MARIJO KENT-FIRST

Present Position

Assistant Professor Department of Biological Sciences, Florida A&M University

Chapter Affiliation

Florida A & M University

Background Information

CV
Biography

Statement

Sigma Xi is considered by most to be the premier global honor society fostering science and engineering research. Its mission is to promote the public’s understanding of science for the purpose of improving the human condition. Historically it has played a strong role in lobbying for science and STEM in the political scenario.  Because of the elite status of Sigma Xi and her members’, they are often invited to speak at venues that permit the dissemination of cutting edge research which allows the average person to separate fact from fiction!  I believe that becoming informed is so important in this time where we hear the term “Fake News” so frequently.  You can be sure that a Sigma Xi member will only speak the truth! Their integrity is absolute!
 
Although many of its members are quite progressed in their career pathways the organization plays a huge role in the advancement of individuals early in their research careers. This is particularly valuable for the early investigator and can provide a fantastic stepping stone in science and in one’s career trajectory. I believe that recruitment of these young investigators will add a whole new dimension to Sigma Xi!

Sigma Xi and Me:  I became a member of Sigma Xi in 1988 late in my doctoral training at the University of MN.  My graduate research focus was on the genetics of sex determination in a horse model:  The XY Sex Reversal Syndrome.  This proved to be quite a controversial thesis topic and inadvertently a well-known Arabian stallion was shown to be a carrier – the first in any mammalian species.  I was sued by the syndicate owning the stallion and this litigation continued throughout my graduate studies until we were finally granted summary judgement.  During this time the members of Sigma Xi served as mentors for me.  They were there to encourage me and frequently reminded me that excellence in science and research would prevail and integrity was everything.  I was very young at this time but learned lessons that would serve me well throughout my career in both academia and industry. 

Later during my first faculty appointment at West GA University, I received the Sigma Xi Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research (1992).  It came with a small grant which was tremendously helpful to me at this point in my career.  In fact, I used the funds to travels with two of my students to an international Cytogenetics Congress in Canada where we all presented our work.  Sigma Xi made this possible! Most importantly, in our current time, when funding for science and research is so difficult to compete for, Sigma Xi still offers a fabulous conduit for graduate students and faculty to apply for seed funding.

Although I continued active membership in Sigma Xi at UW Madison it wasn’t until I served on the faculty at Mississippi State University that I became President Elect and then President of the local Chapter of Sigma Xi (2009-2011).   Prior to this time the local chapter had become quite diminished in size but thanks to TEAM work with my fellow officers and active members, the chapter grew to be very successful.  I am particularly proud of the young membership that joined the chapter which included graduate students, undergraduates and even an exceptionally gifted high school student that was active in academic research. 

Currently I most excited to serve on the faculty Florida A&M University in Biology where I am in the midst of resurrecting an inactive chapter of Sigma Xi to serve academia in the Panhandle of North Florida and Southwest Georgia.  I am passionate about Sigma Xi and its mission to support, promote and disseminate cutting edge science from our illustrious members to the communities in which we live.  I believe that we live in a time when we cannot sit quietly and assume that new discoveries and their discoverers will receive the attention that they deserve. Rather it is up to the membership to promote excellence in science and research and serve, in effect, as a cheer leading squad for young researchers in academia and industry!  As Associate Director for the Research & Doctoral Universities Constituency, I look forward to working closely with the Director as a TEAM member in a supporting role to make Sigma Xi the best that it can be!