WSU senior Floricel Gonzalez lands national award at 2014 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary Sánchez Lanier, WSU Assistant Vice Provost, 509-335-7767, sanchez@wsu.edu

(READ YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC STORY ON FLORICEL, “SELAH GRAD RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR RESEARCH,” 1-5-15)

PULLMAN, Wash.—Undergraduate researcher Floricel Gonzalez, a Washington State University senior from Selah, Wash., won a national award at the 2014 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in San Antonio, Texas in mid-November.

Her top prize in the microbiology category was for an oral presentation on her research, titled “Identification of Cell Surface Receptors Enabling Bacteriophage 7-7-1 Infection of Agrobacterium sp. H 13-3 via Transposon Mutagenesis.”

“Just being accepted to the conference was fulfilling so winning an award was the cherry on top!” said Gonzalez, 20, a double major in microbiology and English. More than 1,600 students attended ABRCMS to present posters, network, and attend workshops, scientific talks, and educational and professional development programs. Microbiology is one of 12 presentation categories, and only eight students were accepted to make oral presentations in it. Gonzalez was the final speaker.

“WSU and the many programs Floricel is involved with have much to be proud about,” said Mary Sánchez Lanier, assistant vice provost and frequent ABRCMS judge. “Their support and efforts have contributed to Floricel’s success at ABRCMS and in her undergraduate research.”

Gonzalez works in the virology lab of Anthony Nicola, and received an Auvil Scholars Fellowship for 2014 from the Office of Undergraduate Research, part of the Office of Undergraduate Education, in support of her efforts. She is a scholar in the McNair Achievement Program that rigorously prepares underrepresented students to succeed in graduate school and in the First Scholars Program, which provides first-generation college students with a $20,000 scholarship plus additional support to succeed in college. Gonzalez is also a part of the Team Mentoring Program that is sponsored by The Boeing Company. She currently mentors four First Scholars and 12 Team Mentoring students.