People, papers and presentations

Kim Gonzalez, a Rice graduate student in biochemistry and cell biology, received a 2013 Student Presentation Award from the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans at its national conference in San Antonio. Gonzalez, a member of Professor Bonnie Bartel’s research group, delivered a talk titled “A Genetic Suppressor of Peroxisome Defects Reveals Compensatory Mutations in Interacting Peroxins in Arabidopsis.”

Stephanie Tzouanas, a Rice graduate student in the lab of bioengineering Professor Antonios Mikos, has been named winner of the 2014 Student Award for Outstanding Research by the Society for Biomaterials. She won for her work as lead author of a forthcoming manuscript on injectable hydrogels for tissue engineering. She will present her research at the society’s annual meeting in Denver in April.

Herb Ward, Rice’s Foyt Family Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of New Mexico State University at its recent alumni association dinner. Ward earned his bachelor’s degree in 1955 from the university, which was then called the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts.