Undergraduates

• Apply Now for Summer 2016 Research and Internship Opportunities

Undergraduate students who are interested in participating in a summer research or internship program need to plan ahead. December is the time to gather together all the required elements of the applications, including faculty letters of recommendation. All of the exciting summer opportunities listed below have application deadlines in December or January! Don’t miss the opportunity to get research experience.

Department of Homeland Security HS-STEM Summer Internship Program
Deadline: December 16, 2015; http://www.orau.gov/dhseducation/internships/
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sponsors a 10-week summer internship program for students majoring in homeland security related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (HS-STEM) disciplines. Undergraduate students receive a $600/week stipend plus travel expenses for a 10-week research experience.

Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program (MLEF)
Deadline: December 21, 2015; http://orise.orau.gov/mlef/
The Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy. It is a 10-week summer internship program that provides opportunities to students who are pursuing degrees in STEM fields. The goal of the program is to improve opportunities for minority and female students in these fields, but all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. Selected undergraduates receive a weekly stipend of $600.

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
Deadline: January 8, 2016; http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at one of 17 participating Dept. of Energy laboratories.

Cold Spring Harbor Undergraduate Summer Research Program 2016
Deadline: January 15, 2016; http://www.cshl.edu/education/urp
The URP program is administered by the Watson School of Biological Sciences. It is designed to give students an opportunity to conduct first-rate research under the supervision of senior laboratory staff in the areas of cancer biology, neuroscience, plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, genetics and bioinformatics and genomics. Selected students receive room and board in addition to a $5,000 stipend.

DAAD RISE – Research Internships in Science and Engineering in Germany
Deadline: January 15, 2016; https://www.daad.de/rise/en/
DAAD RISE gives students in the fields of biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering and physics the chance to spend a summer working on research projects with doctoral students at German universities and research institutions. Interested students must first register online between December 1, 2015 and January 15, 2016. Students will then be able to access the internship offers submitted by the doctoral students in Germany prior to completing the application.

Summer ORISE Fellowship Opportunities at the CDC
Deadline: January 15, 2016; http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/dls/orise.html
Appointments through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowship Program. This is a paid research opportunity for biology and chemistry majors. Stipend of $2,700 per month for undergraduate students.

Summer Undergraduate Course Creating Excellence in Scientific Study (SUCCESS) – The Ohio State University, College of Medicine – Deadline: January 21, 2016
https://medicine.osu.edu/mstp/Pages/index.aspx
This 10-week research experience is hosted by the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). The program encourages applications from students whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to the field. Applicants must have an expected college graduation date in 2017 or 2018. $3,800 stipend and housing provided.

Library of Congress Junior Fellows Summer Intern Program
Deadline: January 22, 2016; http://www.loc.gov/hr/jrfellows/
This 10-week internship program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to explore the environment, culture and collections of the world’s largest and most comprehensive repository of human knowledge. Selected students are provided the opportunity to explore digital initiatives and inventory, catalog, arrange, preserve and research a backlog of special, legal or copyright collections in many different formats. $3,000 stipend.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention – Collegiate Leaders in Environmental Health Internship
Deadline: January 27, 2016; http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/cleh/overview.htm
This is a paid 10-week summer environmental internship for undergraduate students who are passionate about the environment and interested in human health. Interns will participate in a comprehensive program including environmental health project assignments as well as interaction with federal officials and scientists. Interns will be able to attend the many seminars offered by the CDC during the summer. Stipend of approximately $600 per week. Applicants must be rising juniors or rising seniors in Fall 2015. Seniors graduating in Spring 2016 will not be accepted to this program.

Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) – Columbia University
Deadline: January 31, 2016; http://ps.columbia.edu/education/student-life/office-diversity/programs/college-and-post-baccalaureate-students/summer-publ
The Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in public health and biomedical science careers. Applicants must have completed at least two years of college. Students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Selected students will be provided with a stipend, housing, and round trip travel.

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships
Deadline: January 31, 2016; http://thinkswiss.tumblr.com/About
ThinkSwiss scholarships support highly motivated undergraduates who are interested in doing research at a public Swiss university or research institute. The scholarship is open to students in all fields. A monthly stipend of approximately $1,100 is provided for a period of 2-3 months.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP)
Deadline: January 31, 2016; http://www.research.chop.edu/programs/crissp/index.php
The CHOP Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP) is committed to educating and training future leaders in the biomedical sciences, with a special emphasis on advancing laboratory, clinical, behavioral and translational pediatric research. Summer stipend of $4000.

• New funding opportunity: ISA Honors Awards for Undergraduate International Studies Research

This year, through the generous support of the International Studies Associations’ Headquarters and UConn’s Office of Global Affairs, a new research award program is being offered for undergraduate students: the ISA Honors Awards for Undergraduate International Studies Research.

This award program provides students with up to $1,000 in support to assist them in conducting social science projects that span across countries, regions, or the globe. Students must be members of the Honors Program in order to be eligible for the program. They need not be majoring in a social science discipline, but the proposed project must make use of the theories and methods of one or more social sciences. Award applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through March 31, 2016.

Full program details are available on the ISA Awards webpage and we encourage faculty and students to contact us with any questions they might have about the program.

ISA-Awards-Flyer

• Student Accomplishments – September 2015

accomplishments-heading

Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for their significant research and creative accomplishments this summer. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.

Students whose names are marked with an asterisk (*) below will be sharing their projects at the Fall Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, from 5-7pm in the Wilbur Cross South Reading Room. All are welcome to attend the event and learn more about these exciting research projects.

OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Mary Accurso ’18 (CLAS) completed an internship through the Summer Student Program at the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, CT. She worked in Dr. Jacques Banchereau’s immunology lab, analyzing RNA sequencing data to identify novel alternative splicing events in immune stimulated cells.

Virgilio Lopez in Costa Rica
Virgilio Lopez ’16 in the field in Costa Rica.

Virgilio Lopez III ’16* conducted his summer research in Costa Rica, studying the social interactions of hummingbirds. This research experience was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NSF-LSAMP) via the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at the Organization for Tropical Studies, which is based at Duke University.

Andrew Maxwell ’17 (CLAS) participated in the TECBio REU program at the University of Pittsburgh. There, he executed ensemble-based virtual screening of the human glycine receptor alpha-3 subtype in support of a broader effort to discover compounds that elicit THC-like analgesic responses. Andrew conducted this research under the supervision of Dr. Pei Tang.

John Ovian ’17* (CLAS) participated in the Amgen Scholars program at UCLA this summer, working under the supervision of Dr. Neil Garg in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He investigated the total synthesis of tubingensin B, an indole diterpenoid with potentially useful biological properties.

Meredith Rittman ’16 (ENG) participated in a research internship at the NASA Glenn Research Center this summer. Over the course of the 10 week internship, she completed and presented a project entitled, Determining Pharmaceutical Efficacy of Pharmaceuticals Exposed to Deep Space Radiation. Meredith’s summer research was mentored by Don Jaworske, PhD and Jerry Myers Jr., PhD.

Rebecca Stern ’16 (ENG) completed a summer internship at Pfizer Inc., where she performed quantum chemical calculations to model and predict the pKa value of drug-like molecules. The pKa value defines a molecule’s degree of dissociation in solution and is vitally important in formulation design, candidate selection, and drug delivery.

Ronald Tardiff ’16 (CLAS) was named a 2015 Oregon Sea Grant Summer Scholar. This award provided Ron with funding to travel to and work at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, where he served as an Ecosystem Services Intern at the US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Western Ecology Division, Pacific Ecology Branch, Newport Lab. Learn more about his project, Framework to Conduct Ecological Estimate Transfers: A Case Study of Seagrass Blue Carbon.

Ornella Tempo ’16 (ENG) completed an NSF-funded REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program at Mississippi State, where she studied how stimuli-responsive polymers such as Poly (N-Isopropylacrylamide)-Co-Methacrylic acid respond to temperature and pH changes. She conducted this research in the PolySEL lab of Professor Keisha Walters in collaboration with Professor Santanu Kundu.

Nico Wright ’18* (ENG) participated in the Applied Physics REU program at the University of South Florida. His project, Growth of ZnO Nanocolumns on Silica Nanospheres Using Glancing Angle Pulsed Laser Deposition, was supervised by Professor Sarath Witanachchi.


PUBLICATIONS

Prakhar Bansal ’16 (CLAS) was a co-author on a recent publication from the May Lab:

Boyd, K.B., Bansal, P., Feng, J., & May, E.R. (2015). Stability of Norwalk virus capsid protein interfaces evaluated by in silico nanoindentation. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 3:103. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2015.00103

Emma LaVigne ’15 (CAHNR) was a co-author on an article based in part on data collected through her SURF award project in the Reed Lab. Additional undergraduate authors on the project are Delaney Patterson ’15 (CAHNR) and Allison Schauer ’15 (CAHNR).

Reed, S.A., LaVigne, E.K., Jones, A.K., Patterson, D.F. & Schauer, A.L. (2015). The aging horse: Effects of inflammation on muscle satellite cells. J. Anim. Sci. 2015.93:862–870. doi:10.2527/jas.2014-8448

These three Animal Science students were also co-authors on a newly-accepted publication in the Journal of Animal Science:

LaVigne, E.K., Jones, A.K., Sanchez Londoño, A., Schauer, A.L., Patterson, D.F., Nadeau, J.A., & Reed, S.A. (2015). Muscle growth in young horses: effects of age, cytokines, and growth factors. J. Anim. Sci. In press.


ON-CAMPUS RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

UConn IDEA Grant recipient Stephen Hawes ’17* (ENG) has been working on his project to develop a 3-D printed prosthetic, the ATLAS Arm, for mid-forearm amputees. You can follow Stephen’s progress on his YouTube channel or watch the latest installment below.

Theodore Sauyet ’17 (CLAS) conducted research in the Jain Lab, Department of Physics, into materials exhibiting multiferroic and magnetocaloric effects. His summer research included sample preparation (solution route for creating thin films), characterization techniques, electric and magnetic measurements (as they apply to hysteresis loops and the magnetocaloric effect), and data analysis.


EXHIBITIONS

Alana Valdez ’16* (SFA) exhibited her installation, So Easy a Woman Could Do It, in the Bishop Center from September 8-11, 2015. Alana’s artwork, which “overwhelms the viewer and provides an antithetical perspective on the dichotomy of femininity and strength,” was supported in part by an OUR Supply Award.
Alana Valdez exhibition posterValdez installation


PRESENTATIONS

2015 Joint Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science and American Dairy Science Association – July 12-16, 2015 – Orlando, FL

Emma LaVigne presenting research
Emma LaVigne presents her poster at the ASAS-ASDA Joint Annual Meeting.

Emma LaVigne ’15 (CAHNR)
Interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, insulin-like growth factor-1 and fibroblast growth factor-2 alter proliferation and differentiation of equine satellite cells
Emma received a third place award in the undergraduate poster competition.

Abstract: LaVigne, E.K., Sanchez Londoño,A. & Reed, S.A. (2015). Interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, insulin-like growth factor-1 and fibroblast growth factor-2 alter proliferation and differentiation of equine satellite cells. J. Anim. Sci. 93(E-Suppl. 2):336.

Ellen Valley ’15 (CAHNR)
Effects of plant-derived compounds on Staphylococcus aureus infection of primary bovine mammary epithelial cells

Abstract: Valley, E.V., Jaganathan, D., Venkitanarayanan, K., Kazmer, G.W., Kuo, L., Wang, Y.B., & Govoni, K.E. (2015). Effects of plant-derived compounds on Staphylococcus aureus infection of primary bovine mammary epithelial cells. J. Anim. Sci. 93(Suppl. 3):335.

Katelyn McFadden ’15 (CAHNR)
Effects of poor maternal nutrition during gestation on protein expression in the liver of lambs
Katelyn’s presentation was selected as a Presidential Pick Poster and received the second place award in the undergraduate poster competition.

Abstract: McFadden, K.K., Peck, K.N., Reed, S.A., Zinn, S.A., & Govoni, K.E. (2015). Effects of poor maternal nutrition during gestation on protein expression in the liver of lambs. J. Anim. Sci. 93(Suppl. 3):336-337.

Katelyn was also a co-author on three additional abstracts:

1. Jones, A.K., Gately, R.E., McFadden, K.K., Zinn, S.A., Govoni, K.E., & Reed, S.A. (2015). Identification of early pregnancy and fetal landmarks via transabdominal ultrasound in sheep. J. Anim. Sci. 93(Suppl. 3):292.

2. Pillai, S.M., Raja, J.S., Hoffman, M.L., Jones, A.K., McFadden, K.K., Reed, S.A., Zin, S.A., & Govoni, K.E. (2015). Effects of under- and over-feeding during gestation on organ development of offspring at days 45 and 90 of gestation. J. Anim. Sci. 93(Suppl. 3): 293.

3. Raja, J.S., Pillai, S.M., Raja, J.S., Jones, A.K., Hoffman, M.L., McFadden, K.K., Zinn, S.A., Govoni, K.E., & Reed, S.A. (2015). Poor maternal nutrition decreases longissimus dorsi cross-sectional area of fetal offspring at d 45 of gestation. J. Anim. Sci. 93(Suppl. 3): 694.

23rd Annual Ronald E. McNair Scholars Symposium – July 30-August 2, 2015 – Berkeley, CA

McNair Scholars group photo at UC Berkeley
McNair Scholars at UC Berkeley.
Nicholas Arisco ’16* (CLAS)
Impacts of urbanization on the storm drain ecosystem: A comparison of micro and macro scale variants

Nelson Del Pilar ’16* (CLAS)
Dietary influences on Apolipoprotein C-III expression

Shaynian Gilling ’17 (CLAS)
Dura Biotech LowPro Valve

Crystal Green ’16 (CLAS)
A new method studying the dynamics of joint attention in a joint-action task using games

Hebo Ismail ’16 (CLAS)
Visualizing bacterial gene expression in the female reproductive system of the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes

Zania Johnson ’16 (CLAS)
Auditory stability indices: Comparisons across stimuli and recording systems

Emmanuel Marte ’16 (CAHNR, CLAS)
Determining the location of ApoC-III in the intestinal enterocyte

Jonathan Schmieding presents his research at Convocation
Jonathan Schmieding presents his research at the Music Department’s Convocation.
University of Connecticut Music Department Convocation – September 18, 2015

Jonathan Schmieding ’16* (SFA)
Undergraduate research in music
The music editing process: The preparation of a scholarly edition of Dane Rhudyar’s late piano work, “Autumn”


• Student Accomplishments – May 2015

accomplishments-heading

Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for their significant research and creative accomplishments this spring. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.

AWARDS

Tyler Cappello ’16 (CLAS) received a Founders Affiliate Undergraduate Student Summer Fellowship Award from the American Heart Association. He will be working in the Wang Lab this summer, under the supervision of Professor Li Wang, on a project entitled “Circadian clock control of lipoprotein metabolism.” Congratulations, Tyler!

Congratulations to the two UConn undergraduate awardees in the 2015 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program: Steven Burger ’15 (CLAS) and Yingzhi Wu ’15 (ENG). Steven, a 2013 SURF Award recipient and 2014-15 Life Sciences Honors Thesis Award recipient, will attend the PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Harvard University. Yingzhi, a 2014-15 OUR Supply Award recipient, will pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering here at UConn.

We also congratulate three undergraduates who earned honorable mentions in the NSF GRFP competition: Robert Stickels ’15 (CLAS), a 2012 SURF Award recipient and 2014-15 LSHTA recipient, beginning the PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Harvard; Elizabeth Tripp ’15 (CLAS), a 2014 SURF Award recipient, beginning the Mathematics PhD program at Dartmouth; and Daniel Violette ’14 (ENG, CLAS), a 2014 University Scholar. Students interested in applying for the NSF GRFP should contact Dr. Rowena Grainger, STEM Fellowship Advisor in the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships, for information and expert guidance.


PUBLICATIONS

Elizabeth Flatley ’13 (PHR) was the first author on a publication resulting from her Honors thesis project:

Flatley, E.A., Wilde, A.M., & Nailor, M.D. (2015). Saccharomyces boulardii for the Prevention of Hospital Onset Clostridium difficile Infection. Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, 24(1), 21-24.


EXHIBITIONS

Spring 2015 included a series of incredible art exhibitions by the following artists:


Julianne Norton ’15 (CLAS) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Red Heifer

Feifei Luo ’15 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Makyo

Kaitrin Acuna ’15 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Pollataggle


PRESENTATIONS

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Annual Meeting – March 31-April 3, 2015 – Boston, MA

Dylan Allen ’15 (ENGR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Hamza Aslam ’15 (ENGR)
Alexandra Hain ’15 (ENGR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
University of Connecticut Seismic Building Design

Lia Goncalves ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
An Anthropological Study on Motivating Societies to Preemptively Implement Seismic Protective Systems

Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association Annual Conference – April 1-4, 2015 – New Orleans, LA

Tara Pealer ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient, sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
The Love Triangle: How Twilight, The Hunger Games and Divergent Defy and Affirm the Power of Romance and Sex When Defining Female Characters

Eastern Nursing Research Society Annual Scientific Sessions – April 15-17, 2015 – Washington, DC

Corrinne Kuzoian ’15 (NURS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Certified Nurse Midwives’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Prescribing Practices of Evidence-based Recommendations for Omega-3 Intake in the Obstetric Population

National Conference on Undergraduate Research – April 16-18, 2015 – Cheney, WA

Rashmi Pashankar ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Modifying BSA to Attach to Silica

Northeast Writing Centers Association Conference – April 18-19, 2015 – Hackettstown, NJ

Alexandria Bottelsen ’16 (ED, CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient, sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
Luke LaRosa Dec ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient, sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
After the Branding: Student Created Perceptions of the University Writing Center

Sarah Carew ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient, sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
Brandon Marquis ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient, sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
Chantel Martin ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient, sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
Jessica Zaccagnini ‘16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient, sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
The Androgynous Center: Tutoring Across the Masculine/Feminine Spectrum

Jennifer Selensky '15 (CLAS) presents her research at the Scientific Sessions of the Society for Behavioral Medicine.
Jennifer Selensky ’15 (CLAS) presents her research at the Scientific Sessions of the Society for Behavioral Medicine.

36th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society for Behavioral Medicine – April 22-25, 2015 – San Antonio, TX

Jennifer Selensky ’15 (CLAS) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Self-Esteem, Motivation, and Healthy Lifestyles in College Students

Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting – April 25-28, 2015 – San Diego, CA

Yue Lin ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Assessing Childhood Obesity Risk Through Parental Diet and Location of Residence

Christopher Mashiak ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Predictability of an ED-Screening Tool for Future Exposure to Violence

Bryan Swenson ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Initial Effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on Pediatric Emergency Departments

169th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America – May 18-22, 2015 – Pittsburgh, PA

Emily Thompson ’15 (CLAS)
5aSC10: Effects of reading ability on lexically-informed perceptual learning

Emily Thompson '15 (CLAS) presents her research at the ASA Conference in May 2015.
Emily Thompson ’15 (CLAS) presents her research at the ASA Conference in May 2015.

27th Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture – May 27-29, 2015 – Cooperstown, NY

Daniel Gutch ’16 (BUS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Sam Marshall ’16 (BUS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
MLB’s Next Expansion: A Case Problem for Three University Students

Society for Disability Studies Annual Conference – June 10-13, 2015 – Atlanta, GA

Victoria Sylvestre ’17 (NUR) – OUR Travel Award recipient, sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
Type 1 Diabetes: The Liminal Space Between Ability and Disability


• Congratulations, Summer 2015 SURF Award recipients!

husky-statueThe Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the selection of 35 undergraduate students to receive SURF Awards in support of their summer undergraduate research projects. The faculty review committee was impressed by the very high caliber of the 107 applications submitted this year.

Click here to view the full list of Summer 2015 SURF award recipients.

Congratulations to the SURF awardees! Your academic achievements, curiosity, initiative, and motivation were evident in your applications. You have a challenging summer of deep engagement with the process of research ahead of you. We look forward to hearing about all you learn!

We thank the faculty members who supported SURF applicants in a range of roles: mentors, letter writers, and faculty review committee members! SURF represents a collaborative effort between students and faculty. This program would simply not be possible without the support and participation of the UConn faculty!

OUR also extends thanks to SURF supporters in the UConn community. We are grateful to the Provost’s Office and to the Deans of the Schools and Colleges of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources; Education; Engineering; Fine Arts; Nursing; and Pharmacy, who all contributed funding to the SURF competition this year. Alumni, parents, and friends of UConn also helped fund SURF awards. This collaborative funding effort ensures that SURF supports a diverse array of undergraduate research endeavors. We are grateful to all of our program partners for making intensive summer research opportunities available to students seeking to enrich their undergraduate experience in this way.

Once again, congratulations to those students offered 2015 SURF awards, and good luck with your summer projects!

• Student Accomplishments – March 2015

accomplishments-heading

Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for the significant research and creative accomplishments they have earned to date this spring. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.


AWARDS

ASHA logoEmily Thompson ’15 (CLAS) is the recipient of a 2014-15 ASHA Students Preparing for Academic-Research Careers (SPARC) Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). This is a mentored award to support students who are pursuing careers in academia that integrate research and clinical practice. Emily’s Honors thesis research component will examine the effects of reading ability on perceptual learning in adults, and her teaching component will be to assist her advisor, Dr. Rachel Theodore, in preparing fMRI and EEG tutorials for a new interdisciplinary Honors core course on communication disorders. This SPARC mentorship experience will provide Emily with an opportunity to foster her teaching and research skills under the direction of Dr. Theodore. Emily is currently conducting her Honors thesis research in the UConn SLaP Lab, which examines perceptual learning in adults with dyslexia.

Margaret Rowland ’15 (CLAS) was selected by Active Minds as an Emerging Scholars Fellow. This fellowship program supports behavioral health research by undergraduate researchers. Margaret’s project examines how mental health professionals tackle ethical dilemmas in patient care, with a particular focus on decisions related to pharmacotherapy. This project lies at the intersection of her interests in neuroscience (pharmacology research) and bioethics.

Both Emily and Margaret will be presenting their research at the upcoming Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition; we hope to see you there on April 10th and 11th.


PUBLICATIONS

UConn IDEA Grant recipient Ari Fischer ’15 (ENG) is the first author on a manuscript related to his grant project:

Fischer, A., Du, S., Valla, J.A., & Bollas, G.M. (2015). The effect of temperature, heating rate, and ZSM-5 catalyst on the product selectivity of the fast pyrolysis of Spent Coffee Grounds. RSC Advances, DOI: 10.1039/C5RA00212E.

Undergraduate students Sai Nagella, Andrea Lugo, and Scott Pierce are co-authors on the following publication from the Angeles-Boza research group in Chemistry:

Daben, M., Libardo, J., Nagella, S., Lugo, A., Pierce, S., & Angeles-Boza, A.M. (2015). Copper-binding tripeptide motif increases potency of the antimicrobial peptide Anoplin via Reactive Oxygen Species generation. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 456(1), 446-451.

Garrett Fontaine ’16 (CAHNR) is a co-author on the following journal article:

Pryor, R.R., Casa, D.J., Vandermark, L.W., Attanasio, S.M., Fontaine, G.J., & Wafer, A.M. (2015). Athletic training services in public secondary schools: A benchmark study. Journal of Athletic Training, 50(2).

IDEA Grant recipient and Holster Scholar Sarah Mosure ’17 (CLAS) is a co-author on the following publication:

Deady, L.D, Shen, W., Mosure, S.A., Spradling, A.C. & Sun, J. (2015). Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Is Required for Ovulation and Corpus Luteum Formation in Drosophila. PLOS Genetics, 11(2):e1004989. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1004989


EXHIBITIONS

After a series of weather delays, February 2015 kicked off a series of incredible art exhibitions in the VAIS Gallery by the following artists:

Ashley Frato ’15 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
it’s a dream: Memories of the Cuban Revolution

Marissa Stanton ’15 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Serragli (Menagerie)


PRESENTATIONS

Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association Meeting & Clinical Symposium – January 9-12, 2015 – Philadelphia, PA

Nicole Taranto ’15 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Influence of Sport Specialization on Landing Technique in Youth Soccer Athletes

Kiersten Kronschnabel '15 (CLAS) presents her research at the St. Jude/PIDS conference in Memphis, TN.
Kiersten Kronschnabel ’15 (CLAS) presents her research at the St. Jude/PIDS conference in Memphis, TN.
Joint Mathematics Meetings – January 10-13, 2015 – San Antonio, TX

Shaun Benvie ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Partial Metric Spaces: Representation and Classification

Amanda Groccia ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Stochastic Differential Equations

International Stroke Conference – February 11-13, 2015 – Nashville, TN

Kristopher Masilamani ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Strokes in HHT

St. Jude/PIDS Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Conference – February 20-21, 2015 – Memphis, TN

Kiersten Kronschnabel ’15 (CLAS) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
POWER: Providing Optimal Strategies for Patient Retention While Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Care

American Choral Directors Association National Conference – February 25-28, 2015 – Salt Lake City, UT

Nathan Fletcher ’15 (SFA) – OUR Travel Award recipient
O Gracious Light

American Medical Student Association Annual Convention – February 27-28, 2015 – Washington, DC

Saher Kazi '16 (CLAS) presents at the American Medical Student Association Annual Convention in Washington, DC.
Saher Kazi ’16 (CLAS) presents at the American Medical Student Association Annual Convention in Washington, DC.
Saher Kazi ’15 (CLAS) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Depression, Anxiety, and Alcohol Abuse Among Connecticut Migrant Farm Workers
Awarded the 2015 People’s Choice Award

56th Annual Drosophila Research Conference – March 4-8, 2015 – Chicago, IL

Sarah Mosure ’17 (CLAS) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
The Role of Drosophila Adipocyte Secretions in Female Fertility

Eastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting – March 5-7, 2015 – Philadelphia, PA

Lauren Masayda ’17 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Human Conditioned Place Preferences using a Secondary Reinforcer

Kimberly Valerio ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Language Development and EEG Mu Rhythm in Early Childhood

AIChE Northeast Regional Student Conference – March 7-8, 2015 – Cambridge, MA

Ornella Tempo ’16 (ENG)
In Vitro Evaluation of Calcium Peroxide Release from Composite Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Microsphere Scaffolds

United States Institute for Theatre Technology 55th Annual Conference & Stage Expo – March 18-21, 2015 – Cincinnati, OH

Lindsay Duval ’15 (SFA) – OUR Travel Award recipient
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Scenic Design

Academic and Health Policy Conference on Correctional Health – March 19-20, 2015 – Boston, MA

Alyssa Zabin ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Social Challenges for Correctional Nurses Delivering Healthcare

Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting – March 19-21, 2015 – Philadelphia, PA

Kelly Romano ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Cultural Identity, and Perceived Peer and Parent Outgroup Norms in Relation to Engagement in Cross­group Friendships
The Power of Home: Guardianship Effects for Adolescents in School­-based Substance Use Recovery
Patterns in Impulsivity and Emotion Regulation: A Comparison of Substance Use Recovery Students


From Spring 2014:
Power and Energy Conference at Illinois (PECI) – February 28-March 1, 2014 – Champaign, IL

Manal Tahhan ’15 (ENG)
A Uniform Temperature Test Rig for Thermoelectric Generator Characterization and Testing (paper presentation)


• Launch of the Mentorship Excellence Awards

Chemical engineering student Derek Chhiv '14, right, discusses with Professor Anson Ma his group’s prototype for an artificial kidney.
Chemical engineering student Derek Chhiv ’14, right, discusses with Professor Anson Ma his group’s prototype for an artificial kidney.

In recognition of the critically important role that mentors play in supporting undergraduate research and creative activity, the Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to introduce a new annual award program for outstanding mentorship. This program was developed in collaboration with the OUR Peer Research Ambassadors, undergraduates engaged in research and creative scholarship across the disciplines who help promote undergraduate inquiry at the university.

The Mentorship Excellence Awards will be presented each year to one faculty recipient and one graduate student recipient. A committee of undergraduate students will select the award recipients, who will be formally presented with their awards in April during the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition.

Students are encouraged to nominate their outstanding mentors before the close of the nomination period on Wednesday, March 11, 2015. Learn more and access the nomination forms on the Mentorship Excellence Awards webpage.

• Apply Now for Summer Research Opportunities

Interested in spending the summer engaged in an exciting research project? There is still time to apply for summer research opportunities in a variety of areas. The programs and opportunities listed below are still accepting applications.

State University of New York Upstate Medical University – Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program
Deadline: February 16, 2015
http://www.upstate.edu/grad/programs/summer.php
This 10-week summer research program is for students majoring in chemistry, biology, or a related field. Applicants should be between their junior and senior years (in Summer 2015) and have a strong interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical research. $3,000 stipend and housing provided.

American Heart Assocation, Founders Affiliate Undergraduate Student Summer Fellowship Program
Deadline: February 19, 2015
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Affiliate/Founders-Affiliate-Local-Research-Opportunities_UCM_315885_Article.jsp
This program encourages students to pursue careers in cardiovascular research. Projects related to cardiovascular biology and stroke will be considered. $5,000 fellowship. Student is expected to identify a sponsor with a research laboratory within the Founders Affiliate.

Maryland Sea Grant REU Program
Deadline: February 20, 2015
http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/research-experiences-undergraduates/research-experiences-undergraduates
Fifteen students are selected to conduct marine research on the Chesapeake Bay at one of two University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences laboratories. The program is designed for students majoring in marine science, ecology, environmental science, biology, and chemistry. $6,000 stipend and housing provided.

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office – Summer Internships
Deadline: February 20, 2015
http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/student-opportunities/chesapeake-bay-internships
Paid undergraduate internships available for Summer 2015. Descriptions of available internships can be found at the above link.

Research Fellowships in Oceanography at University of Rhode Island
Deadline: February 21, 2015
http://surfo.gso.uri.edu/~surfo/index.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography program is a 10-week research experience designed for science, math, and engineering students who will be seniors in Fall 2015. Stipend of approximately $5,500.

Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program (MCOP) Undergraduate Summer Research Internship, Virginia Tech
Deadline: February 27, 2015

http://www.maop.vt.edu/Undergraduate_programs/summer_research.html
Wide variety of academic disciplines; $3,000 stipend, free on-campus room and board.

Summer Premedical Academic Enrichment Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Deadline: February 27, 2015

http://www.medschool.pitt.edu/spaep/application/
Summer research program that pairs rising juniors and seniors with biomedical researchers in a variety of areas. $1,000 stipend, room and board included, and travel assistance provided.

Marine Physical Laboratory Internships at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Deadline: February 27, 2015

http://www.mpl.ucsd.edu/news/mpl.internships.html
10-week summer research internship in marine science and technology; $14/hour compensation.

Center for Security Printing & Anti-Counterfeiting Technology (SPACT) NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates
Deadline: February 27, 2015
http://spact-center.org/reu/
This 10-week, NSF sponsored, REU program provides students with the opportunity to conduct research on security printing and anti-counterfeiting technology. Research opportunities in Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Chemistry, Electrical/Computer Engineering, and Computer Science. $5,000 stipend and housing provided.

National Institutes of Health – Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research
Deadline: March 1, 2015
https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/sip
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) internship program provides students with an opportunity to work side-by-side with scientists in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. This is a highly competitive program.

Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Sciences REU Program: Gulf of Maine and the World Ocean
Deadline: March 1, 2015
http://www.bigelow.org/education/reu/
This highly competitive, 10-week REU program pairs students with scientist mentors for a hands-on, independent research experience. Housing and $5,000 stipend provided.

Center for Visual Science – Summer Research Fellowship Program, University of Rochester
Deadline: March 1, 2015
http://www.cvs.rochester.edu/training/undergraduate/fellowships/index.html
Students who are juniors (during 2014-15) with an interest in neuroscience, cognitive science, and biomedical science are encouraged to apply for this summer of supervised laboratory training. $3,600 stipend and on-campus housing provided.

Ecology and Evolution in Changing Environments: Mechanisms to Responses – Kansas State University Biology REU Program
Deadline: March 1, 2015
http://www.k-state.edu/reu/REU/index.html
This 10-week program provides undergraduates interested in biological sciences with research experience and professional development under the mentorship of a faculty mentor. $5,000 stipend and housing provided.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Deadline: March 1, 2015

http://www.gradbiomed.pitt.edu/node/268
10-week research experience, with research mentors from Cell Biology, Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Immunology, Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology, Molecular Genetics and Developmental Biology, Molecular Pharmacology, and Molecular Virology and Microbiology. Stipend of $3,500; additional funding for housing and travel may also be available.

Nanotechnology for Health, Energy and the Environment – University of Stony Brook
Deadline: March 13, 2015
http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/reu/index.html
The summer research experience is for talented undergraduates who are interested in the nanotechnology field. $4,000 stipend, free housing and a meal plan.

Unite for Sight’s Global Impact Corps
Deadline: Rolling, for short term and long term trips throughout the year

http://www.uniteforsight.org/volunteer-abroad
This volunteer abroad opportunity offers a global health experience for students interested in public health, international development, medicine, or social entrepreneurship. Global Impact Fellows may elect to participate in the Global Impact Lab research program. Current projects include research studies about medication management, the use of visual resources for patient education, traditional medicine practices, and patient barriers to eye care.

• Explore Summer Research Opportunities and Apply Now!

Still thinking about your summer plans? Check out these exciting Summer Research opportunities with February application deadlines. Apply now and remember to keep your options open in order to find the best experience for you!

REU Program in Solar and Space Physics – University of Colorado Boulder
Deadline: February 4, 2015
http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/education/reu/
Students work under the direction of scientists from one of a number of participating institutions including Colorado’s Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics and the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s High Altitude Observatory. 8-week program; $500/week stipend and housing provided.

Hartford Hospital Summer Student Pre-Med & Research Program
Deadline: February 4, 2015
http://www.harthosp.org/ResidenciesFellowships/SummerStudentResearchProgram/default.aspx
This 10-week program offers pre-med students an introduction to research methodology, patient treatment, and ethical issues in medicine. $1,800 award for selected students.

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies – Summer REU Program
Deadline: February 5, 2015
http://www.caryinstitute.org/students/reu-program
Cary Institute’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program provides the opportunity for 8-12 students each summer to conduct ecology research at a world-class institute. Selected students receive a $6,000 stipend, a $600 food allowance and housing in an Institute dormitory.

University of Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences – Summer Undergraduate Research Experience
Deadline: February 6, 2015
http://medicine.buffalo.edu/education/undergraduate/sure.html
The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences offers a summer undergraduate research program for undergraduate students in their junior year (at the time of application). Offers extended to only 10 students; $3,500 stipend and housing provided.

Biomedical Engineering Summer Internship Program (BESIP)
Deadline: February 9, 2015
http://www.nibib.nih.gov/training-careers/undergraduate-graduate/biomedical-engineering-summer-internship-program-besip
This internship will allow rising senior bioengineering students to participate in cutting edge biomedical research projects under the mentorship of world-class scientists in NIH laboratories in Bethesda, MD. Stipend of approximately $6,600 for 10 weeks.

American Psychological Association – Summer Science Fellowship Program at George Mason University
Deadline: February 9, 2015
http://www.apa.org/science/resources/ssf/index.aspx
This program gives rising seniors an opportunity to explore the intellectual process of scientific inquiry and to experience cutting-edge psychological research through hands-on laboratory activities. Applicants should be psychology majors; students with related majors may apply if they intend to enter a psychological science graduate program. Summer salary and living expenses provided.

Summer Internships in Science and Technology (SIST) – Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab)
Deadline: February 9, 2015
http://sist.fnal.gov/index.php
Fermilab’s SIST program offers 12-week summer internships in science and technology. Internships available in physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science offer a chance for students to work with Fermilab scientists or engineers on a project within the context of laboratory research. The internship includes a weekly stipend and local housing subsidy.

American Bar Association – Summer Research Diversity Fellowships in Law and Social Science
Deadline: February 15, 2015
http://www.americanbarfoundation.org/fellowships/Call_for_Summer_Research_Diversity_Fellows.html
The summer program is designed to introduce students from diverse backgrounds to the benefits of a research-oriented career in the field of law and social science. Open to students who will have completed at least two years of undergraduate study by the time the fellowship begins. Selected students will receive a stipend of $3,600.

Building Diversity in Biomedical Sciences – Summer Research Program at Tufts University School of Medicine
Deadline: February 15, 2015
https://sackler.tufts.edu/academics/BDBS
The Building Diversity in Biomedical Sciences (BDBS) Program offers a ten week, mentored research experience for students interested in pursuing a PhD or MD/PhD. Participants in the program receive training in written and oral communication of scientific data and learn about careers in biomedical science. Stipend of $4,000 and on-campus housing provided.

Northwestern University – Materials Research Science & Engineering REU
Deadline: February 15, 2015
http://www.mrsec.northwestern.edu/content/educational_programs/reu.htm
REU students will have the opportunity to contribute to a research project led by a center faculty member. Students with an interest in nanomaterials and majoring in a science or engineering field are encouraged to apply. $4,500 stipend.