Meet the 2017 – 2018 Undergraduate Research Fellows
College of Agriculture
Kenzley Defler Environmental Science
Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture
Project Title:
Mentor: Dr. Loka Ashwood
Sara Gorman Animal Sciences
Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture
Project Title: Developing a molecular assay in order to identify healthy oocytes, by utilizing surrounding support cells.
Mentor: Dr. Paul Dyce
Judson Powell Poultry Science
Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture
Project Title: The Effects on Broiler Chicken Feeding Behavior and Nutrient Intake While Using Different Particle Sizes and Controlling Proportions of Fines
Mentor: Dr. Charles Starkley
Madison Gohlke Animal Sciences
Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture
Project Title: Impact of Mitochondrial Nuclear Exchange on Obesity and Metabolic Disease in Swine
Mentor: Dr. Terry Brandebourg
Rachel Kuntz Environmental Science
Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture
Project Title: Effectiveness of bioretention media to reduce toxicity of stormwater on daphnia.
Mentor: Dr. Thorsten Knappenberger
Mary Jo Toohey Food Science
Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture
Project Title: The effect of UV light on the long term stability of rebaudioside-A (high intensity sweetener).
Mentor: Dr. Leonard Bell
College of Architecture Design and Construction
Max Garcia Environmental Design
Sponsor(s): College of Architecture Design and Construction
Project Title: The impact of street design on pedestrian’s perceptions and commuting patterns.
Mentor: Dr. Yunmi Park
College of Education
Abigail Brittain Exercise Science
Sponsor(s): College of Education
Project Title: Kinematics of the Polo Swing
Mentor: Dr. Gretchen Oliver
Madison Edwards Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): College of Education
Project Title: The effect of a bicycle learning program on motor and cognitive abilities among children and teens with developmental disabilities.
Mentor: Dr. Melissa Pangelinan
Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
Njeri Bennett Industrial and Systems Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: I will be working with students from the I Am My Brother's Keeper Program to investigate the impact of S.T.E.A.M. curricula centered on spatial thinking skills, science content knowledge, and attitudes towards science and engineering.
Mentor: Dr. Christine Schnittka
Steven Breaux Polymer and Fiber Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: 3D Printing Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering and Biocompatible Electronics
Mentor: Dr. Maria Auad
Griffin Eagan Aerospace Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Analysis of the Effects of Turbulent Transition Modelling on Aerodynamic Predictions for Open-Wheeled Automotive Vehicles
Mentor: Dr. Dudley Nichols
Ford Gibbes Mechanical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Design and development of a low temperature tube calorimeter to measure the pressure drop of low global warming potential refrigerants across a 180° U-Bend during flow boiling.
Mentor: Dr. Lorenzo Cremaschi
Kelly Goneke Biosystems Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Black-globe temperature response to percent open area of wall panels used to construct broiler chicken test pens in on-farm nutritional test trials
Mentor: Dr. Jeremiah Davis
Bryana Harris Chemical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Examining the Effects of Tissue Geometry on Cardiomyocyte Maturation in 3D Developing Human Engineered Cardiac Tissues.
Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Lipke
Jared Hudson Civil Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Effect of Initial Stiffness and Slip Force of Friction Force Damper on Response of Steel Structure to Wind and Seismic Loads
Mentor: Dr. Justin Marshall
Kiana LaBombard Mechanical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Manufacturing of nanoparticle reinforced materials through electrospinning and atomized spraying.
Mentor: Dr. Sabit Adanur
Andrew Lenzie Chemical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: The Biofluid Mechanics of Expiratory Central Airway Collapse in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Mentor: Dr. Vrishank Raghav
Reed Rodich Materials Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis of Pre- and Post-Injury Anterior Cruciate Ligaments in Female Athletes.
Mentor: Dr. Michael Zabala
David Schartung Materials Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Electrochemical study on the influence of alternating current electric fields on the flocculation process of asphaltenes in unconventional crude oil
Mentor: Dr. Carlos Carrero
Alex Vroom Biochemisty and Chemical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Determining an individual’s comprehensive antibody-bound epitope repertoire
Mentor: Dr. Robert Pantazes
William Brannon Mechanical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: A metal inert gas based printer exists in AU’s Mechanical Engineering Department as an experimental device, and it becomes a question as to what parameters regarding the printing process will yield an ideal metal part in a quick and efficient manner.
Mentor: Dr. Lewis Payton
LaNia Cole Mechanical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Application-Based Pedagogy Tool.
Mentor: Dr. Edmon Perkins
Randall Fawcett Mechanical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Kinetic prediction from kinematic data during running trials on different surfaces.
Mentor: Dr. Wendi Weimar
Gabrielle Gilmer Chemical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Evaluation of the relationship between hormonal and biomechanical risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Mentor: Dr. Gretchen Oliver
Patrick Harris Chemical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Optimizing Lipid-enveloped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Therapeutic Treatment of Solid Cancerous Tumors
Mentor: Dr. Allan David
Sean Vincent Herrera Mechanical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Development of a Shape Memory Alloy Actuated Glove
Mentor: Dr. Michael Zabala
Jihyuk Kim Chemical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Solid state conductivity and pH-induced solution halochromism in polythiophene copolymer.
Mentor: Dr. Bryan Beckingham
Kaitlyn Lawrence Chemical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: New structural and electronic insights on supported (VOx)m/(M1Oy)n/(M2Oz)bulk catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of light hydrocarbons
Mentor: Dr. Carlos Carrero
Matthew Priesser Biosystems Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Anaerobic Digestion of Poultry Litter and Food Waste for Biogas Production.
Mentor: Dr. Brendan Higgins
Marisa Rodriguez Chemical Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Understanding and Controlling the Growth of Algae Species on Nanocomposites.
Mentor: Dr. Virginia Davis
Andrew Tormanen Materials Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Assembling 2D transition metal carbides for fabrication of functional thin films
Mentor: Dr. Majid Beidaghi
William Yates Materials Engineering
Sponsor(s): College of Engineering
Project Title: Design and Synthesis of Salen-derived, tetraaminophenazine Ligands for Metal Chelation
Mentor: Dr. Anne Gorden
School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Victoria Ashby Microbiology
Sponsor(s): Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Project Title: Madagascar-Based Lymphatic Filariasis in Culex Mosquitoes and Their Relationship with the Environment and People
Mentor: Dr. Sarah Zohdy
Hannah Kelly Wildlife Ecology and Management
Sponsor(s): Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Project Title: Evaluating Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa).
Mentor: Dr. Christopher Lepczyk
Cara Ratterman Organismal Biology
Sponsor(s): Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Project Title: Automating gobble count surveys for eastern wild turkey.
Mentor: Dr. James Grand
Marcus Williford Forestry
Sponsor(s): Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Project Title: The processing and characterization of nanofibrillated cellulose from industrial wood residues
Mentor: Dr. Maria Peresin
Alisia Diamond Wildlife Ecology and Management
Sponsor(s): Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Project Title: The effects of feeding habits on the prevalence of toxoplasma gondii in avian species
Mentor: Dr. Christopher Lepczyk
Autumn Patterson Wildlife Ecology and Management
Sponsor(s): Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Project Title: The Influence of Socioeconomic Factors on Small Mammal Diversity in Auburn, Alabama.
Mentor: Dr. Christopher Lepczyk
Kirsten Rice Wildlife Sciences
Sponsor(s): Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Project Title: Are mosquitoes more attracted to dogs infected with Heartworm?
Mentor: Dr. Sarah Zohdy
College of Human Sciences
Lydia Homandberg Human Development and Family Studies
Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences
Project Title: Effects of early life adversity and contemporaneous stress in the Midlife in the United States Study.
Mentor: Dr. Thomas Fuller-Rowell
Elise Mann Pre-Medicine and Nutrition Science
Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences
Project Title: The effect of chronic whey protein consumption on glucose metabolism and DPP-IV.
Mentor: Dr. Heidi Kluess
Brooke Polinsky Nutrition Science
Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences
Project Title: The Effect of high fat and sugar diet in mice
Mentor: Dr. Ramesh Jeganathan
Paola (Lopez) Canas Nutrition
Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences
Project Title: Evaluating coping mechanisms following a natural disaster in Madagascar
Mentor: Dr. Alisha Farris
Holly Parker Nutritional Science - Dietics
Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences
Project Title: Will tailored nutrition education on diet diversity increase the consumption of diverse foods in Andasibe, Madagascar?
Mentor: Dr. Alisha Farris
College of Liberal Arts
Mary Catherine Butgereit English - Professional and Public Writing
Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts
Project Title: A Code for the Unpublished: Creation of a TEI XML Style Guide and Learning Module for the 18th-Century Manuscript Fiction Database
Mentor: Dr. Emily Claire Friedman
Carrie Diane Hill English - Professional and Public Writing
Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts
Project Title: For the World to See: Designing a Front-End User Interface for the 18th-Century Manuscript Fiction Database.
Mentor: Dr. Emily Claire Friedman
Melanie Parrott Psychology and Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts
Project Title: The impact of nutrition knowledge on calorie framing effects and food consumption decisions.
Mentor: Dr. Ana Franco-Watkins
Jakob Geiger Political Science and English
Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts
Project Title: Applying Political Philosophy to Urban Planning: Strengthening the Community.
Mentor: Dr. Murray Jardine
Kyle McLaughlin Anthropology
Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts
Project Title: Assessing Potential Inter- and Intra- observer error during 3D scanning and printing of osteological specimens.
Mentor: Dr. Kristina Shuler
Jacob Verhine Music
Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts
Project Title: The Influence of Vocology on 21st-Century Voice Performance and Pedagogy: Analysis and Application of Current Practice and Research
Mentor: Dr. Matthew Hoch
Harrison School of Pharmacy
Amanda Fang Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): Harrison School of Pharmacy
Project Title: The effect of Sirtuin 3 on post translational modification in the mitochondria of diabetic hearts.
Mentor: Dr. Rajesh Amin
Brannon Martens Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): Harrison School of Pharmacy
Project Title: The Effects of Systemic Viral Infections on the Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease in Mice.
Mentor: Dr. Miranda Reed
Elena Skarupa Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): Harrison School of Pharmacy
Project Title: Effective drug delivery on gene expression in human breast cancer
Mentor: Dr. Rusty Arnold
Elizabeth Lopez Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): Harrison School of Pharmacy
Project Title: CYP3A4 Induction Analysis in Hepatocytes due to Acai and Maca Extracts
Mentor: Dr. Angela Calderon
Madison Schoeberl Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): Harrison School of Pharmacy
Project Title: Understanding how to best track Staphylococcus aureus infections in hosts by use of a fluorescently labeled monoclonal antibody.
Mentor: Dr. Peter Panizzi
Dominique Wozniak Biochemistry
Sponsor(s): Harrison School of Pharmacy
Project Title: Characterization of Inhibitor Antibodies Directed Against S. Aureus Coagulase.
Mentor: Dr. Peter Panizzi
College of Sciences and Mathematics
Cullen Anderson Wildlife Ecology and Management
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Estimating Carnivore Population Structures in the Rainforests of Madagascar.
Mentor: Dr. Sarah Zohdy and Dr. Zach Farris
Jonathan Dismukes Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Expression of the INK4AB/ARF tumor suppressor transcription factor MSK1 in canine breast cancer: Quantification through qRT-PCR and correlation with established phenotypes.
Mentor: Dr. Richard Bird
Kayla Frey Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Variations in Bone Quality with Reproductive Performance in House Mice.
Mentor: Dr. Wendy Hood
Brock Hidle Biochemistry
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Development of an Attosecond Pulse Source Operating at 10 kHz
Mentor: Dr. Guillaume Laurent
Sara Odom Microbial, Cellular, and Molecular Biology
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Microbiome analysis using a quantitative polymicrobial PCR method.
Mentor: Dr. Mark Liles
Philip Wang Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Investigating the cost of reproduction using the zooplankton, Tigriopus californicus
Mentor: Dr. Geoffrey Hill
Joseph Bahder Physics
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: TRYAD Satellite Operational Analysis
Mentor: Dr. Michael Fogle
Caleb Eldridge Geology
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Identifying active tectonics in the New Madrid seismic zone using LiDAR and geologic data
Mentor: Dr. Lorraine Wolf
Emma Hale Biomedical Sciences
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Quantifying the prevalence of the West Nile, Rift Valley Fever, and Dengue Fever Viruses across Mouse Lemurs Populations from Madagascar.
Mentor: Dr. Tonia Schwartz
Dorothy Mitchell Marine Biology
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Anatomy and microscale organization of the nervous system of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi.
Mentor: Dr. Anthony Moss
Patrick Sahrmann Biochemistry
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Radical catalysis, inactivation, and reactivation: Spectroscopic and kinetic evaluation of heme- and protein-based intermediates of a peroxide-degrading enzyme.
Mentor: Dr. Douglas Goodwin
Kevin Wyss Chemistry
Sponsor(s): College of Sciences and Mathematics
Project Title: Exploring thorium, uranium, and lanthanide fluorescence in Schiff base sandwich complexes.
Mentor: Dr. Anne Gorden
Last modified: April 24, 2018