Kansas State University

Undergraduate students selected to join Kansas State University cancer research teams

Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016

MANHATTAN — The Johnson Cancer Research Center at Kansas State University has selected 47 students to participate in its undergraduate research mentoring and award program.

The center's Cancer Research Award program promotes student participation in laboratory research. It encourages undergraduate students to consider careers in cancer research and medicine early on while they are still deciding what academic and professional paths to take.

"This opportunity gets students engaged, a critical factor in their success," said Stephen K. Chapes, the center's interim director and a professor of biology. "Many of these future cancer researchers and medical workers will undoubtedly go on to be some of the top professionals in their fields."

The award program, which is open to Kansas State University undergraduate students interested in doing cancer-relevant research, provides $1,000 awards to up to 50 students a year, and $1,000 per student for research expenses.

Students applied for the awards by co-writing research proposals with faculty mentors affiliated with the center. The awardees conduct their research in the mentors' laboratories during the spring semester.

"These are some of the university's — and the state's — most outstanding science students, working closely with excellent faculty on real research projects," Chapes said.

The students will be recognized in the spring at a banquet attended by their families and faculty mentors, cancer research center supporters and university administrators.

The Johnson Cancer Research Center supports the research and training of affiliated faculty, postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate and graduate students. All of these programs are funded through private gifts.

The following students received Cancer Research Awards; included is each student's faculty mentor:

Gabrielle Phillips, junior in mechanical engineering, Andover, faculty mentor Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology; Adam Schieferecke, senior in biology, Bennington, faculty mentor Lorena Passarelli, professor of biology; Spencer Ward, junior in biology, Colwich, faculty mentor Michael Veeman, assistant professor of biology; Jennifer Delzeit, senior in statistics, Dodge City, faculty mentor Masaaki Tamura, professor of anatomy and physiology; Sarah Pendell, Fort Riley, senior in microbiology, faculty mentor Rollie Clem, professor of biology; Alexander Roeder, sophomore in biology, Frankfort, faculty mentor Zhilong Yang, assistant professor of biology.

From Greater Kansas City: Alexa Wilden, sophomore in microbiology, Gardner, faculty mentor Stella Lee, assistant professor of biology; Sarah Gillaspie, junior in biochemistry, Leawood, faculty mentor Katsura Asano, professor of biology; Elshaddai Abamegal, freshman in mechanical engineering, faculty mentor Amir Bahadori, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, Whitney Cox, senior in electrical engineering, faculty mentor Punit Prakash, assistant professor of electrical engineering, and Jazmine Snow, sophomore in microbiology, faculty mentor Nicholas Wallace, assistant professor biology, all from Olathe; Eric Aube, senior in biochemistry, faculty mentorKatsura Asano, professor of biology, Daniel Hurtado, junior in microbiology, faculty mentor Michael Herman, professor of biology, Elizabeth Martino, junior in biology, faculty mentor Lorena Passarelli, professor of biology, Mackenzie Riscoe, freshman in microbiology, faculty mentor Michael Herman, professor of biology, and Samantha Schluter-Pascua, junior in microbiology, faculty mentor Revathi Govind, assistant professor of biology, all from Overland Park; Martha Nguyen, junior in biology, Shawnee, faculty mentor Annelise Nguyen, associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology; and Megan Richards, senior in biological systems engineering, Stilwell, faculty mentor Mei He, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering.

Daniel Clausing, senior in electrical engineering, Lawrence, faculty mentor Punit Prakash, assistant professor of electrical engineering.

From Liberal: Jose Covarrubias, senior in biochemistry, faculty mentor Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry; Tristan McCallister, junior in biological systems engineering, faculty mentor Nicholas Wallace, assistant professor of biology; and Yubisela Toledo, senior in biology, faculty mentor Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry.

From Manhattan: Anna Brokesh, senior, faculty mentor Richard Todd, associate professor of plant pathology; Kseniya Chumachenko, senior in biology, faculty mentor Annelise Nguyen, associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology; Tran Le, freshman in biology, faculty mentor Masaaki Tamura, associate professor of anatomy and physiology; Damilola Ogun, freshman in biology, faculty mentor Masaaki Tamura, professor of anatomy and physiology; Kayla Shore, senior in nutritional sciences, faculty mentor Saurav Misra, research associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; and Vaithish Velazhahan, junior in microbiology, faculty mentor Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology.

Justin Walker, senior in biochemistry, faculty mentor Erika Geisbrecht, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and Thomas Williams, freshman in microbiology, faculty mentorRevathi Govind, assistant professor of biology, both from Salina; Johnathan Dallman, junior in chemistry, Silver Lake, faculty mentor Ryan Rafferty, assistant professor of chemistry; Alejandro Garcia, senior in biochemistry, Spearville, faculty mentor Michael Kanost, university distinguished professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics.

From Topeka: Kelsey Ferguson, junior in biochemistry, faculty mentor Ryan Rafferty, assistant professor of chemistry; Chelsea Moore, senior in microbiology, faculty mentor Katsura Asano, professor of biology; and Kyler Weingartner, junior in biochemistry, faculty mentor Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology.

Mariah Brown, junior, Valley Center, John Tomich, professor of biochemistry.

From Wichita: Kathlyn Gomendoza, junior in biology, faculty mentor Lorena Passarelli, professor of biology; Mi Ge "Faith" Kim, junior in biology, faculty mentor Jeroen Roelofs, associate professor of biology; Zachary Lock, senior in chemical engineering, faculty mentor John Tomich, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Raquel Ortega, senior in chemistry, faculty mentor Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry; and Haley Smalley, sophomore in microbiology, faculty mentor Sherry Fleming, associate professor of biology.

From out of state:

Emily Turnquist, junior in biochemistry, Maple Grove, Minnesota, faculty mentor Gregory Finnigan, assistant professor biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Mitchell Zarse, freshman in biochemistry, Kansas City, Missouri, faculty mentor Ping Li, assistant professor of chemistry; Cora Farley, junior in animal sciences and industry, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, faculty mentor Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology; Kristen Wilbeck, junior in animal sciences and industry, Lindale, Texas, faculty mentor Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology; and Patrick DeMoe, senior in biology, Mazomanie, Wisconsin, faculty mentor John Tomich, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics.

From out of country: Di Wu, junior in biochemistry, China, faculty mentor Saurav Misra, research associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics.