GSG at the Alumni Weekend President's Breakfast
Alumni weekend was in August, and as in years past, the Graduate Student Government and the Graduate School organized a student poster session for the President’s Breakfast. This year's Alumni Breakfast Poster Session had record participation from students. There were posters from multiple departments. Computer Science, Mathematics, Forestry, Kinesiology and Integrated Physiology, and Biology were among those represented. The grad students did an excellent job explaining their projects in a way that was understandable to someone who isn’t necessarily an expert in their subject. The alumni engagement in these poster presentations was great: there were times when it was impossible to move around because there were so many alumni talking to the students.
"The students had an amazing experience presenting their research, sharing ideas, and connecting with alumni. It was a great start of the year for us and we look forward to such opportunities in the future. It's always great to listen to the stories and experiences the alumni have to share!"
Laura Barrientos, Entrepreneur and Business Owner
Dr. Laura G. Barrientos (PhD) is the sole Owner, President, and Lab Director of IntelliGenetics, LLC. Headquartered in Atlanta (GA), IntelliGenetics is the only AABB-Accredited DNA-based Relationship Testing Laboratory in Georgia and the surrounding Alabama-South Carolina-Tennessee area that is authorized to perform biological relationship testing for US Immigration, the State Department, US Passport Centers, USCIS, and Courts. The DNA test results are court admissible and are accepted by U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world. Dr. Barrientos is a Biochemist and Structural Biologist with 20+ years of research and hands-on laboratory experience, as well as an adroit businesswoman. Part of her work as a scientist includes 9 years combined of ebolavirus research at a premier Structural Biology lab at the National Institute of Health and the renowned Special Pathogens Branch at the Headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In recent years, she has concentrated her practice in entrepreneurship and scientific and technical consultancy. She is also the owner and founder of Premier Drug Screening. Dr. Barrientos is the author of 22 scientific publications and 1 review article appearing in the peer-reviewed literature, and 1 subject matter expert white paper. She earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Costa Rica and her PhD in Chemistry in 1995 from Michigan Technological University.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
