CCS Students at ABRCMS

Three College of Creative Studies (CCS) students attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) held November 1-4, 2017 in Phoenix, AZ. Rachel Liu (CCS Biology), Young Hun (Colin) Kim (CCS Chemistry-Biochemistry), and David Lowe (CCS Biology) each presented research and were recognized with Top Presentation Awards. In addition to scientific sessions, the national conference provides professional development workshops, posters, and exhibits of graduate programs and funding opportunities in the biomedical sciences. All three students intend to pursue graduate studies and noted that their experience at ABRCMS was useful for networking and provided an exceptional opportunity for honing their science communication skills.

Liu and Lowe are both UC-LEADS scholars while Kim is a UCSB NIH-MARC and Amgen Scholar. These programs support increasing access to research careers for students from underrepresented backgrounds. CCS Interim Dean Kathy Foltz emphasized that the opportunity to work in UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Professors’ research labs is key to these programs and to CCS and that the research mentors provide an invaluable service. “UCSB is well known for the opportunities the campus provides to young scientists to work as part of research groups,” said Foltz. “We are all grateful for the time, resources, and personal investment that faculty and their lab members put into mentoring undergraduates in their labs.” Foltz also noted the value of gaining experience in labs on other campus’ through these programs, especially in that they offer a window into what the graduate programs have to offer.