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| 12/31/2023 |
Looking forward to 2024
First, a belated welcome to the Fall 2023 scientists who joined the research group: Kyle, Keely, Angie and Vrisha…and also welcome to scientists joining in 2024: Haley and Emilie! It was great to have a review article published this fall in Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. We have some really cool discoveries to share with the world this year, and we are looking forward to making new friends and catching up with old ones at the CSU BIOTECH (formerly CSUPERB) Symposium and then at The Allied Genetics Conference in March.
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| 8/14/2023 |
Start of a new year, redux
Over the past (exactly) two years, I have been remiss in updating this site as I attended to more pressing issues, like teaching/mentoring and scholarly activities. A couple of papers have been published, including one by then-undergraduate Leonardo Velazco-Cruz, which only took about eight years after he graduated to see the light of day (he earned a Ph.D. at WUSTL before this paper was published…) We've had too many students join the group and then graduate (which is a great, but sad, thing). Many students have been successful at applying for research and travel funding, and they've had some conference presentations, too! Much of my effort recently has been in research and promoting/implementing course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) and then integrating the instruction of responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) into CUREs. I've done quite a bit of professional engagement and workshops with this, which is incredibly important. I look forward to continuing this push as a newly-promoted Professor and in my first year as the inaugural Virginia Stammer Eaton Chair of Genetics and Molecular Biology.
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| 8/14/2021 |
Start of a new year, COVID-19 style
Over the last year, research activities have been crawling along, with a maximum lab capacity of two scientists at a time. However, everybody has stayed healthy, and that is the most important thing!
Congratulations to Nathalie Aceves, who graduated in the spring and is off to Rice University for graduate studies! We also give a hearty welcome to incoming scientists Karla Reyes Barajas (undergrad), Liliana Huerta Mora (MS Biology), Joshua Proctor (MS Biology), Jonathan Terriquez (undergrad) and Adil Yousaf (undergrad)! This group doubles the size of the lab, and we're hoping everybody continues to stay safe, so that we can continue full lab occupancy. Otherwise, time on the microscopes will be a severe productivity limiting factor.
In one week, campus repopulation continues with a mostly full schedule of in-person classes. Fortunately, over the summer, we were able to make great strides in submitting two manuscripts for review, with a third in the works. Most of the summer was applied to upgrading fall semester course materials for HyFlex instruction (some students choose to attend in person, others choose to attend virtually), including taking two courses in effective online teaching practices!
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| 5/24/2020 |
End of the year, COVID-19 style
Even though nobody "walked" at commencement this year, congratulations to now-lab-alums Sukhmeet Takhar and Isaac Adame!
Lab research here has been shut down since March 20, which means all of our worm crosses must be restarted as soon as we get back into the lab! On the other hand, this is giving our refrigerating incubators a break, having run constantly for at least the past eight years (silver lining?)
In personal professional news, I just received news that my application to be an ENCOUR Fellow was accepted. This means that, over the next year, I'll be working to incorporate Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training into an upper-division lab course, with professional and financial support!
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| 1/1/2020 |
Catching up
Where did the last year go? We have done so many things! Two new manuscripts, and a couple of pre-prints, too! Plenty of new faces in the lab, and the successful graduation of some students as well.
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| 9/18/2018 |
New M.S. in Biology degree!
Congratulations to Chris Jorgensen, our part-time lab tech, who just successfully completed his Masters of Science in Biology degree with his thesis oral presentation! Here's to you, Chris! 
In addition, Brandon Meter, our intern from Universite de Rennes (France) successfully earned his Masters degree this month!
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| 8/8/2018 |
New Masters in Biotech degree!
Congratulations to Emma Johnson, who just successfully completed her Professional Science Masters in Biotechnology degree with her project oral presentation - a new lab alumna!
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| 6/2/2018 |
Promotion and Tenure news
In a great ending to spring semester, Dr. Ross received notice of the award of Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor beginning the first day of fall semester! This means that Dr. Ross will be on sabbatical in the fall, focusing on mentoring students, working on new projects, and (most predictably) wrapping up a backlog of manuscripts and grant proposals.
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| 4/8/2018 |
Oops - a year of catching up on news!
Counting blessings! In the last year, so much has happened:
- I became an Apple Distinguished Educator
- I presented SO MANY workshops on course augmentation with technology (including to the CSU CRT program and at the DET/CHE conference)
- We welcomed two new undergraduate researchers on an NIH grant-funded project (oh yeah, that R15 AREA grant was awarded, too!): welcome to Arturo and Gurman.
- Two additional undergraduates joined the team: welcome to Megan and Sukhmeet
- Two new graduate students joined on: Simran (Professional Science Masters in Biotechnology) as well as Brandon, who is conducting his Masters internship with me for his MS degree in France
- Presented posters and talks in fall 2017 at Evolution and at NABT and in 2018 at SICB
- So far, my promotion and tenure process has been approved by my department and college; now on to the Provost for the final decision (due in June)!
- PSM Biotech grad student Emma did a fantastic job representing the lab at the 2018 CSUPERB Symposium with her poster presentation (as did Chris, who worked together with Lesly on a different project)
- Our lab research was featured in a Campus News article by Frenso State
- I'm looking forward to attending the Genetics Society of America Population, Evolutionary and Quantitative Genetics (PEQG) conference in May, where I'll be presenting two posters on lab research projects
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| 5/29/2017 |
Lab graduates on to bigger things
Our three undergrads who graduated this semester are off to fantastic new adventures:
Boris is starting med school at UCLA in the Primer program
Marisol is off to optometry school, and
Morgan starts pharmacy school.
Plus, recent Master of Biotechnology grad Rania just got a fantastic job offer from Linkage Biosciences. Congrats all - you rock!
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| 5/26/2017 |
Pics from lab alum make me happy!
Photo from a meet-up of Ross Lab alums who are now in the mid-West
Kevin, Jordan and Leo catching up
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| 5/12/2017 |
College of Science and Math Awards
Fantastic to be able to honor Rania, whose Masters Project was selected to be the Outstanding Project in the college this year. Well deserved!
Rania and Dr. Ross
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| 4/24/2017 |
Moving in to the Jordan Agricultural Research Center
We're keeping our existing lab space in Science I, and also adding some new space in the ag college's new interdisciplinary research building!
Joel at the ready, just in case...
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| 4/23/2017 |
Great news keeps coming!
Recent Master of Biotechnology graduate Rania's Project Report was selected by the Department of Biology, and then by the College of Science and Mathematics, as the Outstanding Project in 2017! I really honestly can't wait to share her findings with the world in an upcoming manuscript…
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| 4/18-19/2017 |
Lab presentations at Central California Research Symposium
Thanks to Morgan, Emma, and Marisol for representing the lab so well at CCRS!
Morgan and Emma at their posters
Marisol and her poster
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| 4/18/2017 |
Graduates being employed makes me smile
Fantastic news from Joel, who has accepted a full-time position at APPL Labs in nearby Clovis. We're sad for him to leave his post as part-time lab tech (again), but certainly wish him well!
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| 4/3/2017 |
Apple Distinguished Educator!
Dr. Ross learned a few weeks ago that his application to become an Apple Distinguished Educator was approved by Apple, recognizing his innovation and transformations of classrooms using mobile technology.
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| 2/25/2017 |
Undergrad temporarily departing the lab
We're super proud of our undergraduate student Emeline, who has been selected for a high-power NSF-funded international research experience for undergraduates (iREU). She'll be spending the summer (and possibly more) in France performing research!
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| 2/23/2017 |
Graduate Research Grant
Congratulations to lab grad student Emma Johnson, who has received a Fresno State Graduate Research Grant to support her Masters project!
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| 2/23/2017 |
Outstanding Publication honor
We're humbled that the Fresno State Department of Biology faculty selected my undergraduates' paper to be the Outstanding Publication from our department in calendar year 2016. Nice work Jamie and Joel!
Chang et al. on display in the library
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| 2/6/2017 |
Uptick in media coverage!
Dr. Ross has been featured by the American Association of Colleges and Universities' STEM Central project on how he uses active learning in the classroom.
Ross was also interviewed for a local ABC news story on genetic testing and ancestry.
Most recently, Ross was featured in a Science Careers article on dealing with major medical issues during graduate school.
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| 1/16/2017 |
CSUPERB Success
Marisol and Morgan did a fine job representing the lab at the 2017 CSUPERB Symposium. Onwards and upwards!
Marisol and Morgan presenting their posters
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| 12/11/2016 |
Major Masters student efflux; upcoming presentations
Congratulations to Rania Haddad (P.S.MBt.), Brandon Ortega (P.S.MBt.) and Shadi Adineh (M.S.) for successfully completing their project reports and theses, and their oral presentations, this semester! We're sad to see you go, but happy that you're achieving your education and professional goals!
Also, congratulations to Marisol Lauri and Morgan Montelongo, whose abstracts to present research posters at the 2017 CSUPERB Symposium were accepted.
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| 9/11/2016 |
New semester, new technician, new publication
We began the Fall 2016 semester with a nice lab lunch (though we missed the ~ half of the lab members who couldn't make it!) Welcome especially to our new Research Technician, Chris Jorgensen!
Marisol, Enrique, Shadi, Chris, Rachel and Boris
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| 7/3/2016 |
So much to write
At the end of spring semester, we added another three undergraduate researchers to the lab: welcome to Morgan Montelongo, Natalie Harp, and Enrique Cazares-Navarro!
Our three new students learning the ropes
Congratulations to the spring term graduates: Atahualpa Contreras and Leonardo Velazco-Cruz, and to alumnus Jamie Chang, who is on his way to medical school at UCSF this fall!
Congratulations also to Shadi Haji Adineh, who received a poster presentation award at the Graduate Research and Creative Activities Symposium in May; to Marisol Lauri, who received the Provost's Best Undergraduate Poster award at the Central California Research Symposium; to Rania Haddad who received a CSUPERB Student Travel Grant to present her research at the 2016 Society for the Study of Evolution Conference last month; to Marisol and to Boris Pavic for having their Fresno State Research Grant applications funded.
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| 12/18/2015 |
The lab grows even more!
With three Masters projects going full steam ahead (and ending soon!), we've brought three undergraduates aboard. Welcome to Kevin Helwick, Alisa Manzula, and Lesly Pereira-Fita!
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| 1/12/2016 |
New year, new achievements!
The lab is pleased to welcome undergrad Katianna Parisis! Also, congratulations to a fabulous poster presentation by Atahualpa Contreras at the annual CSUPERB symposium last week:
Otto presenting his poster
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| 12/18/2015 |
End of Semester Celebrations
Most of the Ross Lab steps out on the town for a post-finals celebration!
Ross, Tamayo, Haddad, Lauri, Haji Adineh, Gabriel, Ortega and Contreras |
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| 11/17/2015 |
First Lab Manuscript
I am very proud to be able to announce that the Ross Lab's first manuscript, "Mitochondrial-Nuclear Epistasis Impacts Fitness and Mitochondrial Physiology of Inter-population Caenorhabditis briggsae Hybrids," has been accepted for publication in G3 (Genes, Genomes, Genetics)! More importantly, congratulations go to my two co-authors: lab undergrads Jamie Chang and Joel Rodriguez!
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| 10/25/2015 |
New Lab Members
The Ross Lab has been fortunate to add three new members so far this term: welcome to Boris Pavic, Rami Gabriel and Emma Johnson!
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| 5/17/2015 |
End of Year Accolades
I have been incredibly privileged to work with some outstanding students over my three years (so far) at Fresno State, including Jamie Chang, who this year was selected as the Undergraduate Dean's Medalist from the College of Science and Mathematics!
Jamie being recognized by CSM Dean Andrew Lawson at the 2015 Fresno State Commencement
Also, Kevin Pham MBt. was selected as the College of Science and Mathematics' recipient of the Outstanding Project award!
Biology Dept. Chair Dr. Brian Tsukimura with Kevin
Finally, yesterday five of my research students were conferred their Bachelor of Science degrees at the Fresno State commencement ceremony! Congratulations Nathan, John, Jamie, Hanson, and Joel!
Dr. Ross, Jamie, Nathan, and Joel
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| 4/22/2015 |
Central CA Research Symposium
The Ross Lab was very well represented at CCRS today, with Nathan Reetz, Hanson Mouanoutoua, Joel Rodriguez, and John Hobby presenting research posters - so proud of our hard work!
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| 3/22/2015 |
Catching up on news
So much has happened over the last year!
- I just yesterday learned that our NIH SC2 grant has been funded, which means loads of new opportunities for students over the next few years.
- The same day, we learned that Chih-Chiun Chang has been selected to be part of the Fresno State student delegation to the CSU Student Research Competition this spring (this after he took the Provost's prize for Best Undergraduate Poster at last year's Central California Research Symposium).
- We welcomed a few new students over the last year: undergraduates Atahualpa Contreras, John Hobby, Marisol Lauri, and graduate students Rania Haddad, Brandon Ortega, and Shadi Adineh
- Incredibly belated congratulations to Kevin Pham, who graduated with his Professional Science Master's Degree in Biotechnology last year, becoming Ross Lab alumnus #1, and also
- Congratulations to Jordan Montgomery, who earlier this month successfully completed her Professional Science Master's Degree in Biotechnology!
- In 2014, eight students successfully applied for competitive research funding from the College of Science and Math (Jamie, Hanson, Hailey, Nathan and John) and from the Associated Students, Incorporated (Hanson and Nathan)!
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| 4/8/2014 |
Spring poster presentations
Be on the lookout for Ross Lab research posters on the CSU Fresno campus this spring. Jamie and Joel have had abstracts accepted for the Central California Research Symposium; Jordan and Kevin will be presenting at the campus Graduate Research and Creative Activities Symposium.
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| 3/25/2014 |
Leo's heading to WashU
Many congratulations are due to Leo, who has been selected to participate in the Washington University Genome Center's Opportunities for Genomics Research summer program this year! We'll miss him, but it is outstanding training and he'll bring back lots of good perspectives when he's done.
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| 1/13/2014 |
Research Grant Progress
Dr. Ross' letter of intent to apply for funding at the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation was accepted; the full proposal will be delivered to UMDF by late February. The proposed project will begin in the summer, if funded.
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| 1/10/2014 |
CSUPERB Research Poster
Kevin did a great job of presenting his research and representing the lab at the 2014 CSUPERB Symposium
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| 1/1/2014 |
The Ross Lab keeps growing
Welcome to two new undergraduate members of the lab: Nathan Reetz and Hanson Mouanoutoua!
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| 11/24/2013 |
Research students earn lab funding
Congratulations to two of the Ross Lab undergraduates, Joel and Jamie, who successfully competed for College of Science and Mathematics funding for their projects, each bringing in $1,000 for research supplies!
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| 11/6/2013 |
Heading to the CSUPERB Symposium
Graduate student Kevin Pham's abstract for a poster presentation at the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology has been accepted; we'll be heading to the bay area in January to meet up with many others from the CSU to talk biology, technology, and their intersection!
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| 9/24/2013 |
Three new lab members
The Ross Lab is excited to be growing in its second year: Jordan Montgomery and Brandon Ortega, both graduate students in the Biotechnology Masters program, and Hailey Philips, biology undergrad, have joined the lab. Welcome!
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| 7/26/2013 |
Welcome to Joel Rodriguez
The Ross Lab is excited to have another undergraduate member joining us!
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