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Campus Review
October 22, 2012
Johnathan Reaves Continues His
Family’s Legacy at Clayton State
by Ciji Fox, University Relations
Clayton State Student Receives Award
For Undergraduate Research Fellowship
by Erin Fender, University Relations
Clayton State University student Gloria
Le of Ellenwood, Ga., recently received
an American Society for Microbiology
(ASM) 2012 Undergraduate Research
Fellowship award. Le received a two-year
ASM student membership and funding for
travel expenses to May 2013, 113th ASM
General Meeting.
“Gloria shows great potential to do inde-
pendent research. She read the literature
and designed her own project. She then
accompanied me to Emory University this
summer where I was performing research
with a colleague through a fellowship that I
received through the American Society of
Cell Biology. I helped Gloria get her project
set up and talked with her about the
results,” says Clayton State Associate
Professor of Biology Dr. Fran Norflus, who
has mentored Le throughout her research.
Currently, Le is working on expanding her
research and will present her work to the
Natural Sciences faculty at the end of the
semester. Le will also have the opportuni-
ty to present her research at the ASM
General meeting in May 2013.
“I am very proud to receive this fellow-
ship and I am thankful to my research
mentor, Dr. Norflus, who was there with
me and encouraged me to strive for the
better,” says Le. “The application process
was very complicated and there were
moments I thought of giving up. Thanks
to Dr. Norflus, I was able to finish with
the procedure. She helped me with exper-
imental designs and modifications as well
as critiqued my thinking. Needless to say,
there would be no research without her.”
The title of Le’s research project is: An
Attempt to Modulate the Effects of
Unfolded Protein Response in C. elegans.
Le was born in southern Vietnam, but
came to the United States in 2004. She is
a dual major and first generation college
student. She will graduate in spring 2013
with a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry. Le
is currently applying to graduate schools.
“I hope that I can go to graduate school
and do more research in cell biology and
drug chemistry. My research interest lies
in the field of cellular signaling, pharma-
cology, and drug design. I hope that I can
design affordable therapeutic treatment in
the future to help cure diseases that are
now incurable,” she says.
Johnathan E. Reaves, a junior a
Clayton State University majoring in
Mathematics with Teacher Education
certification, decided to “continue his
family legacy on Clayton County soil.”
He decided to attend Clayton State
after gaining his Associate of Science
degree at Atlanta Metropolitan State
College. And while Clayton State cur-
rently enrolls 7,145 students, all with
their own stories, Reaves’ story is a
special one.
Reaves has had an unusual number of
family members who attended Clayton
State, which encouraged him to attend.
Reaves’ grandmother, Lillie Farmer,
tion. but more so
education
can
help define your
success. My rea-
son for going to
college is not to
become wealthy,
but to enhance
my
socio-eco-
nomic status.”
Reaves’ describes
his experience at Clayton State as pos-
itive and he is especially enthusiastic
graduated from Clayton State in 1985
with an Associate of Science, and earned
a Bachelors of Nursing in 1994. His moth-
er, Sharon R. Duhart, earned her
Associate of Business in 2002, and her
Bachelors of Business Administration in
2003 from Clayton State University. In
addition, his father, Gregory S. Duhart,
his aunt Santricia Pharr, and his sister
Carla Exum, all attended Clayton State for
some of their collegiate careers. Reaves
has an aunt, Prestina Harris, who is also
currently enrolled at the University.
“Education in my family is very impor-
tant,” Reaves says. “My family does not
believe that success is based upon educa-
Gloria Le and Dr. Fran Norflus
Reaves
Reaves, cont’d., p. 5