ASBMB Honor Society Recognizes RIT Students for their Achievements

Three RIT College of Science students were recognized as part of the 2022 cohort of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Honor Society, ΧΩΛ. The group of students selected from across the United States were recognized for their scholarly achievements, research accomplishments, outreach activities, and involvement in their ASBMB Student Chapter. All three honorees have excelled in each of these areas.

RIT has had 26 ASBMB ΧΩΛ Honor Society inductees since its inception in 2011.

Elaina Stafford is a rising fourth-year biochemistry major conducting research with Dr. Hans Schmitthenner on “The Synthesis of a Targeted Peptide-Based Dual Dye FRET System for the Photoacoustic Imaging of Prostate Cancer.” Her research has been funded by an Emerson SURF and Pasto Co-op Award.

Elaina is in the RIT Honors Program, the RIT Chemistry Research Scholars program, and has presented her research at the RIT Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium.

As an ASBMB student chapter E-board member, Elaina contributed to the quarterly Covid Newsletter. She planned and was the master of ceremonies (MC) for an ASBMBSA-sponsored trivia night. Elaina also lends her time to RIT open houses, volunteers with Women in Science (WISe) at the Boys and Girls Club, and is in the RIT PEP Band.

Elaina plans on pursuing her Ph.D. in the future.

Matthew Law is a graduating biochemistry major who conducted research with Dr. Hans Schmitthenner on “The Solid Phase Synthesis of Targeted Molecular Imaging Agents for the Detection of Breast Cancer.” Matt has presented this research at three RIT Summer Undergraduate Research Symposiums.

Matthew was in the RIT Honors Program and was an RIT Chemistry Research Scholar. He also received the SCMS Undergraduate Award in Biochemistry in 2021 and the John Wiley Jones Award in 2022.

As an ASBMB student chapter E-board member, Matthew contributed to the quarterly Covid Newsletter. He planned and was the Master of Ceremonies (MC) at the 2021 ASBMBSA-sponsored trivia night.

After RIT, Matthew will pursue his Ph.D. at the University of Rochester in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program.

Emily Reilly is a rising fourth-year biotechnology and molecular biosciences major conducting research with Dr. Crista Wadsworth on “The Genetic Basis of Penicillin Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae” and with Dr. Suzanne O’Handley on “The Characterization of Nudix Hydrolases.” For her work with Dr. Wadsworth, Emily won an Emerson SURF and presented at the RIT Undergraduate Research Symposium. Emily also secured a paid co-op to further this research.

Emily has been a Molecular Biology Lab Teaching Assistant (TA), Program Student Assistant for AdvanceRIT, and an RIT Notetaker. As an ASBMB student chapter E-board member, Emily contributed to the quarterly Covid Newsletter and the Imagine RIT infographic on CRISPR. Emily is also a volunteer at the Rochester Regional Health Unity Hospital and has held several leadership positions in the RIT Society of Women Engineers.