Past fellows

Project Title: Characterizing the Effect of Macromolecular Comfort Agent Release on Protein Deposition to Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

 

Mentor: Dr. Mark Byrne, Chemical Engineering

 

Project Summary: The primary research objective is to engineer a therapeutic contact lens to controllably release comfort molecules thereby developing a technology with the potential to limit the discomfort felt during lens wear. An additional benefit is reducing protein and lipid deposition to the lens, leading to a healthier lens and a healthier eye.

 

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Gabby Bates

Project Title: The Common Thread in Important Literary Journalism

 

Mentor: Dr. Margaret Marshall, English

 

Project Summary: This project attempts to discern which features the most culturally significant works of literary journalism have in common by conducting a rhetorical analysis of four New Yorker articles published in the post-WWII era on behalf of victims of injustice. Findings will be compiled in a critical article to expand knowledge of the creative nonfiction genre.

 

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Anna Burcham

Project Title: Development of Targeted Nanomedicines for Treatment of Prostate and Breast Cancers

 

Mentor: Dr. Robert Arnold, Pharmacal Sciences

Project Summary: Cancer is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the US.  Chemotherapy is effective, but can lead to toxicity in other areas of the body other than the tumor. The goal of my research is to exploit differences in cancer cells to develop drug carriers that will increase toxicity at the site of the tumor and limit toxicity in other areas.

 

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Blakely Bussie

Project Title: The Quantification of Mitochondrial Location and Morphology Using MATLAB

Mentor:Dr. Elizabeth Lipke, Chemical Engineering

Project Summary:A MATLAB program was created to analyze fluorescently labeled organelles within cells. Specifically, the program was used to locate and quantify mitochondria and nuclei of different cell types, including human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC), human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293), and a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7).When applied to differentiating stem cells, this program can reveal how the organization and morphology of mitochondria changes with cell maturation and differentiation.

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Will Campbell

Project Title: Determination of Mechanical Properties of Articular Cartilage

Mentor: Dr. Robert Jackson, Mechanical Engineering

Project Summary: Healthy articular cartilage is essential for normal joint function because it provides a gliding surface between joint surfaces capable of sustaining stresses and forces. In this study, we will be performing indentation tests on equine articular cartilage to determine some very important and fundamental mechanical properties of the complex biological tissue.

 

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Patrick Donnan

Project Title: Polariton Band Structure Calculations

Mentor: Dr. Jianjun Dong, Physics

Project Summary:Our goal is to develop a new theory of heat conduction at high temperatures. In particular, a newly proposed hypothesis of diffusive heat transfer carried by infrared (IR) phonon-polaritons will be the main focus of our research. We will study silicate pervoskite (MgSiO3) and magnesium oxide (MgO), the two most abundant minerals in the Earth's lower mantle.

 

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Sara Geonczy

Project Title: Private Waste and Public Costs: Economic Analysis of Effective Policies for Municipal Solid Waste Management

Mentor: Dr. Yaoqi Zhang, Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Summary: The purpose of this research project is to analyze the decomposition of the total cost of municipal waste disposal services in order to investigate different price structures and other policies that will more appropriately allocate costs, minimize costly waste disposal activities, increase positive waste disposal activities, and maximize total social welfare.

 

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Graham Gordon

Project Title: Vectorization of Spring Network Equilibrium Algorithm for Euclidean Distance Matrix Completion

Mentor: Dr. Peter Nylen, Mathematics and Statistics

Project Summary: Trying to determine the locations of a collection of points knowing only the distances between some of the points is known as the Euclidean Distance Matrix Completion Problem (EDMCP). Our project seeks to improve an existing algorithm which finds approximate solutions to the EDMCP. Applications include molecular conformation and sensor network localization.

 

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Elyse Johnson

Project Title: Characterizing SlCRF5, a Transcription Factor in Tomato Involved in Stress Response

Mentor: Dr. Aaron Rashotte, Biological Sciences

Project Summary: The aim of my research is to characterize the tomato transcription factor protein SlCRF5, which is responsive to cytokinin, a plant hormone linked to stress response. This knowledge is crucial in understanding the role of SlCRF5 stress response in tomato, and at a broader level, the role of this class of transcription factors in other flowering plants. Application of this knowledge may lead to increased crop yield.

 

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Chelsea Leander

Project Title: Protein-Energy Malnutrition in Nepal

Mentor: Dr. Katie Thornton, Human Sciences

Project Summary: The first 1000 days of life, beginning at conception, contain crucial and determining factors, including the development of the brain. A child is setback for life when the brain cannot attain full development during this period, often as a result of malnutrition. My research aims to examine the lifestyle of populations who struggle with intergenerational cycles of Protein-Energy Malnutrition, with the ultimate goals of breaking these cycles and enhancing early child development.

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Ethan McCurdy

Project Title: The Contribution of Off-mechanism Electron Transfers in the Inactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Catalase-Peroxidase

Mentor: Dr. Douglas Goodwin, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Summary: One crucial facet of the immune response is to generate peroxides to rid the body of invaders.  Many bacteria, including M. tuberculosis, depend on an enzyme known as KatG to convert these peroxides into harmless products.  I am investigating the mechanisms that keep KatG in its most active and efficient state.  This holds striking implications for understanding the strategies pathogens use to thwart a host immune response.

 

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Adam Milton

Project Title:Smart Nanocomposite for Enhanced Drug Delivery of Insulin

Mentor: Dr. Allan E. David, Chemical Engineering

Project Summary: A drug delivery system capable of delivering reliable and consistent doses of insulin through the oral route would provide significant advantages over the commonly used insulin pumps and injections. In order to enable a less invasive route of administration, I plan to engineer a drug delivery vehicle, in this case comprised of a nanocomposite, that can protect insulin from degradation and control its release in the body for an extended period of time. A smart nanocomposite composed of silica and chitosan, to regulate insulin release, will be utilized to achieve this goal.

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Alysa Moore

Project Title: Biochemical and Genetic Characterization of an Unknown Anti-Nematode Compound

Mentor: Dr. Mark Liles, Biological Sciences

Project Summary: My research focuses on identifying and characterizing an unknown compound produced by a bacteria commonly used in industrial agriculture for its anti-nematode abilities. Once the compound has been identified with biochemical methods, I will analyze the bacteria’s genome in order to evaluate environmental conditions that cause the compound to be produced in greater abundance, which could thereby increase anti-nematode activity. Greater understanding of this compound could provide a more sustainable alternative to other common, less environmentally-friendly soil additives.

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Madeline Moore

Project Title: Growth Characteristics of Xylella fastidiosa in Media Modified to Mimic Xylem Fluid

Mentor: Dr. Leonardo De La Fuente, Entomology and Plant Pathology

Project Summary: Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is a bacterial plant pathogen that infects numerous plant species in the United States. The bacterium forms biofilms inside the water-conducting xylem vessels of the plants, therefore obstructing water movement. The aim of my research is to develop a defined culture media for research in the laboratory, in which Xf will grow and form biofilm in a similar manner to its natural setting inside plants.

 

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Emily Pipan

Project Title: On-line LC-MS Based Identification of Inhibitors of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Shikimate Kinase

Mentor: Dr. Angela Calderón, Pharmacal Sciences

Project Summary: The goal of my research is to use liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), a sensitive mass-measuring process, to find inhibitors of the enzyme shikimate kinase. This enzyme is from the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen that causes tuberculosis. Inhibition of the enzyme would severely harm the cell's normal processes, representing the first stage in new drug discovery.

 

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John Porter

Project Title: Electrically Conductive Polycaprolactone Nanostructures for cardiomyocyte differentiation

Mentor: Elizabeth Lipke, Chemical Engineering

Project Summary: The goal of my research is to create an electrically conductive substrate on which to grow cells. The intent is to find a reliable method for growing cardiac tissue with the end goal being able to influence the differentiation of stem cells into cardiomyocytes.

 

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Hilary Rizk

Project Title: Validation of Detection Methods for Assessing the Exposure of Haemorhous mexicanus to the bacterial pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Mentor: Dr. Geoffrey Hill, Biological Sciences

Project Summary: Development of accurate methods for detection of bacterial pathogens in birds is important in decreasing the costs of research and saving the lives of birds. The goal of my research is to validate the use of throat swabs and blood tests in detection of exposure of birds to a bacterial pathogen. By validating the accuracy of these tests, my research will improve the accuracy and efficiency of further research of bacterial pathogens and birds.

 

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Alex Román

Project Title: The Use of Subcritical Water to Convert Sunn Hemp Biomass into a Value Added Product

Mentor: Dr. Ram Gupta, Chemical Engineering

Project Summary: This project aims to combine the promising protein content of sunn hemp with a subcritical water extraction method, and then optimize it for industrial use. This new extraction method would eliminate toxic solvents needed, reduce transportation cost moving the biomass to/from a refinery, and provide the farmer with readily eaten fodder for domesticated ungulates (goats, pigs, etc).

 

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Gracie Thaxton

Project Title:  Sequence Comparison of ArkDPI-derived IBV Vaccine Genome Before and After Adaptation to Culture

Mentor: Dr. Vicky van Santen and Dr. Haroldo Toro, Veterinary Pathobiology

Project Summary:  Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a respiratory virus of chickens belonging to the same virus family as human SARS and MERS viruses. To aid understanding of what changes in coronaviruses allow them to adapt to different host systems, we will adapt IBV vaccine to chick kidney cells. I will sequence the viral genome before and after adaptation.

 

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Abby Threet

Project Title: Mitochondrial Copper Transport: Investigating Genetic Interactions with PIC2

Mentor: Dr. Paul A. Cobine, Biological Sciences

Project Summary: Copper is required for human life. This element is a cofactor for the protein cytochrome c oxidase (COX), which is required for respiration. The pathway for copper transport into mitochondria, the location of COX, is essentially unknown. My fellowship will allow me to study genetic interactions in baker’s yeast in hopes of shedding light on this pathway. This research will contribute to understanding an essential process and will translate to understanding disorders of copper metabolism in humans.

 

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J. Alyssa White

Project Title: Amassing Evidence: A Study of Body Mass Variation in the Robert J. Terry Skeletal Collection

Mentor: Dr. Kristrina Shuler, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work

Project Summary: I intend to study the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Skeletal Collection housed at the Smithsonian Institution. My work will complement that of a team of specialists and contribute a vital component through analyses of bone's reactions to body mass and activity. This is an extension of the body size research that I have been pursuing for a few years, which I hope will improve understandings of the effects of body mass on the skeletal tissue in past and modern populations.

Sarah Baldivia

Project Title: Hydrogels as Injectable Delivery Systems for Tissue Repair Applications

Mentor: Dr. Gisela Buschle-Diller, Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Project Summary: Hydrogels are polymeric substances that exhibit unique characteristics that allow them to absorb large amounts of liquids without losing their physical shape. The goal of this research is to develop a hydrogel which will contain the precursors of a polymer and release them at a characteristic and distinct parameter (pH, temperature, etc.). Continued development of such hydrogel may create the potential for its use in cartilage or bone repair or replacement. The polymer could be formed by injection and the need for actual surgery would be omitted.

 

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Ross Bonner

Project Title: Insulin Resistance and Mechanism of Memory Loss: Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Link

Mentor: Dr. Vishnu D. Suppiramaniam, Pharmacal Sciences

Project Summary: Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a cellular mechanism for memory formation.  Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, is involved in LTP through interaction with AMPA type glutamate receptors. Insulin resistance, the hallmark of type II diabetes, has been linked to decreased activity of the signaling molecule ILK. Preliminary studies have also found that insulin resistance in the brain can down-regulate AMPA signaling. Therefore, my project will set out to establish the relationship between insulin resistance, ILK, and memory deficit.

 

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Emily Buss

Project Title: “Green” Chemistry Catalysis

Mentor: Dr. Anne Gorden, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Summary: I am currently creating a catalyst that is water-soluble by attaching unnatural amino acids to the compound structure. This will eliminate organic waste and therefore decrease the cost of disposing the product waste. I will then preform reactions with the new catalyst and determine the products yield and compare with previous results.

 

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Kathryn Crowley

Project Title: “Green” Chemistry Catalysis

Mentor: Dr. Azhar Salman, Building Science

Project Summary: This porject is aimed at determining the feasibility of implementing sustainable technologies into the current plan to remodel the Auburn Hill dorms, and the cost savings that would result from those changes.

 

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Enrique Doster

Project Title: Effects of Livestock Management Practices on Water Quality in an Agricultural Setting

Mentor: Dr. Alan Wilson, Fisheries

Project Summary: There are two things that, without fail, most people in the U.S. will do at least once a day - ingest food and water. Protecting our freshwater resources has become a vital global issue as numerous factors continue to degrade water quality. In many freshwater systems, cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) proliferate and pose a threat to the animals that drink from these bodies of water. My study focuses on the relationship between different land management strategies and their effects on water quality in local ponds in livestock farms.

 

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Michael Evans

Project Title: Role of mopB and msrA in Calcium Sensing by Xylella fastidiosa

Mentor: Dr. Leonardo De La Fuente, Entomology & Plant Pathology

Project Summary: Xylella fastidiosa (XF) is a bacterial plant pathogen that infects a variety of economically important crops in the United States.  The bacterium forms biofilm inside the host plant’s xylem, obstructing water movement, a process enhanced by calcium. By creating and studying mutants deficient in the calcium-related genes mopB and msrA, the role of calcium in the infection process of XF will be further elucidated and used to develop novel control methods.

 

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Kyle Gennaro

Project Title:  Latent Inhibition in Lehmannia valentiana

Mentor:  Dr. Martha Escobar, Psychology

Project Summary: Latent inhibition is a behavioral phenomenon, which has been used as a model for cognitive dysfunctions in psychopathological disorders such as schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder (ADD). The aim of this project is to establish an effective procedure to demonstrate latent inhibition in the common garden slug, Lahmannia valentiana.

 

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Jordan Hall

Project Title: Inverse Volatility Problem for Binomial Tree Models

Mentor: Dmitry Glotov, Mathematics and Statistics

Project Summary: In the world of finance today, researchers and practitioners rely heavily on high-level mathematics to develop models to price complex financial derivatives products. The main goal of the models is to use given information about the assets that the derivatives products take their value from and combine it with a measure of “randomness” in the market to get a fair price for the product. This measure of randomness is called volatility and is not easily calculated. Much research has been done in this area based on the famous Black-Scholes option-pricing framework; however, there are limitations and shortcomings to this approach. My goal for this research project will be to approach the problem of recovering volatility from a different angle by focusing on discrete-time models that are more flexible in the types of options they can price.

 

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Dusty Harrell

Project Title: Evaluation of Using PCR-RFLP of Cytochrome b to Distinguish DNA Samples from Carnivore Species in the Southeastern U.S.

Mentor: Todd D. Steury, Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Summary: The goal of our research is to evaluate a relatively simple method for identifying carnivore scats (feces) of eastern North America. The method involves extracting DNA from scat and identifying the species that produced the scat by using special enzymes. The study could lead to a rapid, accurate, and inexpensive method of identifying carnivore populations for use in studies of habitat and population size, with minimal disturbance to the animal being studied.

 

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Ryan Hile

Project Title: Earthquake Hazards and Social Vulnerability in Salt Lake County, Utah: A Case Study

Mentor: Dr. Phil Chaney, Geography

Project Summary: My research will attempt to identify the vulnerability characteristic of Salt Lake County, Utah, with respect to earthquake hazards and human characteristics, such as age, race, and gender. Salt Lake County is located in Northeast Utah and rests along the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch Front, an active fault zone, where over a million people live.

 

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James Kaczmarek

Project Title: Controlled Release of an Anti-Inflammatory Drug from a Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lens

Mentor: Dr. Mark Byrne, Chemical Engineering

Project Summary: It is the goal of my research to engineer a silicone hydrogel contact lens that will deliver a controlled amount of anti-inflammatory over an extended period of time. This will represent a sorely needed alternative to the inefficient and ineffective drug delivery offered by eye drops, which are currently the most popular form of ophthalmic medication.

 

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Samantha Lopez

Project Title: Competency of Xylella fastidiosa in a Microfluidic Environment

Mentor: Dr. Leonardo De la Fuente, Entomology and Plant Pathology

Project Summary: Xylella fastidiosa (XF) is a bacterial plant pathogen that infects a wide variety of plant hosts. It was recently shown that XF will take DNA from the surrounding environment and incorporate it into its own genome. My research aims to see if this process will occur in an artificial microfluidic device that mimics the interior vessels of plant where XF grows.

 

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Kelly Sabrina Lynn

Project Title: Uranium-Catalyzed Synthesis of 2,3-diaminophenazine

Mentor: Dr. Anne Gorden, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Summary: In order to better understand the chemical properties of uranium, I am focusing my research on a single catalytic reaction in which uranium has shown unexpected behavior. I hope to characterize the optimal reaction conditions, and will then experiment with different reagents using this new method.

 

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Justin Melnick

Project Title: Case Study on the Political, Financial, and Environmental Challenges of American Golf Course Architecture Abroad

Mentor: Dr. James R. Hansen, History

Project Summary:  The golf architecture industry has moved fully abroad in the past decade, for the first time in its 125-year history. My research will analyze an unknown French golf development that can explain the detrimental missteps made by architect Robert Trent Jones' firm in the late 20th century. Today's firms can use this study to operate abroad in a more efficient and diplomatic manner.

 

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Kerri Nelson

Project Title: The Effects of Gender and Pressure on Risk-Taking Behavior

Mentor: Dr. Ana Franco-Watkins, Psychology

Project Summary: The purpose of my research is to examine gender differences in risk taking in the absence and presence of social and performance pressures. Because there is a lack of research connecting gender, risk taking, and pressure together, my research will serve the role of exploring this combination of factors in an effort to add to the knowledge of this understudied area.

 

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Lindsey Phillips

Project Title: Effects of Harassment on Trap Visitation by Wild Pigs

Mentor: Mark D. Smith,Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Summary: Corral traps are the most cost-effective means for removing wild pigs. However, it is often recommended that landowners simultaneously use other  forms of lethal removal while trapping. This research examines the effects of these other forms of disturbance on wild pig visitation to traps to determine if it may be best to employ removal techniques sequentially rather than simultaneously.

 

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John Porter

Project Title: Template-Synthesized PDMS Nanowire Surfaces for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Lipke, Chemical Engineering

Project Summary: My research focuses on the design and fabrication of electrically conductive, nanostructured polymers for use in tissue regeneration. My hypothesis is that by designing and fabricating such a conductive polymer structure, I can make it more conducive to the growth and differentiation of cells, especially those of the heart and brain, which have intrinsic electrical activity.

 

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James Sartor

Project Title: Ion/Anion Pair Production in H2 via Fast Electrons

Mentor: Dr. Allen Landers, Physics

Project Summary: The purpose of our experiment is to analyze in greater detail the reaction:

The photon (γ) will come from a very high-energy electron beam. By measuring the vector momenta of the ejected ions, we will be able to fully determine the dynamics of the reaction event by event, culminating in a probability distribution. Through these measurements, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the complex processes associated with the interactions between molecules and ionizing radiation.

 

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Joseph Shaw

Project Title: Studying the Interactions Between a Pre-existing Dusty Plasma Cloud and a Strong Secondary External Perturbation

Mentor: Dr. Edward Thomas, Physics

Project Summary:  Plasmas are energized gases that carry electromagnetic properties. These electromagnetic properties have the ability to lift and interact with micrometer-sized particles. This is called a dusty plasma. The particles are able to conglomerate into three-dimensional structures that exhibit properties of solids, liquids, and gases. We are looking at the creation of waves and the change in confinement of dusty plasma structures when we introduce secondary dust or plasma populations into the already existing system.

 

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Steven Sheffield

Project Title: Greener on the Other Side: Do Sustainable Companies Outperform Their Peers?

Mentor: Dr. Claire Crutchley, Finance

Project Summary: Since 2009, Newsweek ® has ranked the most sustainable U.S. and global companies. Using Newsweek's data, this study will examine if the greenest companies atop this list outperform their industry peers not appearing on the list. The paper will use a customized score based on Newsweek's sub-scores and financial performance measures, including accounting and market returns.

 

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Andrej Svyantek

Project Title: Assessing the Genetic Make-Up of Mutant Populations of Poa annua with Suspected Herbicide Resistance to Photosystem II Inhibitors.

Mentor: Dr. Scott McElroy, Department of Agronomy and Soils

Project Summary: I am screening populations of annual bluegrass with suspected resistance to herbicides. I will weed out plants of significance by applying several herbicides to ascertain whether resistance is actually present in a given population. I will then sequence and determine genetic changes associated with a specific kind of herbicide resistance to photosystem II inhibitors.

 

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Zachary Watson

Project Title: The Acoustic Effect of Using New Materials for the Nut and Saddle of Acoustic Flat-Top Guitars

Mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Fergus, Materials Engineering

Project Summary: My research will allow luthiers (builders of string instruments, such as guitars, violins, cellos) to better understand the influence of different materials used for the nut and saddle on the sound of the guitar and if these materials can be used to achieve different sounds/effects.

 

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Julia Alyssa White

Project Title: An Analysis of Terminal Stature in the Mississippi Basin During the Transition to Agriculture<

Mentor: Kristrina A. Shuler, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work

Project Summary: I aim to analyze the influence of the introduction of maize agriculture in the Mississippi Basin of Mississippi and Louisiana from approximately A.D. 700 to 1200 by utilizing new stature regression formulae to determine the terminal height of several skeletal samples before and after the subsistence shift.

 

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Ryan Whitmore

Project Title: Multiscale Modeling of Articular Cartilage

Mentor: Robert Jackson, Mechanical Engineering

Project Summary: Research done to investigate the geometry and properties of cartilage would allow us to create a more realistic model of a synovial joint by finding the true geometric and material properties of cartilage as it is in a living joint. We will examine the material properties of equine cartilage, specifically measurements of the friction and stiffness. Ultimately, this information could be used to develop comprehensive models of synovial joints and to design biomimetic artificial joints that perform better and survive longer than existing technologies.

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