Local News in Brief : Irvine : 7 UCI Latino Students Win Doctoral Stipends

Seven UC Irvine undergraduate students are among 50 in the nation to win fellowships designed to encourage bright Latino students to pursue doctoral degrees in the sciences.

The Undergraduate Science Fellowship Program for Chicanos and Hispanics is sponsored by the National Chicano Council for Education. The program is funded by the James Irvine Foundation of San Francisco and the Arco Foundation. Students winning the fellowships receive stipends and other support, varying in dollar amount per student, during their first year of graduate studies.

The UCI students winning the fellowships are: Cintya Gonzales of Los Angeles, who plans to pursue research into plant biology and biotechnology; Martin Harris of Garden Grove, who will pursue doctoral studies in psychobiology and biochemistry; Mario Isas of Capistrano Beach, who is seeking a Ph.D. in molecular biology; Steve Jimenez of Oxnard, who hopes to become a medical doctor specializing in neonatology or pediatrics; Ofelia Rivas of Midway City, who plans graduate studies in physical chemistry; Victor Torres of Oxnard, who seeks a Ph.D. in medical anthropology and social sciences, and Sonia Villegas of Irvine, who plans to conduct graduate research in biological chemistry.