VIDEO OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EVENTS IN 2019

Among the First TO HAVE its UNDERGRADUATE Research Week Turn Virtual due to covid! 

USciences' Undergraduate Research featured  nationally in the Council of Undergraduate Research Blog "Five in Five: How One University’s Quick Thinking Led to a Successful Virtual Experience" with an interview of CUR Founding Director Dr. Roberto  Ramos.

VIDEO OF CUR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EVENTS IN 2019

 VOTE FOR 2020 POPULAR CHOICE AWARD FOR "Images of Research & Scholarship"

Category: Course-Based (8)

• 1 Akhtar, Hasan, Half the Road

• 2  Bocco, Gilda,  Transposon mutagenesis of the Himar1 genetic element to A. tumefaciens and it's the effect on the DivK-CtrA pathway

• 3  Broytman, David  Recycling Used Cigarette Filters Into Useful Objects

• 4  Chamala, Rakesh Climb, Fruit Flies, Climb: Effects of neuronal mutant protein expression on survival and behavior in ​Drosophila  

• 5  Do, Laura, Symbol of the Yellow Vest

• 6  Kundur, Vaishnavi, Tolerance of Cannabis in Amsterdam: Creation of Social Prosperity

• 7  Nguyen, Julie, Tulipmania: How Flowers Blossomed in the Dutch Economy 

• 8  Zoe, Timothy, Global Transportation and Consumer Opinion Forums: Amsterdam’s GVB Analyzed via TripAdvisor Reviews 

Category: New Ideas/Catalyst (7)

• 9  Cauley, Eric, An Experimental Design to Measure Classical or Quantum Behavior  in Iron-Based Superconductors

• 10  Dhingani, Dhruv, Developing a Novel Technique to Fluorescently Label RNA 3’ Ends Using a Chemo-Enzymatic Approach 

• 11  Hricak, Kyleigh, How Playing With Blocks Gives Insight on Typically Developing and Children With Autism’s Social Communication Skills

• 12  Mendelson, Bonnie, Modeling Host Phenology and Multi-Host Parasitic Infection using E. Coli and Bacteriophage λ (University of Pennsylvania) 

• 13  Romanies, Alyssa, Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations to Investigate Synthetic Channels for Water Transport: Accurate Prediction of Transport Rate and Channel Properties 

• 14  Simpkins, Steven, On the Equations of Motion of a Driven Cantilever in an Atomic Force Microscope

• 15  Smith, Margaret, The Aging Serotonin System: Ribosome Density in Cell Bodies and Presynaptic Terminals (S6 Antibody Optimization)

Category: Rookie (9)

• 16  Heldman, Jordan and Kim, Minkyung, The Impact of a Transitions of Care Program on the Reduction of Community Hospital Readmission Rates and Emergency Department Visits

• 17  Hunt, Jenna, Investigation of Differential Gene Expression in Response to Mutant Huntingtin Aggregates in ​Drosophila Brains 

• 18  Kawatra, Pallavi, Investigating Neuroprotective Properties of Fraction 4, Originating from Achillea Millefolium, using an Induced In Vitro Parkinson’s Model

• 19  Kundur, Vaishnavi, Testing Effect Under Delayed Conditions: A Replication Study

• 20  Patel, Angelica, MCAK activity on non-centrosomal microtubules regulates FA size

• 21  Reed, Victoria, Testing repression restoration of the mutant Huntingtin gene in Drosophila

• 22  Schnoke, Nikki, Computing a Relationship Between Attention Networks : Replicating Wang et al., (2013)

• 23  Shah, Madhavi, Using Outcome Measures to Note Deficits in Movement and Cognition in Individuals with Stroke 

• 24  Tomlinson, David, Investigation of the Behavioral Effects of Aggregated Huntington’s Disease via Olfactogenetics

Category: Expert (21)

• 25  Becker, Matthew, Improving the Design of Lab-on-a-Chip Devices based on Digital Microfluidics

• 26  Bouda, Maria, Synthesis of γ-Borono Phosphonate Fosmidomycin Analogs For Structure-Activity Relationship Studies

• 27  Brunner, Kyle, Design and Syntheses of NMDAR Antagonists

• 28  Carlos, Jarrina, Syntheses of Diarylethylamines as NMDAR Antagonists

• 29  Chandragiri, Sahas, Comparing effects of behavioral and socioeconomic risk factors on communicable and non-communicable health outcomes: India and South Africa

• 30  Costa, Teresa, A Molecular Dynamics Study of the Sarcin-Ricin Domain

• 31  DeLorenzo, Olivia, Investigating the Effect of Phagocytosis on the Prion-like Transmission of Mutant Huntingtin Aggregates from Neurons to Glia in ​Drosophila

• 32  Garcia, Dominic,  Investigation of Hierarchical structure and anti-microbial activity relationships in cationic bottlebrush polymers: Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Biocompatible Molecular Brushes

• 33  Glass, Conor, Targeting Redox Balance with Small Molecules to Selectively Kill TNBC

• 34  Kim, Austin, Isolation and characterization of the unknown neuroprotective compound(s) in Achillea millefolium petroleum ether extract

• 35  Kliener, David, The role of dityrosine in the UV sensitivity of haploid spores of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Rosemont College)

• 36  Mansor, Nichole, Septin 7-Mediated Polyglutamylation in Human Umbilical Vein Epithelial Cell Migration

• 37  Nimbvikar, Anushri, Investigation of the KSR-BRAF Dimerization Mechanism in Cancerous Cell Lines 

• 38  Ohl, Holden, Expression, ourficaton, and analysis of a Lariatin A processing enzyme LarB2 in Escherichia coli

• 39  Pajollari-Kreka, Xhesida, Screening natural compounds derived from Myrothamnus flabellifolius for the inhibition of MRSA biofilm formation 

• 40  Perkowski, Julia, Small RNAs and Their Effects on Virulence in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

• 41  Petroski,  Alyssa, Density-mediated emergence impacts the success of Wolbachia-based mosquito control programs

• 42  Ramanthan, Keeran, Differential Conductance Measurements of P-Doped Iron Pnictides at 2 Kelvin and Above

• 43  Reny, Jacky,  Exploration into Childhood and Adulthood Risk Factors Associated with Health Outcomes in Later Life  

• 44  Sando, Hayden, Tracking Transmission of Tau in the Drosophila Central Nervous System

• 45  Thampi, Subhadra, The Effect of Phytochemicals in Cranberries on Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Category: High School (4)

• 46  Bahkri, Rania, Emergency Communication for Families with Special Needs Children (Carver High School of Engineering and Science)

• 47  Fonseca, Dangela, When Canines have Jobs, they’re Different (CAPA)

• 48  Kegler, Makayla, Moyamoya Syndrome in Neurofibromatosis Type1 (Bodine High School)

• 49  Sore, Madina, Expression of Pig Flu DNA (School of the Future)

In celebration of undergraduate research and scholarship, the CUR (Center for Undergraduate Research) enjoins the university community and surrounding colleges to celebrate and participate in the 2020 Undergraduate Research Festival on March 10-12 2020.  

CUR Undergraduate Research Festival (by Day)

TUESDAY March 10, 2020

10:00 am. IMAGES OF RESEARCH & SCHOLARSHIP EXHIBIT OPENING (STC Atrium) "Images" participants mount poster entries at STC Atrium.  Images are posted on CUR's Facebook Page where they can be "liked" to earn the  CUR's  Popular Choice Award.

1.  Vertical Ambition: The Eiffel Tower as Cultural Artifact and Aspirational Architecture.  David Broytman (Biomedical Sciences), Mentor: Christine Flanagan and Dr. Samuel Talcott

2.  Tat Traffics on Tubules. David Broytman (Biomedical Sciences), Mentor: Dr. Kenneth Myers 

3. Mickey Mouse or Fly Brain? Jenna Hunt (Neuroscience), Mentor: Dr. Maggie Pearce

4. Fluorescent Microscopy of a HUVEC Cell. Nichole Mansor (Biomedical Science),  Mentor: Dr. Kenneth Myers

5. Highway within the Cell. Angelica Patel (Biomedical Sciences), Mentor: Dr. Kenneth Myers

6. The  Modern Maya of San Felipe, Belize . Victoria Pobok (Medical Humanities/Biology),  Mentor: Dr. Clifford Robinson

7. Synthetic Water Channels. Alyssa Romanies (Chemistry), Mentor: Dr. Zhiwei Liu

8. Amoeba cell to cell communication disrupted by PI3K Inhibitor. Andrew Ring (Microbiology),  Mentor: Dr. Chris Janetopoulos

9. Firefly. Hayden Sando (Neuroscience), Mentor: Dr.  Maggie Pearce

12:00 pm. USURF RECOGNITION LUNCH - BY INVITATION (Wilson Hall 205-212) USURF mentees/mentors and  benefactor Marvin Samson honored in lunch ceremony (CANCELLED)

2:00  pm.   RESEARCH SPEED-MEET (STC 337)  Undergrads interested in research can speed-meet with volunteer research mentors for  5 minutes and ask questions  about their research. (STUDENTS: CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP) (CANCELLED)

WEDNESDAY March 11, 2020

11:40 am  CUR FESTIVAL PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION at STC Atrium/CUR Table.

12:00 pm  CUR RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONIES/RECEPTION OPENS "IMAGES EXHIBIT" and "ELEVATOR TALKS" (STC Atrium). "Images" participants present their posters. (CANCELLED)

12:20 pm  RESEARCH ELEVATOR TALK COMPETITION (STC Atrium Elevator)

1. Gilda Bocco (Microbiology), "Controlling transcription factor, VtlR concerning virulence in A. tumefaciens", Mentor: Dr. Jason Heindl

2. Dan Fauny (Physics), "Using superconductors to make artificial atoms",  Mentor: Dr. Roberto Ramos

3. Andrew Ring (Microbiology), "Discovery of Spartoi, a Novel Bacteriophage in the Human Mouth", Mentor: Dr Chris Janetopoulos

4. Stephany Romero (Biomedical Sciences), "Identifying the role of a conserved protein in bacterial motility and attachment", Mentor: Dr. Jason Heindl 

5. Seema Sakaria (Biology, Social Sciences Minor), "How is opioid use associated with mental health outcomes in adult minority populations in the United States?" , Mentor: Dr. Jessica Sautter

1:00 - 4:00 pm IMAGES OF  RESEARCH &  SCHOLARSHIP Viewing and Voting by USciences Faculty (STC Atrium). All USciences faculty are welcome  to visit "Images" posters, judge and vote on a paper ballot accepted at the STC Atrium Voting Table.

6:00 - 8:00 pm ALUMNI RESEARCH CAREER PANEL (Rosenberger Hall 102)  Open to all USciences community: Listen to career stories from alumni who did  undergrad research at USciences and are now established in their professions. Alumni Featured:  Oakley Kurtis (Merck), Ifeoma Obi (Medstar Health) , Alana McGill (Merck), Colin Pinto (Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc.), Raymond Gonzales (Merck), Brian Geist (Janssen R&D) - CANCELLED

THURSDAY March 12, 2020

1:00-2:00/2:00-3:00 pm   HUMANITIES PANEL SESSIONS, STC 337  (POSTPONED TO April 21, 2020 via Zoom)

1-2 PM: "Placing the Self: Travels into the Realm of Self-Discovery".  Faculty Sponsors:  Profs. Christine Flanagan, Samuel Talcott .  Panel Organizers: Pallavi Kawatra and Prof. Christine Flanagan.

• • • • Pallavi Kawatra (Neuroscience), "Friendship and Flaneur Abroad: The Philosopher's Dream"

      • Cindy Hong (Neuroscience), "Mind of Matter: Space, Time and Neuropsychology of Global Travel"

      • Nazifa A. Promi (Biology), "Immigration: Through Personal, Historical, and Contemporary Experiences."

      • Maya Patel (Biomedical Sciences), "Touring Home"

2-3 PM: "Formative Ecologies and Alternative Identities: Advanced Research in the Humanities". Faculty Sponsors: Profs. Christine Flanagan and Clifford Robinson. Panel Organizers:  Jenna Kwiecinski and Prof. Christine Flanagan.

• • • • Jenna Kwiecinski (Medical Humanities/Biomedical Sciences), "Fluid Genres: Gender Identity in James Joyce's Ulysses and Alison Bechdel's Fun Home" 

      • Victoria Pobok (Medical Humanities /Biology), "Comparative Insights on the Theriomorphic Deities and Environmental Ecologies of Ancient Egypt and Central America."

      • Elkanah Linder (PharmD), "Israel"

4:00-4:40 pm  Students: Mount Research Posters ARC Multi-Purpose Room. After mounting your posters, browse other posters and interact with other presenters.

5:00-6: 15 pm 8TH UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM - STUDENT TALKS  (CANCELLED)

• • • Rasha Abouelsaadate (Pharmacy),  "Confidently Failing to use Scientific Reasoning", Mentor: Dr. Stephen Moelter

    • Andrew Ring (Microbiology), "Retrograde Localization of the CV is Critical for Signal Relay and Cellular Streaming in Dictyostelium Discoideum", Mentor: Dr.  Chris Janetopoulos

    • Shannon Watson (Neuroscience), "Examining the Integration of Speech and Gesture by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder",  Mentor: Dr. Ashley de Marchena

6:15-7:30 pm SYMPOSIUM RESEARCH POSTER SESSION