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Blanca presented her clear and |
News release # 8
Blanca, the daughter of a working family from Mexico City, also completed her Master’s degree at CIBNOR a few years ago. Her thesis concerned endophytic bacteria in an endemic cactus species in Baja California and their effect on the plant. Although the graduate school of CIBNOR does not offer honors, the jury was impressed by the quality of her work and assigned her “unofficial honors.” After her graduation, Blanca is currently working as a research assistant at CIBNOR, completing her publications, and working as an environmental field educator for a non-governmental organization. She intends to work abroad on a post-doctoral program in the near future. |
Blanca answering one of the numerous questions by the jury. They showed interest in the study. |
 Dr. Leon de la Luz, the president of the jury, reads the approval decision. |
Dr. Sara Diaz reads the obligations |
 Blanca with her juries two minutes after been declared a new doctor. From the left: Dr. Jose-Luis Leon de la Luz, Dr. Clara Tinoco, Dr. Sara Diaz Castro, Dr. Macario Bacilio Jiménez, and Dr. Yoav Bashan. |
 The new Dr. Blanca Romero-López with the two directors of her doctoral thesis, Dr. Macario Bacilio (L) and Dr. Yoav Bashan (R). |
 The traditional long line of well wishers, friends, and family giving a big hug and always good words. It takes time to greet all of them. |
 A copy of the unofficial honors certificate given to Blanca by the jury in her defense, Dr. Clara Tinoco, Dr. Sara Diaz, Dr. Jose-Luis Leon de la Luz, Dr. Macario Bacilio, and Dr. Yoav Bashan. |
 With her laboratory friends, Juan-Pablo Hernandez, Dr. Luz de-Bashan and Bernardo Salazar. |
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 Blanca with Drs. Luz and Yoav Bashan . |
 Blanca with her parents that made the long trip from Mexico City to attend the presentation and the ceremony . |
 Blanca with her husband, Dr. Alfonso Medel, who graduated few months earlier from CIBNOR and quietly and continuously supported her all the way to the end. |
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May 15, 2009
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Octavio presenting his outstanding |
News release # 6
Octavio, the son of a mechanical engineer from Guadalajara, Mexico is a highly motivated student and in his free time he is the drummer of the instrumental rock band “Zenit” (http://bashanfoundation.org/zenit.html). His thesis work concerned bioremediation of municipal wastewater with microalgae under dark conditions. Although the graduate school of CIBNOR does not offer honors, the committee was impressed by the quality of his work and assigned him “unofficial honors”. Octavio is currently working as a research assistant at CIBNOR. He intends to continue studies in Environmental
Engineering
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The evaluation committee listens: |
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 Dr. Espinoza reads the approval decision of the committee. |
 One minute after the announcement. |
 Two minute after the announcement. |
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 Octavio, with his “true” thesis’ director, Dr. Luz de-Bashan and the “official” director Dr. Yoav Bashan. |
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 A copy of the unofficial honors certificate given to Octavio by the participants in his thesis, Dr. Luz de-Bashan, Dr. Esther Puente, M.Sc Juan-Pablo Hernandez, Dr. Froylan Espinoza, and Dr. Yoav Bashan. |
The old and founding members of the Board of Directors of The Bashan Foundation, accompanied by Mrs. Virginia Li, wife of Dr. Li, after a very long dinner at the newest Chinese restaurant in Corvallis, Oregon. Dinner was immediately after the meeting where Dr. Li formally resigned from the foundation. |
News release # 5
The Board of Directors, at its meeting on 24 July 2006 accepted Dr. Li’s resignation and unanimously elected Dr. Zvi Ha-Cohen at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Sde-Boker campus, Israel, as a Director in The Bashan Foundation to replace Dr. Li. Additionally, Dr. Dan Louma from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon was elected as an officer and as the resident agent of The Bashan Foundation. We wish Dr. Li a fulfilling retirement and good health. To our new director and resident agent, we wish much success. |
The Certificate of Recognition presented to Dr. Li by the Board of Directors upon his retirement from The Bashan Foundation |
Luz is presenting her high-pressure Ph.D. defense in 30 minutes where only the jury and to few members of the public are present. Unlike the tradition in Mexico, a general audience of student friends and family were not present. |
28 May 2006 (Click on photo to enlarge).
Luz-Estela Gonzalez de Bashan, Vice-President of The Bashan Foundation, successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis at Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on 24 May 2006.
Luz is the daughter of a retired civil engineer in Bogota, Colombia. Luz also started her professional training as a civil engineer, but switched to biology. She investigates the use of microscopic organisms to treat and use wastewater and eroded soils.
Although several members of her extended family in Colombia, Canada, and the USA are pursuing professional careers, she is the first one to be awarded a Ph.D. degree.
Currently, Luz is involved in water and soil bioremediation research programs in arid environments with her students at CIBNOR, B.C.S., Mexico and serves as the technical administrative supervisor of the laboratories of the Environmental Microbiology Group at CIBNOR. Her plans are to concentrate on research and teaching.
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Luz with the jurors at a reception held in her honor at Laval University. From the right: Prof. Hani Antoun, (Director of thesis, Laval University), Dr. Danielle Prevost, (external examiner from Agriculture-Canada, St. Foy, Quebec), Dr. Horst Vierheilig, (external examiner from the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria), Luz, Dr. Yoav Bashan (In-residence co-director of thesis, CIBNOR, Mexico), Dr. Patrice Dion (external examiner, Laval University). Dr. Antoin Karem of Laval University (President of the jury) is absent. Although the Champaign was completely consumed, three surplus bottles of French wine made it back to Mexico. |
Luz with the director of her thesis, Dr. Hani Antoun of Laval University, minutes after she “dropped” the designation of student, possibly forever. |
Luz with two of the jurors, Dr. Horst Vierhelig from Austria (right) and Dr. Patrice Dion of Laval University (left). Even if Luz wears her highest heels, she is still short by about half a meter. |
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Because Luz is not a resident of Quebec and is unknown in Laval University social life, the real graduation celebration occurred a week later with friends in Luz’s garden palapa (shelter with a roof of palm fronds). Her family in Colombia received only photographs. Toasting with Champaign are her friends, Dr. Rosalia Servin, and Rosalia’s husband Dr. Francisco Magallon. He graduated the same day as Luz, but in Havana, Cuba. The homemade food was delicious, spirits were good, and the music was Latin. Fiesta! |
A giant greeting card was presented to Luz by her friend, Susan Fogel (not in the photo). On the card everyone at the party wrote their best wishes to Luz. Unfortunately, framing the card is beyond the capacity of the local frame shops. |
 A fiesta without dancing is hardly possible in Mexico. Even Luz, who does not usually dance, took the stage like everyone else. Alvaro and Yanet, Colombian students in our research group are seen here moving to the rhythms, but every one moved… |
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News release # 3
The second student to be partially supported by The Bashan Foundation, Adan Trejo, graduated successfully from the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana (UAM) in Mexico City on 15 May 2006. Adan, the son of a retired laborer in Mexico City, is a highly motivated, self-supporting student, working during his studies at numerous jobs because his family could not support his studies. His thesis work concerned bioremediation of wastewater under extreme conditions with miroalgae. Adan is currently working as a research technician at Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR) in La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico. He intends to continue his studies when he receives financial support for further studies, possibly in 2007. |
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Luis is preparing to present his thesis to the |
3 May 2006
Luis A. Leyva, the first student to be partially supported by the Bashan Foundation, graduated on 27 April 2006 with a M.Sc. degree from the Northwestern Center for Biological Research (CIBNOR) in La Paz, Mexico. Luis, the son of a retired part-time fisherman and part-time small-scale rancher, is the 100th recipient of a master’s degree in the graduate program at CIBNOR and the first in his extended family to be awarded this degree. All of us at the Bashan Foundation are proud of his achievement. He will soon attend a research program at the University of Almeria in Spain to continue his education. |
Part of the public in the auditorium is intently |
 At a reception held in his honor by Posgrado |
After the announcement of approval and Luis’ acceptance of the obligations of the degree, which is a required formal declaration in Mexico, Luis found a moment to take a photo with his committee (starting at the left ) Dr. Fernando Garcia-Carreno (CIBNOR), Dr. Humberto Suzan-Azpiri (University of Queretaro), and Dr. Yoav Bashan (CIBNOR) |
 After the official ceremonies were over, Luis put on his apron and, together with his parents, feed a large crowd of very hungry friends and family at his graduation fiesta. As the renowned expert in charcoal-grilled meat of the Environmental Microbiology research group, he performed his last grill with excellent results |
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January 3, 2006 The Polish Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Jan Wocjciech, pins the Cavalier Cross of the Polish Order of Merit on Dr. Shela Gorinstein of the School of Pharmacy at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This is the highest civil award issued by the government of Poland. Dr. Gorinstein was honored for her extensive cooperative research with Polish scientists. |
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Dr. Gorinstein’s response to receiving this honor during the ceremony held in Jerusalem. |
