UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO
MAYAGUEZ, PUERTO RICO 00680
COHEMIS-UPRM-SACNAS CHAPTER
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008
Karen J. Díaz Pérez, Chapter President
787-602-0695 or 787-880-0715
Dr. Carlos Rís Velázquez, Chapter Advisor
787-832-4040 (x-2874)
I. Chapter Member Information
Total student members in 2007-2008: 27
A. Current Members
Name / E-mails1. Karen Díaz Pérez /
2. Kristia Díaz Pérez /
3. Ismael Robles Maldonado /
4. Lorainne I. Rodriguez Vargas /
5. Cesar R. Mojica Vázquez /
6. Natasha de León Rodriguez /
7. Krizia Díaz Carillo /
8. Lorraine Rodriguez Bonilla /
9. Juliany Rivera Calo /
10. Josymir López Ferrer /
11. Dr. Omar Colón Reyes /
12. Dr. Carlos Ríos Velázquez /
New Members
13. José Pérez Sanabria /
12. Carlos B. Rivera Matos /
13. Giovanni Cruz Gratacós /
14. Manuel Echevarria Vega /
15. Elizabeth Gutierrez Román /
16. Jorge O. Carlo /
17. José M. Vargas Muñiz /
18. Erika Jaramillo Giraldo /
19. Morgan Echeverry Solarte /
20. Romualdo Avila Taveras /
21. Jeffrey Morales Vega /
22. Abdiel Algorri Reyes /
23. Josué Malavé Orengo /
24. Juan A.Vega Sepúlveda /
25. Jesabel Rivera /
26. Carlos Virella /
27. Dr. Fernando Gilbes Santaella /
B. Officers for 2007-2008 School Year
Officers / Name / Major / E-mail / PhonePresident / Karen J. Díaz / Industrial Microbiology / Diaz.karenj@gmail / 787-602-0695
Vice president / Lorraine Rodriguez / Industrial Microbiology / / N/A
Secretary / Kristia Díaz / Psychology / / 787-903-1933
Treasurer / Ismael Robles / Electrical Engineering /
National Laison / Carlos Rios-Velazquez / Microbiology / / 787-614-3879
C.Newly Elected Chapter Officers for 2008-2009 School Year
Officers / Name / Major / E-mail / PhonePresident / Jesabel Rivera / Biology / jesabel.rivera@gmail / 787-902-8109
Vice president / Manuel Echevarria / Industrial Biotechnology / m.echevarria.vega@gmail / 787-649-8996
Secretary / Elizabeth Gutierrez / Industrial Microbiology / everlastingjoy9@hotmail / 787-692-6933
Treasurer / José Vargas Muñiz / Industrial Biotechnology / jose.vargas.muniz@gmail / 787-678-5996
National Laison / Carlos Rios-Velazquez / Microbiology / / 787-614-3879
II. Chapter Governance
A. Advisor Status Report
The interaction between the advisors of the SACNAS-UPRM and their members has been one very enriching, dynamic, and very fruitful. The members have been actively involved in several activities not only coordinated by them, but also, have been giving support to all the activities organized by the Center for Hemispheric Cooperation (CoHemis). One of the important attributes of the SACNAS-UPRM chapter, is their service oriented activities, and also their extraordinary work as a team. At least in our campus, this is the first time that an student organization is bringing to their cohort orientation and mentoring in areas such as emotional intelligence, group psychology, conflict managements, adapting to change; allowing our student that have academic excellence, to learn how to deal with the different and difficult situations of being a college students. The chapter in a very exemplary manner have focused on bringing support to the members and the university community in how to be successful in graduate studies, and also, and overall to become an integral educators, citizens and professionals. The chapter has allowed both of the advisors to actively give suggestions, but the final decisions have been always their prerogative.
B. Frequency of General Meetings:
· August – December 2007: Bi-monthly
· January-May 2008: Weekly
C. Frequency of officers meetings:
· Monthly
D. Officers Election Schedule
· Election Date: Within one month before the end of the semester
· Start Service: August of next academic year
E. Other Staff and Faculty
Name / Title1. Johana Dávila Vélez / CoHemis Administrative Assistant
2. Yamarie Hernández / CoHemis coordinator
3. Zoraida Arroyo Figueroa / CoHemis Administrative Assistant
4. Hernán Méndez / Health Promotion Program Coordinator, UPRM
5. Mabel Ortiz / English professor, UPRM
III. Chapter Activities
Description of General Activities: August-December 2007
A. Workshops
· Seven Habits of an Effective Leader
Date: September 11, 2007
Speakers: Lorainne Rodriguez Vargas, Vice-president
Carlos B. Rivera Matos- Department of Health Services, UPRM
Description: Illustrate the seven main habits a leader should have to reach their personal and inter-personal goals.
· Searching Professional Success Trough Academic Decision Making
Date: September 25, 2007
Speaker: Dr. Carlos Ríos Velázquez, chapter mentor
Description: Guidelines to evaluate graduate schools.
· Preparing a Successful Oral Presentation
Date: October 8, 2007
Speakers: Karen Díaz Pérez, President
Lorainne Rodriguez Vargas, Vice-president
Description: The objectives were to identify the common mistakes when making an oral presentation, and to examine the oral presentation model based in effectiveness and effective communication.
B. CoHemis Activities
UPRM-SACNAS chapter is associated to the Center of Hemispheric Cooperation in research and education in Engineering and Applied Science (CoHemis), facilitating the effective communication, collaboration and networking between the University community in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and the hemisphere. UPRM-SACNAS members were staff in the activities mentioned below:
· First Meeting of Geomicrobiological and Metagenomic (GeMS) Studies in Puerto Rican Soils
Date: September 21, 2007
Description: The objectives of this project includes; train and educate a new generation of professionals in the field ofmetagenomics, generate metagenomic libraries from different forest soils in Puerto Rico, and to promote the importance of natural resources conservation and new technology in young students and future scientist.
· Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Symposium
(PRYSIG) 2007
Date: September 28, 2007
Description: The fifth National Meeting objective was to serve as a forum for the exchanges of ideas, the development of international projects, as well as the coordination of the ongoing projects in Puerto Rico.
· Science and technology CoHemis Conference (SCiteCC) 2007:
“Bioprospecting: From the Environment, to Synthetic Biology to Technology-Based Enterprises”
Date: October 23, 2007
Description: The objective of this conference was to link Bioprospecting, Synthetic Biology, and Technology Based Enterprises disciplines to serve as a platform for multidisciplinary networking among Microbiology, Combinatorial Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Biotechnology and Business Administration seeking business opportunities in Technology Based Enterprises. Josué Malavé Orengo and Juan A. Vega Sepúlveda, UPRM-SACNAS members, participated at the poster session. Lorraine Rodriguez and Jesabel Rivera presented the speakers at SciTeCC 2007.
C. Community Activities
· The undergraduate students Karen Díaz Pérez, Lorainne I. Rodriguez Vargas, Lorraine Rodriguez Bonilla and Krizia Díaz Carillo collaborated as volunteers with the University Institute for the Community. The purpose of this project is to enhance the community development by detecting their needs, create a strategic plan involving the community residents in order to solve the problems.
Description of General Activities: January- May 2008
A. Chapter Promotion
Date: January 7th to 18th
Description: Informative booth at Mathematics, Science and Engineering buildings, distribution of flyers around campus, and chapter publication at UPRM’s official webpage.
B. Chapter’s First meeting
Date: January 22
Description: Described Chapter’s vision, mission, and workshops and activities schedule.
C. Workshops
· Communicating your uniqueness: How to write an Effective
Personal statement
Date: January 29, 2008
Speaker: Prof. Mabel Ortiz, English professor at University of Puerto Rico- Mayaguez Campus
Description: The purpose of this workshop was to describe the personal statement format, and to encourage students to discover their distinctiveness by participating in different introspection exercises.
· Leadership and Conflict Management
Date: February 5, 2008
Speaker: Lorraine Rodriguez, vice-president
Description: Described leadership styles and the interaction of leaders within a group toward conflict management.
· Team Building: Working Beyond a Group…
Date: February 26, 2008
Speaker: Dr. Carlos Ríos Velázquez, mentor
Description: Described basic concepts such as group, team, team work. Through several group activities learned how to work as a team to reach a common goal.
· Change Management
Date: March 4, 2008
Speaker: Lorainne Rodríguez Vargas
Description: Explained the psychology behind change management and the attitudes an efficient leader must acquire.
· Resume: The First Step to the Professional World
Date: March 11, 2008
Speaker: Yamarie Hernández Bonet, CoHemis coordinator
Description: Define the characteristics a Resumé should have as our personal inventory of knowledge and skills.
· Ethics in Scientific Investigation and Engineering
Date: March 25, 2008
Speakers: Morgan Echeverry-Solarte, Biology graduate student
Erika Jaramillo, Civil Engineering graduate student
Description: The speakers discussed the ethics issue related to academic integrity.
· Be Prepared For Your Interview: Your Tool Box
Date: April 1, 2008
Speaker: Lorainne Rodriguez
Description: Create a clear perspective of the Interview Process: before, during and after.
· Group Psychology
Date: April 29, 2008
Speakers: Hernán Méndez, Health Promotion Program Coordinator
University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
Karen J. Díaz Pérez, President
Description: Described group evolution stages and the difficulties it can cross during the process. Identify inter-group and intra-group conflicts and the three main aptitudes to confront them.
D. Sales:
· Saint Valentine’s Sale
Date: February 11-14, 2008
Description: The sale was held at the Student Center Building. The articles for sale were: cards, muffins and novelty items. Although our final earnings were $22.00 dollars, our members were able to work as a team and it also encourage the socialization between members.
· Relay for Life Raffle
Date: April 17, 2008
Description: The sale was held at Biology Building. Raffle tickets were sold to raise funds for Relay For Life 2008.
· Hotdog’s sale
Date: April 24,2008
Description: The sale was held at Biology Building and our earnings were $45.00 dollars.
E. Social Activities:
· Saint Valentine’s Party
Date: February 12, 2008
Description: The activity was held at the College Café: “La Cueva de Tarzán” and UPRM-SACNAS members participated in a chocolate exchange and salsa dancing.
F. Community Activities:
· Relay for Life Celebrate.Remember.Fight Back!
Date: April 26 th& 27th
Description: Relay for Life was an overnight event dedicated for raising funds for Cancer research. UPRM- SACNAS members were part of the CID (Center of Investigation and Development) team.
· Julián Chiví Welcome to “El Bosque del Pueblo”, Adjuntas, PR
Description: Every year Adjuntas welcomes Julián Chiví, an endemic forest bird. During this activity UPRM-SACNAS members, Karen Díaz, Lorainne Rodriguez, and Juan A. Vega, gave traditional dance lessons to high school students in order to promote Puerto Rican culture.
G. Initiation of new SACNAS-UPRM members:
Date: May 10, 2008
Description: The new member’s initiation activities were full of messages of positive attitude, service, effective communication, friendship and team work. The activity was one very formal, but maintaining an atmosphere of care and professionalisms. As the new president said: do not see me as a your boss, but as a friend that would like to make a difference academically, and to the community in general by serving, by helping, by doing together…
· New members Oath (Spanish version):
Juro solemnemente, junto a mis compañeros, trabajar por el bienestar de la Sociedad para el Avance de los Chicanos y Nativos Americanos en las Ciencias, nuestra organización, así mismo promover los más altos valores de la sociedad.
Con esto, prometemos, emular los valores éticos y profesionales que nos llevaran a cumplir con la misión y visión de nuestra organización.
Conservaré en mi corazón, el compañerismo, la colaboración académica, el amor al estudio esforzado y me encaminaré al desarrollo como líder junto a mis compañeros; de nuestra sociedad y cooperar para mejorar las condiciones de vida de mi patria y su cultura.
Sé que con mi voluntad lograré grandes cosas y comenzaré por hacer grandes cosas en mí.
Que el espíritu de empatía, lucha, aprendizaje, unión, y una nueva cultura de colaboración interdisciplinaria en nuestro recinto no se pierdan.
Así nos ayude Dios.
· Officers Oath (Spanish version):
Juro solemnemente como nuevo integrante de La Directiva del Capítulo estudiantil de la Sociedad Para el avance de los chicanos y los nativos americanos en las ciencias que cumpliré cabalmente con mis deberes como estudiante y como parte de la directiva de SACNAS. Cumpliré también con los principios e ideales que esta representan: establecer y mantener una red de apoyo entre estudiantes, profesores y otras universidades para alcanzar el desarrollo como profesionales de excelencia dentro de la organización mediante la promoción de estándares de ética, logros profesionales, diversidad interdisciplinaria y el continuo crecimiento de sus miembros; mantener y proteger los postulados y recursos de nuestro capítulo; defender y trabajar incondicionalmente por la sociedad sin esperar reconocimiento y fomentar el estudio de las ciencias, las matemáticas y la ingeniería.
Así me ayude Dios.
Modificado por: KJDP y LIRV mayo 2008 de Juramento SHPE
III. Goals Achieved
· Established a team of undergraduate, graduate and professors that understand the mission and vision of SACNAS, with enthusiasm and motivation to keep developing our chapter. Capture the student’s interest was a challenge because SACNAS is not known in Puerto Rico.
· Acquire CoHemis support in our activities.
· Expand our network by our participation in international activities as SCiteCC, GeMS, and PRYSIG.
· Provide workshops as tools to improve the leadership and professional growth of our members.
· Build partnership with other student organizations.
IV. Current Goals
· Recruit more interdisciplinary students and professors by keep doing our promotion and online workshops announcements on campus.
· Provide support and mentorship to freshman.
· Create a partnership with the others SACNAS chapters in Puerto Rico by involving them in our activities.
· Build a SACNAS Pre-college Club
V. Announcements
VIII. Flyers