SunRISE Spring 2009

Desert SunRISE

This year’s Graduate Re-search and Arts Symposium (GRAS) was held April 22-23, 2009, in the Corbett Center at New Mexico State University. Organized by and for NMSU graduate stu-dents, the symposium is an opportunity for burgeoning scholars and scientists to present their research in a public forum. Students had the option of giving a spoken presentation, 20-25 minutes long, or of displaying their work in a poster format (posters were displayed in the Center’s elegant West Ballroom on the third floor).

RISE made its presence felt at GRAS this year. Scholars giving conference presenta-tions included: Jose Bañue-

los, Jesus “Jessie” Cuaron, Richard Elicier, and Nabeeh Hasan. Posters were de-signed and presented by: Jessica Moore, Tammy Ro-mero, Mark Seger, Aerial Singleton, Fernando Solor-zano, and Lee Uranga.

Not to be outdone by their graduate counterparts, RISE undergraduate scholars also presented at NMSU’s Under-graduate Research and Creative Arts Symposium (URCAS). URCAS sponsors described the event as “an annual celebration of under-graduate creativity in all fields. The symposium rec-ognizes outstanding under-graduate research and crea-tive projects and the faculty

who have mentored them.”

URCAS was held five days before GRAS, also in the Corbett Center. Every under-graduate in RISE partici-pated, displaying and com-menting on their meticu-lously crafted posters. These students were: Karla Al-marez, Zena Archie, Renee Banallie, Alexandru Boje, Raymundo Chavira, Lekeah Durden, Jon Matthew George, Sarah Gonzalez, Jessica Gutierrez, Jesus Martinez, Amanda Rae Mu-ñoz, Thurman Redhouse, Jr., Marie Romero, Michael Sandoval, Jacquelyn Stanton, and Natasha Yazzie.

(For presentation titles and photos, see pages 4-5.)

The National Science Foun-dation (NSF) awards several fellowships for graduate re-search each year. The road to one of these multiyear and lucrative fellowships is arduous and very competi-tive. The application process can span months—and there’s no guaranteeing a positive outcome. Out of the thousands of applicants, less than 10% will receive fellow-ships.

The award certainly came as a surprise to RISE PhD can-didate in chemistry Jessica Moore; in fact, she was con-vinced she wasn’t going to get it. “I had given up hope,” says Jessica. “They’re sup-posed to notify people by April, but I didn’t hear any-thing until May.” The news, although late, was more than welcome. Beyond the imme-diate pecuniary benefits, the short and long term possibili-

ties this award will open up for Jessica are incalculable. “Even I was a little ignorant about how big a deal this was,” confesses Jessica with a smile.

When asked about advice for RISE students hoping to repeat her success, Jessica says: “Don’t wait...get started early. Make the infor-mation the NSF wants easy to find and make sure you have someone look over it.”

NMSU NIH Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Bus i ne s s N a m e

Spring 2009

Volume 1, Issue 3

Inside this issue:

RISE Ph.D. candidate Jessica Moore

START EARLY!!

“Don’t wait until the end,

get started early. Make

sure the information the

NSF wants is easy to find

and make sure you have

someone look over you

application.”

Jessica Moore.

RISE Graduate and Undergraduate Scholars

Present at GRAS and URCAS Symposiums:

Jessica Moore wins Prestigious NSF Fellowship

RISE Spotlights 2-3, 5

RISE Spring Calendar 3

Letter from RISE Director 3

GRAS & URCAS Presentations 4-5

GRAS & URCAS PHOTOS 4-5

Spring 2009 Graduates 6

RISE Program Contact Info

and Office Staff 7

RISE Student Advisory

committee and members 7

Although Dr. Unguez is an

associate professor of devel-

opmental neurobiology, her

intellectual pursuits are by

no means limited to the sci-

ence department. In addition

to studying cellular plasticity

and differentiation, she finds

herself exploring those inter-

stitial zones where science

contacts culture and writing.

“My introduction to science

writing was Carl Sagan,”

Unguez explains, adding

that writing such as Sagan’s

is “an art” that knows how to

grab the reader’s attention

and say things in unex-

pected and accessible ways.

Now, Unguez is eager to

bring such writing into the

classroom. She hopes that

her students will push be-

yond the “copy and paste”

model of some journals and

instead produce writing that

is imaginative at the same

time as it presents rigorously

researched data. By expos-

ing students to writing that

challenges inherited para-

digms and stereotypes, Un-

guez also hopes to promote

awareness of concerns con-

tiguous to those of science.

Concerns such as philoso-

phy’s impact on how science

is done or how science, of-

ten imagined as impervious

to external factors, can be

influenced by the ideologies

which surround it. “We as

advisors don’t do that as

much as we should,” Un-

guez says, stressing that

she hopes mentors and pro-

fessors will encourage to

students to broaden their

academic horizons. In the

future, Unguez hopes to see

more interdisciplinary activi-

ties and classes involving

the science department.

“Maybe a co-taught course,”

she says, “in journalism.

Something beneficial for

both disciplines.”

ponent genes in this path-way, including Mob1, Lats2, and Mst2, are important tumor suppressor genes. Of particular importance is their ability, when “all three [are] working in concert,” as Montano says, to stabilize p53—a gene whose muta-tions may “account for 50-60% of cancer in humans.” In the literature, the connec-tion Montano has estab-lished between the three suppressor genes and p53 has not been recorded. Montano characterizes his research as “tying in the p53 phenomenon to other impor-tant components of that pathway.”

RISE Ph.D. candidate in biology, Gilbert Montano (expected completion: Sum-mer 2009), is a member of Dr. Brad Schuster’s lab. His work focuses on cell cycles and cellular division. In his dissertation, Montano ex-plores a particular develop-mental pathway in flies. (There exists an equivalent pathway in humans.) Com-

When asked about RISE, Montano’s response is grateful. “I think it was great,” he grins, “I never would have pursued my Ph.D. if hadn’t been for RISE. A member of RISE since 2003, Montano truly has been with program since its “infancy” as he says. Responding to a question about what advice he would give RISE stu-dents, Montano says: “Focus on your coursework. Sure, you need to do re-search and show some pro-gress [but] you don’t want to struggle in your studies.” Montano’s future plans in-clude a post-doc at the Uni-versity of California Davis.

Page 2 Desert SunRISE Volume 1, I ssue 3

FOCUS ON YOUR

STUDIES!!

“If you have to make a

choice,” Gilbert advises,

regarding the seeming

Scylla and Charybdis

students sometimes

have to negotiate

between their classes

and their lab-work, “go

to your studies, you

have to take care of

your coursework.”

On Science & Literature:

Dr. Unguez reveals her

introduction to science

writing was the

inestimable and much-

missed Carl Sagan (1934

-1996). An author, she

says, whose work was

“an art...that knew how

to draw readers in.”

RISE Mentor Spotlight on Dr. Graciela Unguez

RISE Grad Spotlight on Gilbert Montano

More with Dr. Unguez:

In a recent interview with

RISE, Dr. Unguez was affable

and cavalier, joking about the

“sexiness” of descriptive sci-

ences. But she was com-

pletely serious when it came

to the importance of teaching

students to be imaginative

and not “reductive” in their

approach to science.

Dr. Graciela Unguez,

Associate Professor in Biology


programs. Originally from Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico, his family now lives in Colom-bus, New Mexico. He is the first in his family to attend col-lege. The opportunity provided by RISE to work in research laboratories has encouraged Raymundo to pursue biologi-cal research as a long-term career. He states that he “enjoys learning new things…

By Ivette Guzman.

Raymundo Chavira is a junior and has been in the RISE pro-gram since Fall 2008. Before joining RISE, Raymundo par-ticipated in the NMSU Chile Pepper Institute’s Agricultural Science Summer Undergradu-ate Research Education and Development (ASSURED) and Medicinal Plants of the Southwest Workshop (MPSW)

and there is always something new to learn while doing re-search.” He currently works with Dr. Lara in Chemistry. As a RISE student, he has had opportunities not only to ex-perience research but also to present at URCAS and other conferences. With the help of RISE, Raymundo would like to continue his scientific training in graduate school.


RISE Interviews Undergrad Raymundo Chavira

RISE Interviews Undergrad Renee Benallie

May 19

New Student Orientation

continued.

May 20

Lab instrumentation and

experimental design

workshop Pt.1 (in Chem-

istry 102, 8 a.m.—noon).

May 21

Lab Instrumentation

workshop concluded (in

Chem. 102, 10:30 a.m.—

noon)

July 23-24

RISE Midsummer

Conference (Thurs: 1-

6:30 p.m.; Friday: 9 a.m.-

5:30 p.m.)

RISE UG Ethics Work-

shop (6/2-7/14), Tues-

days, 9-11 a.m.,

taught by Dr. Jennifer

Randall.

RISE Graduate Writing

Workshop (6/2-7/21),

Tuesdays , 9:30-11 a.m.

RISE UG Graduate Ap-

plication Workshop (6/3-

7/22), Wednesdays, 9-

11 a.m.

RISE UG GRE Prepara-

tion Workshop (6/4-

7/23), Thursdays, 9-11

a.m.

May 18

New Student Orientation

RISE Summer Calendar:

development activities in minority-serving institutions through awards from the Minority Biomedical Re-search Support (MBRS) program. The goal of NIH-RISE is to strengthen and diversify the scientific work-force by increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups who complete Ph.D. de-gree programs in biomedi-cal and biobehavioral re-search.

Elba Serrano, Ph.D., Regents Professor & RISE Program Director

Our RISE (Research Initia-tive for Scientific Enhance-ment) Community at New Mexico State University is committed to scientific re-search that will promote hu-man health and reduce ill-ness and disabilities. RISE is a National Institutes of Health (NIH)initiative that supports student scientific

From The Director:

ons’ lab. It was such a great experience that she spent the following summer with Dr. Lyons and transferred that fall of 2006 to NMSU. She currently works in Dr. Lyon’s lab elucidating the function of the growth factor receptor-bound protein Grb7. This research is vital in under-standing cancer cell signaling and migration. RISE has been crucial in Renee’s ma-

By Fernando Solarzano.

Renee Benallie is a junior majoring in biochemistry. At Dine College in Shiprock, NM, Renee’s organic chem-istry professor, Dr. Vama Robson, encouraged her to join the Bridges Program at NMSU. Through Bridges, Renee spent a summer im-mersed in biomedical re-search in Dr. Barbara Ly-

triculation at NMSU. She credits the various RISE work-shops with advancing her aca-demic/professional develop-ment and preparing her for the next step. She is currently looking into graduate pro-grams and plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in molecular biology. Asked where she sees herself in ten years, she says teach-ing in her home community of Farmington.

RISE GRADUATE SCHOLARS PRESENT AT GRAS: José Leobardo Bañuelos, “Tracking changes in protein solution-structure as a function of temperature with small angle x-ray scattering.” Jesus Cuaron, “Staphylococcus aureus Fusidic Acid-Resistant Mutants display reduced growth rates yet unaltered metabolic rates and a stimulon opposite of suboptimal murF expression.” Richard Elicier, “Exploring the interactions between Mob1 and a small ubiquitin-like modi-fier.” Nabeeh A. Hasan, “CHAOS: A fast and efficient methodology to develop polymorphic mi-crosatellite loci in Bouteloua eripoda (Poaceae) and the genus Lepidium (Brassicaceae).” Jessica Moore, “Thermodynamic Parameters Governing Eu (III) Binding to Datura innoxia Plant Tissue Materials.” Tammy Romero, “Design of Dengue Virus Vaccines: Analysis of the Impact of Deletions in the 3’ Untranslated Region on RNA Secondary Structure.” Mark Seger, “Manipulation of Sucrose Phosphate Synthase in Medicago sativa (Alfalfa); Enhancing our understanding of carbon metabolism and its influence on nitrogen metabo-lism in the root nodule.” Aerial Singleton, “The Production of Succinate in the Brain After 12 Min of Global Cerebral Ischemia in Female Sprague Dawley Rats.” Fernando Solorzano, “The role of glutamine synthetase in mobilizing nitrogen during leaf senescence.” Lee Uranga, “Biochemical Characterization of the E. coli DinD protein.”

RISE UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARS PRESENT AT URCAS:

Karla B. Almaraz, "Comparison of Gene Delivery Methods in Cultured Cells"

Zena Archie, "Addition of Several Supplements to Modify a Selective Plating Medium for

Isolation of Helicobacter pylori from Municipal Water or Sewage Water."

Renee Benallie, "Effects of Hypoxia on Wnt-Chemokine Interactions During Melanoma

Metastasis."

Alexandru Boje, "3D Reconstruction of Xenopus laevis Organs from Optical Coherence

Tomography Scans."

Raymundo Chavira, "Comparative analysis of leaves and seeds for tropane alkaloids in

Datura innoxia."

Lekeah Durden, "Does the endophytic fungus, Undifilum, protect locoweeds from various

fungal pathogens?"


RISE Presentations at GRAS and URCAS:


Jon Matthew George, "Synthesis of Methoxy-S-Trityl-L-Cysteine Derivatives."

Sarah R. Gonzales, "Synthetic Azole Nucleosides as Potential Antiviral Drugs."

Jessica Gutierrez, "Population genetic survey of the bacterial symbiont Vibrio

fischeri from natural host squid populations of Euprymna tasmanica (Mollusca:

Cephalopoda)."

Jesus Martinez, "The identification of metabolic markers in transgenic plants by the

application of metabolite profiling."

Amanda R. Muñoz, "Detection of Mannose Binding Lectin (MBL) Molecule

in Euprymna scolopes (Hawaiian bobtail Squid)."

Thurman Redhouse Jr., "Antimicrobial Activity in the Important Medicinal Plant

Group Datura."

Marie Romero, "Genetic Detection of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism within Tran-

scription Factor Genes for Iron Deficiency Chlorosis."

Michael Sandoval, "Mutation Anaylsis of Grb7 and Grb14 Binding Specificity."

Jacquelyn Stanton, "Global Cerebral Ischemia and Anaerobic Brain Metabolism in

Rats."

Carla Trujillo, "Global Cerebral Ischemia and Anaerobic Brain Metabolism in Rats."

Natasha Yazzie, "Structural Study of Human Siderocalin and Iron bound Siderophore,

Vibriobactin."

This spring, RISE hosted a semester long writing and critical thinking workshop which focused on improv-ing student performance in three key areas: 1) drafting successful personal state-ments for graduate school application and fellowship purposes, 2) mastering the skills necessary to craft concise and high-scoring essays on the writing por-tion of the GRE, and 3) acquiring proficiency in summarizing student re-search both for audiences within and outside of their discipline. The workshop was attended regularly by

undergraduate students Zena Archie, Karla Almarez, Renee Benallie, Alex Boje, Raymundo Chavira, Keah Durden, Jon George, Jesus Martinez, Amanda Munoz, Thurman Redhouse, Marie Romero, and Carla Trujillo. Students met weekly on Thursday night and partici-pated in in-class activities that included discussions of a variety of critical texts (ranging from short stories to philosophical essays to ex-cerpts from style manuals), writing exercises, and gram-mar worksheets. Asked about the workshop, instruc-tor Micah Donohue says: “I

feel like it’s been a great success. Students have consistently participated and the energy level has been high. I know it isn’t easy or terribly exciting to give up one night every week to study grammar or work on writing, but the students’ willingness to work and their good atti-tude has made this a great experience.” Students from this workshop will be continue on into summer writing workshops: an ap-plication workshop for sen-iors, and a GRE prep class for non graduating stu-dents.

RISE Hosts Writing and Critical Thinking Workshop for Undergrads:

Asked about the work-

shop, instructor Micah

Donohue says:

“I feel like it’s been a great

success….The students’

willingness to work and their

good attitude has made this

a tremendously rewarding

experience.”

Lekeah Durden, a student in the writ-

ing workshop, smiles for the camera.


New Mexico State University

Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement -

Rise to Excellence Program

Proudly recognizes the following graduating Scholars:

Rocio Iliana Ruiz-Cooley, Doctor of Philosophy, Biology

Gilbert Montano, Doctor of Philosophy, Biology

Ismael Nieto, Doctor of Philosophy, Chemistry

Charlene Carr, Bachelor of Science, Agriculture

Sarah Gonzalez, Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry

Jessica Gutierrez, Bachelor of Science, Biology

Alexander Louie, Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry

Michael Sandoval, Bachelor of Science, Biology

Jacquelyn Stanton, Bachelor of Science, Biology

Natasha Yazzie, Bachelor of Science, Biology

RISE Congratulates Spring 2009 graduates:

Iliana Ruiz-Cooley ( with Dr. Milligan )

Gilbert Montano ( with Dr. Schuster )

Ismael Nieto ( with Dr. Serrano )

From Right to Left: Seniors Sarah Gonzalez, Alex Louie, Michael Sandoval,

and Jacquelyn Stanton

Natasha Yazzie

Micah Donohue is a RISE

workshop facilitator and

has an M.A. in English Lit-

erature. This spring, Mi-

cah’s workshop for RISE

undergraduates will focus

on increasing proficiency in

a variety of writing formats,

critical analysis of complex

literary and philosophical

texts, and test-taking skills

Cathilia Flores, Program Coordinator

Linda Amezquita, Records Specialist

M. Donohue, SunRISE Editor, Professional Skills Facilitator

A. Tarazoff, RISE Professional Skills Facilitator

http://biology-web.nmsu.edu/nmsurise/index.html

RISE Program Staff

Jesus Cuaron, RISE Graduate Representative

Yvonne Diaz, RISE Undergraduate Representative

Amanda Munoz, RISE Undergraduate Representative

Emigdio Reyes, RISE Graduate Representative

RISE Student Advisory Committee

RISE on the Web!

RISE Spotlights Micah Donohue, SunRISE Editor and RISE Professional Skills Facilitator

The SunRISE is a tri-annual (summer, fall, spring) publication dedicated to showcasing RISE staff,

undergraduate and graduate scholars, and mentors.


for the GRE. About the cross-

curriculum and reading inten-

sive nature of the workshop,

Micah says: “I’m sure this is

at least partly due to my

background in literature, but

I’ve always felt that no one

becomes a good writer with-

out first having been a vora-

cious reader—and one that

doesn’t confine him or herself

to a specific niche or genre

but who reads as expansively

as possible.” Readings for

the spring include short sto-

ries by James Joyce and

Jean Rhys, excerpts from

Machiavelli, and postmod-

ern philosophy by Roland

Barthes. During his time at

RISE, Micah has edited the

SunRISE, taught work-

shops, and worked indi-

vidually with undergraduate

and graduate students. He

is the recipient of the

NMSU English Depart-

ment’s LOLA Reed Dasen-

brock Award for Critical

Writing, and an article of

his about Thomas More’s

Utopia was recently pub-

lished by the Renaissance

journal Appositions.

On Reading & Writing:

“ I ’ m sure this is at least

partly due to my background

in literature ” says Micah,

“ b ut I ’ ve always felt that no

one becomes a good writer

without having first been a

voracious reader—and one

who hasn ’ t confined him or

herself to a specific niche or

genre... ”

Minority Biomedical Research Support

Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (MBRS-RISE)

New Mexico State University MBRS-RISE Program, PO Box 30001

MSC 3AF , Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001

Phone: 575-646-8040 | 575-646-7011

Email: [email protected]

MINORITY BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH SUPPORT—RESEARCH INTITIAVE FOR SCIENTIFIC

ENHANCEMENT NMSU RISE TO EXCELLENCE (NIH NIGMS GRANT #R25GM061222)