News release
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Nineteen undergraduate students were honored for their scientific research presentations at the 21st annual Kansas IDeA (Institutional Development Awards) Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) Symposium in January in Overland Park.
The annual symposium is part of the program’s initiative to prepare promising undergraduate students for careers in bioscience. Led by the University of Kansas Medical Center, 10 institutions in Kansas and Oklahoma participate in the collaborative network.
“The symposium is a great opportunity to support the biomedical sciences in Kansas,” said Douglas Wright, principal investigator for K-INBRE and professor and vice chair in the department of anesthesiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. “Students are encouraged to showcase their hard work with poster or oral presentations. And young and established faculty researchers are also invited to present and share their research and developments in the field.”
Among those honored was Audrey Rymer, Hays, a student at Fort Hays State University. She is a sophomore in biology pre-med and her oral presentation was “Comparing the Presence of Antibiotic Resistance Bacteria in Wastewater Systems to Assess the Population Health of Kansas Counties." Her parents are Ryan and Alicia Rymer, Hays.
Under the guidance of faculty mentors, students are afforded opportunities to work in laboratories or their communities developing research projects. With these opportunities, students are provided the tools and guidance to better inform their future academic and career choices in the biomedical sciences.
The annual Symposium brings together students, faculty, and staff from the University of KansasMedical Center, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Haskell Indian Nations University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, University of Kansas, Washburn University, Wichita State University, and Langston University in Langston, Okla. Nearly 150posters were presented by undergraduate and graduate students from all 10 of the institutions in Kansas and Oklahoma. In addition, eight students presented orally along with several faculty speakers.
Poster presentation honorable mentions
•Zoe Buffington, Fort Hays State University
•Hannah Gates, Fort Hays State University