Undergraduates

• 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.

• Student Accomplishments – Fall 2014

accomplishments-heading

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

AWARDS

The first panel image from Julianne Norton's graphic novel.
The first panel image from Julianne Norton’s graphic novel.

Julianne Norton ’15 (CLAS) is a winner of the prestigious Mitchell Scholarship, which will support her pursuit of a graduate degree in creative writing in Ireland. There, she will continue work on a graphic novel begun with the support of the UConn IDEA Grant. The novel builds on topics and themes Julianne has explored in prior projects and will include a cross-cultural comparison of post-memory of the Holocaust and the Irish Famine. Learn more about Julianne and the Mitchell Scholarship by reading the story about her achievement in UConn Today; see more of her work on her portfolio website or Instagram feed.


PUBLICATIONS

Robert Stickels ’15 (CLAS) is the first author on the following article:

Stickels, R., Clark, K., Heider, T.N., Mattiske, D.M., Renfree, M.B. & Pask, A.J. (2014). DAX1/NR0B1 Was Expressed During Mammalian Gonadal Development and Gametogenesis Before It was Recruited to the Eutherian X-Chromosome. Biology of Reproduction; published ahead of print November 13, 2014.

Haley Garbus ’15 (CLAS) is a co-author on two journal articles:

Alexander, M.L., Smith, A., Rosenkrantz, T., Garbus, H., & Fitch, R.H. (2014). Behavioral and histological outcomes following neonatal HI injury in a preterm (P3) and term (P7) rodent model. Behavioral Brain Research, 259, 85‐96.

Alexander, M.L., Smith, A., Rosenkrantz, T., Garbus, H., & Fitch, R.H. (2014). Cell size anomalies in the auditory thalamus of rats with hypoxic‐ischemic injury on postnatal day 3 or 7. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 33, 1‐7.


PRESENTATIONS

Jones-MakerFaire
Controls for Dillon Jones’ CNC machine.

New York Maker Faire – September 20-21, 2014 – New York, NY

Dillon Jones ’15 (ENGR) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
The Botler/The Gentleman’s Gantry Machine

Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) Symposium – October 7, 2014 – Storrs, CT

Aaron Rosman ’16 (CAHNR) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Small Plants, Big Questions: Asian Waterwort and Threestamen Waterwort

COMSOL Conference – October 10-14, 2014 – Boston, MA

Casey Settle ’15 (ENGR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Analysis of Heat Transfer in a Complex Three Dimensional Structure Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing

Frontiers in Optics – October 19-23, 2014 – Tucson, AZ

Michael Cantara ’16 (ENGR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Ultracold Trimer Formation Energetics of Rb and K

Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting – October 22-25, 2014 – San Antonio, TX

Stephanie Knowlton ’15 (ENGR)
Spatiotemporal Oxygen Monitoring for Three-Dimensional Engineered Tissues

Catherine Oliver ’15 (ENGR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Analyzing ROS Generation from Magnetic Nanoparticles in an Alternating Magnetic Field and Its Role in Intracellular Hyperthermia

Kevin Smith ’16 (ENGR)
Investigating the Effects of Stromal Cell-Neuronal Cell Co-Culture on Neuronal Maturity and Neuronal Viability Under Oxidative Stress

Northeastern Educational Research Association Conference – October 22-24, 2014 – Trumbull, CT

Caroline Thompson ’15 (ED)
Career Paths of Elementary Educators: An Assessment of Attrition and Mobility in Connecticut by Type of Community

Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Annual Meeting – November 15-19, 2014 – Washington, DC

Ashlesha Dhuri ’16 (CLAS) & Xiao Li ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients
Comparing Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus Oscillations During Learning

Franchesca Kuhney ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Human Conditioned Place Preferences Using Secondary Reinforcers

Kaitlin O’Connell ’15 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Behavioral Effects of rmTBI Injuries in Mice Models

Sarthak Patel ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Temporal Sequence Learning by Rats in a Radial Arm Water Maze

Margaret Rowland ’15 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Animal Models of Effort-Related Decision Making: The Antidepressant Fluoxetine Potentiates Effort-Related Effects of the Dopamine Depleting Agent Tetrabenazine

American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting – November 16-21, 2014 – Atlanta, GA

Notations are included below for students who won poster presentation awards in their divisions.

Gianna Credaroli ’15 (ENGR) – 2nd Place in Separations
A New Thin Film Composite Membrane

Ari Fischer ’15 (ENGR) – 3rd Place in Catalysis and Reaction Engineering
Poster presentation: Thermochemical CO2 and H2O Splitting Via Chemical-Looping with Cerium and Cobalt Mixed Oxides for Oxygen Generation
Oral presentation: Conversion of Caffeine and Lipids in Catalytic Fast-Pyrolysis of Spent Coffee Grounds (Based on UConn IDEA Grant project)

Gabriella Frey ’15 (ENGR) – 1st Place in Separations
Formulating Draw Solution Mixtures for Forward Osmosis

Oscar Nordness ’15 (ENGR) – 2nd place in energy fuels and petrochemicals – OUR Travel Award recipient
Incorporation of High Pressure CLC into IGCC systems

Clarke Palmer ’16 (ENGR) – 3rd Place in Fuels, Petrochemicals, and Energy – OUR Travel Award recipient
Reactor Design and Analysis of a Simulated Moving Bed Reactor for Chemical-Looping Combustion

George Shaw ’15 (ENGR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Fluorescence Nitro-Explosive Detection through Electrospun Pyrene-PES Nanofibers

Abbey Wangstrom ’15 (ENGR) – 2nd place in Reaction and Catalysis Engineering
High Activity, High Stability Pt/ITO Fuel Cell Catalysts

Learn more about the AIChE presentations via the School of Engineering.


ONGOING PROJECTS

Christina Cotte ’17 (CLAS) worked with Dr. Craig Nelson’s Genetics lab over the summer diagramming the trajectory of reprogramming cells and developing a Lineage Map of the early stage mouse embryos. She and her colleagues have found new information about the process of turning a fibroblast cell into a stem cell that will be helpful for its future use. A publication with their findings on the reprogramming stem cell project is in preparation. The Lineage Map project is Christina’s focus for the 2014-15 academic year.

Rosen-Oppong-Yeboah
Joseph Rosen and Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah

UConn IDEA Grant recipients Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah ’15 (CLAS) and Joseph Rosen ’17 (CLAS) are currently soliciting submissions for the premiere issue of Exsistentia, a new multimedia literary journal that addresses existential questions through the art of curation. Submissions in all genres (poetry, prose, illustration, audio, film, etc.) that respond to the issue’s thematic question, “do you see me?,” will be accepted through January 1, 2015, via exsistentia.net.

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Ornella Tempo

Ornella Tempo ’16 (ENGR) is conducting her McNair Scholars and Honors Thesis research in Dr. Yusuf Khan’s laboratory at UConn Health. She is studying the in vitro evaluation of calcium peroxide (CaO2) release from composite polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLAGA) microsphere scaffolds. The objective of this project is to investigate the potential of a materials-only approach for guided bone regeneration.

• Apply Now for Summer Research Fellowships and Internship Programs!

Undergraduate students who are interested in participating in a summer research 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 January! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get research experience.

Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program (MLEF)
Deadline: January 2, 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 9, 2015; 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 2015
Deadline: January 15, 2015; 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, 2015; 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 6, 2014 and January 15, 2015. Students will then be able to access the internship offers submitted by the doctoral students in Germany prior to completing the application.

Summer Undergraduate Course Creating Excellence in Scientific Study (SUCCESS) – The Ohio State University, College of Medicine – Deadline: January 23, 2015
https://medicine.osu.edu/mstp/Pages/index.aspx
This 9-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 2016 or 2017. $3,800 stipend and housing provided.

Natural History Research Experience (NHRE)
Deadline: January 27, 2015; http://www.mnh.si.edu/NHRE/index.htm
This is a 10-week summer internship program at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Interns work closely with scientific mentors to complete research projects in Earth Science, Biology, and Anthropology. Stipend of $5,500.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention – Collegiate Leaders in Environmental Health Internship
Deadline: January 28, 2015; 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. Student must be rising juniors or rising seniors in Fall 2015.

Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) – Columbia University
Deadline: January 31, 2015; 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, 2015
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.

• Congratulations, Summer 2014 SURF Award Recipients!

SURF is the largest competitive funding opportunity administered by the UConn Office of Undergraduate Research. I am delighted to announce that 59 UConn undergraduates have been offered SURF awards for summer 2014. The faculty review committee was impressed by the overall high caliber of the 108 applications submitted this year.

Congratulations to the SURF awardees! Your academic achievements, creativity, and initiative 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!

Thank you to the faculty members who supported SURF applicants: 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 faculty members!

Thank you, too, 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 and Natural Resources, Engineering, Fine Arts, Pharmacy, and Nursing, 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!

Once again, congratulations to those students offered 2014 SURF awards.

Caroline McGuire, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

 

 

 

• Congratulations, Spring 2014 UConn IDEA Grant Award Recipients!

Congratulations to the twenty UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants! idea_logo_standard_color_bottomWEB

Fourteen of the twenty award recipients will be completing individual projects, and the remaining six will be working on collaborative group projects.

Click here to learn more about the UConn IDEA Grant recipients and their projects.

Special thanks to the faculty and staff that supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects.

The UConn IDEA Grant program awards undergraduates funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, traditional research projects, entrepreneurial ventures, and other innovative projects. Proposals for the UConn IDEA Grant represented a variety of disciplines, ranging from fine arts to marine sciences. The program is open to undergraduates in all majors at all campuses.