Undergraduates Present Research at Florida Academy of Sciences

AVON PARK, Fla. – March 27, 2024 – South Florida State College (SFSC) students presented research at the 87th annual meeting of the Florida Academy of Sciences that was held on Friday, March 8 at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla.

The Florida Academy of Sciences was founded in 1936 and is the Florida Affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The Academy sponsors the Florida Junior Academy of Sciences to encourage young scientists; publishes the quarterly journal, “Florida Scientist”; and sponsors an annual meeting to give members an opportunity to present papers, honor their peers, and participate in multidisciplinary scientific exchanges.

Although most undergraduate researchers presenting at the Florida Academy of Sciences meeting were from state or private universities, SFSC students came from one of two Florida state colleges that made presentations – including Indian River State College.

“Students performing research as a part of their classes and then presenting their results at conferences greatly bolsters their confidence and identity as real scholars or scientists,” said Dr. James Hawker, SFSC dean of Arts and Sciences. “It opens their eyes to a larger world.”

During the meeting, four SFSC students won awards for their presentations. They were:

• Colten Denby for Outstanding Undergraduate Poster in the Medical Sciences Section. He presented on “Evaluating the Role of the Melatonin in the Mitochondrion-mediated Apoptosis in Thyroid Cancer Cell (MDA-T41),” and his faculty mentor was Dr. Daniel Sanches, chair, Natural Sciences, and Biology instructor.

• Kim Pham and Jesus Hernandez for Outstanding Undergraduate Oral Presentation in the Rare and Endangered Plants and Animals Section. They presented on “GC-MC Analysis of Compounds Present in the Endangered Plant Ziziphus Celata,” and their faculty mentor was Dr. Kate Calvin, Chemistry instructor.

• Esmeralda Morales for Outstanding Undergraduate Poster in the Rare and Endangered Plants and Animals Section. Her presentation was on “Differential Expression of Metabolites in Genetic Variants of the Endangered Plan Ziziphus Celata,” and her faculty mentor was Dr. Kate Calvin.

Other SFSC students scientific research presentations given at the Florida Academy of Sciences meeting were:

• “Engineering 3D Printed Tool for Relieving Body Tension” by Mikylla Torralba, Ean Cheng, and Wendy Jiang. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel, Biology instructor, and Garrett Lee, coordinator, Engineering Program.

• “Preserving Florida’s Unique Biodiversity through DNA Barcoding” by Rebecca Kesling. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.

• “The Oral Microbiome and its adverse relationship with Obesity and Metabolic rates” by Sammi Rather. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.

• “Florida Scrub Species Identification Through DNA Barcoding” by Daniella Grace Jeanjaquet, Irfan Mahadi Sharif, Wendy Jiang, and Jean F. Fleurimond. Faculty mentors: Dr. Joseph Velenovsky, Biology instructor; Dr. Mintoo Patel; Dr. Daniel Sanches; and Dr. James Hawker.

• “An Economic Analysis of the Mango Horticulture Industry: Evaluating Factors Influencing Global Agriculture” by Ean Cheng. Faculty mentor: Peggy Sueppel, Economics professor.

• “Microbial Masterpieces: The Symphony of Science and Creativity” by Mikyla Torralba, Wendy Jiang, and Jesus Hernandez. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel; Karla Respress, Art professor; Anthony Record, curator, Museum of Florida Art and Culture; and Garrett Lee.

• “E-cadherin Expression as a Predictor of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Early Onset Colorectal Cancer” by Anika Bhandare. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.

For more information about undergraduate research at SFSC, contact Dr. James Hawker at 863-784-7329 or james.hawker@southflorida.edu.