BOLIE SCHOLARS

Bolie Family Endowment for the Molecular Biology Graduate Program

In 2012, the Bolie Family established the Victor W. and Earleen Bolie Graduate Scholarship fund, which is dedicated to pre-doctoral training in the Molecular Biology Graduate Program. This generous endowment enables our program to fund training activities that enhance the scientific and professional development of our trainees. Each year we use the Bolie Graduate Scholarship funds to fund:

Bolie Travel Award. Each trainee in Molecular Biology Graduate Program receives one of these awards during their pre-doctoral training, which enables them to travel to national or international conferences and present their work.

Bolie Mini-Sabbatical. The Bolie Mini-Sabbatical enables pre-doctoral trainees to travel for 1-2 weeks to a laboratory outside University of Colorado to learn new techniques and experimental approaches that expand their training beyond the expertise of their thesis laboratory.

Bolie Scholar Award. Each year, three Bolie Scholar Awards are given to outstanding senior pre-doctoral trainees in recognition of their scientific and educational contributions.

 


 

Meet the Bolie Scholars for 2022-2023!

Julia Ceglowski

Julia attended Colgate University and received her BA in Mathematics and Biology in 2016. She contributed to research projects in several fields including dog genetics, algebraic topology, and cancer cell biology. From 2016-2018, Julia worked as a research assistant at Harvard Medical School in the lab of Dr. Elisabeth Battinelli and studied the interactions between platelets and tumor cells during breast cancer development.  

Currently, she is in the lab of Dr. Rytis Prekeris where she has discovered a novel methyltransferase and is investigating its role in primary cilia formation. Outside of research, Julia enjoys being outside, swimming, reading, spending time with friends, laughing, live music, and good food. 

2022 Bolie Scholar Arely Diaz

Arely completed her BS in Microbiology at the University of Texas at El Paso in 2018 where she worked in the lab of Dr. German Rosas-Acosta studying SUMOylation in the stress response. Here she developed an interest in RNA biology and gene-regulatory networks. During this time, Arely’s work and studies were funded through the NIH BUILDing SCHOLARS fellowship.

Currently, she is in the lab of Dr. Tânia Reis where she studies fat metabolism regulation by RNA-binding proteins using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. She is also interested in understanding the sexual dimorphism of these regulatory mechanisms.

Arely is also an active member of our CU Anschutz SACNAS Chapter where she has developed professional, networking, and teaching skills. Additionally, this organization has increased her sense of belonging in STEM. She considers her efforts towards diversifying the field and creating an inclusive environment as fundamental to her role in the scientific community.

Outside of lab, Arely enjoys hanging out with her best friends, playing indoor and outdoor soccer, hiking in the Rocky Mountains, practicing yoga, and trying out the best food spots in the Denver Metro. She is a native of the El Paso- Cd Juarez, US-MX border and identifies as Latina and Mexican-American.

MOLB Katie Hoff

I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2018 with a degree in Biochemistry, where I also worked for four years in the lab of Dr. Deepali Sachdev. My excitement for research was instantly sparked, and I had the great opportunity to develop my own projects on negative feedback regulatory mechanisms in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. 

As a current student in the Molecular Biology program and under the mentorship of Dr. Jeff Moore, I study the role of tubulin conformational states in the regulation of microtubule dynamics during neurodevelopment. I have loved the challenge of diving headfirst into a new field, and I hope to keep doing that well beyond my time in grad school. 

Outside of lab, I love anything that gets me outside and specifically near water (not always easy to come by here in Colorado, but that means I appreciate it that much more!) I love running, biking, skiing, reading for book club, going to concerts, and spending evenings in the backyard with friends. 

Former Bolie Scholars

Name

Research Interest

Bolie Scholar Award Year

Current Position

Rachel JonesStructure and evolution of a distinct class of exoribonuclease-resistant RNA (xrRNA) structures found in Flaviviruses.2021Current Predoctoral Student
Linnea WethekamUnderstanding how cells regulate the expression of the α- and β-tubulin and the consequences of expression imbalance.2021Current Predoctoral Student
Claire GilletteThe role of RNA-binding proteins in regulating energy homeostasis2021Postdoc, CU Anschutz, Scott Cramer Lab

James Till

Mechanisms of Nitric Oxide-induced gentamicin tolerance in Salmonella

2020

Recently completed PhD

Cayla Jewett

Membrane trafficking pathways in cell polarization and lumen formation.

2020

Postdoc, Johns Hopkins University, Andrew Holland Lab

Kristin Dahl

mTOR regulation of oligodendrocyte cytoskeleton rearrangement during myelination

2020

Current Predoctoral Student

Emily Duncan

Rab GTPase-mediated ubiquitylation in cell migration and invasion.

2019

Scientist I, Birch Biosciences, LLC

Laura White

RNA repair and translational regulation

2019

Recently completed PhD

Katie Yergert

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying mRNA Localization to Myelin Sheaths

2019

Postdoctoral Fellow at Emory University

Patrick Cherry

RNA processing regulates the Unfolded Protein Response

2018

Scientist 1, Zymergen

Gabby Li

Intrinsic control of microtubule dynamics

2018

Postdoctoral Fellow National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)

Tessa Arends

The role of alternative splicing in B cells

2017

Postdoctoral Fellow, Fred Hutchinson Center

Erik Linklater

Regulation of cancer cell migration and invasion by Rab40b.

2017

Sr, Scientist, PPD

Cassi Estrem

Dynein regulation by its microtubule track and its influence on microtubule dynamics to properly position the mitotic spindle in budding yeast.

2017

Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Margaret Balas

Long noncoding RNAs in heterochromatin establishment and maintenance

2016

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Kelsey Hazegh

Determining the method and mechanism by which split ends and alan shepard contribute to fat regulation in Drosophila and whether it has a conserved role in mammalian cells.

2016

Research Associate, Vitalant Research Institute

Hannah Scarborough

Targeting lung cancers

2015

Medical Student, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine

Louis Cicchini

Innate Host Immune Recognition during Human Papillomavirus Infection

2015

Cell Separation and Immunology Specialist, STEMCELL Technologies

Ryan Sheridan

The Role of RNA Polymerase II Elongation Control in Transcription Dynamics

2015

Postdoctoral Fellow, RBI Informatics Fellow, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Julie Woodman

The role of phosphorylation in regulating the Scc2 cohesin deposition factor

2014

Assistant Professor, Colorado Christian University

Seth Welsh

The functions of Early B Cell Factor 1 (EBF1) in transcriptional repression and human leukemia

2014

Postdoctoral Fellow, DePt. of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Arizona

Alexandra Antonioli

Determining the roles of factor H-Related proteins in Complement Regulation

2014

Medical Student, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine

Becky Fusby

The role of human SPT6 in transcription regulation by RNA polymerase II

2013

Biosafety Scientist, NAMSA

Juliette Peterson

Gene-environment interactions influence on the risk for neural tube defect

2013

AAAS Science & Technology Fellow, Osd Health Readiness Policy & Oversight, U.S. Department of Defense

Michael Holliday

Allosteric Communication Networks and Enzymatic Regulation as Mediated by Conformational Dynamics in the Cyclophilin Family of Peptidyl-Prolyl Isomerases

2013

Postdoctoral Fellow, Genentech Inc.