KU News Release

KU senior wins American Society for Microbiology undergraduate fellowship

LAWRENCE — Andrew James Olive, a senior at the University of Kansas, has won a $4,000 American Society for Microbiology Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Olive, of Lincoln, Neb., is majoring in microbiology at KU and is studying microorganisms that cause disease in humans. He is one of 43 winners of the fellowship.

The fellowship program is aimed at highly competitive students who want to pursue graduate research careers in microbiology. Fellows have the opportunity to conduct full-time summer research at their institution with an American Society for Microbiology mentor and present their research results at the society’s general meeting in May.

“Andrew started doing research in my lab early in his KU undergraduate career, and it was clear from the beginning that he was interested in research and had a talent for critical evaluation of data,” said Bill Picking, associate professor in molecular biosciences and Olive’s faculty mentor. “This really makes a difference when it comes to nominating students for awards like this one. This award fits very well with Andrew’s future plans to pursue an academic research career in pathogenic microbiology.”

Olive plans to attend graduate school, focusing on bacterial pathogenesis — studying the molecular basis by which microorganisms cause disease in humans. His long-range goal is to teach and conduct research in a research university setting.

Olive’s research project is titled “Investigating the structure-function of invasion plasmid antigen D.” He is using molecular biology and microscopy to understand how a single protein called IpaD is involved in the attack on human intestinal cells by Shigella flexneri, a pathogen responsible for a diarrheal disease that is the leading cause of childhood death worldwide.

According to Picking, Olive has already acquired all the data needed for making his presentation at the society’s meeting next year in Toronto, Canada. Olive will present his work as a poster and an oral presentation. Previously, Olive has contributed to two scientific papers written by Picking and others on Shigella flexneri and made poster presentations at other society meetings.

The award provides Olive with a one-year student membership to the society and reimbursement for his travel expenses to the Toronto meeting.

In March, Olive was named a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, a national competitive program to encourage outstanding students majoring in math, science or engineering. In 2004-05, he was named a University Scholar. He is the son of Mike and Sandy Olive of Lincoln, Neb., and is a graduate of Lincoln South East High School.

The American Society for Microbiology is the oldest and largest single biological membership organization, with more than 40,000 members worldwide. Its headquarters are in Washington, D.C. For more information about the fellowship, visit the society's Web site.

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