Fort Valley State University News September 28, 2011 FVSU seniors present research in Puerto Rico Undergraduates from the United States and Puerto Rico participated in a scientific competition Sept. 16 and17, and one Fort Valley State University senior walked away with a prize. Kanesha Sewell, biology student, won a top medal and certificate, along with bragging rights for the best poster presentation at the 2011 AGMUS Research Symposium hosted by the Ana G. Mendez University System in San Juan. "It feels absolutely rewarding to receive this type of recognition and to know that my hard work paid off," said Sewell of LaGrange, Ga. "With this being the first conference I have participated in as a presenter, and actually placing within the top 12 out of more than 195 other undergraduate presenters, it was far more than what I expected." The 21-year-old conducted her research during an internship at the University of Missouri-Columbia under the FVSU National Science Foundation's HBCU-UP and REU-Site major research institution collaborative initiative. She examined two antagonistic muscles of the eye, the constrictor and dilator. Then, Sewell analyzed the data on the potential applications of pupillary light reflex (PLR), which refers to the pupil size changes in response to illuminance changes. Fort Valley State seniors Calvin Victor Johnson, Xavier Price and Shataria Traylor also participated in the symposium for students pursuing STEM - science, technology, engineering and math - majors. "It is a surreal feeling to actually be living out my childhood dream of becoming a scientist. Actually making progress toward this 14-year-old goal is exhilarating," said Price, a plant science major from Lewisville, Ark. The students said they are thankful for this opportunity and the guidance of FVSU professors Seema Dhir and Dr. Sarwan Dhir. The Dhirs coordinate internships for students who then use their research in competitions. "The fact that I got a chance to travel the world and meet new people and network is very exciting to me. I feel that it is very helpful for my future endeavors," said Johnson, a biology student from Waycross, Ga. "All the students were professional and did an excellent job presenting their research. Seeing our students present their research is always a rewarding experience. It's even better when their work is recognized by judges from other schools. We are truly proud of their work," said Dr. Sarwan Dhir, director of the FVSU Center for Biotechnology, who was also a guest speaker at the event. For more information about the Center for Biotechnology, call (478) 825-6887. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.