ASBMB Announces 2009 UAN Award Winners

April 3, 2009--The ASBMB UAN is proud to announce its 2009 Award Winners. The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Undergraduate Affiliate Network (UAN) is a national organization comprised of university-based chapters dedicated to the advancement of undergraduate research, research-based undergraduate education, and K-12 outreach in biochemistry and molecular biology. This year the UAN was able to offer several awards and scholarships designed to support undergraduate and K-12 research, and community engagement in the study of biochemistry and molecular biology. For more information about UAN Awards visit the Awards and Scholarships page.

Undergraduate Research Award Winners

Undergraduate Research Awards in the amount of $1,000 are awarded to UAN student members conducting research under the direction of a faculty member who is an ASBMB member.  The award is to be used for the purchase of research supplies and reagents.  Awardees are expected to present their findings and results at the next ASBMB annual meeting and/or a regional ASBMB UAN meeting. This year’s awardees are Christopher Doucette of Wesleyan University and Daniel Laurent of the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.

Outreach Support Award Winners

The Outreach Support Award provides UAN Chapter winners with $250 to hold outreach events in K-12 schools in their region to promote STEM education and careers in biochemistry and molecular biology. The recipients of the 2009 Outreach Support Award are: College of Holy Cross, Tennessee Technological University, Seattle University, and Western Illinois University.

7-12 Teacher Summer Research Award Winners

Totaling $12,000 per team, the purpose of this award is to promote research-based educational activities by building connections between teachers and students in secondary schools and colleges.  A secondary purpose of this award is to provide grades 7-12 students with role models and present UAN faculty members and their students with meaningful service-learning opportunities.  Each project pairs one grade 7-12 school teacher and a grade 7-12 student with a UAN faculty mentor and a UAN student.  The following winning teams will work together for two years (two summers and one academic year):

• Stan Richter, Detroit Lakes High School and Joe Provost, Minnesota State University Moorhead
• Anne Mach, La Crosse Central High School and Todd Weaver, University of Wisconsin La Crosse
• John Spengler, Pine Creek High School and Mike Taber and Neena Grover, Colorado College
• Rachel Gruner and Rachel Jones, Robious Middle School, and Ellis Bell, Hugo Guterres and Farren Billue, University of Richmond

2009 Outstanding Regional UAN Chapter Award

This Award aims to recognize UAN chapters that have demonstrated leadership in their educational activities in the areas of biochemistry and molecular biology, exhibited exceptional commitment to increasing public scientific awareness, demonstrated interaction with other campus activities and events, participated in regional and national meetings and showed sustained chapter activity. The three chapters receiving the award this year are Colorado College, Tennessee Technical University, and the University of Delaware.

2009 UAN Travel Award Winners

Travel Awards in the amount of $400 are used to support UAN students and faculty members attending the ASBMB Annual Meeting.  The following recipients will attend this year’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans, April 18-22.  All UAN student Travel Award recipients will also be participating in the 13th Annual ASBMB Undergraduate Student Poster Competition at the meeting.

For more awards from the UAN visit the Awards Page

Learn more about UAN activities and to see its newly revamped home at ASBMB.org.