Salk Institute researcher and ISU's first Science Bound graduate to speak March 7

AMES, Iowa -- Salk Institute plant scientist Charles Stewart Jr., who graduated from Iowa State University in 2000, will speak at his alma mater on Monday, March 7. His talk, "Fighting Hunger: A DNA Engineer's Path to Science and Success," will be at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. It is free and open to the public.

Stewart is a research associate at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego. The institute uses molecular biology and genetics, neurosciences and plant biology to understand and develop new treatments for a range of human diseases and improve the quality and quantity of the world's food supply. Stewart works to understand how plant enzymes make an array of chemicals important to medicine and agriculture.

Stewart was the first graduate of Science Bound, Iowa State's program to increase the number of ethnically diverse Iowa youth pursuing science, technology, engineering and math careers. His talk is part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the program. He earned a degree in agricultural biochemistry at ISU and was a member of the George Washington Carver Internship Program. He also served as national president of the Society for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences. Stewart earned his doctoral degree in plant biology from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

Science Bound has helped nearly 70 program graduates earn degrees from Iowa State. More than 40 program graduates are on the Iowa State campus this spring, and another 25 are poised to attend ISU in the fall.

Stewart's talk is cosponsored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute for Physical Research and Technology, Science Bound and the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by the Government of the Student Body. More information on ISU lectures is available at http://www.lectures.iastate.edu, or by calling 515-294-9935.