MAY 18, 2022 — Reggie Jacob graduated from UTSA with his B.S. in biology in 2020. Soon after, he was on his way to a master’s degree, thanks to the university’s VIP Graduate Admission Program, which allows faculty members to recommend outstanding UTSA juniors or seniors with excellent academic records for invitations to return to the university to pursue graduate studies. Last week, Jacob crossed the stage with his M.S. in biotechnology from the UTSA College of Sciences.
Jacob chose to study biology and biotechnology because they aligned with his interest in science and research. Initially, he was drawn to educational opportunities available at UTSA, and throughout his time as a Roadrunner, he’s come to appreciate the curriculum for its challenging nature and emphasis on analytical reasoning.
“I love the ability to apply what I learn in class to the problems I face in the lab,” Jacob said. “My program has been focused on lab techniques which I have used abundantly in my internships.”
Students in the graduate-level biotechnology program can apply up to nine credit hours of an internship in a biotechnology company toward their 36-hour-degree program. Jacob first heard about the internship opportunity with bioAffinity Technologies from Valerie Sponsel, a graduate advisor and a professor in the college’s Department of Integrative Biology.
San Antonio-based bioAffinity Technologies is a privately held company that has a research lab located on the west side of the UTSA Main Campus. The firm works to address the need for non-invasive, early-stage cancer diagnosis and treatment.
During his first semester with bioAffinity, Jacob grew different cancer cell lines for various projects and gained significant knowledge of the biotechnology industry. He continued his internship with bioAffinity for a second semester and contributed to work discovering novel cancer treatments. Jacob’s internship with bioAffinity Technologies proved an effective way to explore his area of study, make connections with experts in his field and earn valuable class credit hours.
“I participated in both the basic research and the product development sides of the company, which gave me valuable insight into how a biotech organization operates,” he said.
Jacob is immensely grateful for the opportunity to conduct research under bioAffinity Vice President David Elzi, whom he calls a valued mentor. Elzi’s lessons about looking at and appreciating the scientific process in a way that could help solve society’s challenges personally resonated with Jacob.
“Being mentored by Dr. Elzi has been a wonderfully enriching experience,” Jacob recalled. “My input was always valued and encouraged, and my mistakes have been reimagined as learning experiences that have helped me grow as a researcher.”
Prior to earning his M.S. in biotechnology, Jacob had gained research experience at UT Health San Antonio where he worked on a protein channel called the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), which has potential applications in preventing heart damage in heart attacks. The MCU also has possible links to preventing chronic kidney disease. The experience helped Jacob build upon the skills required in a laboratory setting. He also earned acknowledgement in an article published by the National Institutes of Health.
“I was a little unsure of what to do after undergrad, so when I was offered this chance to stay at UTSA with the VIP program, I was very excited to take it,” Jacob said. “The M.S. degree program has opened doors to classes and opportunities like my internship at bioAffinity Technologies that have shaped my interest in science.”
Jacob joins the nearly 1,000 UTSA students who graduated with their master’s degrees earlier this month. Jacob is also representative of UTSA’s commitment to experiential learning programs, like internships, to ensure that students gain the hard and soft skills in demand by employers.
“Reggie has excelled during his time in the M.S. Biotechnology program,” Sponsel said. “I am particularly grateful to scientists in the biotechnology industry, like Dr. Elzi, who provide valuable mentorship for our students before they enter the job market.”
Jacob is excited to take what he has learned at UTSA and through his internship and apply this knowledge toward real-world problems that will make a lasting difference in people’s lives.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Community input is central to developing a well-conceived roadmap for the next 50 years of the ITC. To date, the visioning process has included opportunities for public input and ideation through two rounds of Community Conversations that sought input from a wide variety of ITC stakeholders.
Virtual EventPlease join us Thursday, July 7th, 2022 for a discussion with Colonel (ret) Michael Davis, MD, FACS, FRCS (Hon), former Director of the U.S. Combat Casualty Care Research Program. Dr. Davis will discuss how to best identify strengths at UTSA that can be effectively leveraged for funding proposals to the Department of Defense.
Business Building (BB `2.06.04,) Main CampusEducators will develop strategies that can be implemented to stimulate, guide, and build capacity of diverse student populations.
UTSA Downtown CampusParticipants will be introduced to applications included in Adobe Creative Cloud, a tool that is free for all UTSA faculty, staff, and students. Attendees will be able to complete short projects that will give them the opportunity to produce artifacts that they can use to improve digital literacy in their courses
Virtual EventThe Innovation Academy is an 8-hour online hybrid course designed to introduce faculty to a variety of educational ideas, best practices and resources for becoming more comfortable in teaching in different modalities. This academy will run July 18 – August 21. Upon completion of all activities, faculty will receive a one-time incentive of $1,000
Virtual EventLearn how to design surveys that are scientifically valid and are inclusive of diverse populations. Anchored in culturally and linguistically competent practices, this interactive workshop will explore and apply concepts related to the lifecycle of survey development from design to implementation.
Virtual EventThe virtual conference will bring together information professionals and academics to discuss current research, ideas, insights, and best practices that advance STEM research and education.
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.