Undergraduate students selected to join cancer research teams
Friday, Dec. 13, 2019
The 2019-2020recipients 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 42 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 at least 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:
Abigail Parker, sophomore in biochemistry and microbiology, Berryton, mentored by Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology; Mayme Loyd, senior in biochemistry, pre-medicine and modern languages, Bucyrus, mentored by Masaaki Tamura, professor of anatomy and physiology; Joseph Hammer, senior in chemistry, Cherryvale, mentored by Stefan Bossmann, university distinguished professor of chemistry; Lake Winter, sophomore in microbiology, Concordia, mentored by Zhilong Yang, assistant professor of biology; Megan Goeckel, senior in microbiology and pre-medicine, Council Grove, mentored by Greg Finnigan, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Carmen Del Real, senior in life sciences and pre-medicine, Dodge City, mentored by Jocelyn McDonald, associate professor of biology; Amanda Currie, junior in chemistry, Garden City, mentored by Ping Li, associate professor of chemistry.
From Greater Kansas City: Carolina Bueno, senior in microbiology, Kansas City, mentored by Revathi Govind, associate professor of biology; Ariana Cecil, senior in biology and pre-medicine, Leawood, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; Joshua Spradlin, sophomore in kinesiology, Lenexa, mentored by Zhilong Yang, assistant professor of biology; Adeline Chang, senior in microbiology, Olathe, mentored by Govind Vediyappan, assistant professor of biology; Jacob Cindrich, senior in food science and industry, biochemistry, and pre-medicine, Overland Park, mentored by John Tomich, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Paige Cote, senior in animal sciences and industry, Overland Park, mentored by Masaaki Tamura, professor of anatomy and physiology; Brittany Funk, senior in chemical engineering, Shawnee, mentored by Ryan Rafferty, assistant professor of chemistry; Caroline Gambill, sophomore in life sciences and pre-physician assistant, Shawnee, mentored by Richard Rosenkranz, professor of food, nutrition, dietetics and health; Samantha Goetting, senior in biochemistry, Shawnee, mentored by Erika Geisbrecht, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Courtney Johnson, senior in biochemistry and chemistry, Shawnee, mentored by Christopher Culbertson, professor of chemistry; and Marta Stetsiv, senior in biochemistry and pre-medicine, Shawnee, mentored by Erika Geisbrecht, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics.
Seth Peery, senior in biochemistry and pre-medicine, Goddard, mentored by Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology; Benjamin Epp, sophomore in nutritional sciences and pre-medicine, Hutchinson, mentored by Richard Rosenkranz, professor of food, nutrition, dietetics and health; Ethan Kallenberger, senior in chemistry, biochemistry and pre-medicine, Lawrence, mentored by Brian Geisbrecht, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Diana Najera, senior in biochemistry, Liberal, mentored by Maureen Gorman, research associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics.
From Manhattan: Roger Abernathy, senior in biology, animal sciences and industry, and technology management, mentored by Kristopher Silver, research assistant professor of entomology; Baltazar Claro-Martinez, senior in biochemistry, mentored by John Tomich, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Michelle Coca, senior in biochemistry and pre-medicine, mentored by Maureen Gorman, research associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Abdulrahman Naeem, sophomore in biology, mentored by Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology; Elizabeth Riforgiate, junior in biology and pre-medicine, mentored by Nick Wallace, assistant professor of biology; and Kyle Thompson, senior in nutritional sciences and pre-medicine, mentored by Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology.
Gage Wright, junior in chemistry, Rose Hill, mentored by Jun Li, professor of chemistry; Tanji Lewis, senior in chemistry, Salina, mentored by Stefan Bossmann, university distinguished professor of chemistry; Joshua Lingo, senior in microbiology and pre-medicine, Tonganoxie, mentored by Sherry Fleming, professor of biology.
From Topeka: Ashley Bartels, junior in chemical engineering, mentored by Ryan Rafferty, assistant professor of chemistry; Emma Francis, junior in biology, pre-medicine and pre-law, mentored by Rollie Clem, professor of biology; and Molly Leyda, senior in microbiology, pre-medicine and anthropology, mentored by Sherry Fleming, professor of biology.
From Wichita: Hannah Coggeshall, senior in biology and pre-medicine, mentored by Jocelyn McDonald, associate professor of biology; Madelyn Hilgers, junior in biochemistry and pre-pharmacy, mentored by Chingakham Ranjit Singh, research assistant professor of biology; Johnathon Moses, sophomore in biomedical engineering, mentored by Punit Prakash, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; Whitney Pepper, junior in biology and pre-medicine, mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology; and Lydia Waner, sophomore in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, modern languages and pre-medicine, mentored by Thomas Mueller, research assistant professor of biology.
From out of state: Jared Newell, junior in biology, Lee's Summit, Missouri, mentored by Thomas Mueller, research assistant professor of biology; Emma Hawkins, senior in animal sciences and industry, Omaha, Nebraska, mentored by Annelise Nguyen, associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology; Megan Campbell, junior in microbiology and pre-medicine, Luther, Oklahoma, mentored by Lorena Passarelli, professor of biology.
