Undergraduate students selected to join Kansas State University cancer research teams
Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018
The 2018-2019recipients 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 35 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 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 award program, which is open to Kansas State University undergraduate students interested in doing cancer-relevant research, provides $1,500 awards to around 35 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:
Grant Huslig, senior in chemical engineering, Andover, mentored by Robert DeLong, associate professor of anatomy and physiology; Mayme Loyd, sophomore in biochemistry, modern languages and pre-medicine, Bucyrus, mentored by Masaaki Tamura, professor of anatomy and physiology; Joseph Hammer, junior in chemistry, Cherryvale, mentored by Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry; Marissa Komp, junior in life science and pre-veterinary medicine, Clearwater, mentored by Jocelyn McDonald, assistant professor of biology; Megan Goeckel, junior in microbiology and pre-medicine, Council Grove, mentored by Greg Finnigan, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Baltazar Claro-Martinez, senior in biochemistry, Garden City, mentored by John Tomich, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics.
From Greater Kansas City: Alexa Wilden, senior in microbiology and pre-medicine, Gardner, mentored by Stella Lee, assistant professor of biology; Ariana Cecil, junior in biology and pre-medicine, Leawood, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; Sara Hopkins, senior in biology and pre-medicine, Leawood, mentored by Richard Todd, associate professor of plant pathology; Nicole Robben, junior in animal sciences and industry, Leawood, mentored by Masaaki Tamura, professor of anatomy and physiology; Carter Moravek, junior in biology and pre-medicine, Overland Park, mentored by Chingakham Singh, research assistant professor of biology; Samuel Ockerhausen, sophomore in biochemistry and pre-physician assistant, Overland Park, mentored by Jeroen Roelofs, associate professor of biology; and Robert Small, sophomore in biochemistry, Overland Park, mentored by John Tomich, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics.
Seth Peery, senior in biochemistry and pre-medicine, Goddard, mentored by Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology; Sarah Hansen, senior in nutrition and health, and dietetics, Hutchinson, mentored by Kristin Michel, associate professor of biology; Prerona Kundu, senior in mechanical engineering, Lawrence, mentored by Amir Bahadori, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering.
From Manhattan: Cesar Aparicio, junior in chemistry, mentored by Santosh Aryal, assistant professor of chemistry; Michelle Coca, senior in biochemistry and pre-medicine, mentored by Maureen Gorman, research associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Samantha Gameros, senior in biochemistry and biology, mentored by Erika Geisbrecht, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; and Kyle Thompson, junior in nutritional sciences and pre-medicine, mentored by Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology.
Jestin Gage Wright, sophomore in chemistry, Rose Hill, mentored by Jun Li, professor of chemistry; Johnathan Dallman, senior in chemistry and pre-medicine, Silver Lake, mentored by Ryan Rafferty, assistant professor of chemistry; Maria Montes-Gonzalez, senior in chemistry, Syracuse, mentored by Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry; Joshua Lingo, junior in microbiology and pre-medicine, Tonganoxie, mentored by Jeroen Roelofs, associate professor of biology; Ashley Bartels, sophomore in chemical engineering, Topeka, mentored by Ryan Rafferty, assistant professor of chemistry.
From Wichita: Madelyn Hilgers, sophomore in chemistry and pre-pharmacy, mentored by Chingakham Singh, research assistant professor of biology; Whitney Pepper, sophomore in biology and mathematics, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; and Haley Smalley, senior in microbiology, mentored by Sherry Fleming, professor of biology.
From out of state: Marlene Campos-Guerrero, senior in microbiology, Kansas City, Missouri, mentored by Zhilong Yang, assistant professor of biology; Nina Marchell, senior in psychology and pre-veterinary medicine, College Station, Texas, mentored by Robert DeLong, professor of anatomy and physiology; and Isabel Lewis, junior in biochemistry and pre-medicine, Helotes, Texas, mentored by Greg Finnigan, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics.
From out of country:
Yibo Liu, senior in biology, China, mentored by Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology; Fawwaz Naeem, senior in biology, Iraq, mentored by Erika Geisbrecht, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Hawa Dembele, sophomore in biochemistry, Mali, mentored by Om Prakash, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; and Eric Austin Cheng, senior in biology and pre-medicine, Taiwan, mentored by Zhilong Yang, assistant professor of biology.
