La joven Kaitlyn Nieves Serra recibió un reconocimiento de la Sociedad Americana de Química (ACS) de EE. UU.

Kaitlyn Nieves Serra, a student researcher at the Molecular Center, was recently honored at the thirty-eighth annual American Chemical Society (ACS) National Medicinal Chemistry Symposium held in Seattle, Washington.

Kaitlyn's presentation was recognized for the novelty of her research, the way she presented her data and how she answered the judges' questions. The award was “Best Poster Presentation,” organized and judged by Dr. Juhienah Khalaf of GlaxoSmithKline. With more than 100 entries, nine students were awarded, and only one Puerto Rican.

(Humacao, P.R.) - Dr. Raymond Tremblay, professor of the Department of Biology of the UPRH and faculty of the Department of Biology of the UPR-RP Graduate School, participated in the VII International Congress of Comparative Biology of Monocotyledons (MONOCOTS) in San José, Costa Rica. The congress had a duration of five days of conferences, including a poster session of approximately 50 people and more than 200 international participants.

Kellyann Román-Cruz and Héctor G. Torres-De Jesús were awarded scholarships to attend the Emerging Researchers National 2024 Conference, which will be held in Washington DC from March 14-16.

This opportunity will allow them not only to present the latest results of their scientific research conducted at the Center for Research in Molecular Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico (CICiM-UPR), but also to improve their scientific communication skills and explore global professional alternatives in the sciences, which are the main objectives of the conference.

On the occasion of Women and Girls in Science Day, oceanographer Melissa Meléndez highlights the importance of increasing the representation of women in STEM careers.

For oceanographer Melissa Meléndez, forging her career as a research scientist has been a "difficult, but enjoyable" process. Difficult because she was the first person in her family to earn a college degree, and enjoyable because she met mentors and friends who helped her overcome barriers along the way.

By Amanda Pérez Pintado

"It was a little bit difficult because it was not only educating myself, but also my parents and my family about what I was going through and what I wanted to do," recalled Meléndez, who is currently studying ocean acidification in Hawaii.

"Often perceived as a tropical paradise, Puerto Rico's reality tells a different story, one where its natural resources lack proper management and exploration. This has led to consistent power outages, compromised healthcare access, and critical infrastructure issues. Growing up amidst these challenges, I slowly came to realize the wide gap between the island’s potential and its own scientific community. This realization sparked my initial interest towards Chemical Engineering and helped define my purpose – to provide reliable, accessible, and sustainable solutions for major ongoing energy and health problems in disadvantaged communities.