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Contact: Jason Marton
jason.marton@tamuk.edu or 361-593-4143

Viper Day uses games, posters and speakers to introduce venom research to area high schoolers

KINGSVILLE (January 27, 2006) — Some 300 students from at least seven different South Texas high schools will be on the Texas A&M-Kingsville campus Friday, Feb. 10, for Viper Day.

Hosted by the Natural Toxins Research Center (NTRC), Viper Day strives to make evident the importance of teaching through biomedical research. The event also serves to illustrate the local and global role of A&M-Kingsville’s research findings and educational programs.

High schools scheduled to attend include those from the districts of Skidmore-Tynan, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, Tuloso-Midway, Odem, San Diego, Kingsville and Ben Bolt.

Viper Day participants will learn about NTRC venom research from informational posters designed by NTRC graduate and undergraduate researchers, and from presentations by assistant director Dr. Elda E. Sánchez.

Marc Cisneros, a former president of A&M-Kingsville who was instrumental in establishing the NTRC, will be an Honored Speaker at the event. Norbert Adame, M.D., will be recognized as an Honored Alumnus. Once a student of Perez, Adame now serves as c hairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Following the presentations, the students will have their newly acquired biomedical knowledge tested by participating in a retooled version of the TV game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” One student from each of the participating districts will compete for cash prizes of up to $100.

After the game, two students will have the chance to win a $500 A&M-Kingsville scholarship in a random drawing. Students in the drawing are those that have said they plan to attend Texas A&M-Kingsville in the fall. The scholarships were donated by the Office of Enrollment Management and its associate vice president Frank Ureno.

After a break for lunch, the students will have the option to take tours of A&M-Kingsville’s science department and the NTRC serpentarium, the largest research collection of venomous snakes in the United States.

For more information on Viper Day, call 361-593-3082 or go online at http://ntrc.tamuk.edu/viperday.htm.

This page last updated 31 January, 2006