Ithaca College

Eva Chebishev ’19 (Biology) was recently selected by the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) to participate in their prestigious 2017 ASM Undergraduate Research Fellowship (ASM-URF) Program.

The ASM-URF program is designed to assist students in their pursuit of a career in the microbial sciences. As an ASM Undergraduate Research Fellow, Chebishev will complete a minimum of ten weeks full-time employment working on her research project, which involves investigating host specificity in chlamydia trachomatis. 

Chebishev, who is also a Dana Student Intern and H&S Summer Science Scholar, will receive a research stipend and additional travel funding to present her findings at the annual ASM Microbe Meeting in 2018. This support also allows Chebishev the opportunity to attend the corresponding Microbe Academy for Professional Development (MAPD), where she will participate in a number of workshops and networking events with experts and leading faculty members in the field of microbiology.

Chebishev credits her faculty mentor, Department of Biology assistant professor David Gondek, for inspiring her interest in microbial science. “I had Dave for Principles of Biology, and he was so enthusiastic about topics like cell and tissue culture work, that it inspired me to join his lab in the spring of my freshman year. He helped me learn in so many different ways. He took a chance on me, and I owe him a lot for that.”

Chebishev plans to repay Gondek by taking full advantage of this special research opportunity, which begins May 22.