UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

UT Tyler Biology Students Recognized at Honor Society Conference

April 21, 2011

Media Contact: Hannah Buchanan
Public Affairs Specialist
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.565.5769

Two seniors at The University of Texas at Tyler were recognized for their outstanding undergraduate research at the TriBeta Biological Honor Society’s 2011 Southcentral Conference, Dr. Srini Kambhampati, Sam A. Lindsey professor and chair of biology, announced.

Biology majors Lauren Thomas of Tyler and Samantha Steinley of Houston each received the John C. Johnson Award of Excellence in Undergraduate Research. Their research involved studying the common bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes lung disease in humans, as well as implications for treatments of pulmonary edema, a life-threatening lung condition.

“These are major awards won for excellent work done by very bright students. They are putting biology and UT Tyler on the national map,” Kambhampati said.

Both awardees also won travel funds to attend the TriBeta National Conference May 2012 in Puerto Rico.

Dr. Ali Azghani, associate professor of biology, served as the students’ adviser and is the UT Tyler Kappa Xi Chapter faculty sponsor.

For more information about UT Tyler’s biology department, visit www.uttyler.edu/biology.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 6,400 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.