By Ashley Vaughn

Two SDSU students, Chantal Gonzalez and Phillip Webster, were awarded first place for their poster presentations at the 2012 Emerging Researchers National Conference.

SDSU Scholars

Gonzalez, an astronomy major, won first place in the physics, nanoscience and material sciences category for her presentation on measuring the age of star clusters. She has previously presented her research at various conferences and plans to attend graduate school after she completes her bachelor’s in May 2013.

Webster, a biology major and graduating senior, won first place for his poster presentation in the category of biological sciences. Webster has applied to several post baccalaureate programs including a program at National Institutes of Health, which is the nation’s medical research agency.

The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program

Both Webster and Gonzales are part of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program, a CSU program funded by the National Science Foundation that aims to increase the participation of underrepresented minority groups in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Established in 1993, the program offers academic and financial support to low-income and first-generation STEM students to both undergraduate and graduate students. Individuals who qualify for the program must be a declared science or engineering major as well as currently facing social, education or economic barriers to STEM-related careers.

Students who are accepted into the program are required to regularly attend academic workshops and seminars that ensure success both inside and outside of the classroom.

The program provides students like Gonzalez and Webster with the professional experience and development they need to prepare for graduate school and to remain competitive in STEM-related fields.

Additionally, students in the program can qualify for scholarships for research stipends, and assistance in preparing for graduate school including test preparation and travel expenses to visit potential schools.

Program’s success

Since its inception, the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program has worked with over 19,000 students. Between 1993 and 2010, CSU’s awarded almost 25,000 STEM-related degrees to underrepresented minority students, improving the success and progression of underrepresented minority students achieving baccalaureate degrees by 250 percent.

Learn more about LSAMP at SDSU.
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/casa/lsamp/

http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news.aspx?s=73543