Carolina Mendoza of Plano Conducting Chemistry Research at Southwestern University This Summer

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Carolina Mendoza conducting research at Southwestern University

GEORGETOWN, TX (06/21/2011)(readMedia)-- Carolina Mendoza of Plano is one of 11 students conducting research at Southwestern University this summer as part of the Welch Summer Research Program, which is funded by the Robert A. Welch Foundation of Houston. The Welch Foundation has funded this program in Southwestern's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry since 1985.

Students selected for the program receive a stipend as well as living expenses that enable them to spend eight weeks conducting research with Southwestern faculty members.

Mendoza is working with Kerry Bruns, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, to test the idea that the abnormal gene expression shown by cells that have been infected by a sarcoma virus is caused by an altered cell signaling pathway.

In addition to the research component, students who participate in the Welch summer program also do science outreach activities for children in the Georgetown community. This year's program participants helped with Science Day activities at a local elementary school.

Mendoza is majoring in biochemistry and Spanish at Southwestern and hopes to attend medical school.

Mendoza is the daughter of Margarita Buenrostro and Guillermo Mendoza of Plano. She is a 2009 graduate of Plano West Senior High School.

Southwestern University is a selective, nationally recognized undergraduate liberal arts college with an enrollment of 1,300 students. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in Texas. For more information on Southwestern, visit www.southwestern.edu.