Students

Pace Students Take Home Biology Awards at William Paterson University Undergraduate Research Symposium

By
Amanda Delfino
Posted
June 3, 2024

Three Pace University students earned awards for their work at the 17th Annual William Paterson University Undergraduate Research Symposium in late April.

Image
Students from Pace University celebrate biology awards at research symposium
From left to right: Zoubeida (Zouzou) Fliesen ’24, Wenkai (Kevin) Huang ’25, and Sam Kurtin ’24

Sam Kurtin ’24, Biology, won a first-place award in the category "Cell and Molecular Biology (Group B)" for his poster "The Role of The Unfolded Protein Response in the Malfunction of a Human PQ-Type Calcium Channel." Kurtin’s research was done under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Biology Zafir Buraei, PhD.

Zoubeida (Zouzou) Fliesen ’24, Biology, also with faculty sponsor Buraei, took home first place in the category "Cell and Molecular Biology (Group C)" for his poster "Optimizing In Vitro Transcription to Study PQ Channel Mutations Implicated in Epilepsy."

Wenkai (Kevin) Huang ’25, Childhood Education (School of Education) won a pair of second-place awards: one in the category "Physiology, Behavior & Toxicology" for his poster "Analysis of Shoot Circumnutation Developmental Profile in Arabidopsis Thaliana" under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Biology Eric Brenner, PhD, and one in the category "Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Science" for his poster "The Bacterial Symbionts of the Parasitic Plant Rafflesia— Microscopic Partners For Conserving The World’s Largest Flowers?" with Sara Musovic and Associate Professor of Biology Jeanmarie Molina, PhD.

Pace University was one of 32 institutions from the Northeast region represented at the symposium, including Princeton, Columbia, Barnard, and Stevens Institute of Technology.

More from Pace

In the Media

Dyson Professor Seong Jae Min pens an op-ed in The Korea Times examining the politics of naming and branding, arguing that the names attached to public institutions, programs, and places can shape identity, influence public perception, and reflect broader cultural values. Using recent proposals associated with President Donald Trump as a case study, Professor Min explores how naming practices differ across cultures and why they often become a source of political debate.

In the Media

Dyson History Professor Joseph Tse-Hei Lee writes a piece in the Taipei Times examining the legacy of the Tiananmen Square protests and the erosion of civil liberties in Hong Kong under the National Security Law. Professor Lee argues that while public commemoration has been suppressed within Hong Kong, remembrance and civic activism continue through diaspora communities around the world.