Division of Research and Graduate Studies

24th Annual Central California Research Symposium Award Winners

• Schedule and abstracts now available online

Record Participation at 24th Annual Central California Research Symposium

FRESNO (APRIL 23, 2003) – A record number of graduate students participated in the 24th Annual Central California Research Symposium, held April 17 at the University Business Center on the campus of California State University, Fresno. Hosted by the Grants and Research Office at California State University, Fresno, the Symposium serves to bring together investigators, students, and faculty from a variety of disciplines to share the results of their scholarly work. Co-sponsors of the event include the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Fresno Medical Education Program, Valley Children’s Hospital and Alliant University. A total of 53 oral and 39 poster presentations were made at the event, which began with a keynote address by California State University, Fresno Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. J. Michael Ortiz. Two students from California State University, Fresno captured first-place honors for their oral presentations. Holly Ramage received graduate honors for her project, “Characterization and Transposon Mutagenesis of Propargyl Bromide Degraders,” while Kristen Callens was the undergraduate winner for her presentation, “An Assessment of the Economic Feasibility of Using Raisins as an Ethanol Feedstock.” In the poster competition, the two first-place winners were Kurt Sterling (“Sequence Diversity in the tfdR Regulatory Gene for the 2,4-D Catabolic Pathway”) and the group of Bonnie Glosier, Linda Donnelly, and Victoria Gomes (“Combating Phytophthora Disease in Pepper (Capsicum Annum)).” A complete list of winners follows. For copies of the abstracts or any questions, please contact Douglas Carey at (559) 278-0840.

24th Annual Central California Research Symposium • April 17, 2003
California State University, Fresno | University Business

Center Graduate Award for Best Oral Presentation ($250):

Holly Ramage – “Characterization and Transposon Mutagenesis of Propargyl Bromide Degraders”

Honorable Mention for Graduate Oral Presentation
(four winners; no cash award):

Julie Rodriguez – “Development of a Method to Detect Water-Soluble Accelerants in Arson Debris for Forensic Laboratories”

Alicia Rivera – “Legal Controversies Related to Brown v. Board of Education” Robert Gaeta –
“Induction of PCD in Caenorhabditis elegans by Targeting Ced-9 Using RNA Interference: Potential to Control Plant Pathogenic Nematodes”

Jared Nakashima – “Beneficial Effects of Propofol Anesthesia in Reconstructive Surgery: Survival Study of Random Pattern Skin Flaps in an Animal Model”

Undergraduate Award for Best Oral Presentation ($250):

Kristen Callens – “An Assessment of the Economic Feasibility of Using Raisins as an Ethanol Feedstock”

Honorable Mention for Undergraduate Oral Presentation (no cash award):

Andrew Smith – “Group Size Effect for Positive, Negative and Neutral Events"

Award for Best Poster Presentation: ($250 for each first-place winner):

1st place: (Session I)
Kurt Sterling – “Sequence Diversity in the tfdR Regulatory Gene for the 2,4-D Catabolic Pathway”

1st place: (Session II)
Bonnie Glosier, Linda Donnelly, and Victoria Gomes – “Combating Phytophthora Disease in Pepper (Capsicum Annum)”

Honorable Mention (no cash award):

Michael Spiess – “Online Data Collection of Secondary Agricultural Education Data”