Get to Know the UBRP Ambassadors Officers!

 

The UBRP Ambassadors are student representatives for the Undergraduate Biology Research Program. They also act as liaisons of the program to the University of Arizona and Tucson community. The Ambassadors aim to strengthen the UBRP community by providing a number of opportunities for students to interact with each other and with others outside the UBRP community. The UBRP Ambassadors aim to enrich the undergraduate research experience for the program’s students and help them understand the importance of being engaged with the community as scientists.

Each year the Ambassadors elect a group of student officers who agree to take on the responsibilities of leading and organizing events and opportunities for their peers. These students go above and beyond, dedicating a significant amount of their time to connecting with and providing opportunities for other UBRP students to get to know one another, serve their community, and grow professionally. 

To get to know more about each of our amazing officers and their goals as part of Ambassadors, continue reading below!

 

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ARIEL CHENG

My name is Ariel Cheng and I am a senior studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in theater. I have the privilege of being this year's UBRP President! Through UBRP, I grew not only as a scientist but also as a person. I have always had a love for nature and as I learned more through my classes, I grew passionate about promoting conservation through research! I first started conducting research my senior year of high school and through that experience I knew I wanted to do more. So for the past three, soon to be four, years of my undergraduate career, I have worked with various labs studying ornithology to entomology to explore the different branches of ecology. UBRP made my goal of becoming a scientist feasible and has allowed me to conduct research. During my first year of UBRP, I joined Dr. Jana U'Ren's lab where I worked with fungal endophytes! Some fungi you may be familiar with are mushrooms or baker's yeast. These endophytes are fungi that are microscopic. What made me fall in love with these fungi are their diverse capabilities when it comes to interacting with their environment. For example, one of the projects I am working on is discovering which type of fungi is capable of degrading  metal particulates, like Iron and Copper! Another investigates whether or not changes in temperature will affect fungi’s ability to grow and consequently their ability to support their host plants as they endure climate changes. Overall, by studying fungi and their relationship to their environment, we can better understand how we can utilize fungi as a tool to combat the effects of global warming. 

Being part of UBRP Ambassadors, I was able to make some new, amazing friends and try new things! As President, it is my goal to make sure everyone leaves this program with a similar experience. In order to do this, the officers have worked towards creating a safe place for the students of UBRP. This includes hosting events for students to take a break from their lab work and spend time relaxing and meeting new people. We have hosted hang outs where we learned how to make Seed Balls to help promote native wildlife. I shared my love for conservation through a team-bonding trip to the local zoo. Additionally, we encourage our students to join us in various volunteer opportunities. While we have done much so far, I am excited to continue to see what else our Ambassadors will do. 

 

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CATHERINE JEZERC

Hello! My name is Catherine Jezerc and I am the Social Media Chair for UBRP Ambassadors this year! I will be starting my junior year in the fall as a Neuroscience and Cognitive Science major with a Studio Art minor. I joined UBRP because I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to grow as a scientist, become engaged in research pertaining to my interests, and get to know others in this community of students. I was very fortunate to interview for and join Dr. Chou’s lab here at UofA where we are studying the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on cognition to determine TMS’s potential effectiveness as a therapeutic and/or preventive treatment for Alzheimer’s dementia. I have been so grateful for the many new skills I have already gained from joining this team, including navigating the equipment and uncovering the ins and outs of research with human participants, and I am looking forward to continuing to grow under my superiors’ guidance. 

Joining the Ambassadors as a new UBRP student, I was not entirely sure what I was signing up for, but it has been an awesome experience taking on this leadership role and learning to work with the amazing team we have this year. As Social Media Chair, I am excited to continue promoting the fantastic program that is UBRP so that more people can recognize its positive influence and important work. 

 

 

 

 

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GAVIN ARNOLD

Hello! My name is Gavin Arnold and I’m the current Vice President of the UBRP Ambassadors. I’m a rising sophomore studying biochemistry and working in the Polt Lab. I joined UBRP as an opportunity to grow as a scientist while experiencing research for the first time. Through this program, I was able to join on a project I am incredibly passionate about that mirrors much of the work I hope to do in the future. I work in synthetic organic chemistry and help build glycopeptides (sugars attached to amino acid chains) as potential therapeutic drugs for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. With the UBRP Ambassadors, I am most looking forward to giving back to the surrounding communities through events such as Ben’s Bells and volunteering in community gardens!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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HANNAH VU

My name is Hannah Vu and I am this year’s UBRP secretary. I am a senior Physiology and Medical Sciences major with a Biochemistry minor graduating fall 2023. I joined UBRP by the recommendation of my lab mentor because I was interested in continuing my research over the summer. In the Cai lab, we’re looking at the PKCδ+ neuronal subpopulation in the central amygdala, which is involved in feeding inhibition. With endoscope calcium imaging and behavioral video annotations, we are working to understand the nuances of this subpopulation during feeding and how this neuronal behavior is influenced by variables in physiological state and in disease models. This research will hopefully contribute to better understanding eating disorders in psychiatric and neurological conditions.

Coming to the U of A, I’ve found myself in a fast-paced and sometimes isolating university life. When I joined UBRP, it was easy to connect with people who came from different majors and backgrounds but loved their work as much as I did. I’ve met some of my closest friends on campus and made some of my fondest memories under UBRP. As secretary, I’m most looking forward to planning and recording the new memories we’re going to make this summer. 

 

 

 

 

 

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JACKIE LARSON

My name is Jackie Larson and I am a senior majoring in public health with an emphasis in one health and a minor in studio art. I am honored to be your Pen Pals Coordinator for this year. Coming into college during the pandemic made it hard for me to meet people and build relationships with others. I was looking for a community I could be a part of, to find people with similar interests and somewhere I could be inspired to continue to grow. I also was looking for something that was more aligned with my interests and field of study as at the time I was volunteering at the Museum of Contemporary Art for my minor, but hadn’t found an organization that fits in with the areas of public health I was interested in until I came across the EHS-TRUE application. I had never done research before and this was an opportunity to get research experience and see if I actually enjoyed the research side of public health. I work in an environmental lab that focuses on soil and dust ingestion in young children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years to see if there is cause for concern. I have also created my own study finding the average measurement of an adult’s mouth surface area to be used in studies to get a more accurate result. This is because while we saw children putting toys, dirt, or other objects in their mouths, there was no literature on the average measurement of the child’s mouth so we can’t accurately measure how much soil and dust ingestion they are consuming without having that mouth measurement. I’m looking forward to meeting all UBRP students in our volunteering and social events. I want to achieve a safe space relationship amongst you all and work on building a strong community as it was something I have always looked and strived for. Know you can always come to any of the Ambassadors with any questions or if you would just like someone to talk to. Happy researching!

 

 

 

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KAITLYN LAI

My name is Kaitlyn Lai and I am the Volunteer Coordinator for UBRP Ambassadors! As an incoming sophomore, I am majoring in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science with a minor in Health and Human Values. Throughout high school, I worked at a honeybee lab for three years as part of ASU’s Science and Engineering Experience (SCENE) program. This lab introduced me to the neuroscience and research field where I dissected honeybee brains to learn how honeybees process and remember different odors. Coming into college, I wanted to learn more about human learning and memory, as well as researching potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. So, I joined UBRP because it is a wonderful opportunity to continue growing my research interests and skills, and meet fellow researchers! This summer, I am working at Dr. Chou’s TMS and Brain Imaging Lab. We are studying how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which is a non-invasive brain stimulation, can be used to improve memory and learning among individuals with mild cognitive impairment and potentially Alzheimer’s disease. Overall, it is important to explore other potential routes of intervention or preventative treatments. Throughout the summer, I have met lots of amazing friends through UBRP and it’s fun getting to know everyone through service and social events, such as our Project Linus event where we made blankets for children in need, and our scavenger hunt at Reid Park Zoo. My goal is to introduce UBRP students to the various community organizations in Tucson. I look forward to cultivating a tight-knit community within the program and throughout Tucson where we can learn from each other.