Like every student in America, Alvaro Moreno Lozano, a biological systems engineering major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was sidelined in his studies in mid-March when the coronavirus pandemic began shutting down colleges and universities across the nation.
As the situation worsened, the INBRE Scholar and Spanish national was forced to return to his home country where he has been continuing his studies online over the summer.
"I was living in an off-campus apartment with my brother, taking 15 credits and working in both the sociology and math departments when everything came to a halt and we decided to return to Spain," Lozano said. "As the situation worsened we decided to stay through the summer but hope to return to UNL this fall."
Lozano said he has spent most of the summer working online with lab members of Rebecca Wachs, PhD, an assistant professor in the biological systems engineering department at UNL. Lozana joined Dr. Wachs’ lab this summer as a first-year INBRE Scholar.
"My graduate student mentor has helped me a lot during this time and has provided me information, papers, presentations so I am ready for school in the fall," he said.
Lozano said it has been difficult adapting to online learning and continuing his research work, mostly due to the seven-hour time difference between his home in Madrid and Lincoln.
Lozano, who will be a senior at UNL this fall, came to Nebraska on a tennis scholarship three years ago to play for the University of Nebraska-Kearney tennis team before transferring to UNL his sophomore year.
It was then that he became interested in biomedical research.
He found out about the INBRE program through an email his professor sent to a group of students, explaining what the program is and how to apply to it.
"I decided I wanted to start doing research, to see what it looks like, what kind of job and abilities are needed and of course if I like it and if I am good at it," Lozano said.
He said he feels fortunate to have been accepted into the program.
"The pandemic has affected all of us in so many different ways," Lozano said. "Here in Spain we spent almost two months locked down in our homes and that was really tough but I have to say that my family and friends have stayed safe and healthy and that is more than enough."
Lozano already has his plane ticket to return to the US on Aug. 23 and is awaiting news from the international student scholar office at UNL to find out what he will need to do once he returns to campus.
"I don’t know if I need to get tested for COVID-19 or quarantine once I get to Lincoln but I will definitely be excited to be back on campus," he said.