Javier Lopez

Javier Lopez flew across North America to work on the tundra of northern Alaska with teacher Donald Rogers. They were part of a long-term study measuring the interactions among atmospheric warming, the depth of unfrozen soils above the permanently frozen soils, and the amount of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere from microbes in the soil.

Having never before seen snow, Javier's trip to the Arctic in August 1998 to perform research was truly an extreme experience. A tremendous amount of energy is required for Dr. Nelson's project to walk across the tundra collecting data along established transects to study the interaction between climate change, atmospheric gases, and the tundra. While hiking across the tundra, Javier also collected samples for an independent project that he will complete at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Florida. Javier has been studying a glycoprotein involved in cellular reproduction with researchers in an oncology laboratory at USF. Previously, he studied cell proliferation in frog eggs, but now Javier will look for this glycoprotein in one species of Alaskan lichen at two life stages – one proliferative and one dormant. As a student at River Ridge High School, Javier has won numerous awards in state math competitions. This year he won 1st place at his school's science fair for his project on the rate of enzyme activity, and he was invited to attend the State Science Fair. Javier is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, a national math club. In addition to his interest in math and science, Javier is an outstanding classical pianist, a member of the tennis team and an avid rollerblader. After graduating from high school in spring of 1999, Javier looks forward to attending college out of state, and to other opportunities to experience different parts of the country.