In 2020, our first cohort of students went into pandemic mode and conducted virtual research with mentors from UC Davis. We are so very proud of their tenacity and courage in pursuing this very non-traditional program. After another virtual program in 2021, we returned to in-person research in 2022.

Alumni updates

  • Naomi Becks has begun the UC Davis PhD program in Nutritional Biology, with funding from an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. She will be in Francene Steinberg’s lab.
  • Alana Chaney is the lead author on a paper that will be a chapter of her dissertation. Congratulations to Alana!
    • Chaney AM, Anderson CE, Arnold CD, Whaley SE, Ritchie LD, Pundi GR, Nguyen CJ, Au LE. Evaluating the association of the increase in the WIC cash value benefit on the diversity of MyPlate fruits and vegetables redeemed and consumed by children in low-income households. Current Developments of Nutrition, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.103778

2024 Cohort

  • Aanyiah Anthony worked with Lauren Au and her students studying diet and food consumption of college students in residence halls. She has returned to FVSU and is considering her next steps
  • Teray Davis conducted research in Ameer Taha’s lab, and has returned to FVSU for his junior year
  • Amaiya Murphy is off to new ventures after completing research in Gerardo Mackenzie’s lab.

2023 Cohort

  • Naomi Becks (FVSU) returned to Davis for research in Francene Steinberg’s lab. She’s in the midst of preparing graduate school applications.
  • Marie Delcy wrapped up her research in Patrician Oteiza’s lab and immediately moved to Athens, GA, to began a PhD program in Biochemistry at the University of Georgia.
  • Jaequon Henderson returned to FVSU for his junior year. He spent the summer working with Dr. Mary Kable and grad student Ste Traxler, doing fantastic work on honey consumption, enterotoxins, and intestinal health.
  • Maraé M. Woodson, currently a junior at Savannah State, spent the summer in the Mackenzie lab studying the effects of a high fat diet on early stages of pancreatic cancer in a mouse model.
Jaequon and Ste at his poster
Jaequon and Ste exulting at the 2023 Summer Research Symposium

2022 Cohort

We had students in Davis for eight weeks of good ol’ face-to-face wet lab research, and it was marvelous.

Students from Fort Valley State University and Savannah State University with their research mentors.
2022 NUTGAP Scholars with Professor Gerardo Mackenzie, their research mentors, and FVSU faculty Professors Celia Dodd and Tiffani Holmes.

2022 cohort

  • Naomi Becks returned to FVSU for her junior year. She’s considering a return to UC Davis for more research in Summer 2023, this time with a focus on nutritional effects on cardiovascular disease.
  • Jaquan Hall returned to Savannah State University and is considering his options for future study.
  • Cornelius Ellington was able to come to Davis for an in-person research experience! He’s now back at FVSU and continues to consider his options for future study.
  • Robyn Willis returned to FVSU for her junior year. She’s considering a return to UC Davis for more research in Summer 2023.
Presenter and guest at a poster session
Cornelius presents his poster to another scholar at the 2022 Summer Scholars Research Symposium

2021 cohort

  • Lindsay Anderson returned to Savannah State University and applied to doctoral programs. Fall 2022 update: Lindsay is beginning a PhD program in Neuroscience at The Ohio State University. Congratulations, Lindsay! Keep UC Davis Neuro in mind when it’s time for a faculty position!
  • Cornelius Ellington returned to FVSU and is considering his options for future study.
  • LaTorrence Jeffery returned to FVSU and is considering his options for future study.
  • Nakejia Spencer graduated from Savannah State and is considering her options for future study.

2020 cohort

  • Nola Carter graduated from FVSU and has joined a graduate program at St. Leo University.
  • Razan Eldurssi returned to FVSU and is considering her options for future study.
  • Imani Muhammad returned to Savannah State University and is preparing applications for graduate study. Update: Imani entered the PhD program in Nutritional Biology at UC Davis and in spring 2022, passed her first year preliminary exams.
  • Sarry Pierre returned to Savannah State University and is considering his options for future study.
In addition to these students, check out our sister programs to see how their alumni have fared since completing the program. They all are doing marvelously and we are very proud of them.

BioGAP: the Biology Graduate Admissions Pathways Program page includes updates about all program alumni who’ve entered grad school at campuses of the University of California and other universities across the US.

EEGAP: Ecology and Evolution Graduate Admissions Pathways Program

MCBGAP: Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Admissions Pathways Program

CCBGAP: Chemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Admissions Pathways Program

PABGAP: Plant Agricultural Biology Graduate Admissions Pathways Program