SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos & Native Americans in Science) recently held their 2014 National Conference in Los Angeles, California. At the conference, the judges recognized UI Mathematics graduate student Roberto Soto's work, entitled "Universal Deformation Rings and Semidihedral Groups,” as a standout among the student presentations. The SACNAS judges selected Roberto Soto to receive one of the 2014 SACNAS Student Presentation Awards.

Over 1,000 posters and 95 oral presentations were delivered at the 2014 conference.

As stated in the award letter from the SACNAS Presentation Committee, "Roberto Soto's communication skills and command of the research topic are exemplary. With this letter, we recognize the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice that are necessary for a student to standout from their fellow presenters."

About SACNAS

SACNAS was founded over 40 years ago by career academics and research scientists committed to unifying their voice and offering guidance to Hispanics/Chicanos & Native Americans in the STEM fields. Today, the National Conference is a gathering of nearly 4,000 students and professionals. Taking place over three days, the conference showcases both undergraduate and graduate student presentations, and offers scientific symposia, keynote addresses, professional development sessions, and a grand exhibit hall in which students can interact with over 600 program representatives from colleges and universities across the nation.