SURF

U21 Undergraduate Research Conference in Amsterdam

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During a week in July, some of the world’s best undergraduate researchers had an opportunity to get to know each other, learn more about research, and explore one of the world’s great cities.

54 undergraduates from 21 universities around the world divided their time  between exploration of Amsterdam on bicycles and sharing details of their research projects with each other and 14 accompanying faculty and staff members. Junior, Julianne Norton, and May 2013 graduate, Stefanie Walker, were selected to represent UConn as research presenters. Read more …

Job Opening: Office of Undergraduate Research, Program Coordinator (UCP V)

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University of Connecticut
Office Undergraduate Research, Enrichment Programs
Program Coordinator (UCP V) (Search number 2013524)

Position Description:

The Program Coordinator of Office Undergraduate Research (OUR) contributes to University of Connecticut’s goal of providing undergraduate students with a wide range of opportunities to participate in academic enrichment activities throughout their collegiate careers. The Program Coordinator assists in all aspects of OUR operations.

The OUR is a part of the Enrichment Programs division. It is responsible for working with faculty and administrators based in all schools and colleges to promote and develop opportunities for undergraduate academic enrichment through research and creative activity; conducting open competitions for undergraduate research and creative endeavor awards; the administration of centralized funding for such activities; educating students and faculty about undergraduate research; and publicizing the accomplishments of undergraduate researchers.

The Program Coordinator will work with students, faculty, advisors, and academic administrators on undergraduate research issues. These duties include:

  1. Meet with and provide assistance to students who are interested in undergraduate research.
  2. Create, schedule, prepare materials for, and present workshops on undergraduate research and honors theses to undergraduates.
  3. Assist students in identifying opportunities for and preparing proposals and applications for internal and external research funding, including nationally competitive undergraduate research opportunities and other internships.
  4. Receive and review applications ensuring completeness and make referrals to appropriate personnel for review.
  5. Manage communications with students and advisors regarding outcomes of proposals.
  6. Maintain and enhance the OUR website to ensure accessibility, clarity, and educational value.
  7. Assist in the marketing and communication of OUR activities and funding programs to students, faculty, advisors, and other administrators.
  8. Process applications, paperwork and records. Maintain filing system.
  9. Manage workflow and contribute to quality improvement of forms and application materials.
  10. Process and maintain necessary paperwork, records, and files to support program, including fiscal records. Enhance electronic data systems, where appropriate.
  11. Work with University offices and the Foundation in the disbursement of funds to support undergraduate student research and creative endeavors.
  12. Assist in the execution of undergraduate research exhibitions and symposia (including the annual Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition), designed to share and publicize undergraduate students’ research achievements. This activity includes advertising exhibitions, securing space, event planning, processing proposals, creating programs, and managing events.
  13. Assist in all functions relating to grant programs such as the Summer Undergraduate Research Fund competition, including updating and creating language for the website, presenting at workshops , assigning reviewers, attendance at meetings and note-taking on the comments for each applicant.  Compile decision letters and work with Study Abroad to ensure compliance with University policies.
  14. Confer with and assist supervisor in the performance of program administration and activities. Assist in preparing program budgets and annual report for approval of supervisor and manage and monitor expenditures. Evaluate effectiveness of programs and recommend improvements or changes to appropriate manager.
  15. Prepare informational and promotional materials for use in outreach activities for all aspects of Office of Undergraduate Research work.
  16. Provide on-site supervision of events, oversee facilities use, provide support and assist in problem resolution.
  17. Assist with assessment efforts, assemble data, write and/or edits reports.
  18. Maintain a collection of resource materials and program information.
  19. May perform office support functions and projects, as assigned.
  20. Limited travel to relevant national conferences, regional events, and UConn regional campuses.
  21. Perform related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications:

  1. Bachelors degree in an appropriate field.
  2. Three to five years’ experience  in a responsible administrative support position that demonstrates knowledge of administrative methods;
  3. Experience in conducting independent research or scholarship;
  4. Demonstrated ability to work independently and regularly exercise sound judgment in addressing program issues;
  5. Ability to efficiently multitask and prioritize workload.
  6. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
  7. Familiarity with computers as a skilled user of word processing programs and electronic data systems such as Word, Excel, Access, FileMaker and database reports.

Preferred Qualifications:

  1. Graduate degree in appropriate field, preferably in the sciences or social sciences;
  2. Familiarity with competitive grant and award programs;
  3. Experience working with faculty across disciplines;
  4. Experience in an undergraduate research office or honors program or college;
  5. Experience at a large university;
  6. Experience with Peoplesoft and other database software;
  7. Experience with data analysis, database design, and program evaluation;
  8. Experience in designing or updating web pages and social media using relevant software (e.g. Dreamweaver, WordPress, HootSuite).

 To Apply:

For full consideration upload a letter of application, a resume, and a list of 3 professional references with contact information via Husky Hire (http://www.jobs.uconn.edu/).  Include search number on all correspondence. Screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until position is filled.

The University of Connecticut is an EEO/AA employer.

 

2013 Frontiers Program Now Available

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We hope that you’re planning to attend the Frontiers exhibition this Friday afternoon or Saturday!

Here’s a link to the program. We have 218 undergraduate students presenting posters for 175 research projects. STEM fields, social science, humanities, and the arts are all well represented. Many students who are presenting their research have received SURF, SHARE, and other Office of Undergraduate Research awards.

frontiers_2013

The artwork for the Frontiers poster was produced by talented Holster Scholars, Kaitrin Acuna and Julianne Norton. The poster was designed by Mallory Matula. Thank you all!

 

2013 Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Awards

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SURF is the biggest undergraduate research competition administered by the UConn Office of Undergraduate Research. I am delighted to announce that 70 UConn undergraduates have been offered SURF awards for this summer. Members of the faculty review committee commented on how strong the field of 91 applications was this year. SURF applications require research proposals of high quality.

Congratulations to the SURF awardees! Your academic achievements, creativity, and enterprise were ever so evident in your applications. Have fun with your research this summer!

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. SURF would not exist without the support and participation of faculty members!

Thank you, too, to SURF supporters in the UConn community. Deans of UConn schools and colleges and the Provost’s Office helped to fund the SURF competition this year. Alumni, parents, and friends of UConn also helped fund SURF awards. Our community quilt of funding ensures that SURF supports a diverse array of UConn undergraduate research!

Once again, congratulations to those students offered 2013 SURF awards.

Margaret Lamb, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

 

 

 

February 2013 Application Deadlines!

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Intersession and early in the spring semester is the perfect time to make your plans for next summer. Many research programs and other relevant opportunities set deadlines in January and February. The people who run summer programs want to make sure that they have time to choose their candidates and then give everyone time to plan the practicalities.

So … now is the time to get your applications ready!

Many summer programs use the acronym “REU” or Research Opportunity for Undergraduates. These opportunities may provide a summer stipend of $4000 to $5000, and free room and board for the summer!

Other summer positions can have a variety of different names – “fellowship,” “internship,” “co-op,” or “associate.” Look at the full variety of titles and find the experience that will be super for you!

Feb. 1 deadline:

Feb. 5 deadline:

Feb. 8 deadline:

  • AP-Google Scholarship – $20,000 scholarship award, open to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors interested in digital journalism.
  • Environmental studies internship, US EPA,Office of Children’s Health Protection & Environmental Education, Washington, DC.

Feb. 9 deadline:

Feb. 11 deadline:

Feb. 13 deadline:

Feb. 15 deadline:

Feb. 22 deadline:

Feb. 28 deadline:

Profiles in Undergraduate Research: CLAS SURFers 2012

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[adapted from a story by Cindy Weiss, CLAS Today]

Sarah Grout was only six years old when a terrible stomachache at gymnastics practice led to a rushed ride to the hospital, where her appendix was removed before doctors discovered the real problem – an E. coli infection. She spent two weeks in the hospital recovering. Sarah, now 20, spent this summer in a biology lab in Beach Hall, running RNA interference experiments for her research project on how enterohemorrhagic E. Coli, often associated with food-borne illness, sets up its potentially fatal infection in humans.

Robert “Bo” Powers, 27, started college in Georgia as a music major in classical guitar. A treble clef tattooed on his ankle hints at his love of music. But after a move to the New Haven area, a job at Yale-New Haven Hospital and an associates degree earned from Gateway Community College, he came to UConn last fall as an honors student in cognitive science. This summer he designed an artificial neural network that he will use in his research project on metonymy – what causes people to choose certain metaphor-like descriptions. For instance, he wonders, why does a waitress tell the cashier, “The ham sandwich at Table 3 wants his check.”

“Creative use of language has deep implications when considering how languages change within a culture, what is considered ‘cool’ or novel, and how ambiguity is resolved,” he wrote in his research proposal.

First in the lab

Sarah, Bo, and 63 other students at UConn had their first full-time research experiences this summer thanks to Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships that provided them with up to $4,000 in stipend and supply funding and the opportunity to spend ten weeks in the lab. Thirty-nine of the students were from CLAS, and the CLAS Dean’s Office provided $24,000 to the program.

While many of the students have worked on research projects during the regular school year, the nine hours a week they devote then, in between classes, is much less intense. A SURF award gives them the luxury of time to do a literature search, read books on their topic, and design their own experiments.

“It’s really a great opportunity to be able to focus fulltime. I wouldn’t be able to get this much done during the year,” says Grout.

The fellowships make the difference between a summer spent pursuing their passion and a summer spent job surfing.

Devin O'Brien
Devin O’Brien’s research on insects is in the research group of Elizabeth Jockusch, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

If he hadn’t won a SURF award, says Devin O’Brien, a 21-year-old ecology and evolutionary biology major from Ballston Spa, N.Y., “I’d be at home, trying to get a normal job that wouldn’t further me in my career path.” Instead, he spent seven hours a day, five days a week, in the lab.

O’Brien, who is founder and president of the Entomology Club at UConn, studies insects from an evolutionary and development perspective. He’s examining the role that three descriptively named genes – fringe, frizzled, and dishevelled – have on the appendage development of a species of red flour beetle, T. castaneum. Appendages – legs, wings, mouths – are an area of diversity that might be responsible for an insect’s success in the world.

O’Brien came to UConn as a pre-veterinary major, but found that “the more I worked with cows the more I realized I didn’t like them.” After a brief stint as a pre-med major, he scaled down to insects, calling UConn “a great biology school.”

Lab lessons

One of the eye-openers for students about lab life is how an experiment can go awry. Some have found that their carefully planned project had far from the anticipated outcome.

“It’s frustrating, but interesting, because you can come up with all new ideas to see what’s going on,” says Catherine O’Brien, a 20-year-old senior majoring in molecular and cell biology. She filled two large binders with lab reports this summer.

The protein she is studying is linked to various mitochondrial diseases. If biologists could find a way to study it outside of the cell in a reconstituted form, it could advance research into these medical conditions, which have many variations and can affect vision, major organs, muscles and nerves, among other things.

O’Brien, who is from Old Saybrook, started out as a nursing major at Endicott College in Massachusetts. Courses she took there in genetics and microbiology turned her interest to pre-med studies, and she transferred to Clemson. But she missed New England. Before transferring to UConn, she emailed Nathan Adler, assistant professor of MCB, to see if she could work in his lab.

She works independently in the lab, although under the supervision of a PhD student in Adler’s group, Ashley Long. Long encouraged her to stake out her own research territory, and O’Brien says that gave her the confidence to explore her topic. In her previous research experiences at other schools, she was not allowed so much responsibility, she says.

Her SURF summer has taught her that research “is really a thinking process – it’s about how you think and how you approach things. I couldn’t have guessed I would learn so much.”

SURF 2012 Awardees

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We are pleased to announce our Summer Undergraduate Research Fund awardees for Summer 2012.  Sixty-four students recieved SURF awards for Summer 2012, the largest group we’ve ever funded!

Project Title:  Improving Efficiency of Narrative Discourse Analysis in Persons with Brain Injuries
 Alexandra Addabbo, Communications Disorders
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carl Coelho, Department of Communications Disorders

Project Title:The Role of BspA-like Protein in the Microbial Gut Community of Reticulartermes Flavipes and Identification of Species that are Involved in Lignocellulose Degredation
Adam Bartholomeo, Molecular and Cell Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Gage, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Named Award: Ocean Rain Family Foundation Fund for Summer Undergraduate Research Award

Project Title:  Surveying the Self-Medication Practices of Adults with Sickle Cell Disease
Courtney Beyers, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Victoria Odesina, DNP, Department of Nursing

Project Title: Investigating of an Efficient System to Harvest Clean Energy from Structural Vibrations
Bryan Blanc, Civil Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ramesh Malla, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Named Award: The DeMaio Family Summer Undergraduate Research Fund

Project Title:  Investigating of an Efficient System to Harvest Clean Energy from Structural Vibrations
Kelsey Bloc, Chemical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Yong Wang, Department of Chemical, Materials, and Biomolecular Engineering

Project Title:  On the Semantic Organization of Concrete and Abstract Terms: a Follow-up to Dunabietia et al. 2009
Christopher Brozowski, Cognitive Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Magnuson, Department of Psychology

Project Title:  Psychological and Emotional Factors to Development in Young Adults with HIV
Jenna Burns, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Anderson, Department of Nursing

Project Title:  An Investigation into the Synthesis and Reaction Properties of Sulfur Monoxide
Casey Camire, Chemistry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nicholas Leadbeater, Department of Chemistry

Project Title: The Impact of the Zebra Mussel (Dreissena Polymorpha) Invasion in the Hudson River on the Feeding Ecology of Three Larval and Juvenile Fish Species
Grace Casselberry, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Schultz, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Project Title:  Interfaces Between Two Polymorphs of Natural Crystal Titanium Dioxide
Jason Chan, Materials Science and Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. C. Barry Carter, Department of Chemical, Materials, and Biomolecular Engineering

Project Title:  Role of CELF4 in the Differentiation and Maturation of the Retinal Ganglion Cell Layer
Sean Condon, Physiology and Neurobiology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rahul Kanadia, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology

Project Title: The Functionality of Bacteriorhodopsin Mutants for the Detection of hazardous Chemicals
Edward Courchaine, Structural Biology/Biophysics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert Birge, Department of Chemistry
Named Award: Doug Anton Award

Project Title:  Enhancing Autistic Children’s Communicative Skills
Darryl Cummings, Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Anjana Bhat, Department of Kinesiology
Named Award:  The McKinney-Lindsay Family Award

Project Title:  A Method for Observing the Development of Biofilms on Water Purification Membranes in Real Time
Jacob Deneff, Chemical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Leslie Shor, Department of Chemical Engineering

Project Title:  Better Defining the Habitat Characteristics that Effect the Survival of Death of Newly Planted Eelgrass Beds
Jennifer Dootz, Marine Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Vaudrey, Department of Marine Science

Project Title: Sexual Imprinting in Betta Splendens
Steven Ehrlich, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Schultz, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Named Award: Mark E. Karp Award

Project Title: Effort-Related Impairments Produced by Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines
Brian Epling, Individualized and Interdisciplinary, Behavioral Neuroscience
Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Salamone, Department of Psychology

Project Title:  Eurycea Bislineata Embryonic Development: Revisited 101 Years Later
Taylor Ferguson, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Jockusch, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Project Title: Pax7, MyoD and Myogenin Expression in the Lambs of Over and Underfed Ewes
Rachel Forbes, Animal Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah Reed, Department of Animal Science

Project Title: The Somatotropic Axis in the Nutritionally Compromised Ewe
Student Apprentice:  Michelle Forella, Department of Animal Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Steven Zinn, Department of Animal Science
Named Award: Treibick Scholar

Project Title:  Intra-uterine Growth Retardation in Sheep
Amanda Fox, Animal Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Steven Zinn, Department of Animal Science

Project Title: Restoring Effort-Related Functions in Models of Depression Symptoms: Reversing Fatigue Symptoms Induced by Tetrabenazine with the Adenosine A2A Antagonist Msx-3
Charlotte Freeland, Physiology and Neurobiology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Salamone, Department of Psychology

Project Title: The Effect of Land Locking an Aquaporin Expressino in the Intestinal Epithelium of Alosa Pseudoharengus (alewife)
Emily Funk, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Dr. Eric Schultz, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Named Award: Mathew Jasinski Award

Project Title: A Pilot Study of a Rodent Model of HI Brain Injuries of Prematurity
Haley Garbus, Psychology
Dr. Roslyn Holly Fitch, Department of Psychology
Named Award: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Deans Award

Project Title: Investigation of the Mechanism of Cellular Toxicity of Silica Particles
Alexandra Goetjen, Molecular and Cell Biology
Dr. David Knecht, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Named Award: Alan Bernstein Award

Project Title: Understanding the Host Cell Factors that Drive Actin Pedestal Assembly During Enterohemorrhagic E. Coli Infection
Sarah Grout, Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kenneth Campellone, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Named Award: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Deans Award

Project Title: Copenhagen as a Canvas: a Study of the Presence of Street Art
Karolina Hac, Art History
Faculty Mentor:  Dr. Jean Givens, Department of Art and Art History

Project Title: Characterization of Dicer Expression in Abnormal Skin Types
Katherine Han, Molecular and Cell Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sam (Soheil) Dadras, Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology

Project Title: Supramolecular Polymerization from Branched Macromolecules
On-You Jung, Chemistry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Yao Lin, The Institute of Material Sciences

Project Title: Analysis of the 2012 Connecticut Redistricting Comprehensive Electoral and Demographic Data
Christopher Kempf, Political Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ronald Schurin, Department of Political Science
Named Award: Christopher M. Lewis Fund

Project Title:  Are New England and Eastern Cottontails Competing for the same food resources?
Samantha Kremidas, Natural Resources
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Morty Ortega, Department of Natural Resources and Environment

Project Title: Development of Behavioral Endpoints for Mummichog (Funding Geteroclitus) as a Toxicology Model for Estuarine Environments
Tanya Lama, Natural Resources Management
Faculty Mentor: Dr.Thijs Bosker, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment
Named Award: Mr. Michael Alpert and Ms. Ariana Napier Honors and Enrichment Scholarship

Project Title: Serum Type II Collagen Telopeptide (CTX II) Levels in a Rabbit Septic Arthritus model
Juliana Lau, Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mark Lee, M.D., Department of Orthopaedics
Named Award: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Deans Award

Project Title: Slowing, Cooling, and Laser Spectroscopy of CaF
Tony Le, Physics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Edward E. Eyler, Department of Physics
Named Award: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Deans Award

Project Title: Measuring the Affinity Between Translation Factor BipA and the 70S Ribosome
David Levitz, Structural Biology and Biophysics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Robinson, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Project Title: Inherit the Culture: Traditional Puppetry in China
Xingxin Liu, Puppet Arts
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bartolo P. Roccoberton, Jr., Department of Dramatic Arts

Project Title: Analysis, Probability, and Mathematical Physics on Fractals
Jason Marsh, Mathematics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alexander Teplyaev, Department of Mathematics
Named Award: Trimble Family Award

Project Title: A Descriptive Study of Postoperative Pain Management for Opiod Tolerant Patients
Casey Martin, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Deborah McDonald, Department of Nursing

Project Title: Synthesis and Characterization of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles
Nathan Martin, Materials Science and Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. C. Barry Carter, Department of Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Engineering

Project Title: Effect of Maternal HyD Supplementation on Fetal Bone Development in Pigs
Katelyn McFadden, Animal Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kristen Govoni, Department of Animal Science

Project Title: Chronic Administration of the Non-Competitive NMDA Antagonis, Ketamine: Can Parvalbumin Positive Interneuron Loss be Related to Deficits in Cognition?
Casey McMahon, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Chrobak, Department of Psychology

Project Title: Functional Characterization of the Reconstituted ADP/ATP Carrier by Luminescence
Catherine O’Brien, Molecular and Cell Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nathan Alder, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Named Award: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Deans Award

Project Title: Functional Analyses of the Developmental Genes Fringe, Frizzled, and Dishevelled in Appendage Patterning in the Red Flour Beetle Tribolium Castaneum
Devin O’Brien, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Jockusch, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Named Award: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Deans Award

Project Title: Ranavirus in Connecticut: a Potential Threat to Local Amphibian Populations
Kelly O’Connor, Natural Resources Conservation
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tracy Rittenhouse, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment
Named Award: Sterling – Wasserman Family Award

Project Title: Design a Microfluidic Protozoa Separator for Genetic Analysis of Microbial Eukaryotes in Termine Guts
Erika Orner, Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Leslie Shor, Department of Chemical Engineering
Named Award: Treibick Scholars

Project Title:Translating Period Costume for Modern Theatre
Christine Ostner, Design/Technical Theater
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Crow, Department of Dramatic Arts
Named Award: Robert and Elizabeth Subkowsky Award

Project Title: Population Structure and Territoriality in the Invasive Ant
Anne O’Sullivan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eldridge Adams, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Named Award: Ocean Rain Family Foundation Fund for Summer Undergraduate Research Award

Project Title: Bacterial SmtA as an Antioxidant that Influences Bacterial Survival in a Mammalian Infection
Neyati Patel, Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael A. Lynes, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Named Award: Treibick Scholars

Project Title: Toward an Understanding of Performance Contents for the Carols of the Ritsor Mannuscript, BL Add. 5665
Anastasia Pilato, Music History
Faculty Mentor:  Dr. Eric Rice, Department of Music
Named Award: Dr. Roger Cherney Award

Project Title: Impact of Statistical Salience on Metonymy Resolution
Robert Powers, Cognitive Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Whitney Tabor, Department of Psychology and Linguistics
Named Award: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Deans Award

Project Title: Development of a Computer Model for Melanoma Metastasis
Priya Ranade, Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Lynes, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Project Title:From Blank Page to Final Bow: a Comprehensive Approach to the Creation of 21st Century American Opera
Spencer Reese, Music
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Constance Rock, Department of Music
Named Award: Dr. Roger Cherney Award

Project Title: Integrating Vision and Speech: a Window Into the Developing Mind
Arielle Rubin, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heather Bortfeld, Department of Psychology
Named Award: Ocean Rain Family Foundation Fund for Summer Undergraduate Research Award

Project Title: A “Helpless” System for the Generation of Recombinant Vaccinia Viruses
Ethan Sarnoski, Pathobiology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Paulo Verardi, Department of Pathobiology

Project Title: Remembering the Holocaust and Combatting Indifference: the Jewish Museum Berlin
David Schwegman, History
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cathy Schlund-Vials, Department of English and the Asian American Studies Institute
Named Award: Virginia DeJohn Anderson Award

Project Title: The Reflection of Human Capitalist and Discrimination Theory in Public and Private Gender Wage Gap Policies
Claire Simonich, Political Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Virginia Hettinger, Department of Political Science
Named Award: The DeMaio Family Summer Undergraduate Research Fund

Project Title: Characterization of Equine Satelite Cells
Tymoteusz Siwy, Animal Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah Reed, Department of Animal Science

Project Title: Optimization of pH by the Injection of CO2 for the Best Compromise Between Productivity and Production Costs for Garcilaria Tikyahaie Nursery Systems
Philip Speirs, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Charles Yarish, Department of Biology

Project Title: Estrogen Control of SOX9 in Human Pluripotent Embryonal Carcinoma NT2/D1 Cell Line
Robert Stickels, Molecular and Cell Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Pask, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Project Title: Looking to the SKY: Chromosomes and Cancer
Parker Sulkowski, Molecular and Cell Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachel O’Neill, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Project Title: Characterization of Ependymal Barrier Integrity in the Human Brain
Ye Sun, Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joanne Conover, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology

Project Title: The Role of Adiponutrin Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on the Genetic Predisposition to Fatty Liver in Dairy Cattle
Molly Viner, Animal Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heather White, Department of Animal Science
Named Award: Treibick Scholars

Project Title: Irish Revel Songs: Spreading the Word
Christopher Wasko, Music
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mary Ellen Junda, Department of Music
Named Award: Robert and Elizabeth Subkowsky Award

Project Title: Stochastic Analysis, Lyapunov Exponents
David Wierschen
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alexander (Sasha) Teplyaev, Department of Mathematics

Project Title: Functionalization and Analysis of Graphene Oxide and Its Applications
Adam Woomer, Chemistry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Douglas Adamson, Department of Chemistry

Project Title: Signal Detecting Theory for Detecting Sound Periodicity
Cheng Yang, Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heather Reed, Department of Psychology
Named Award: Treibick Scholars

Project Title: Reconstruction of Rhodopsin in Nanodiscs and Lipodisq Complexes
Diane Yu, Structural Biology/Biophysics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Arlene Albert, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Named Award: Dr. John Tanaka Academic Enhancement Fund for Honors