UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012 - (Page 21)

As an undergraduate, I approached a professor about an article we had read. I identified a research question that had not been asked and she encouraged me to write a proposal. I did. We developed a survey, collected data, wrote an article, presented it at a conference and it was published in a peerreviewed journal. I learned about the research process from the beginning, the birth of an idea, and I have attempted to model this for my undergraduate and graduate students alike. Dr. Alex Piquero Ashbel Smith Professor in Criminology in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences Every time I have published an inferred or proposed idea or model and it is confirmed and validated by others’ work, I have an “Aha!” moment. It reinforces that my work is advancing knowledge. Dr. Li Zhang Professor of molecular and cell biology and holder of the Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Systems Biology Science One such student, Francisco Garcia, applied for the most basic funding opportunity available through UT Dallas: an Undergraduate Research Scholar Award sponsored by Gnade’s office. Garcia was among 46 students in 2010 to receive $500 to cover costs related to his scientific interests. His latest research earned him a second Undergraduate Research Scholar Award in 2011. Garcia’s path to UT Dallas began more than two decades ago with his family’s arduous journey from Mexico to a new life in the United States. These days, Garcia immerses himself in science every day. He revels in the high-tech surroundings of the UT Dallas campus and in the laboratories he frequents as he delves into the mysteries of neuroscience. “My family and I came here as immigrants when I was very young, and when I first started college, I worked in restaurants and construction to pay for school,” Garcia said. “The whole time though, I always had a passion for studying the brain.” His passion and clear aptitude for neurobiology paired perfectly with exceptional research opportunities and scholarships available to underclassmen at UT Dallas. Garcia’s project was guided by Dr. Marco Atzori, associate professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. “I’m especially interested in studying disorders such as autism, brain cancer and others, and that’s why I really appreciated this opportunity,” Garcia said. “I’m thankful for the opportunities given to me by Dr. Atzori to join his lab and be part of his research team.” The research scholar award provides funding for a single semester for each student researcher. The program is paid for in part by support from corporate sponsors that have included Raytheon and Ericsson. The number of undergraduate projects sponsored under the annual program has more than doubled since its beginning in 2007. This fall, 70 students received funding for 69 undergraduate research projects. “Without a doubt, [part of] what attracts students to UT Dallas is the research opportunity here—specifically in the sciences,” Atzori said. “The mentorships available here, particularly for undergraduate students, are unparalleled.” Francisco Garcia (front) has earned two Undergraduate Research Scholar Awards while working with Dr. Marco Atzori, associate professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. The University of Texas at Dallas Winter 2012 21

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012

UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012
Contents
On Campus
From the Lab
Arts and Culture
Courtside Success
Athletics
Research Is Teaching
Town and Gown
In Your Footsteps: An Alumni Perspective
Alumni Notes
In Memoriam
Hindsight

UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012

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