graduating with a 4.0 GPA, Summa Cum Laude, in the May 2007 Commencement.

She is planning to pursue a masters and doctorate in mathematics so that she can teach and conduct research at the university level. She hopes that she will be an inspiration to her daughter, Angela, as her mother, Leila Dergham, was to her. In fact, her mother is traveling from Syria to attend her graduation. While at UTEP, Nada was inducted into the Alpha Chi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Golden Key honorary societies. She has been on the College of Science and National Dean's lists every semester. We are proud of Nada and know that she will succeed in anything she tries.

Roberto Velarde
Working on a Ph.D. in geophysics - Fall 2006
Supervisors: Dr. Thomas E. Gill.
Area of Study: Radionuclide contamination

Roberto is the recipient of the AGI (American Geological Institute) scholarship. He is working on a Ph.D. in geophysics and is currently conducting research entailing suspension of surface soil particulates by aeolian processes at three independent sites. Specifically, he is researching wind transported radionuclide bearing dust from a uranium repository in Peña Blanca (50km north of Chihuahua City), Chihuahua, Mexico, the effects of military maneuvers on dust suspension at White Sands Missile Range, and airborne particulate concentrations on the Nipomo Mesa in the San Luis Obispo County in California.

Roberto is the recipient of a $1,000 award form the Sigma XI Grant-in Aid of Research program. This grant process is highly competitive. Congratulations Roberto. Roberto's Homepage

SI leaders added to modular calculus program were Dr. Nancy Marcus is the Director of the program and Dr. Emil Schwab is the Director of the SI leaders - Fall 2006

Calculus is typically thought as being one of the most challenging courses that students have to encounter during their education, but if on top of that you consider the fact that Calculus is also one of the most important courses that students majoring in Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, and Chemistry have to take (since their majors are going to be very related to this subject) and that the beginning of their curriculum is based on the accomplishment of this course, then it becomes a critical point for their further academic advance.

Facing the challenge of increasing the passing rate for this class, UTEP's mathematics department is introducing a new method with the introduction of the SI leader program. This new program is being implemented with all modular Calculus I courses, where the students attend three hours of typical class lecture and an additional hour of lab.
Read full story.

Enrique I. Ramos
Senior in Science - Fall 2006
Supervisors: Dr. Rosa A. Maldonado
Area of Study: Pathological agent for Chagas' disease

Enrique Ramos is a senior student obtaining his Bachelors in Science with a major in Microbiology and a minor in Chemistry at the University of Texas at El Paso. Enrique started his research experience on May 2005 in the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program at UTEP. Currently he is in the Minority Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (MARC U*STAR) program working under the supervision of Dr. Rosa A. Maldonado in the Biology department. Enrique is assessing in vivo and in vitro effectiveness of novel chemotherapeutic agents against Trypanosoma cruzi which is the pathological agent for Chagas' disease. The disease is endemic in Latin America and affects 16-18 million individuals. Currently, it is emerging as a public health problem in the United States.

During this summer the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), headquartered in Washington, D.C. selected Enrique as a 2006 award recipient of the highly competitive ASM Undergraduate Research Fellowship. This year from all applications received only forty-three applicants were awarded nationwide. This fellowship is aimed to students with high academic potential who wish to pursue graduate careers (Ph.D. or MD/PhD) in microbiology. Furthermore, Enrique had the opportunity to conduct full time summer research at this institution with his mentor and present his research project "In vivo studies of 2,3-diphenyl-1,4-naphthoquinone in the murine T. cruzi infection model" at the 2007 annual ASM general meeting in Toronto, Canada. Currently Enrique is finishing his article "In vitro studies of 2,3-diphenyl-1,4-naphthoquinone against Trypanosoma cruzi" for publication as the principal author.

SACNAS: The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science - Fall 2006

Student Research Presentations: Showcasing the work of undergraduate and graduate students in all science disciplines, the SACNAS student poster presentations and oral presentations represent some of the finest predoctoral research being conducted today. Feedback from professional reviewers and the opportunity to present before an audience of peers, faculty, researchers and exhibitors make this event a cornerstone in the professional development of young investigators.

Exemplary presentations are recognized at the Awards Ceremony.
UTEP Award Winners (from left to right):
Milka Montes- graduate poster in Environmental Science
Damaris Rosado - undergraduate poster in Biology (REU and RISE student)
Miguel Mata – undergraduate poster in Biology (MARC student)
Margaret Costanzo – graduate oral presentation in Biology (RISE student)
Priscila Castillo – undergraduate poster in Biology (REU Student)
Jack Arias – graduate oral presentation in Environmental Science

The Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program - Fall 2006

The Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program is a National Institutes of Health funded program to mentor outstanding young scholars at the junior and senior level and propel them into biomedically oriented research careers. Each student receives a 24 month stipend (~$920 per month) and the opportunity to perform research at U. T. El Paso and, during at least one summer, at an off-campus laboratory. Students majoring in Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Mathematics and Physics are eligible. Past scholars now have faculty posts at Universities, are in postdoctoral fellowships or are currently in Ph.D. programs at such institutions as Washington University, U. T. Health Science Center Houston (M.D. Anderson Hospital), U.C. Santa Barbara and U.T. El Paso. Eligible students need to have completed ~60 hours with a high GPA (~3.3), a clear motivation to pursue the Ph.D. degree (or the M.D/Ph.D combined degree).
www.kpannell.utep.edu
www.sciencestudio.org

Miriam Garcia
Senior in Geophysics - Fall 2006
Supervisors: Dr. Elizabeth Y. Anthony
Area of Study: Volcanology and Seismology

Miriam E. Garcia is a senior majoring in Geophysics with a physics and math minor at the University of Texas at El Paso. Last summer she participated in the first of four summer internships in Boulder, Colorado. She worked for RESESS (Research Experience in Solid Earth Science for Students). The internship was conducted partnering with the University of Colorado at Boulder. Miriam’s mentors were Walter Szeliga and Dr. Roger Bilham of the University Colorado. The project focused on modeling the 1931 Mach Earthquake in western Pakistan using vertical deformation data. Coulomb software was applied to model the seismic activity. Three possible subsurface geometries were model but failed to prove the correct fault characteristics. Future works consists of integrating other earthquakes in the 1930’s and analyze the connections with the Mach Earthquake to fit a better fault model to the area. Next summer she plans to use GPS data to monitor volcanoes in Hawaii.

Currently, Miriam is conducting research for the Pathways Research Experience for undergraduates Program. Her project focuses on Cinder Cone Morphology in the Potrillo Volcanic Field located in Southern New Mexico with mentor Dr. Elizabeth Anthony. Miriam plans to go to graduate school and specialize in either volcanology or seismology in relation to plate tectonic mechanisms. After graduate school she intends to continue doing research for government hazard programs. Miriam’s main goal is to educate people that live close to an active area about the dangers that are present. She is also excited to become a geophysicist, not only for research but to travel and meet knowledgeable individuals along the way. Besides research, Miriam enjoys playing soccer, hiking, and donating to the needy.

Hugo Rodriguez
Senior in Geophysics - Fall 2006
Supervisor: Dr. Randy Keller and Diane
Area of Study: Meteorites

Hugo Rodriguez is an El Paso, TX native and a senior student majoring in Geophysics at the University of Texas at El Paso. This past summer, Hugo interned at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City as a part of the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program.
Hugo’s summer research was to study and gain data from meteorites of some of the earliest material to come together during the formation of our solar system. Research work included using a scanning electron microscope, an electron microprobe, petrographic microscope and various computer programs. As a part of the internship, he also traveled to the Argonne National Laboratory to assist in using the Advanced Photon Source beam to get tomographic imagery of an assortment of meteorites and a NASA Stardust sample. Hugo worked under Dr. Denton Ebel of the Earth and Planetary Science Division in the Museum Read full story.

Nancy Rivera
Environmental Science - Masters Student - Fall 2006

Nancy is a Masters student in Environmental Science studying remote sensing of dust storms. Her advisor is Dr. Thomas Gill, Associate Professor of Geology and Environmental Science and Engineering. During the past summer, Nancy interned for the fourth time with SOARS, Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science, in Boulder, Colorado.
Her internship included completing her masters thesis, investigating the meteorological conditions associated with dust events in northern Mexico. Her project mentor, Dr. Jennifer Hand of Colorado State University, supervised her in the two-year research project on dust storms.
Nancy’s research will ultimately increase prediction capabilities for major dust events. Her research has global implications and already attracted the interest of scientists in Australia and Europe.

Nancy received a travel scholarship to travel to Guelph, Canada to present her findings at The Sixth International Conference of Aeolian Research.

Nancy’s research will ultimately increase prediction capabilities on major dust events. This research has global implications.
Nancy received a travel scholarship to travel to Guelph, Canada to present her findings at The Sixth International Conference of Aeolian Research.

PhD Candidates, Luqman Adams, Eva Rumpfhuber, and Jimmy Hincapie
Ph.D. Candidates in Geological Sciences - Spring 2006

Eva, Jaime, and Luqman have all been invited to the prestigious “Preparing for an Academic Careers in the Geosciences” NSF funded workshop at Stanford University in San Francisco, California. The three main goals of the workshop are for participants to become more effective teachers, stronger candidates for academic jobs, and better prepared for a quick start to teaching and research in the next stage of their career, and the conference is limited to outstanding Ph.D. and Post Doc students.

All three are interested in careers in academia and research, and they will provide a summary of the workshop to their fellow colleagues at UTEP. All three UTEP students were born and educated in other countries: Eva is from Austria, Jaime from Colombia, and Luqman from Nigeria. Eva worked on a project with Dr. Randy Keller in Austria, who invited her to join UTEP for her doctoral work. Jaime decided to come to UTEP because of the earthquake related research conducted by Dr. Diane Doser, and Luqman chose UTEP for many reasons including the faculty, local geology, and El Paso culture, all which he needed for a new chosen field of study and experiences. Read full story.

Adrian Flores
Undergraduate - Department of Physics - Spring 2006
Supervisor: Dr. Rosa Fitzgerald
Area of Study: Atmospheric Physics

Adrian was born and raised in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and commutes daily to UTEP where he is a senior majoring in Physics.

During the summer of 2005, he interned at Howard University in Washington, DC, in conjunction with NOAA/NASA. He was part of the NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences (NCAS) research group headed by Drs. Verne Morris and Everette Joseph. The research group monitored atmospheric pollutants in Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, DC, metro areas using the Multi-Filter Radiometer (MFR) machine in Beltsville, Maryland, located between the two cities.

The machine detects scattering particles in the atmosphere via solar radiation. Specifically, the group monitored the levels of ozone, vapor and aerosols. They produced a website that gave daily updates on the air quality of the area. Read full story.

Jakub Cerveny and Martin Lazar
Graduate students West Bohemian University in the Czech Republic - Spring 2006
Supervisor: Dr. Pavel Solin
Area of Study: Computer Simulation of Electromaganetic Tethers

Jakub Cerveny and Martin Lazar were graduate students West Bohemian University in the Czech Republic, when Dr. Pavel Solin contacted them to help him solve a problem. Both students were intrigued by the problem and joined UTEP as graduate students in applied mathematics.

Essentially, the problem was how to safely bring down old orbiting satellites. Their work involves accurate computer simulation of electromaganetic tethers, which are devices used for accelerating or decelerating satellites without expending propellant (the energy used is electricity coming from solar cells). The electric current in the tether interacts with the magnetic field of the Earth which induces a force at each point of the tether. This force accelerates or decelerates the satellite (depending on the direction of the current), which may be useful eg. for destroying an old satellite by taking it to a lower orbit where it burns in the atmosphere. Read full story.

Abril Ramirez
Sophomore Chemistry major with a Biology minor - Spring 2006

Abril Ramirez was born in Juarez, Mexico, came to the United States with her family in 2001, and graduated from Eastwood High School in 2004. She started at UTEP in the Fall of 2004 and is now a Sophomore Chemistry major with a Biology minor. She is a UTEP Merit Scholar and has received numerous other awards and scholarships including Xerox-GIA, SWAHAP, and Dean's List.

She is a member of the Medical Professions Organization and the Early Medical School Admissions Program with UTMB Galveston where she plans to pursue an M.D. Ph.D. Degree. Through MPO, Abril has participated in many community service activities including serving as a translator for a group of physicians and medical school students from Texas Tech in Juarez. She also was with the group who built a home for a family in Juarez over the most recent winter break. She is a member of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and a Teaching Assistant in the Biology Department. Read full story.

Hugo Rodriguez
Senior in Geophysics - Spring 2006
Supervisor: Dr. Randy Keller and Diane
Area of Study: Earthquakes

Hugo was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and choose UTEP because of its strong geology department. Hugo is in the Pathways Program, a program that offers undergraduates the opportunity to conduct research. He works under the direction of Drs. Randy Keller and Diane Doser.

Currently, he is studying aspects of earthquakes; specifically, he is studying the relationship between the increased activity in shallow earthquakes in south central Alaska and the reduction in glacier volume and has discovered some interesting patterns. Read full story.

Israel Martínez
Masters Student in Physics - Spring 2006
Supervisor: Dr. Murat Durandurdu
Area of Study: Pressure-induced phase transitions in semiconductors

Israel was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. He obtained a bachelor's degree in engineering and physics from the Universidad de Autónama de Ciudad Juárez . Dr. Jorge Lopez, Chair of the Department of Physics, invited Israel to UTEP to pursue a Masters degree.

Israel's Masters Thesis, under the direction of Dr. Murat Durandurdu, involves using computer simulations to study-pressure-induced phase transitions in semiconductors. Read full story.

Miriam Garcia
Geophysics - Spring 2006
Supervisor: Dr. Elizabeth Anthony
Area of Study: Volcanoes

Miriam was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and choose UTEP because of its strong geology department. Miriam is in the Pathways Research Experience for Undergraduates Program, a program that offers undergraduates the opportunity to conduct research. She works under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Y. Anthony.

Currently, she is studying aspects of volcanoes, specifically using a volcano’s historic activity to predict future eruptions. Read full story.

Laura Lopez
Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Science and Engineering - Spring 2006
Supervisor: Dr. Jorge Gardea-Torresdey
Area of Study: Phytoremediation of Lead

Laura was born in Juarez, Mexico and raised in the central part of Mexico. Both of her parents are scientists. She received her bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Sciences (Chemistry, Biology, and Pharmacology) in Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico. Read full story.

Rafael Torres Jr
Microbiology - Spring 2006

Rafael was born in El Paso, Texas and soon after moved with his family to Mexico City. The family then moved to the city of Cuernavaca where Rafael finished high school at the age of 14 year becoming the youngest student graduating high school in the southern region of Mexico. While he was still in high school, he started his research career in prestigious research centers of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), first at the Biotechnology Institute, and then at the Nitrogen Fixation Research Center. Read full story.

Ernesto Nakayasu
Ph.D. Biological Sciences - Spring 2006

Ernesto was born in Votorantim, SP, Brazil, and grew up in a farm in a small town called Piedade (60 miles from Sao Paulo City). His contact with the farm raised his interested in Biological Sciences. In 1999, he joined the University of Sao Paulo, and he graduated in Biology (2003). During this time he acquired a good laboratory experience working with characterization of proteins and peptides involved in arthropod immune response. In 2003, he participated in two of Brazil’s pioneer proteomic and mass spectrometry groups, led by Drs. Sirlei Daffre and Igor Almeida, at the Department of Parasitology, University of Sao Paulo. In the following year he had a 2-month training in proteomics at one of most prestigious European proteomic facilities, directed by Prof. Michael Ferguson at the Welcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK. Read full story.

Karina Castillo
2005 SACNAS Chemistry Poster Winner - Spring 2006

Karina Castillo started doing research in her freshman year at EL Paso Community College in addition to being a chemistry and mathematics tutor. She did her first research project at UTEP during the summer of 2002 under the grant of the program “Bridges to the Future”. In this program she studied the Salt Cedar plant that desalinizes salt water. In the summer of 2003 she started a research project in catalysis under the direction of Dr. Myriam Perez De la Rosa then a Ph.D. student, now a postdoctoral at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory in the research group of Dr. Chianelli’s. In the summer of 2004 she expanded her research skills through a summer internship at the University of Houston under the direction of Dr. Allan Jacobson. Her math skills and grades allowed her to become part of the MARC program in Fall 2004. Since then she has been doing research under the direction of Dr. Chianelli. She presented her research in a poster entitled “Synthesis and Characterization of MoS2 intercalated with 1,2,3,4, tetrahydroquinoline in search of cleaner fuels” at the SACNAS meeting held in Denver Colorado. There were 40 posters competing for the chemistry award and she brought 1st prize for chemistry home to UTEP. Karina did part of her research as a member of the UTEP synchrotron “Gateway Program” funded by DOE. We congratulate Karina and wish her success in future her future endeavors.

During the fall 2005 semester, students worked with Dr. David Carmichael of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in a geophysical project at the Three Rivers Archeological Site north of Tularosa, New Mexico. They investigated what sort of geophysical techniques work best to delineate features of archeological interest to aid the archeologists in planning the field season for futurer sessions. If they can determine how many rooms and the size of rooms that a particular structure has, then it makes it easier for them to decide how to best excavate the structure. The students have been making geophysical measurements of ground conductivity, magnetics and ground penetrating radar in our studies. The students in the photo are shown with two magnetometers (on long poles beneath the umbrella and a ground conductivity meter (far right, blue object with white tube). A computer is being used to quickly download and check data quality from the instruments. The students shown are (from left to right) Alenjandro de la Pena (MS student in geophysics), Jaime (Jimmy) Hincapie (PhD student in geological sciences), Oscar Dena (PhD student in geological sciences).

Edith Jaurrieta
Environmental Science - Undergraduate - Fall 2005

Edith Jaurrieta was one of 3 undergraduate students hired by Dr. Craig Tweedie to assist with the gathering of summer data for a multimillion dollar Arctic research biocomplexity project in Barrow , Alaska. She used DGPS to measure water level fluctuations in 20 tundra ponds. This data will serve as a baseline for initiating the manipulation planned for 2006 at the biocomplexity site. Furthermore, the study will report an initial analysis of these data, which will be used to engineer, monitor and regulate water levels within the experimental manipulation. This Biocomplexity Project is supported by the National Science Foundation Grant Award No. OPP0221587. Read complete story.

Laura Lopez
Environmental Science and Engineering - Ph.D. - Fall 2005

I started the ESE PhD Program at fall 2003. I have been working under guidance of Drs. Gardea-Torresdey and Peralta-Videa whose research has significantly impacted on me. I have found great pleasure doing research in Dr. Gardea's lab because it has afforded me the opportunity to acquire a lot of experience in several analytical techniques. I think environmental research is the most wonderful way to spend our life time. I have presented my research findings in several National and International scientific meetings in places such as Marble Falls TX, Austin TX, Washington DC, ESE seminar at UTEP and I will be presenting at South Padre Island TX at the end of this month. Read complete story.

Michael Arriaga
Department of Biological Sciences - Undergraduate - Fall 2005

The summer of 2005 was great and the most eventful summer I had ever had. I knew that this summer was going to be one that I would remember when the day after school had let out for the summer; I received an email from a professor at the university. The letter was from Dr. Renato Aguilera, and it stated that I had an interview for the Biological Undergraduate Research Scholar program (BURS), which allows undergraduates access to research laboratories at the university. I was ecstatic, since I had been trying to get an interview for this program since I found out about the opportunity to perform research a while back. To make a long story short, I got the position and chose to work with Jianying Zhang MD, PhD, who studies various types of cancer. Read complete story.

Josefina Maldonado
Chemistry Department - Undergraduate - Fall 2005

Josefina is an undergraduate majoring in chemistry and minoring in biology; her advisor is Dr. Jorge Gardea-Toresdey, chair of the department of chemistry. During the summer of 2005, she worked with Dr. Gardea and with Dr. Felicia Manciu from the department of physics on an ongoing project of Dr. Gardea's research group - finding gold particles in plants. Read complete story.

Grace Ng
Department of Biological Sciences - Undergraduate - Fall 2005
I attended the Michael E. DeBakey Summer Surgery Program in Houston, Texas, this summer where I gained tremendous clinical experience. Dr. DeBakey, a cardiovascular surgeon who was among the first to discover coronary bypass surgery, began this program to give college students the chance to experience "life as a surgeon" firsthand which has indeed lived up to its reputation. Read complete story.

Rhys Adams
Bioinformatics - Masters - Fall 2005
Rhys is a Masters student in Bioinformatics; his advisor is Dr. Ming Ying Leung. During the past year, Rhys, along with fellow Masters student Deepak Chandran and Dr Leung, worked on a research project that examined the herpes virus genome to predict origins of replication. Essentially, this means they studied the part of the genome that replicates itself. Because of his work on this project, Rhys was accepted as an intern in the BBSI summer program at the University of Pittsburgh. Read complete story.

Nam K. Tonthat
Bioinformatics - Masters - Fall 2005
Nam attended UCLA this summer as part of a research internship. He worked with two proteins that make up the shell of a carboxysome of a cyanobacteria (Synechocystis). His work consisted of profiling the dimension and electrostatics potential of the pore that was formed by the protein complex, as well as doing homology modeling and molecular dynamics on other homologus genes.
Nam plans to pursue a Ph.D. in structural biology. He states that he is interested in ion channels, in particular, using molecular modeling to see how the protein would interact in certain environments, substrate binding, docking, and the energetic behind it.
Nam states that his experience at UTEP has been absolutely wonderful because of the faculty. He especially credits Dr. Leung, Dr. Aley, and Dr. Walsh, in particular, because of their unending support.

Deepak Chandran
Bioinformatics - Masters - Fall 2005
As a research assistant at UTEP, Deepak has been involved with research on virus genome for the past year. He attended a summer internship at the University of California San Diego. He plans to continue on to a Ph.D. in computational systems biology. He has several ideas for research that he would like to puruse.

Eva-Marie Rumpfhuber
Department of Geological Sciences - Ph.D. - Fall 2005
Eva completed an internship in the R&D division of Shell International Exploration and Production in Houston, Texas during the summer of 2005. While there, she contributed to the development of a new rapid scanning technique using gravity and magnetic data. This new technique can be applied to oil exploration. She was also involved with quality control on various projects.
Dr. Randy Keller, her advisor, urged her to apply for the internship when Shell came to UTEP to interview students. She states that the internship provided her with new insights into the workings of the oil industry. She felt this internship was invaluable and urges other students to apply.
Eva is currently working on her Ph.D. in geological sciences at UTEP.

Jorge Ramos
Environmental Science - Undergraduate - Fall 2005
Jorge Ramos is a senior student majoring in Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Biology. During the summer of 2005, Jorge worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and was part of the National Abnormal Amphibian Project in different refuges in Alaska. In early August, he attended the 2005 National ESA-INTECOL (Ecological Society of America-International Ecology) Meeting in Montreal, Canada where he presented his research and received the ESA-SEEDS Research Fellowship for undergraduates. He then flew to Barrow, Alaska, where he met with Dr. Craig Tweedie and his crew, who are part of BASC (Barrow Arctic Science Consortium). In Barrow, AK, 340 miles above the Arctic Circle, he helped different US and international scientists in their research projects: coastal erosion, water levels, ornithology, carbon fluxes, small mammals, botany, etc. Jorge also had the honor of meeting with senators Hillary Clinton, and John McCain; and with NSF's Dr. Arden Bement, and Dr. Margaret Leinen.

Francisco Avila and Eleazar Vazquez - Fall 2005

UTEP's graduate student Francisco Avila (Mathematics) and undergraduate student Eleazar Vazquez (Engineering) spent two months in summer 2005 doing research in Computational Science with Dr. Pavel Solin at the Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic. They also had time to explore the country with its unique history and culture. More details can be found on the home page of UTEP's Finite Element Group. For more information visit: http://servac.math.utep.edu/fem_group/events.

Adrian Bustillos
Biological Sciences - Undergraduate - Fall 2005
As part of Dr. Joan Staniswalis' Statistic 2381 class, students design studies to address specific questions of their choice using proper experimental design and the Scientific Method.
One such study, head by Adrian Bustillios, involved the study of baseball team salaries. Specifically, were salaries a good predictor of wins.
Adrian, who is an undergraduate biology recruited a team of other biology majors and presented several projects to them. They decided on the baseball questions because their time was short and the data was readily available and because they loved baseball. Read this complete story.

Paul Alvarado Lenhart
Department of Biological Sciences - Undergraduate - Fall 2005
Paul is an undergraduate majoring in ecological and evolutionary biology with a minor in geology. His advisors are Dr. William Mackay and Dr. Jerry Johnson. He states that these two individuals have been an invaluable source of help.
He attended a University of Arizona insect biodiversity course given in Sonora, Mexico. Seven U.S. students and seven Mexican students were enrolled in the course. They collected insects and participated in a multi-year longitudinal study of insect biodiversity. Read complete story.

Antony Adair
Department of Physics - Undergraduate - Fall 2005
Antony is an undergraduate majoring in physics. He spent the summer traveling and studying. He was granted a research internship at Brigham Young University, where he was involved in research exploring High Harmonic Generation. He worked with the Laser Physics Group, headed by Dr. Justin Peatross, inducing lasers to produce synchrotron radiation.
As part of Dr.Russell Chianelli's research group, he visited Stanford University and the University of California at Berkley. At Stanford, he attended seminars and had "hands on" experience at the Stanford Linear Acceleration Center. At Berkley, he also attended seminars and had "hands on" experience at the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory.
Antony states that these internships opened a new world of physics to him and helped him focus his area of study. He would encourage other students to apply for these areas of study.

Nancy I. Rivera
Environmental Science - Masters - Fall 2005
Nancy is a Masters student in Environmental Science; her advisor is Dr. Thomas Gill. During the summer, Nancy interned for the third time with SOARS, Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science, in Boulder, Colorado.
Her internship included beginning her Masters thesis project, Characterizations of Dust Storms in Southwestern U.S. and Northern Mexico Using Remote Sensing Imagery. Her project mentor, Dr. Jennifer Hand of Colorado State University helped her begin the research at Boulder, and Nancy will complete it at UTEP. Her research indicated some new sources of dust storms near the border region.
While an undergraduate student at the University of Puerto Rico, Nancy applied for the first of these internships. She credits the internships with helping her find her research direction.

Steven Dilks
Department of Biological Sciences - Undergraduate - Fall 2005
Steven is a sophomore in biology. During the summer of 2005, he accompanied Dr. Jerry Johnson to the Indio Mountains Research Facility to help graduate students track rattlesnakes Part of the study included the ecology, movement patterns, behavior, and basic life styles of the various rattlesnakes.
From the rattlesnake's blood drawn during the summer, Steven plans to extract the DNA so that he can study the relationship between the various species of rattlesnakes. Part of the study is to determine the genetic diversity of the snakes. Steven hopes to publish his findings.

Jorge Muñoz
Department of Physics - Undergraduate - Fall 2005
Jorge spent the summer at the California Institute of Technology after receiving a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. He joined Brent Fultz's group and worked under the supervision of Olivier Delaire.
Preliminary results were obtained towards the determination of whether the source of anharmonic behavior in vanadium is due to phonon-phonon or electron-phonon interactions.