The American Society for Microbiology has selected Abbey Steckler, an NDSU senior majoring in microbiology from Minot, North Dakota, as a 2016 award recipient of the ASM Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

The fellowship is aimed at highly competitive students who wish to pursue graduate degrees in microbiology. Fellows can conduct full time summer research at their home institution with an ASM mentor and present their research results at the 2017 ASM Microbe Meeting in New Orleans if their abstract is accepted.

Each fellow receives up to a $4,000 stipend and funding for travel expenses to the Microbe Academy for Professional Development and ASM Microbe Meeting.

This year, 85 applications were received and 42 were awarded. Of the 42 awardees, 30 students are from research and doctoral granting universities and 12 students are from undergraduate and masters’ granting institutions.

Steckler’s faculty mentor is assistant professor Teresa Bergholz in the Department of Microbiological Sciences. The title of the research project is “Genetic characterization of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from cases of Listeriosis in Ruminants in the Upper-Midwest.”

The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, with a membership of more than 48,000 scientists and health professionals. The society’s mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences. It advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications and educational opportunities. It also provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings.

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