Chet Saunders, biology major and gerontology minor, was awarded a fellowship in the lab of Dr. Julia Frugoli in the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry of Clemson University.  Twelve undergraduate students were selected from a national pool of application for the program which is funded by the National Science Foundation.  During the course of this NSF-funded program, the students will 1) engage in an intense, hands-on research experience involving interactions with faculty, postdoctoral associates, graduate students and other undergraduates; 2) learn about the application of a large variety of instrumentation and contemporary methodologies in life science research; 3) share their results and experiences with faculty and other students at bi-weekly brown bag lunches; 4) attend seminar presentations by faculty members in the REU program and other active research labs at CU; 5) visit local sites of interest (research entities and biotechnology companies); and 6) present their work both orally and as a poster at a concluding Research Symposium.  In addition to the research component of the program, Chet will participate in workshops and discussions about the ethical conduct of scientific research.

Chet Saunders has been invited to lead a workshop at the Unity conference at UNCCH dealing with public health issues, primarily STDs, and the aged.  The Unity conference is a yearly conference aimed at bringing together college students from diverse backgrounds in an attempt to increase awareness of diversity and ending discrimination based on race, soci-economic status, sexuality, religion and age.  His workshop will examine the impact of sexuality education, or lack there of, on older adults.  He will also look at the rates of STD transmissions and discuss how it impacts the economic status of older adults in addition to private insurance and public healthcare programs such as Medicare.

Chet Saunders