NEWS

And they’re off! Eleven bright-eyed undergraduates from seven New Mexico Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) reported to New Mexico Tech (NMT) on Sunday, June 2 to begin their participation in STEMAP. STEMAP, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Advancement Program, gives undergraduates from non-research universities the opportunity to work in the labs of NM EPSCoR researchers. The nine-week commitment involves a week of training at NMT and eight weeks of research followed by a final conference at which the students present their research experience. In return, the students receive a stipend, housing and food allowance, and 3 hours of independent study credit from NMT.

The 2014 STEMAP students are:

• Tim Torres, Central New Mexico Community College
• Keith Thunder, Santa Fe Community College
• Nadia Mabrouk Mujynya, Santa Fe Community College
• Julian Borjorquez, Santa Fe Community College
• Saul Ruiz, New Mexico Highlands University
• Devin Bruce, New Mexico Highlands University
• Lynn Weikel, Northern New Mexico College
• Aysha McClory, University of New Mexico—Los Alamos
• Adrianna Johnson, University of New Mexico—Valencia
• Claudi Petr, University of New Mexico—Valencia
• Shaina Willie, Western New Mexico University

NM EPSCoR researchers are offering six different research opportunities this summer:

• Visualizing Function in Live Cells for Bioenergy Applications (Jerilyn Timlin, Sandia National Laboratory; David Hanson, UNM Biology)
• Encapsulating Living Cells for Biofuel and Bioproducts (Linnea Ista, UNM Center for Biomedical Engineering; David Hanson, UNM Biology)
• Solar Energy in New Mexico (Martin Kirk, Yang Qin, John Grey, all at UNM Chemistry)
• Solar Energy in New Mexico (Michael Heagy, NMT Chemistry)
• Assessing Uranium Contamination (Bonnie Frey, NM Bureau of Geology, Dan Cadol, NMT Earth and Environmental Science)
• Algae for Energy: Algal Cultivation and Extraction Research (Shuguang Deng, NMSU Chemical Engineering, Peter Lammers, NMSU Energy Research Laboratory)

STEMAP is directed by Michael Heagy, from the Chemistry Department at NMT. Recruiting and administrative support provided by Chelsea Chee and Selena Connealy, both with NM EPSCoR. The STEMAP program assistant is Victoria Valdez Risley, an NM EPSCoR success story! She participated in an NM EPSCoR-sponsored undergraduate research program, eventually enrolled in NMT and graduated this past May. We will be checking in with the STEMAP students throughout the summer, so be sure to join our listserv or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.