Eight students from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM) received awards during the eighth, Annual Bio-Medical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), which was recently celebrated in Orlando, Florida. These young students, who are participants of the UPRM programs: MARC (Minority Access to Research Careers) and Sloan, were awarded the highest honor in eight different categories, according to their discipline and year of study.

UPRM winners included: Eduardo González Maldonado, Elena Latorre Esteves, Alejandro López and Sirena Montalvo Katz. Víctor Ocasio, Fransheska Rivera Vega, Patricia Sánchez Vázquez and Juan Santiago Torres were also part of the group.

The ABRCMS conference is the largest professional conference for students in Biochemistry. On this occasion close to 1,200 students attended the convention. During a time period of four days, which the conference lasted, a panel of judges made up of scientific researchers, evaluated the performance of the participants who gave oral presentations, for example, exhibits based on their research in the area of Science.

UPRM chancellor, doctor Jorge Iván Vélez Arocho, welcomed the “UPRM ambassadors” in the Official Residence, where he thanked them for their decision to study Science and to make it a goal to obtain a doctorate’s degree in the future.

“Our institution is very proud of the students of MARC and Sloan. Puerto Rico needs people to study the sciences. The world is searching for scientists to aid in advancing discoveries that the world needs.”

Vélez Arocho noted that the institutions in which UPRM students have selected to do their doctoral studies have mentioned the excellent performance of students that graduate from UPRM.

Doctor Mildred Chaparro, dean of Academic Affairs and director of MARC, and doctor Doris Ramírez, co-director of MARC, were also invited to the Official Residence.

Chaparro indicated that group members have had the opportunity to carry out scientific research in unusual places such as Brazil and Finland.

In fact, Ángel Del Valle is on his way to Brazil where he will carry out research on yuca this summer. The results of his studies will be presented in January of 2010.

Kariam Morales, Biology student, shared that when she graduates she would like to get an MD-PhD. in microbiology or immunology. “After studying general medicine, I would like to continue onto other types of studies.”

The principal objective of programs such as MARC and Sloan are to offer students who have a GPA of 3.00 and are interested in continuing onto graduate studies in the sciences the opportunity to carry out scientific research. From the time they were founded in 1990, these programs have provided students with the option that after completing their bachelor’s degree they can pursue doctorate studies and at the same time receive a stipend to cover its cost.

Honored students, from the lefthand side: Víctor Ocasio, Patricia Sánchez, Francheska Rivera. In the second row: Elena LaTorre, Juan Edgardo Santiago and Eduardo González.

Participants of the UPRM Programs MARC and Sloan received awards during the eighth annual convention of ABRCMS. The students are accompanied by doctors Mildred Chaparro, Jorge I. Vélez Arocho and Doris Ramírez.

UPRM Chancellor welcomed the students at the Official Residence.

Photographs by Carlos Díaz / UPRM Press