Science and Tech
Tiny Brains, Big Science
In the world of neuroscientist Denise Ramirez, Ph.D. (B.S. ’03), minds are a terrible thing to waste — literally. In this case, the brains in question belong to mice and rats. Ramirez spends her days researching the brains of rodents, trying to better understand how they work.
Summer Jobs for a New Generation: Kayla Berger, Senior Electrical Engineering Major
Out of control wildfires are devastating to people and property, and perhaps no danger is greater than that of the first responders who are fighting the fires.
Summer Jobs for a New Generation: Chris Chavez, Senior Computer Engineering Major
As the number of people worldwide using cellphones and wireless Internet increases every year, so does the need for the virtual space through which the signals travel. Without that, the world is heading for a major traffic jam on the information superhighway.
Summer Jobs for a New Generation: Alex Salinas, Junior Environmental Science Major
Summer internships are experiences designed to expand the world of undergraduates. But for one St. Mary’s University junior, it was a summer living in a bubble. Well, sort of.
Alumna Helps Patients “Live Happy”
Inspiration can come from unexpected places. For Malak Abouhenidi (M.S. ’14), it was from reading a novel titled Before I Go to Sleep, a psychological thriller about a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Tapping into Sustainability
When St. Mary’s University revealed its first rainwater harvesting tank – a 5,050-gallon, 10-foot-tall container that irrigates landscaping previously irrigated by pumped water – David Turner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, couldn’t have been happier.
New Technology Unmasks Ancient Scriptural Manuscripts
Professor Todd Hanneken, Ph.D., is the first scholar to combine two existing imaging technologies in order to “see” handwritten text that has been indecipherable to the naked eye for hundreds of years.
Chemicals by Design
Susan Oxley, Ph.D., doesn’t mince words when explaining chemistry’s place in the world. “You can be a doctor and help thousands of people, or you can be a chemist and help millions,” Oxley said, quoting her favorite adage.
A Champion for Clean Water
When Albert Hindrichs (B.A. '83) talks to community members about water sustainability, he often asks the same question: "Who thinks water quality is better today than it was 40 years ago?"
Environmental Science majors introduce 5th graders to nature
Most children would rather be outside than in a classroom anyway, so when a group of Environmental Science majors from St. Mary’s University treated students from Ingram Independent School District to a day of outdoor learning last March, they were all smiles.
In Search of a Cure
Ahmad Galaleldeen, Ph.D., was a doctoral student when his faculty mentor showed him a graphic of what appeared to be colorful abstract patterns. In fact, it was a brand new molecular diagram of an important enzyme, and Galaleldeen was among the first to see it.
A 3-D Revolution
The technology of 3-D printers has been common in the news, with their ability to make just about anything from dental prosthetics to acoustic guitars. But what you may not know is that St. Mary’s has had its own 3-D printer for years.
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Family support propels J.D. student to fulfill childhood dream
Daeja Hall, who will accept her Doctor of Jurisprudence from St. Mary's Law at the Spring 2025 Law Commencement, was propelled by her family to fulfill her childhood dream.
St. Mary’s launches Rattler Records, an on-campus recording studio
The St. Mary’s University Department of Music and Theatre Arts is creating Rattler Records, an on-campus recording studio.
Psychology major finds lifelong mentor and a career at St. Mary’s
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a life-changing mentor. Even fewer have the chance to work next door to their close friend. Gaby Aquino, Ph.D. (B.A. ’19), has both. And it all began in a Psychology classroom at St. Mary’s.