1.     Dr. Nilesh S. Chitnis.  Doctor of Philosophy; December 2007.  Modulation of Apoptosis Induced by Chilo Iridescent Virus.  Nilesh Chitnis received the best paper award in the microbiology section at Graduate Forum, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University.  Dr. Chitnis is a postdoctoral fellow at the Abramson Cancer Center and Department of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

2.     Mr. Jonathan M. Townsend. Master of Science; August 2007.  Expression and assay of an apoptosis-inducing viral polypeptide against the cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis.  Mr. Townsend is science teacher at Whiteface High School, Texas. 

3.     Dr. Eric R. Paul.  Doctor of Philosophy; May 2006.  Characterization and activity of an apoptosis-inducing gene from Chilo iridescent virus. Instructor in Microbiology, Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, summer, 2006.  Dr. Paul received the O. B. Williams Award, (Certificate for Outstanding Scientific Achievement for a Paper Presented by a Student at the Texas Branch Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology).  Dr. Paul is Assistant Professor, School of Allied Health Sciences at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford.

4.     Dr. P. K. Lawrence: Postdoctoral Fellow, 2000-2003: Genome characterization and transcription mapping of Chilo iridescent virus.  Dr. Lawrence took up a research associate position in Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.

5.     Dr. Curtis Henderson.  Doctor of Philosophy: completed in November 2000.  “Inhibition of gene expression and apoptosis in iridovirus-infected boll weevil and budworm cells”.  Dr. Henderson is Associate Professor of Biology at Houston Baptist University.  Honors and Awards: Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Scholarship.  Larus Award for Student Presentation. 72nd Annual Meeting, SWARM, AAAS, Flagstaff, AZ. June 2-6, 1996.  Special Merit Award, American Society for Microbiology, Division S, 99th Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, May 1999.

6.     Dr. Susan D'Costa.  Doctor of Philosophy.  1999.  “Infectivity and gene expression program of boll weevil pathogenic iridovirus in cell culture”.  Dr. D’Costa is Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Florida, Gainesville.   Honors and Awards: Graduate School Summer Research Award. Texas Tech University. 1995. Outstanding Doctoral Student Instructor Award. Texas Tech University. 1996.  Best Student Paper Award. 72nd Annual Meeting, SWARM, AAAS, Flagstaff, AZ. June 2-6, 1996.  Invited Paper. 73rd Annual Meeting, SWARM, AAAS, College Station, TX. May 18-22, 1997.  Special Merit Award, Division S, American Society for Microbiology, 99th Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, May 1999.

7.     Dr. Zihni Demirbag.  Visiting Scientist.  1999.  Professor, Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey.  OECD Fellow (Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development): June 1, 1999 through September 15, 1999.  “Transcription of Chilo iridescent virus regulatory genes in a boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, cell culture model.”

8.     Ms. Rajeswari Jayaraman Kaul: Master of Science, 1999.  “Virus-induced apoptosis in boll weevil and budworm cell culture.”  Ms. Kaul is a research scientist in the Department of Molecular Oncology at Genentech, Palo Alto, CA.

9.     Dr. Huajian Yao: Postdoctoral Fellow, 1994-1997: Genome characterization and transcription mapping of Chilo iridescent virus.  Dr. Yao joined a bioinformatics software firm in Houston, TX.

10. Dr. Maria Elita Batista de Castro.  Doctor of Philosophy.  1995. “Replication and transcription of Anticarsia gemmatalis nucleopolydhedrovirus in insect cell lines.” (Replicação e Transcrição do Virus de Poliedrose Nuclear de Anticarsia gemmatalis em Linhagens Celulares de Insetos).  Co-Chair with Dr. Spartaco A. Filho, Univeristy of Brasilia.  Dr. Castro conducted her dissertation research my laboratory and earned her doctorate in molecular virology from the University of Brasilia.  Dr. Castro is Research Scientist at the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetics, Cenargen, EMBRAPA, Brasilia, Brazil.

11. Dr. Zihni Demirbag.  Doctor of Philosophy.  1993.  “Comparative replication of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus in abortive and permissive infections of insect cell lines”.  Dr. Demirbag is Vice Dean and Professor in the Department of Biology, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. Mr. Demirbag won S. Edward Sulkin Award for this presentation.  He also won Second Place for a presentation at the fall, 1992 meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Texas Branch.

12. Dr. Daniel Kainer.  Master of Science.  1992.  Dr. Kainer a PhD at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX.  Dr. Kainer is currently on the faculty at Montgomery College Biotechnology Institute, Conroe, TX.

13. Mr. Harry Ng.  Master of Science.  1992.  Mr. Ng went on to pursue Doctoral Research in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX. Won Honorable Mention Award for presentation at the SWARM Meetings, May 1991, Lubbock, TX.

14. Mr. Victor Montalvo-Lugo.  Master of Science.  1991.  "Cell and tissue culture of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren."  Mr. Montalvo-Lugo went on to work as a Technician in the Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX.  Won Honorable Mention Award for presentation at the SWARM Meetings, May 1991, Lubbock, TX.

15. Dr. Alesia J. Reinisch. Doctor of Philosophy.  1989.  “Gene expression in Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus infections exhibiting host specific modulation of occlusion body formation.”  Dr. Reinisch took up postdoctoral fellowship with the Plant Stress Laboratory, USDA-ARS, New Deal, TX and later at Texas A&M University.  Dr. Reinisch is Research Scientist at Molecular Genetics, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory-Amarillo. Ms. Reinisch won the O. B. Williams Award for Best Student Paper at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Texas Branch, Junction, TX, March 1988 and won Second Prize, Biological Sciences Research Poster Competition, 1987.

16. Dr. Hsiao-Sheng Liu.  Doctor of Philosophy.  1987.  "Host specific expression of the Baculovirus, Spodoptera frugiperda nuclear polyhedrosis virus, in insect cell lines."  Dr. Liu took up a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Cincinnati and rose to the level of Research Assistant Professor.  Dr. Liu is Professor and Chair in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.  He is an expert on arboviruses.

17. Ms. Jo Ann Davis.  Master of Science.  1984.  Ms. Davis took up a position as a Schoolteacher in El Paso, TX.

18. Mr. Robert M. Kral.  Master of Science.  1983.  "Development of cell culture systems from the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta."  Mr. Kral is the Vice President for Business Development at Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Dallas, TX.

19. Dr. William M. Carpenter.  Master of Science.  1982.   "Mechanisms of baculovirus pathogenicity: Transfection of virus DNA into non-susceptible cell systems."  Dr. Carpenter graduated with an MD at the top of his class from TTUHSC.  He is a Plastic Surgeon in Dallas, TX.

20. Ms. DeAnn M. Gerwig.  Master of Science.  1981.   "Isolation and characterization of a host-range variant of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus."  Ms. Gerwig went on to pursue doctoral studies at the Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.

21. Mr. Richard D. Beckham.  Master of Science.  1980.  "A survey for pathogens associated with ants of West Texas." (Co-Chair with D.P. Bartell).  Mr. Beckham is Proprietor, Calco Products, Ennis, Texas.

Research: Program; Relevance; Publications; Facilities

People: Current; Positions Courses: Virology, Microbiology.

Graduate Admission: Graduate School; Biological Sciences

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Undergraduate Research (since 1990):

1.     Amir Ahmed: Honors School Fellow.  June 2007- May 2008. 

2.     Quy Nguyen: Howard Hughes Fellow.  June 2006 – May 2008; Medical Student, UT Southwestern Medical School, Dallas.

3.     Ashley May: Honors School Fellow. 2006 - 2007.

4.     Patrick Taylor: Howard Hughes Fellow.  2005 - 2007.  Doctoral student, Neuroscience, Univeristy of Massachusetts.

5.     Sundus Lodhi: Howard Hughes Fellow, Masters Student, Biological Sciences, TTU; Fellowship in Nephrology, University of Houston HSC.  Won 2nd Place for poster presentation at TTUHSC Research Day, April, 1996.

6.     Cynthia Johnson: Howard Hughes Fellow.  MD-PhD Student.  UT Southwestern Medical School, Dallas.  Invited to present at the 11th National Congress on Undergraduate Research, the University of Texas, Austin, 1997.  Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, 1998; ARCS Scholarship, 1999).

7.     Michelle Erhlich: Undergraduate Research: Biological Sciences, TTU.

8.     Manoj Parmar: Undergraduate: Trinity College.

9.     Marsha Perales: Research Technician, TTUHSC.  Dean's List, 1994-1996; Dow Chemical Scholarship, 1996.

10. Jonathan Kini: Medical Student.  UT San Antonio HSC

11. Shaili Kandheria: Undergraduate: Rice University

12. Anna Chang

13. John El-Attrache: Graduate Student. University of Georgia; Associate Professor, Texas A&M University.

14. Steven Fuhrmann

15. Deanna Brown

16. Stephanie Shaw

17. Jeff Oliver: Medical School, TTUHSC; Physician, Lubbock, TX.

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