Rafael Ramos of Garden Grove, third from left in the picture, took home top honors in Concordia University’s 12th annual Academic Showcase. A 2011 graduate of Rancho Alamitos High School, Ramos collaborated with Fullerton resident Grace Chong, fourth from left, among several other winners, channeling a shared interest in chemistry, biology and medicine into their winning research project, “Cutting DNA to fight Cancer.” The project was an impressive undertaking, especially for undergraduate students: Ramos designed his own molecules and tested them using instruments he help build and calibrate. Having recently graduated from Concordia with a double major in chemistry and biology, Ramos says the cash prize he won in the showcase will help support his graduate studies goals.
