High school students learn from UHV biology majors

Martin Armenta, left, a 10th-grader at Memorial High School in Victoria, carefully takes part in an experiment on Wednesday in a biology lab at the University of Houston-Victoria under the watchful eyes of Kori Kocian, a UHV biology major. The experiment was part of a visit to UHV’s state-of-the-art biology laboratory by 34 Memorial High School students taking advanced chemistry, biology and anatomy and physiology classes at Memorial. While at the university, students got to participate in experiments, including extracting DNA, polymerase chain reactions, plant micropropagation and sterile techniques, to gain hands-on experience and see what it might be like to pursue a science career. The UHV students were members of professor Jesica McCue’s biology class.

The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.