Ouachita junior Jesse Kitchens earns third place in statewide science competition
May 09, 2015 - Anna Hurst
Ouachita Baptist University junior Jesse Kitchens earned third place in the biology
category of the annual Arkansas Academy of Science competition. Kitchens received
a $50 cash prize with the award for his oral presentation of his research. The meeting
and competition, held recently at Henderson State University, included about 180 participants
from colleges and universities throughout Arkansas.
Kitchens’ presentation, “Expression Analysis of an Insect Glucose Oxidase Transgene
in Tobacco,” delved into the fields of ecology and genetics. “My project’s goal was
to study the signaling pathways and defense mechanisms associated with oxidative stress
in plants,” explained Kitchens, a junior biology major from Lewisville, Ark. “I have
always enjoyed working with plants. The idea of mixing that hobby with my love of
genetics made [the research program] an opportunity I had to take.”
Ouachita’s J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences emphasizes undergraduate research
for all of its students. It makes research opportunities readily available, allowing
students to explore the subjects they are most passionate about and gain professional
experience.
“Almost all of our biology/chemistry majors will do research and present their work
off campus,” said Dr. Nathan Reyna, associate professor of biology at OBU and Kitchens’
faculty advisor. “This experience is very valuable and is recognized by graduate schools
and medical schools.
“Additionally, the fact we presented off campus and our project was recognized for
its quality shows the quality of our student-driven projects,” he added. “Often people
see undergraduate research as not real research. We have demonstrated this is far
from true.”
Abby Fain, a senior biology major from Camden, Ark., also attended the meeting and
presented a poster in the competition. Dr. Jess Kelly, assistant professor of biology
at OBU, co-hosted the event with faculty from Henderson State University.
For more information, contact Dr. Nathan Reyna at [email protected] or (870) 245-5240.
By Anna Hurst
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