Allison Oster
Public Relations Manager
(626) 815-4518
Azusa High School Student Joins University Science Research Team
June 26, 2008
AZUSA, Calif. –
Azusa High School senior Erica Noelle Ascenio gets to spend eight weeks of her summer pursuing her academic future and passion for science. Chosen by research staff from Azusa Pacific University to participate in Project SEED, Ascenio will learn alongside three APU students how to create nano molecular action figures.
“There is always more to learn with science,” said Ascenio. “I would have never been able to get experience in the field like this anywhere else.”, director of undergraduate research at APU.
Ascenio was selected from several candidates from Azusa and Gladstone high schools for her academic achievement, strong recommendations, and notable enthusiasm for the project. She joins APU senior Christopher Saucedo, junior Rebecca Skilbred, and recent graduate Joy Yilpet in learning how to utilize nano technology to understand organic chemistry under the guidance of Kevin Huang, Ph.D.
“Nano technology is an emerging science and I would like to initiate this at APU,” said Huang. “Learning organic chemistry through building nano figures makes the process more enjoyable and exciting.”
This is the second year APU has participated in Project SEED. The Department of Biology and Chemistry received a $1,500 research grant from the American Chemical Society (ACS), sponsors of Project SEED, which encourages high school students to develop an interest in chemical science careers and to pursue higher education. The grant provides financial assistance to an economically disadvantaged, minority high school student, allowing the student to participate in meaningful research. For more information, visit www.projectseed.com.
APU’s Department of Biology and Chemistry offers bachelor’s degrees in seven areas of science, as well as pre-allied health and pharmacy, pre-dental, and pre-medical programs. The latest addition to the budding science program will be a new, state-of-the-art science center. The three-story, 70,000-square foot facility will house classrooms, research labs, a lecture hall, offices, and study breakout rooms, in addition APU’s Center for Research in Science. Additional features include an ecology pond, a greenhouse, and tissue culture, imaging, and magnetic resonance facilities for the use of faculty and students in collaborative research.
Featured in TIME magazine and ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, committed to God First and known for excellence in higher education. Azusa Pacific’s main campus lies just 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, while its seven Southern California regional centers bring convenience and extend quality programming. The university offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study, 26 master's degree programs, and 7 doctorates to a total student population of more than 8,100.
