CONWAY, Ark. (April 8, 2013) - Hendrix students won three of the four statewide $500 research grant awards at this year's Arkansas Academy of Science conference in Little Rock.
Ruston Koonce, a senior from Pine Bluff, Ark., won for his proposal "Analyzing the genetic differences of the PLA2 gene of subspecies of Ozark and Oachita copperhead snakes." He was mentored by biology professor Dr. George Harper.
Youmma Moufarrej, a junior from Shreveport, La., won for her proposal "Developing RNAi to understand gene function in "scandalous" bdelloid rotifers." She was mentored by biology professor Dr. Andrew Schurko.
Austin Wofford, a sophomore from Alma, Ark., won for his proposal "Investigating genetic markers on the taxonomic relationship of the genus Pinus (pine)." Wofford was mentored by biology professor Dr. Ann Willyard.
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. For the fifth consecutive year, Hendrix was named one of the country's "Up and Coming" liberal arts colleges by
U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the 2012 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country's best 377 colleges, the latest edition of
Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges,
Forbes magazine's annual list of America's Top 650 Colleges, and the 2013 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit
www.hendrix.edu.