Five UC Irvine students bring home research prizes

Five UC Irvine students were among 26 first-place winners for outstanding scientific research presentations at the 2007 Sigma Xi Student Research Conference in Orlando, Fla., held Nov. 2-3. The students and their areas of study were: Nicholas Olivas, behavioral science; Aaron Mendez, cellular and molecular biology; Brian León, chemistry; Amanda Ruiz, ecology and evolutionary biology; and Kameelah Abdullah, physiology and immunology. The students were recognized at an awards ceremony with medals and invitations to join Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. Over the years, the society has had more than 200 Nobel laureates among its members.