Biology student wins research awards at national conference

 UCF Biology student Sara Bolivar Wagers recently attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students where she presented her research in a poster display.

Judges were extremely interested in her work and Wagers left with two awards – First Place for Behavioral Sciences and Public Health and First Place for Interdisciplinary Studies.

Now in its 12th year, ABRCMS is the largest, professional conference for biomedical and behavioral students, including mathematics, attracting approximately 3,300 individuals, including 1,700 undergraduate students, 400 graduate students and postdoctoral scientists and 1200 faculty, program directors and administrators.

Students come from over 350 U.S. colleges and universities. All are pursuing advanced training in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, including mathematics, and many have conducted independent research. The conference is designed to encourage underrepresented minority students to pursue advanced training in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, including mathematics and provide faculty mentors and advisors with resources for facilitating students’ success.

More than 500 representatives from graduate programs at US colleges and universities as well as scientists from government agencies, foundations, and professional scientific societies join ABRCMS in the exhibitors program to share information about graduate school and summer internship opportunities. These representatives present research opportunities, funding sources, and professional networks.

Wagers has received attention and praise from UCF professors for her hard work and dedication. Early this year, Wagers was awarded a $5,000 scholarship for books and tuition from the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund and a $1,000 scholarship for placing third under the Biomedical Research Section at the Minority Access’ 13th National Role Models Conference.