UHCL students shine at UTMB summer camp, winning awards for biotech innovations

Srilekha Kalavacherla is particularly thankful for the resources UHCL provides and her professors.

"I mention my deepest gratitude to Dr. Lory Santiago-Vázquez, Dr. Martha Ariza, Dr. Bazlur Rashid, and Dr. Silvana Chambersfor encouraging me throughout these semesters," said Srilekha Kalavacherla. "I shall also mention Dr. Jorge Tenninfrom the Student Success Center for honing my people management and time management skills during my tenure at his office."

Dr. Lory Santiago-Vázquez, program director of Biotechnology, emphasized that participating in the camp at UTMB is an incredible opportunity for students to gain practical and advanced experience beyond the classroom. She hopes to send more students to participate in the program next year.

"The more opportunities we have for our students, the better," said Santiago-Vázquez. "It's great for students to learn and understand things, but employers want to know 'what can they do?' We want our students to have advanced biotechnical training rather than just taking classes," she continued. "They think as scientists. Not only do they have fundamentals, but they can gather data, present it, write about it, troubleshoot it, teach their peers in the lab, organize the lab, and more."

Furthermore, Santiago-Vázquez emphasized her commitment to finding new opportunities for students. She noted that UHCL is near major technology companies like Johnson Space Center, Boeing, UTMB, and Lockheed Martin. "We are dedicated to connecting our students with these organizations every day," she said.

For more information about UHCL's Biotechnology Program, visit www.uhcl.edu/science-engineering/departments/biology-biotechnology/biotechnology/.