Mary Washington Biology Majors Capture Research Grants at Statewide Conference

When the Virginia Academy of Science (VAS) awarded 10 competitive grants at its Fall Meeting in November, students from the University of Mary Washington claimed four of them – highlighting the University’s dedication to undergraduate research.

Held at Ferrum College, the annual conference brought together aspiring scientists from across Virginia to present their research and compete for funding. This year, UMW biology majors stood out among their peers from larger institutions, securing nearly half of the available grants.

“Having the opportunity to share what I’ve been working on for nearly a year was rewarding,” said senior Bonnie Butler, a grant recipient recognized for her project The Effects of PDGFRb Activation on Vasculature in HUVEC Cells Transfected with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Repeats. Working with Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Ginny Morriss, Butler examined the role of growth factors in blood vessel formation.

“To be one of a handful of UMW students to win a grant is truly an honor,” Butler said. “The success UMW had at VAS speaks volumes about the University and the opportunities and support it provides its undergraduate students.”

Senior Max de la Cruz Morrobel focused on plant hormones that regulate growth. Their project, Expression of Plasmodesmal Regulatory Genes in Response to Brassinosteroids, conducted under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Biological Sciences April Wynn, has meaningful implications for crop production. Wynn is an elected officer in VAS.

“I will work hard to pay the grant I generously received from the VAS conference forward to society through my agricultural research,” de la Cruz Morrobel said.

UMW students and faculty traveled to Ferrum College to participate in the Virginia Academy of Science Fall Undergraduate Meeting in November.

The conference served as both a poster presentation competition and networking opportunity for students statewide, including UMW students Gabby Valle and Caroline Turner (pictured).

UMW biology majors, including Rebecca Cherian (pictured), took part in the competition, which served as a platform for undergraduate research proposals.

Also under Morriss’s mentorship, junior Eleni Kepler investigated The Effects of Myoglianin Knockdown in Drosophila melanogaster with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1, identifying ways to improve muscle growth and reduce insulin resistance.

“Presenting at VAS was an incredibly rewarding experience,” Kepler said. “It gave me a lot of pride to be from a smaller institution among much larger schools and still win an award. It speaks to the quality of research at UMW.”

Junior Tyler Downs rounded out UMW’s grant recipients with his project, Genome-wide Cytotoxicity Effects of Mycobacteriophage Mercurio, which explored how to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. His work, conducted under Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Swati Agrawal, tackles a global health challenge.

The Fall Undergraduate Research Meeting, established in 2001, serves as both a poster presentation competition and networking opportunity for students statewide. In addition to the grant recipients, several other UMW students showcased their research, including Caroline Turner, Gabriela Valle, Caroline Sampson, Emma Jones, Rebecca Cherion, Natalie Fox, Michael Combs, Delaney Humphrey, Christopher Anderson, Lexi Miller, Briza Valdez-Llamas and Loren Delgadillo-Llano.

To learn more about research opportunities at Mary Washington, visit UMW’s undergraduate research webpage.