Undergraduate Researchers Honored at National Conference
Posted on April 3, 2024 by CAHP
Two University of South Alabama biomedical sciences students have earned acceptance into the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. South was also named the organization’s outstanding chapter for 2024.
Connor Holm and Anita Nguyen, both third year biomedical sciences majors, are two of just 31 students nationwide to be inducted this year. They were honored recently at the national conference in San Antonio, Texas.
The Honor Society is a prestigious distinction given to exceptional undergraduate juniors and seniors pursuing degrees in the molecular life sciences at colleges or universities with student chapters. Students are recognized for their academic achievement, research accomplishments and outreach activities.
“It brought me great joy to see Connor and Anita being honored at the conference. Both students are brilliant, are dedicated to their research projects, and have shown incredible leadership and creativity within our student chapter,” said Dr. Phoibe Renema, assistant professor in the department of biomedical sciences and faculty advisor for South’s chapter.
Holm, who serves as the chapter’s president, first learned about the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomolecular after speaking with Renema about undergraduate research opportunities his freshman year. She suggested starting a club with the purpose of connecting mentors with students.
“We began heavily promoting the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology club at freshmen orientation events over the summers, so that our member base would be of students searching for a mentor and ready to become involved in new clubs on campus,” Holm said.
The efforts have paid off. South’s chapter has grown from just six members three years ago to more than 50 today. Faculty members from various research labs on campus are invited to speak with members about their projects.
They raise money annually for student scholarships, conduct outreach efforts with local high schools encouraging students to participate in STEM research and collaborated with the Mitchell Cancer Institute to provide student tours. Those efforts led to South being selected as this year’s Outstanding Chapter.
“There already were an incredibly bright group of students on Souths campus interested in biomedical research,” Renema said. “The student chapter has simply brought them together into a community where they can learn from faculty and each other.”
The chapter continues to grow, and anyone interested in undergraduate research is welcome to attend a meeting.
“If you’re unsure of what to look for in a research topic, join our student chapter, where we provide our students with a chance to meet and hear from researchers,” said Nguyen, the chapter’s vice president. “It’s a very safe place to ask questions, and our mission is to help students narrow down their goals and objectives to aid in matching them to a research mentor.”