2008 Woodie Awards
Students win big at SACNAS
Two take home top honors from national science conference
Neill Herbert
Date created: 11/9/04 Section: NEWS
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Nine Skyline College biology students returned from a recent national science conference held Oct. 22 and 23 in Austin, Texas, with valuable knowledge and experience. Two of the students also brought back to Skyline a significant award.
At the annual conference put on by the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Philina Mui and Elena Robles won the award for having the best undergraduate biology presentation. Presented in a ceremony on the final night of the conference, the honor took the two biology majors quite by surprise.
"We didn't believe it, because we weren't expecting anything from this, or not expecting to win," said Mui. "So, when they called Elena's name, I thought, 'Wait, did they just call our names?'"
Michael Williamson, dean of Skyline's science-mathematics-technologies division, commended both the students and the faculty involved in the award-winning research.
"It is really impressive for these two girls to win," he said. "It really speaks to how committed the faculty is to take their independent time to work with students. Once students start doing research, they get excited about science."
Mui's and Robles' research presentation was one of over 500 posters being exhibited at SACNAS by undergraduate students from around the country, including from schools like Harvard, Boston College and several University of California campuses. Various judges evaluated the students' work, asking them questions about anything related to their projects. Besides admitting to feeling nervous, Mui and Robles felt they had studied enough and were confident about the judges' evaluations.
"They only gave us positive feedback," said Robles. "There wasn't anything negative."
Skyline was the only community college represented at the 2002 and 2003 conferences, and, according to Dr. Christine Case, who traveled with the students to Texas, only one other community college was in attendance this year.
At the annual conference put on by the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Philina Mui and Elena Robles won the award for having the best undergraduate biology presentation. Presented in a ceremony on the final night of the conference, the honor took the two biology majors quite by surprise.
"We didn't believe it, because we weren't expecting anything from this, or not expecting to win," said Mui. "So, when they called Elena's name, I thought, 'Wait, did they just call our names?'"
Michael Williamson, dean of Skyline's science-mathematics-technologies division, commended both the students and the faculty involved in the award-winning research.
"It is really impressive for these two girls to win," he said. "It really speaks to how committed the faculty is to take their independent time to work with students. Once students start doing research, they get excited about science."
Mui's and Robles' research presentation was one of over 500 posters being exhibited at SACNAS by undergraduate students from around the country, including from schools like Harvard, Boston College and several University of California campuses. Various judges evaluated the students' work, asking them questions about anything related to their projects. Besides admitting to feeling nervous, Mui and Robles felt they had studied enough and were confident about the judges' evaluations.
"They only gave us positive feedback," said Robles. "There wasn't anything negative."
Skyline was the only community college represented at the 2002 and 2003 conferences, and, according to Dr. Christine Case, who traveled with the students to Texas, only one other community college was in attendance this year.
