CONWAY, Ark. (April
27, 2021) — Hendrix College student Savannah Wiegel ’21, a biochemistry/molecular
biology major from London, Arkansas, has received an award for her presentation
at the Southeastern Regional Yeast Meeting (SERYM), which was hosted by
Vanderbilt University and held as a virtual conference on April 17, 2021.
Wiegel was among
a team of four who attended the meeting from Hendrix. Other attendees were students
McKenzie Tucker ’22 and Shelby Worsham ’22, and Dr. Andrea Duina, a professor
of biology who leads a National Science Foundation-supported
project involving
undergraduates in laboratory research that increases the scientific community’s
understanding of life beginning at the cellular level.
At the meeting, Wiegel
gave a 10-minute talk titled “Identifying factors required for RNA Polymerase
II to overcome DNA-binding protein obstacles during transcription elongation.”
She won an Outstanding Presentation award for her talk.
Duina said that through
her research funded by the NSF, Wiegel made important contributions toward the
generation of a genetic system that will have the potential to elucidate
fundamental aspects of how genes are utilized by living cells. “Savannah’s
bright mind and passion for biology were in full display throughout her time in
the lab, and I was so happy to see that her hard work and dedication to the
project culminated in an award at this year’s Southeastern Regional Yeast
Meeting,” he added.
Earlier this
semester, Wiegel was announced as a member of the 53rd class of
Thomas J. Watson Fellows.
Her project will take her to Ireland, Switzerland, Japan, Guatemala, and Argentina,
where she will explore the intersection of storytelling and medicine to inform
public health initiatives.
About Hendrix College
A private liberal
arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns
recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is
featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change
the Way You Think About Colleges.
Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix
as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876,
Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To
learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.