UAPB students excel at INBRE Research Conference

(l-r) Mercedes Winfrey, Tia’Asia James and Jasmine Johnson are photographed with their certificates at the Arkansas INBRE conference

Fourteen University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) students participated in the 2016 Arkansas INBRE Research Conference that was held recently. Students gave oral and poster presentations in biology, physics, chemistry, and biochemistry.

Tia’Asia James, a senior majoring in chemistry, won “First Place Overall” in oral presentation in the chemistry and biochemistry category. Her research topic was “Synthesis and Analysis of Superparamagnetic Bridged Lanthanide (III) Complexes.” She completed this research while serving as a STEM Academy Intern at Texas A&M University during the summer of 2016.  The award included a certificate, plaque and a check for $500.

Mercedes Winfrey, a junior majoring in physics, won second place in the poster presentation in the chemistry and biochemistry category. Her project was entitled “Measuring Carbon Dioxide Emissions as a Basis for Understanding Indoor Air Quality and Room Ventilation.” The award included a certificate, a plaque and a check for $250. She did her research at Washington State University in Pullman, WA as an NSF STEM Academy Intern in the summer of 2016.

Jasmine Johnson, a senior majoring in Chemistry, won third place in the chemistry and biochemistry category. Her research was done as an NSF STEM Academy Intern at the University of Pittsburgh in the summer of 2016 and her topic was entitled “Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors Augment the Activation of Cardiac Fibroblasts by SDF-1α Neuropeptide Y, and Peptide YY.” She received a certificate.

Other students who presented at the INBRE Research Conference listed were (by department): Chemistry and Physics (Kenan Dzide, Octie Ashley, Joidan Romes, Sha’Keiria Burnett, Mikiah Ballard, Kionna Henderson and Sydney Reed); Biology (David Tingle and Sydnee Worlds), Mathematics and Computer Sciences (Mb Abdus Salam Siddique); and Agriculture (Malachi Miller).

UAPB Administrators, faculty and staff conference participants were: Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Economic Development Dr. Mary E. Benjamin; Dr. Grant Wangila, interim chair for Chemistry/Physics; Dr. Wei Du, post doc, Department of Chemistry/Physics; Mrs. Genevia Kelsey-Thomas, research project analyst; and Ms. Johnmesha Sanders, instructor, department of Chemistry/Physics.

The Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (Arkansas INBRE) is funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The program was established for the purpose of broadening the geographic distribution of NIH funding for biomedical and behavioral research. Arkansas INBRE encourages and provides creative opportunities in research for students and faculty in STEM areas. The program sparks creativity in young students, encourages the rising generation of scientists with recognition for their efforts, and provides research opportunities during the summer at leading research institutions in the state for students interested in graduate school in biomedical areas and STEM disciplines.