(Rockville, MD – September 20, 2007) Fifteen students mentored by members of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) were selected to receive the 2007ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF). The $3,000 fellowship permits each student to devote full-time effort to his or her research project for a 10-week period during the summer. The award also includes $500 to the mentor for lab supplies, a free student membership in ASPB until August 2008, and travel grant assistance to attend the 2008 ASPB Plant Biology meeting.
There were 24 Category A (Research and Doctoral Universities) applicants and 10 Category B (Master’s Universities, Baccalaureate Colleges, and Associate of Art Colleges) applicants for a total of 34 highly competitive projects. The reviewers were impressed by the high quality of all the applicants’ projects and the commitment of the students and their mentors to their ongoing research.
The SURF program was once again co-chaired by SURF founders Mark Brodl, Trinity University, and Jon Monroe, James Madison University. Also co-chairing this year was Amy Clore, New College of Florida. This is the seventh year of the program. SURF is funded by the ASPB Executive Committee and ASPB Good Works funds. SURF chairs and other ASPB members support the fellowship program in many ways, including reviewing applications, selecting recipients and supporting their research.
Complete project descriptions and photos can be viewed at the ASPB website: http://www.aspb.org/education/undergrad/cfm. The 2007 SURF winners are:
Group A - Research and Doctoral Universities
Christopher Aakre, Stanford University
Project: Biological Function of the Tomato LRR-RLK in Xanthomonas-Host Interactions
Mentor: Dr. Mary Beth Mudgett
Robert Billmyre, University of Maryland College Park
Project: Auxin Transport in Charophytes: Examining the Roots of Land Plant Evolution
Mentor: Dr. Heven Sze
Lihan Deng, University of Tennessee Knoxville
Project: Study of the Function of EPIP1 and EPIP2 Proteins
Mentor: Dr. Elena Shpak
Christine Falaschetti, Loyola University Chicago
Project: Regulation of starch synthesis in wheat: the unique endosperm ADP-GlcPPase
Mentor: Dr. Miguel Ballicora
Ashley Hipps, Cornell University
Project: Determining the Molecular Mechanisms of Temperature Modulation of Defense Responses in Arabidopsis thaliana through int Mutants
Mentor: Dr. Jian Hua
Charles Mason, Pennsylvania State University
Project: Heterologous biosynthesis of flavonoid metabolites and characterization of
induction properties of a transcription factor in fungal challenged maize plants.
Mentor: Dr. Surinder Chopra
Ryan Mayle, Michigan State University
Project: cpDNA mutations as a genetic indicator of oxidative damage in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under high light conditions
Mentor: Dr. Barb Sears
Amy Rymaszewski, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Project: Identification of Novel Signaling Components in the EMS1 Signal Transduction Pathway Using Activation Tagging
Mentor: Dr. Dazhong Zhao
Christian Santa Maria, University of California Davis
Project: Sister Chromatid Cohesion in Plants: Comparing Centromeres to Chromosome Arms
Mentor: Dr. Simon Chan
Amy Schroeder, Truman State University
Project: Roles of conserved serine and tyrosine residues in the active site of tyrosine ammonia-lyase
Mentor: Dr. Joseph Jez
Blaire J. Steinwand, Colorado State University
Project: Sucrose Induced Expression of the PAP1 Gene in Arabidopsis thaliana
Mentor: Dan Bush
Group B - Master’s Universities, Baccalaureate Colleges, and Associate of Art Colleges
Roxana Godiwalla, University of Wisconsin Whitewater
Project: Effects of Calcium on the Growth of Various Mutant Plants
Mentor: Dr. Catherine Chan
Tazley Hotz, East Tennessee State University
Project: Salicylic acid-methyl transferase required for plant innate immunity
Mentor: Dr. Dhirendra Kumar
Janelle Johnson, San Francisco State University
Project: WAKL4 Cis-Acting Elements in Response to Environmental Minerals
Mentor: Dr. Zheng-Hui He
Stacy Kowsz, Rochester Institute of Technology
Project: Quorum sensing signal mimics in modern and ancient corn types
Mentor: Dr. Michael Savka