CC
Carmen Cotsis
  • biology
  • Class of 2014
  • Oxnard, CA

Carmen Cotsis conducts summer research

2013 Aug 2

Carmen Cotsis of Oxnard is spending the summer conducting research at California Lutheran University.

Cotsis, a biology major, received a Swenson Science Summer Research Fellowship for her project titled "Characteristics Required to Promote Self-Renewal in Mouse ES Cells." She is studying the survival rates of mouse stem cells growing in different lab environments.

Based on written proposals and academic performance, a faculty committee awarded 27 fellowships to undergraduate students with funding from more than $150,000 in grants from the university and the California Wellness Foundation. With guidance from faculty mentors, the students are conducting full-time research throughout the summer. Their projects range from researching lifestyle factors associated with toddler activity levels, to exploring trends among Ethiopian immigrants in Southern California, to testing pesticide exposure on Ventura County farms. The students will publish their results and present them at conferences.

CLU is a selective university based in Thousand Oaks, Calif. With an enrollment of 4,200 students, CLU offers undergraduate and graduate programs within the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Management and Graduate School of Education. Members of the CLU student body come from across the nation and around the world and represent a diversity of faiths and cultures. For more information, visit callutheran.edu.