Undergraduate students selected to join Kansas State University cancer research teams
Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017
The 2017-2018 recipients of Cancer Research Awards from the Johnson Cancer Research Center at Kansas State University. These students are working with faculty mentors to conduct cancer research. | Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — The Johnson Cancer Research Center at Kansas State University has selected 33 students to participate in its undergraduate research mentoring and awards program.
The center's Cancer Research Awards 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 more engaged in their education, 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 awards 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, undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. All programs are funded through private gifts.
The following students received Cancer Research Awards; included is each student's faculty mentor:
Jennifer Coats, senior in chemical engineering, Allen, mentored by John Tomich, professor of biochemistry and biomolecular physics; Micah Meyer, sophomore in biochemistry, Bern, mentored by Chingakham Singh, research assistant professor of biology; Marissa Komp, sophomore in life sciences, Clearwater, mentored by Jocelyn McDonald, assistant professor of biology; Spencer Ward, senior in biology, Colwich, mentored by Michael Veeman, assistant professor of biology; Seth Peery, junior in biochemistry, Goddard, mentored by Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology.
From Greater Kansas City: Alexa Wilden, junior in microbiology, Gardner, mentored by Stella Lee, assistant professor of biology; Sarah Gillaspie, senior in biochemistry, Leawood, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; Mackenzie Thornton, sophomore in microbiology, Leawood, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; Connor Horn, sophomore in microbiology, Olathe, mentored by Govind Vediyappan, assistant professor of biology; Jazmine Snow, senior in microbiology, Olathe, mentored by Nick Wallace, assistant professor of biology; Eric Aube, senior in biochemistry, Overland Park, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; Kathlyn Gomendoza, senior in biology, Overland Park, mentored by Lorena Passarelli, professor of biology; Olivia Haney, senior in chemistry, Overland Park, mentored by Ryan Rafferty, assistant professor of chemistry; Elizabeth Martino, senior in biology, Overland Park, mentored by Lorena Passarelli, professor of biology; and Marta Stetsiv, junior in biochemistry, Shawnee, mentored by Erica Geisbrecht, associate professor of biochemistry and biomolecular physics.
Emily Wessel, junior in biochemistry, Hutchinson, mentored by John Tomich, professor of biochemistry and biomolecular physics.
From Manhattan: Alexis Bieker, sophomore in biology, mentored by Lorena Passarelli, professor biology; Yusuf Ciftci, freshman in biochemistry, mentored by Revathi Govind, associate professor of biology; and Vaithish Velazhahan, senior in microbiology and biochemistry, mentored by Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology.
Riley Burghart, junior in biology, McPherson, mentored by Masaaki Tamura, associate professor of anatomy and physiology; Emily Roggenkamp, senior in biochemistry, Onaga, mentored by Greg Finnigan, assistant professor of biochemistry and biomolecular physics; Johnathon Dallman, senior in chemistry, Silver Lake, mentored by Ryan Rafferty, assistant professor of chemistry; Kelsey Ferguson, senior in biochemistry, Topeka, mentored by Ryan Rafferty, assistant professor of chemistry; Kyler Weingartner, senior in biochemistry, Topeka, mentored by Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology; Jayden McCall, sophomore in microbiology, Valley Center, mentored by Robert DeLong, associate professor of anatomy and physiology; Jordan Disberger, junior in electrical engineering, Wamego, mentored by Punit Prakash, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; Alexandria Bontrager, junior in microbiology, Whiting, mentored by Erica Geisbrecht, associate professor of biochemistry and biomolecular physics; Faith Kim senior in biology, Wichita, mentored by Jeroen Roelofs, associate professor of biology; and Charles Schaeffer, sophomore in microbiology, Wichita, mentored by Rollie Clem, professor of biology.
From Missouri: Jared Newell, freshman in biology, Lee's Summit, Missouri, mentored by Thomas Mueller, research assistant professor of biology; and Marlene Campos-Guerrero, senior in microbiology, Kansas City, Missouri, mentored by Zhilong Yang, assistant professor of biology.
From out of country: Yibo Liu, senior in biology, China, mentored by Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology; and Arashi Nakashima, senior in animal sciences and industry, Japan, mentored by Masaaki Tamura, associate professor of anatomy and physiology.
