Plants must rapidly adjust to environmental stresses, yet the role of specific transcription factors in these responses remains unclear. This study investigates the function of Arabidopsis 6b-INTERACTING PROTEIN-LIKE1 (ASIL1) and ASIL2  in Arabidopsis thaliana during osmotic stress. Preliminary observations suggest altered gene regulation and larger leaf area in asil mutants compared to controls after 14 days of stress. Mutant and wild-type seedlings are being exposed to 150 mM sorbitol for 4 hours, 12 hours, and 48 hours and expression of six stress-related genes is being quantified using RT-qPCR. Exposure to osmotic stress is of a shorter duration and more acute level of exposure compared to previous experiments. This ongoing study aims to clarify whether ASIL1 and ASIL2 act as regulators of stress response pathways, with implications for understanding plant adaptation to abiotic stress. This project was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Pablo Jenik, Department of Biology

Streams in the Mid-Atlantic region have unusually high sediment loads despite low relief and limited modern disturbance. Many “floodplains” are not natural but are legacy sediment terraces deposited behind historic milldams during intense land clearing in the 17th–19th centuries. After dam-breaching, channels entrenched and began eroding stored sediments, leading to continued high sediment loads today. This study reconstructs post-settlement sediment depositional histories along Little Conestoga Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, using fallout radionuclides ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs measured by gamma spectrometry. Stream bank sections were sampled at 5-cm depth intervals at up to one meter across three sites between March 2024 and November 2025. The anthropogenic isotope ¹³⁷Cs provides a mid-twentieth-century time marker associated with atmospheric nuclear testing, while excess ²¹⁰Pb constrains sediment accumulation over the past ~150 years. Isotope depth profiles and age models reveal rapid nineteenth-century sediment aggradation consistent with millpond infilling, followed by incision and bank erosion.   This project was supported by funding from F&M's Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Robert Walter, Department of Earth and Environment

Squid rely on suction-based adhesion to capture prey, yet the functional properties of their stalked suckers remain poorly understood. Unlike octopus suckers, squid suckers possess rigid infundibular teeth that may influence attachment across variable surfaces. This study examined the attachment performance of tentacular suckers in the longfin inshore squid Doryteuthis pealeii on substrates differing in stiffness. Tenacity, defined as force per unit area, was measured for individual suckers attached to two silicone polymer surfaces: Sylgard 184 (1.84 MPa) and EcoFlex 00-10 (0.15 MPa). Median tenacity on Sylgard was 16.55 kPa, while median tenacity on EcoFlex was 13.37 kPa. Although tenacity was higher on the stiffer surface, this difference was not statistically significant. Visible imprints of infundibular teeth on the softer surface suggest that mechanical interactions between teeth and substrate may contribute to maintaining adhesion on compliant surfaces during prey capture. This project was supported by funding from F&M’s Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Joseph Thompson, Department of Biology

The development of catalysts to store energy in chemical bonds is an area of interest as it can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels, for example via generation of hydrogen gas from renewable sources of energy. Previous molecular systems known to perform H2 evolution catalytically based on the [Cp*Rh] half-sandwich moiety supported by bidentate nitrogen ligands leverage common ligand scaffolds, to facilitate mechanistic studies under a variety of catalytic conditions. However, such catalysts operate at a substantial (~600 mV) overpotential, indicating that catalysis occurs with significant wasted energy. In our group, we have been investigating methods to reduce this overpotential by shifting the Rh(III/I) couple positively via introduction of Lewis acidic redox-inactive metals in close proximity to the Rh center. To achieve this, phen ligands modified with aza-crown ether moieties were used as bidentate ligands. The synthesis of these complexes, their characterization, and their ET profile will be discussed.   This project was supported by funding from F&M's Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Davide Lionetti, Department of Chemistry

Hawkmoths achieve remarkable flight agility by modulating wingbeat frequency up to 80% above their mechanical resonance, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. While recent studies suggest that transmission ratio and wing inertia contribute to frequency control, the role of specific muscles in this process is unclear. This study investigates the dorsal oblique (DO) muscle—a small, obliquely oriented thoracic muscle—as a potential resonance tuner. Previous electromyography data revealed that DO activation is phase-shifted relative to the main power muscles (DLM and DVM), with increasing lag at higher frequencies. Using in vitro work loop techniques, I am characterizing the DO's mechanical performance under physiologically relevant conditions. I hypothesize that the DO functions as a damper or fine-tuner, providing off-resonance stability during flight maneuvers. This research aims to elucidate how the DO enables hawkmoths to handle the tradeoff between energetic costs and dynamic control. This project was supported by funding from the F&M’s Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Joseph Thompson, Department of Biology

This study investigates how political identities are unsteady, and increasing value dissonance across parties. With heightened political polarization recently, we wish to discover if people's values are pre-determined by political party, or if their values dictate their party and how they vote in today's climate. In theory we believe that obedience to the law is a Republican value and resisting injustice is a Democratic one. In our study we have used the present day example of Alex Pretti being fatally shot despite legally carrying a firearm. We attempt to see if our survey responders will actually punish different political leaders and groups for expressing opposing viewpoints to the values their political groups in theory should be consistent with. This is in order to see if people vote based on their values, or if they will strictly vote for their party despite the candidate not supporting their values. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor: Professor David Ciuk, Department of Government 

Receiving this grant pushed me to expand beyond writing and directing into a more active producer role while studying at FAMU in the Czech Republic. As production evolved, I prioritized using the funds to compensate a last-minute replacement actor, art director, and most importantly, commission an original score. Working with composer Ondřej Zavadil was the most formative part of the process. Through constant communication and multiple rounds of feedback, I learned how to clearly express tone, emotion, and pacing so it could translate into music. I also collaborated closely with art director Tereza Miholova to build the film’s visual language. Through detailed conversations about color, texture, mood, and character, we brought the vision to life, including selecting costumes and set elements at Barrandov Studios. Overall, this experience strengthened my ability to communicate a vision and collaborate across departments to shape a cohesive film. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor: Professor Dirk Eitzen,  Department of Visual Arts 

The goal of this study was to determine the vertical distribution of zooplankton in a previously unstudied meromictic lake, Benner’s Quarry. We sampled zooplankton at 2-meter depth intervals from the surface down to the bottom of the lake (30 meters). Water quality parameters including temperature, salinity, chlorophyll level, fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM) level, specific conductivity, and dissolved oxygen level were also gathered on each date. The majority of all taxa were confined to the uppermost layer of the lake, the epilimnion, due to harsh environmental conditions in the lower layers. Phantom midge larvae, Chaoborus, however, were absent from the epilimnion and were localized in the hypolimnion and metalimnion, indicating that they may be participating in diel vertical migration and migrating downwards during the day, despite the inhospitable conditions of these layers. This project was supported by funding from the F&M Committee on Grants.

Project Mentor: Professor Janet Fischer, Department of Biology

Oomycetes or “water molds” are fungal-like microbial eukaryotes known for their ecological significance in aquatic environments and potential as plant and animal pathogens. Despite their importance, many species remain undiscovered; our lab has been focused on characterizing four novel species of aquatic oomycetes isolated from local freshwater environments. Pathogenicity assays and germination tests determined the ability of each isolate to cause necrosis and inhibit growth, while temperature tolerance experiments evaluated the growth and activity of the isolates across a wide range of temperatures. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholars Program.

Project Mentor: Professor Jaime Blair,  Department of Biology

Investigations of electron transfer (ET) in half-sandwich ruthenium-phosphine complexes are a critical tool in evaluating their properties. We have found that in the presence of a coordinating solvent (e.g., CH3CN) oxidation of complexes such as (cym)RuCl2(PPh3) results in cymene dissociation and coordination of CH3CN; while the composition of the resulting product was postulated as the tris(nitrile) RuCl2(PPh3)(NCCH3)3 complex based on the comparison between complexes carrying different arene ligands, conclusive identification of this product and determination of its geometry remained elusive. As precedent for chemical preparation of complexes of this type is limited, we have investigated bis(phosphine) analogues such as [RuCl(PPh3)2(NCCH3)3]+. To aid in our understanding of metal-ligand communication, we have investigated the influence of arene ligands on Ru ET. The synthesis and the structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical properties of various isomers of [RuCl(PPh3)2(NCCH3)3]+ and Cp*Ru complexes will be presented.   This project was supported by funding from F&M's Committee on Grants Program, Fred A. Snavely Research Award, ACS Petroleum Research Fund, and the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Davide Lionetti, Department of Chemistry

The Roberts Lab investigates the role of APC, a critical tumor suppressor protein involved in negatively regulating the Wnt signaling pathway, which is responsible for controlling cell growth and proliferation. Mutations in the APC gene drive tumorigenesis in roughly 80% of colorectal adenocarcinoma cases, which interferes with the destruction of the key oncogene β-Catenin. APC’s role in this process remains unclear. To investigate APC’s mechanism, we analyzed if APC’s β-Catenin binding sites have unique molecular roles or if they are redundant/ interchangeable with other β-Catenin binding sites. Our current findings suggest that APC’s β-Catenin binding sites are partially interchangeable with some β-Catenin binding sites, but not others. Overall, this suggests that APC’s β-Catenin binding sites play a unique molecular role in β-Catenin destruction, and we are currently investigating what specific APC/β-Catenin molecular contacts are required. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor David Roberts, Department of Biology

Parents are a driving force in youth sport participation, who offer varying degrees of involvement. Little research has examined how parental involvement in high school affects college students' motivation to play. This mixed-method study examined the relationship between levels of past parental involvement with college students’ levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for sport, with level of athletic involvement (varsity, club, discontinued participation) serving as a moderating variable. Participants completed an online survey assessing retrospective perceptions of parental involvement and current motivation for sport participation. Motivation was measured using the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS-28), while parental involvement was assessed using the Parental Involvement in Sport Questionnaire (PISQ). Some of the participants also participated in semi-structured interviews to contextualize survey findings and provide deeper insight into how parental involvement has changed from high school to college and how it has affected enjoyment, pressure, and the continuation of play. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor:  Senior Teaching Professor Christina Abbott, Department of Psychology

This study investigates rejection sensitivity and social threat detection differences between neurodivergent (ADHD, ASD) and neurotypical populations. Rejection sensitivity, characterized by anxious expectations and hypervigilance to social cues like averted gazes, is examined through gaze patterns using the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ) and Gazepoint eye-tracker. Four neutral gaze trials and twenty-four each left-averted, and right-averted face stimuli were presented to participants, they were prescreened for neurodivergence and high RSQ scores. Neurotypical participants showed slightly longer fixations on averted (M=46 units) and direct gazes (M=30) compared to neurodivergent (M=44, 29), with neurodivergent gazes favoring non-AOI regions. Scatterplots revealed positive correlations between RSQ scores and averted-gaze fixations across groups. Results suggest rejection sensitivity causes alertness to threat irrespective of neurostatus, though small sample limits significance. Findings highlight the need for larger studies and early interventions to mitigate social-emotional distress in neurodivergent individuals. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Megan Knowles, Department of Psychology

In this study, we ask whether and how Balanced Ego (BE) is related to Aristotelian friendliness and the way people learn in social contexts.  We hypothesize that higher BE scores would manifest in expressions of friendliness, broadly construed as having a disposition to be pleasant but not at all costs. Another question is in what condition, understanding can be reached between people. De Jaegher & Di Paolo (2007) argue that not all conversations come with coordination and understanding. People can be talking to each other but not with each other. We hypothesize that in the conversation where people are collaborating with the aim of seeking to understand more than merely exchanging antecedently formed ideas or with the aim of convincing, this effort will result in higher level of sense-making.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's Committee on Grants Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Cade Mansfield, Department of Psychology

Rhodium is capable of easily exchanging two electrons at a time, making this metal extremely valuable for catalysis, as it allows for the formation and breaking of chemical bonds. Our work focuses on compounds involving rhodium supported by a pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligand, as well as a bidentate scaffold and a monodentate ligand. The research performed this summer sought to learn more about the bidentate ligand exchange reactions observed in these compounds. These experiments involved determining whether these bidentate exchanges would occur as a function of the structure and properties of the bidentate ligands in question. Characterization by 1H and 31P NMR and electrochemical studies via cyclic voltammetry elucidated a variety of properties of the reactions in question, including confirming the viability of bidentate ligand exchange reactions involving compounds that feature rhodium in the Rh(I) state. The ligand exchange reactivity and the metal- and ligand-based factors regulating it will be discussed.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholars Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Davide Lionetti, Department of Chemistry

Origami-inspired metamaterials exploit the interplay between geometry and elasticity to achieve programmable mechanical responses. Yet the origin and tunability of snap-through instabilities in non-rigidly foldable patterns remain poorly understood. Here we show that the Mars tessellation, a degree-4 vertex origami pattern composed of alternating square and rhombic faces, is not rigidly foldable because the folding-speed ratios required for vertex compatibility cannot be propagated consistently across neighboring units. This geometric incompatibility forces the facets to bend during folding, giving rise to a reproducible snap-through discontinuity in the force–displacement curve with a mean force drop of about 91.4 ± 6.6%, marking a transition between metastable states. Laser scoring of additional diagonal creases, guided by strain-field simulations, enables continuous tuning of the snap magnitude. These results reveal a general mechanism by which geometric frustration can be harnessed to program multistability in thin-sheet metamaterials. This project was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Thomas Hull, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Oomycetes are fungal-like microbial eukaryotes that are ubiquitous in nature. The group contains many plant pathogens, such as Phytophthora infestans, the driver of the 19th century Irish potato famine. Less is known about the diversity and ecological roles of aquatic oomycetes. We describe several novel aquatic lineages collected in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania waterways. Genetic diversity was assessed through phylogenetic analysis of both nuclear and mitochondrial loci. Phenotypic traits, such as growth rate on multiple agar substrates, as well as optimal growth $1,283 per semester temperature, were measured for a subset of isolates. Certain isolates from two potential new species showed thermotolerance up to 40°C, suggesting the evolutionary potential for mammalian pathogenesis. The temperatures survived by isolates far exceeds those of the waterways they were collected from. Expression levels for several genes, including virulence factors, among isolates will be examined. These results will contribute to our broader understanding of the biology of emerging pathogens. This project was supported by funding from the Jeanne M. and John J. McDermott Biology Endowment Fund.

Project Mentor:  Professor Jaime Blair, Department of Biology

The stamp-folding problem, which asks how many ways there are to fold a 1*n array of equal-sized postage stamps into a 1-stamp pile, is over 100 years old and remains unsolved. Recently researchers have made new progress by fixing which creases are mountains (folding "down") and which are valleys (folding "up"). We describe this progress as well as our own work on counting the number of ways to fold the MMMVVVMMMVVV... pattern. This project was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Thomas Hull, Department of Mathematics and Statistics