STC Mid-Valley campus holds science seminars

WESLACO — To initiate promotion of biology and agricultural science, the South Texas College Mid-Valley campus biology department will host a seminar series from Sept. 30- Oct. 14 at their location on 400 N. Border Ave. in Weslaco.

Michelle Zamarron and Deborah Villalon, STC biology instructors, rapidly organized the event that they hope will encourage students and community members to further explore the fields of molecular biology and agriculture.
On Sept. 30, Dr. Raul A. Ruiz-Arce, a geneticist for the United States Department of Agriculture, will present a seminar on molecular diagnostics.

As an undergraduate, Zamarron personally knew Ruiz-Arce when he worked as a teaching assistant. Since then, Ruiz-Arce has earned his doctorate degree from Penn State University and has retuned to work for the USDA at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at Moore Air Base.

“What they do is molecular diagnostics,” Zamarron said. “For example, he will talk about the molecular biology techniques they use and bring to level where freshman and sophomore students can understand it”
As an example, Zamarron said, offered the scenario of a shipment of oranges from Mexico that is tainted with Mexican fruit fly. Molecular diagnostics can help determine in exactly what part of Mexico the infestation occurred based on DNA.

On Oct. 7, the department will host Dr. Dan Murray of the Honeybee Research Unit for the USDA, a former professor at UTPA and now an adjunct for STC.

“(Murray) has discovered that the population of honeybees all over the world is declining,” Zamarron said. “They found that there are different bacteria that have infected them. He’s going to talk about DNA to identify pathogens.”

The last event, on Oct. 14, will focus on careers opportunities in the field of agricultural biotechnology presented by Dr. Eliezer Louzada of the Texas A&M Citrus Center of Weslaco.

“That’s the field to be in,” Zamarron said. “That’s why were trying to get this series going. We want to have workshops for students. They’re marketable skills.”

It would be ideal if STC implemented an undergraduate biotechnology program, Zamarron said. Even if the program began with an associate’s degree, it could be expanded to fit a bachelor’s degree.

“The thing is that there is money out there for students who want to continue all the way to their Ph.D. The National Science Foundation puts a lot of money into it,” Zamarron said. “But a lot of students down here don’t know that. This is our way of getting started…to put that knowledge out there.”

The events, at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on each day, will be open to the community and are free of charge. All the department wants is to introduce science to the community and the chance to influence potential students, Zamarron said.