UCSC's nationally recognized Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) and Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) programs are celebrating the 100^th Ph.D. to pass through their doors—Dr. Carolina Reyes. These two academic enrichment programs are funded by the National Institutes of Health for the purpose of increasing underrepresented minority participation in the biomedical sciences.

"We are incredibly proud to celebrate Dr. Reyes as our 100^th Ph.D.," says IMSD program Director, Prof Barry Bowman. "Ultimately, the real measuring stick for success of our programs is the number of our students who earn their doctorates and go on to successful careers in research.  In that regard, UCSC has been hugely successful."

Dr. Reyes earned her Ph.D. at UCSC while working in the Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology. Reyes, who also won a Fulbright Scholarship, has already begun work as a postdoctoral fellow in Germany at the University of Bremen. She points to the role that UCSC's IMSD program played in guiding her down her career path.

"One of the great parts of the program was the support provided to travel to conferences. I was working on arsenic and iron metabolism of bacteria in fresh water in Chad Saltikov's lab. At the time, I was growing increasingly interested in similar research in marine sediments, but there's relatively little known about oceans systems. I had a chance to go to Switzerland to a conference to present my research, and it was only because of the IMSD program that I was able to do that. At the conference, I started networking with Danish and German scientists working in the field, which ultimately led to Dr. Michael Friederich's lab in the Department of Microbial Ecophysiology in Bremen. We talked about a future postdoc—for the Fulbright, you first need a sponsor in an international lab—and Dr. Friederich was a perfect fit."

Reflecting on her experiences in the IMSD program, Reyes is already thinking in terms of how she can help the next generation of scientists.

"The philosophy of the IMSD program really made a mark on me. One of the great things is that they pair you with undergraduates when you're in grad school. So I got a chance early on to learn the ins and outs of being a mentor myself. I'm taking those skills for teaching and motivating younger people with me. I've already talked to Malika Bell [Director of STEM Diversity Programs] about coming back to UCSC next summer to help with their summer workshops. And wherever I end up as a faculty member, I'll be involved. Even if there isn't a program already in place, I'll start one up myself.

History of the Program

The roots of the MARC and IMSD programs go back to the early 1970s, when national efforts to nurture minority participation in the sciences were in the embryonic stages. At the time, two young UCSC Professors, Victor Rocha and Leo Ortiz, got wind of plans being prepared by members of Congress and traveled to Washington to help influence the drafting of the initial legislation for the programs.

"The original impetus was in response to the extremely low numbers of Afro-American doctorates that were being generated in medicine and related sciences," remembers Ortiz. "It was an important initiative, given the statistical inequities for blacks, but Victor and I knew that Chicanos and Native Americans were in the same predicament, too, especially in California and the southwest. We felt strongly the legislation could make a difference, but we wanted to remind the folks back east who were pushing this to be more inclusive."

UCSC's MARC Program Made an Immediate Impact

Rocha and Ortiz were successful in their lobbying efforts in Washington and, in 1975, funding was allocated for NIH to establish its MARC program. The following year, Rocha and Ortiz applied for and received one of the first 12 MARC grants awarded in the country. The first UCSC program provided a summer preparation course, followed by intensive laboratory research experience for the students. Martín Martín, one those first students, participated in the 1977 summer workshop, where he was introduced to scientific methodology and basic biological processes of marine mammals. He was then paired with a faculty mentor, Dr. Frank Talamantes, in whose research lab he worked over the next three years.

"That was my first exposure to real research and it shaped my undergraduate training," says Martín looking back. "At the same time, the program also provided us with a network of faculty, staff and students—people who were focused on enhancing the academic interests of the students. After I graduated and went on to medical school, I continued to be involved in research, because I was certain I wanted to pursue an academic career. To this day, I consider myself a  physician-scientist."

Today, Dr. Martín is a Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA, with a specialization in gastroenterology. His current research focuses on the molecular basis of inherited diarrheal disorders that affect children, and takes advantage of the latest generation of sequencing and human embryonic and pluripotent stem cell technologies. Dr. Martín believes that MBRS-type programs remain critical to the development of young minority scholars.

"Very few students from underrepresented backgrounds have had hands-on experience with bench research, and these programs provide that critical first opportunity, which can change a young person's life." 

Dedicated Staff Have Ensured the Success of UCSC's MARC and IMSD Programs

Current IMSD Director Prof. Barry Bowman (left) and former MBRS/IMSD student  Blake Riggs (right), now a Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University.

As the program evolved, so did the role of a small dedicated staff, who recruited and guided  budding scientists through the system. Blake Riggs, a former MARC and IMSD student at UCSC, is now a faculty member at San Francisco State University. He credits retired Program Coordinator Bernice Frankl (1991-2006) as a major influence on his career.

"I'd put Bernice on my own personal Mt. Rushmore," Riggs claims. "She probably shaped my career more than anyone. She brought me into the program, but more importantly, she gave me critical advice—and cracked the whip when she had to. Early on, I'd been placed in (Prof.) Bill Sullivan's lab and, to be honest, I just wasn't taking it seriously enough. Lab was probably my fourth priority. I remember Bernice calling me in and closing the door to read me the riot act. I still think that in that one meeting she taught me how to succeed in science. She said 'Blake, you're wasting your big opportunity. You've got to go to class; you've got to spend serious time in your lab doing experiments; and you've got to stay in the lab to do your studying, so Dr. Sullivan sees you and knows you're willing to work hard.' Because Bernice took a personal interest, I listened. It turns out she was more than right. If you spend more time in the lab, you end up doing more experiments; they make more sense; and then you start getting results and gain confidence. Bill noticed the difference and I ended up doing my Ph.D. research with him. Bernice's advice still rings true. Now I've got a couple of MARC students of my own and, as their mentor, I try to give them the same kind of advice."

Malika Moutawakkil Bell, who replaced Frankl in 2006, carries on this tradition of strong staff support for the program.

"What we do here is much more than just placing kids in labs. A large portion of our students come from families where they are the first to go to college. Most have never been exposed to what I call the culture of science. By that I mean the emphasis on being disciplined, focused, and persistent in their work. We work to cultivate these values, whether that's in our formal workshops, during one-on-one counseling, or by creating a community of peers who reinforce these concepts in their fellow students. We also emphasize mentor and teamwork training in the program, because in the long run, we want to provide these young people with the skills to become leaders and to institutionalize change themselves, bringing along the next generation of minority scientsts wherever they establish their own careers."