37 South College Avenue
Saint Joseph, MN 56374
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Sunday Poster Session

Biology

A Genetic Screen for Spermatogenesis Mutants in C. elegans

            Kara Thoemke, College of St. Scholastica

Mutations affecting Caenorhabditis elegans spermatogenesis can be used to study the process of spermatozoan morphological maturation. In a genetic screen for new mutants that are sterile due to defective gametogenesis, eighteen candidate mutants were identified.  These candidate mutants were placed in one of two classes: 1) mutations resulting in self-sterile hermaphrodites or 2) temperature-sensitive mutations resulting in impaired fertility at 15  C or sterility when raised at 25  C. Mutations will be genetically mapped to a chromosomal location using standard three-point crosses and snp mapping.  Mutations found to represent previously undefined genes will be phenotypically characterized to determine the cause of defective gametogenesis.  The ultimate goal of this project is to identify new genes involved in spermatogenesis and to identify the cellular and molecular interactions that lead to sperm-egg recognition, binding and fusion in C. elegans.

Diversity, Distribution, and Chemistry of Crystals Produced in Idioblast Cells of the Tropical Plant Dieffenbachia

            Gary Coté, Radford University

Many plants develop unusual crystal-containing cells, termed crystal idioblasts.  The physiological roles of crystal idioblasts are not completely understood, but may include protection from herbivores.  We systematically examined the crystal idioblasts in the tropical aroid Dieffenbachia.   Tissue samples cleared of pigments were examined under the microscope.  At least five kinds of crystal idioblasts are present in the plant.  Crystals are found in stems, leaves, roots, and flowers.  Crystals are present in young leaf buds even before they have emerged from the stem.  Acid solubility properties indicate that the crystals are composed of calcium oxalate.  Supported by the Radford University Foundation and the Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust.

Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research at a Small Liberal Arts College

            Jennifer Maki, The College of St. Scholastica

     At a small liberal arts college with limited resources and the majority of students interested in pursuing medical rather than graduate school, my undergraduate research program has managed to attract nine undergraduates in only three years.  The primary goal of this program is to advocate for research experiences in an environment where the majority of students have never considered graduate school as an option.

     Carbohydrate oxidase enzyme activity has been identified in several plant samples from The College of St. Scholastica greenhouse.  This enzyme functions as part of a plant defense system against bacterial infection.  Our laboratory is working to purify and characterize the carbohydrate oxidase enzyme from multiple plant sources.  In doing so, techniques of biochemistry, molecular biology and bioinformatics will be employed.  This presentation will include the recent data collected, a plan for obtaining future external funding, and strategy for collaboration with a neighboring institution.

Promoting Leadership and Collaboration Through Undergraduate Research

            Cosette Hardwick, and Evelyn Brooks, Missouri Western State University

In anticipation of severe shortages of health care professionals by 2020, promoting health care careers to high school students through the development of modules that incorporated course level expectations with job activities was the stimulus for the development of a research project conducted by five senior community health nursing students.  The students participated from focus group to presentation of research results.  The responsibility of literature review, supervising thirty-five classmates in the development of problem-based and curriculum integrated activities, collaborating with classroom teachers and health care professionals, and presenting a module to a class of high school students culminated in results that demonstrated a statistically significant increase in high school student interest in health care careers and in understanding the relationship of classroom instruction to future job skills.  This research was supported by a grant from the Northwest Missouri Area Health Education Center.

Purification and Characterization of Taq Polymerase: A Biochemistry Lab Series Developed to Prepare Students For Successful Undergraduate Research Experiences

            Robert Bellin, College of the Holy Cross and  Mary Bruno, University of Connecticut

We have developed a 9-week lab series focused on the purification and characterization of Taq polymerase.  Our aim was to provide undergraduate biochemistry students with a full-semester project simulating a research-like experience, while having each week's procedure focus on a single learning goal. The lab series has been taught for the past six years, and assessment of the lab series was completed during the past two semesters. Analysis of the assessment results demonstrate that the lab series is effective at teaching students the theory and practice of protein purification and analysis while also demonstrating positive results in more broad areas of scientific skill and knowledge. Students who have completed this series are well prepared to conduct independent undergraduate research, and thus, this lab has proven to be an effective component in the curricula of our undergraduate biology and chemistry majors, the majority of whom continue on participate in undergraduate research.

The University of Wyoming – Wyoming Community College INBRE Collaboration: Creating a Statewide Pipeline to Education and Careers in the Biomedical Sciences.

            Robert Seville, University of Wyoming and Bud Chew, Western Wyoming College

As part of the NIH funded University of Wyoming (UW) Idea Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence program UW and 5 Wyoming Community Colleges have developed a “pipeline” to guide promising freshman and sophomore students into baccalaureate programs in biomedicine.  Research programs have been established at each participating community college (CC) to provide hands on experience for students.  Junior-level life science courses have been developed for distance delivery to allow CC students access to upper-level coursework. A videoconference seminar series provides interaction between college and university students, faculty and visiting researchers.  A videoconference system has been constructed for the primary purpose of serving the pipeline and supporting biomedically related courses, seminars, and meetings. An annual retreat brings together CC faculty and students with UW participants. Last, a transition scholarship program provides support for selected CC students to move to UW to pursue baccalaureate degrees and research experience in biomedically related programs.

THI73 dependent function of the G1 Cyclin Cln3 in S. cerevisiae

            Mary Miller and Jacquelyn G. Hancock, Rhodes College

The cell cycle is the highly regulated process by which a cell grows, replicates, and divides into two identical cells.  In the budding yeast S. cerevisiae, cell cycle initiation in the Growth 1 (G1) phase requires the G1 cyclin, Cln3.  Cln3 binds and activates the cyclin-dependent kinase and functions to support cell cycle progression by allowing the transcription of certain necessary genes.  Study of the Cln3 pathway in yeast is of particular interest due to its functional similarity to the Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor pathway in mammalian cells.  Our work has identified cellular genes important for Cln3 function, and we work to establish the mechanism by which these genes support Cln3 activity using genetic approaches in the budding yeast model system.  These studies are carried out exclusively by undergraduate students, and this poster will specifically demonstrate the level of engagement that is possible by a first-second year undergraduate researcher.

Chemistry

A Paradigm for Pharmaceutical Research in Undergraduate Laboratories

John Williams, Rhode Island College

We are engaged in a project on the toxicology of arylphoshonium salts. They are generally cyctotoxic, but are selectively taken up by mitochondria of malignant cells. One such compound prepared elsewhere made it to clinical trials for ovarian cancer. The compounds inhibit acetylcholinesterase, are bactericidal, and bind DNA in vitro.  All toxicities show strong SAR's. Our methodology mimics that of drug discovery and development in the pharmacology industry. Synthesis is done in five or fewer chemical reactions using readily available reagents. The target scaffold provides for facile modification. Kirby-Bauer bacteriostatic testing is the initial toxicity screen and is followed by a cell culture screen; e.g. Hep-2G cells. Other cell screens are then done to identify off-target toxicity. LD50 ‘s have been determined in mice. We do computational DNA-binding calculations, are developing an AchE active site computational model to predict inhibition, and do QSAR on potential and actual synthesis targets.

A Year-long Research-oriented Biochemistry Laboratory to Promote Critical Skills Increase Confidence and Inspire an Enthusiasm for the Bench.

            Joseph Provost, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Training new scientists requires a strong emphasis on creating a student-learning environment and focuses on research-based exercises. This project integrates research-based teaching into two semesters of biochemistry laboratories. The first semester focuses on using a single protein in the context of a semester-long research project to drive student learning. In this semester, students will begin to make their own decisions and design their own experiments.  In the second semester students are empowered to design, execute and analyze their experiments. The concept is to allow each group to work as independent research groups all working on a similar set of genes or proteins  replacing a variety of shorter labs in favor of an in-depth research experience.  The outcome of this style of research-oriented laboratory is a student that is much more confident and skilled in critical areas in biochemistry and molecular biology. NSF CCLI DUE 0511629

Alkynoic acid cyclization

Thomas Jones, College of St. Benedict

In 1957 Ferrier and Tedder reported the cyclization of 5-hexynoic acid with trifluoroacetic anhydride yielding 1,3-Cyclohexadione in 25%. We have prepared a variety of vinylagous esters using a new variation of the Ferrier and Tedder method. In our case 5-hexynoic acid was converted to 5-hexynoyl chloride and subsequently cyclized using a lewis acid. A variety of vinylagous esters were prepared by using alcohols to trap the proposed vinyl cation intermediate. Using this new method 3-ethoxycyclohexen-2-one was prepared in 77% yield using Indium (III) Chloride as the Lewis acid reagent.

An Independent Study Project for Freshmen and Sophomores:  Monitoring Ground Level Ozone in Newton County, GA

            Jack Eichler, Oxford College of Emory Univesity

Designing an independent research project that is suitable for freshmen or sophomores often poses a difficult challenge.  Given that Oxford College only has students for the first two years of their four year undergraduate education, we have an even higher demand for involving young students in independent study and research.  This poster summarizes a project that was carried out by second-year students who had previously taken general chemistry.  The students used an iodometric assay to measure ground level ozone in Newton County, GA.  This detection protocol allows the students to apply a variety of general chemistry concepts, including stoichiometry, gas laws, oxidation-reduction reactions, and concentrations and dilutions of aqueous solutions.  The students were also required to do background research regarding the sources of ground level ozone and its impact on the local community.  The experimental methods used by the students and the initial ground level ozone data will be reported.

An Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Course in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry

            Scott McKay, University of Central Missouri

With the technological advancements over the past dozen years computational techniques have flourished in all areas of chemical and scientific research and education. Chemical systems can now be studied on desktop workstations with methods that allow for quality calculations that could only be dreamed of a few years ago.  Theoretical work is expected and common place in many areas of chemical research ranging from pharmaceuticals to materials science. Chemistry as well as other physical sciences can benefit from supplementing their research efforts with sound computational investigations.

Chemistry and the Coffee Crisis: an International Undergraduate Research Program with Nicaraguan Farmers

            Susan Jackels, Seattle University and Charles F. Jackels, Computing and Software Systems Program, University of Washington,  Bothell

This paper describes a five-year, applied, field and laboratory science project that has involved significant exchange of faculty and undergraduate students from Seattle University (SU), the University of Washington Bothell (UWB), and the University of Central America Managua (UCA). 

The authors will discuss how scientists can put their research in service to small-scale, impoverished Nicaraguan coffee producers, in work that has included field investigations of coffee bean fermentation processing on remote farms, controlled fermentation experiments in a mobile laboratory on a model farm, establishment of an analytical laboratory at UCA to serve the small-scale coffee producing community, and recently, design of a coffee processing mill for a remote community.  Included will be the conceptual, logistical, funding, and scientific aspects of conducting undergraduate research abroad with exchange teams that have included eight science and engineering students from the United States and six from Nicaragua, as well as faculty from three universities. 

Developing an Undergraduate Capstone Course

            Scott McKay, University of Central Missouri

Undergraduate research has been well documented for providing opportunities for problem solving, critical thinking, and technical skills development.  However, these experiences can be uneven and emphasize some skills and opportunities more than others. The areas of ethics and professional development can often be marginalized.  With the implementation of this course the chemistry major should be well versed in the full complement of communication skills, career development and ancillary opportunities.

Evidence for Enantiometric Selectivity in a Luminescent Extended Linear Chain Vapochromic Material that Responds to Volatile Organic Compounds

            Steven Drew, Carleton College

An extended linear chain (ELC) material composed of alternating repeating units of platinum(II) tetrakis-beta-methylphenethylisonitrile dication and tetracyanoplatinate dianion has been synthesized.  The dication of this double salt ELC material was synthesized as both an enriched R and an enriched S enantiomer.  These platinum double salt materials are of interest as potential crystalline vapor sensors because they are porous and their intense solid-state color and luminescence can be modulated by exposure to various volatile organic compounds (VOC’s).  Data describing the synthesis, characterization, and response on these materials to VOC’s will be presented including a principle component analysis of the R- and S-2-butanol exposure data that is evidence these materials are enantiometrically selective.

Frontiers in Nickel Chemistry Involving Phosphorus, Cysteine, and Hydrogen

            Patrick Desrochers, University of Central Arkansas

The coordination chemistry of nickel with cysteine, borohydride, and ammonia is controllable using ancillary phosphorus- and nitrogen-donor chelates.  NMR results will describe fluxional phosphine-nickel-cysteine coordination spheres and the role of pi overlap in directing the scrambling process.  The acid/base chemistry of a nickel-cysteine thiolate is also described, including evidence for an elusive nickel-cysteine thiol.  Nitrogen-donor chelates like TpR and TmR (TpR = trispyrazolylborates; TmR = trispyrazolylmethanes) enable the isolation of stable nickel adducts of ammonia and borohydride.  Theoretical efforts to model bonding in TpRNiBH4 will be presented, supported by magnetic resonance, infrared, and electronic spectroscopic measurements.  Most recently this laboratory established the formation of a single-TmR nickel(II) adduct.  TmR is a synthetically useful form of trispyrazolyl ligands for future work where this ligand system is anchored to heterogeneous polystyrene supports.  Student experiences leading to the above results present a window into the undergraduate research program in our department.

Incorporating Undergraduates into Faculty Research in the Areas of Optics and Physical Chemistry

            Michael Jackson, Central Washington University

Over the past ten years, the authors have set up several experimental systems as part of their research.  These include a multi-laser system for the measurement of far-infrared laser frequencies and a laser magnetic resonance spectrometer system to investigate free radicals.  Funding for these projects was primarily from the National Science Foundation with supplemental support provided by the American Chemical Society and Research Corporation. 

As the experimental systems became operational, numerous undergraduates were involved in these research activities at a variety of levels.  Their participation was either part of a formal undergraduate research course or through a paid internship/research fellowship.  In this presentation, we will discuss the various roles undergraduates had in participating on these research projects along with their final results.

Inorganic Chemistry in the Integrated Teaching-Research Laboratory

            Joseph Fritsch, Pepperdine University

Investigations from the teaching and research laboratories have been melded to provide students in our inorganic chemistry curriculum with integrated chemistry experiences.  The results of four undergraduate researchers will be presented.  In the research laboratory, new fluorescent aluminum pyridinylpyrrole complexes were prepared with traditional inorganic chemistry techniques yielding a surprising result.  Ketoiminates with pendant nitrogen donors have been employed to synthesize magnesium and zinc complexes that may act as environmentally-friendly catalysts for making biodegradable polymers.  The teaching laboratory has been blended with research through the development of integrated laboratory modules.  These give the student a quasi-research experience as multiple techniques and concepts from the chemistry curriculum are drawn together.  One such experience incorporates kinetics, environmental contaminants, catalysis, and inorganic chemistry as applied to the aqueous phase reductive dechlorination of perchloroethylene with vitamin B12.  In separate work, the photochemically-induced changes to iron arene complexes have been monitored with absorbance spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques.

Laying the Foundation for Undergraduate Research; The Use of Guided-Inquiry Organic Chemistry Experiments

            Jerry Mohrig, Carleton College

The chasm between the formal curriculum and undergraduate research can be bridged by using guided-inquiry laboratory experiments and projects in lower-division science courses. The question-driven, guided-inquiry approach requires students to become engaged in evaluating their experimental data to answer a question posed by the experiment, in an environment where they can succeed. Often, students work in two-person teams and present their data and its interpretation to the entire lab section in a post-lab discussion. All of these activities are an excellent preliminary taste of the research process. They give students a better idea of what research is about and they whet their appetites for it. The poster will feature a new three-week, guided-inquiry lab project on the synthesis and hydrogenation of a disubstituted chalcone, where there is the possibility that a number of functional groups could be reduced.

Modeling Multicopper Oxidase Active Sites using a triazole-substituted 1,3,5-triethylbenzene

            Brian Johnson, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University

Multicopper oxidases, such as ascorbate oxidase, laccase and ceruloplasmin, couple the four electron reduction of oxygen to the oxidation of substrate molecules. All multicopper oxidases contain an unusual triangular array of copper atoms at the active site. By using a triethylbenzene system to provide facial control, we have synthesized ligand 1 containing triazole and pyridine ring systems to model this active site. Ligand 1 reacts with copper(I) to form a stable complex and the complex has been shown to react with oxygen. This work will discuss the characterization data for this complex. Future work will determine the mode of oxygen binding and the outcome of the oxygenation reaction.

Purification, Properties, and Heteromeric Association of Type-1 and Type-2 Moth Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthases

Stephanie Sen, Gregory J. Roberts, Adrian Mimms and Thenesha Richard, Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis

Two forms of farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS) from the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, and one from the armyworm Pseudaletia unipuncta, have been expressed in E. coli and characterized. The type-2 FPPS of C. fumiferana (CfFPPS2) was efficient in isoprenyl coupling; however, type-1 FPPS (CfFPPS1) was not. Under mild chromatographic conditions, the type-1 enzyme showed low activity.  Similarly, extracts of another type-1 FPPS, PuFPPS1, expressed in an E. coli FPPS-null mutant, was marginally active. However, when equimolar amounts of homogenous CfFPPS1 and CfFPP2 were combined, a sharp synergistic enhancement of activity was observed, and the coupling of several homologous substrates, which are precursors to ethyl-branched JHs, was enhanced.  Association between CfFPPS1 and CfFPPS2 was confirmed by both protein interaction chromatography and competitive ELISA. These data suggest that type-1 and type-2 FPPSs can form a heteromer, which may play a role in sesquiterpene biosynthesis, such as JH homologue formation, in moths. 

Synthesis of Novel Aminopolyols from Carbohydrates

            Norma Dunlap, Middle Tennessee State University

Enantiopure aminopolyols have a number of uses, including use as intermediates in organic synthesis and as chiral ligands for organometallic catalysis.  An efficient synthesis of both enantiomers of 4-aminobutane-1,2,3-triol is described,  using either D or L-glucose as the starting material. Nucleoside adducts of this amine are being used to study the toxicity of metabolites of the environmental toxin butadiene.  A key step in the synthesis is the one-pot conversion of an aldehyde to an amide, the scope of which has been extended to include other carbohydrate derived aldehydes. In addition, several novel dimeric aminopolyols have been prepared as potential ligands for organometallic catalysis.

The Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Dipyridyl Compounds: From literature to Space Group Determination a Quintessential Undergraduate Project.

            Scott McKay and Lincoln Maina, University of Central Missouri and Kraig Wheeler

Crystallographic determination, synthesis, spectroscopic, and physical evidence was used to shed light on inconsistent literature reports of the identity of 2,4’-bipyridine-N’-oxide. The student was carefully assisted through the literature inconsistencies and steps to remedy the error.  Several bipyridine N-oxides and N,N’-dioxides have been conveniently prepared using dimethyldiorxirane (DMD).  Unlike conventional hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacid oxidations, use of DMD to synthesize heterocyclic aromatic N-oxides offers the ease of product isolation and reaction solutions free of potentially dangerous peroxide intermediates.

Geosciences

Contrasts and Similarities in Water Quality Issues Facing East Central China and Northwest Indiana: Issues, Perceptions, and Approaches for Resolution, Part I: Water Quality Parameters

            Jonathan Schoer, Shelly Schmeltz and  Jeff Field, Valparaiso University, Sarah Mohlman, Utah State University.

Field and laboratory measurements of multiple parameters used to assess water quality were taken at twenty sites scattered throughout the city of Hangzhou, China and the surrounding region as part of a collaborative research project between Zhejiang University and Valparaiso University.  The measurements provided a snapshot of the water quality in east central China.  Elevated nutrient (P and N) levels in many sites led to increased plant growth, high dissolved oxygen levels and, in one case (Taihu Lake), a severe algal bloom.  Copper, mercury and cadmium levels were also elevated at several sites. Overall, nonpoint source pollution from domestic waste and agricultural runoff remain threats to water quality.  In general, water quality in the Hangzhou area was poorer than that in NW Indiana, but was still within US EPA limits.

Contrasts and Similarities in Water Quality Issues Facing East Central China and Northwest Indiana: Issues, Perceptions, and Approaches for Resolution, Part II: Interviews

            Jonathan Schoer, Shelly Schmeltz and  Jeff Field, Valparaiso University, Sarah Mohlman, Utah State University.

We met with Chinese water quality experts and spoke with a limited number of citizens in order to assess perceptions of water quality, to evaluate local land use impacts on the watershed, and to learn about current and future solutions being implemented in China for better water resource management. Interviews in China revealed varying levels of water quality, accountability for polluters, and management methods. Most citizens only drank tap water if boiled first, but nearly half said they were unconcerned about water quality. Correcting domestic water contamination from nitrogen and phosphorous from agriculture was a top priority, along with monitoring industrial waste pollution. In Valparaiso, Indiana, USA, citizens were most concerned with the lack of public awareness, poor wastewater treatment, and industrial accountability. They often felt water quality could be improved, but did not feel their health was at risk.

Preconcentration and Determination of Molybdenum in the Rouge River with Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

            Ali Bazzi, University of Michigan-Dearborn

Molybdenum is considered an essential element, and its occurrence in natural water is of interest from environmental and biochemical viewpoints.   This paper reports results on the preconcentration and determination of molybdenum in the Rouge River, which runs through our campus.  Its ecosystem is an active medium for teaching and research at our institution. The molybdenum from the water samples was preconcentrated on Bio-Rad Chelex 100 mesh resin, then eluted with ammonia solution.  Using the standard addition approach, the absorbance of molybdenum was measured employing the molybdenum resonance line at 313.3 nm with a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer.  The results from three sites yielded molybdenum concentrations ranging from 2.00 to 3.41 parts per billion (ppb).   The precision of the method, based on quintuplet analyses from each sampling site, ranged from 6.03 to 8.16 % RSD. Sample preparation was completed using ultra-trace analysis methodology in a clean room laboratory.

Successes of the Badlands Working Group at SRU for Early Undergraduates

            Patrick Burkhart, Slippery Rock University, Geology

The Badlands Working Group at Slippery Rock University immerses undergraduates into multidisciplinary research that becomes a pivotal experience in selecting a major or charting a career.  The group has a fine track record with proposing research, securing funding, safe expeditions, subsequent investigations, and disseminating outcomes.  BWG alumni regularly achieve success including graduate studies and research recognitions. Several aspects of our initiative poise these successes, particularly peer-mentoring. BWG alumni have consistently returned as veterans to mentor younger students.  Veterans lead by example and direct oversight.  Novices report that engagement with research is less intimidating when a peer provides guidance because there are fewer social barriers and a narrower knowledge gap that that between students and faculty.  Often times, issues involving health concerns, personality conflicts, and camp logistics are expediently resolved by this less threatening relationship, while group moral is better maintained overall when faculty guidance is less regularly required.

Humanities

Original Research In An Intro Art History Class:  Can It Work At All?

            Amelia Trevelyan, University of North Carolina, Pembroke

It has been clearly demonstrated that the hands-on, investigative nature of original research is one of the best ways to engage and enhance student learning and foster excitement about the discipline .  So, why not design an introductory class on that basis?  Trying to develop a similar level of engagement and excellence in an intro course is certainly more daunting. There are the obvious problems, including uneven academic ability and degree of interest in the project, as well as severe limitations in expertise.  Still, seemed worth the attempt.

This session will discuss the processes and results of introducing an entire class to the joys and challenges of original research.  A second stage of the project utilized the research done by the entire class to engage an outstanding student in more sophisticated synthesis of the results and the production of substantial written results as well as an exhibition.

The Importance and Distinction of Humanities-Based Research

            Carrie Taylor Kemp,The College of St. Scholastica

The common belief that research is one of the most important facets of undergraduate preparation for advanced degree admission is also true in the humanities. An inquiry-driven pedagogical approach should be employed in undergraduate research for the humanities. Based on the assumption that much of the inquiry and exploration for their research is both multi-disciplinary and often stems from broadly-defined academic experiences, it is necessary to encourage students to rely on the knowledge that not only validates but also shapes the nature of their research.

An undergraduate research program at a small liberal arts college over the course of several years had 37 undergraduate students participate in humanities-based research, and each project was comprised of the following: multi-disciplinary inspiration or application; additional experience or learning that took place outside of the traditional classroom; and limited mentoring from the faculty member. These factors define the success and distinction of humanities-based research.

Physics

Experimental Progress on Simultaneous K and Cs trapping

            Marin Pichler, Goucher College,

We report on progress towards simultaneous cooling and trapping of K and Cs atoms with the objective to produce ultracold KCs molecules. Our systems consists of separate lasers for cooling and repumping transitions for both species and a simple locking scheme. A tapered laser amplifier for K cooling is currently being built. We present the photoassociation and resonant multi-photon detection schemes, and discuss possible applications.

SURES:  Summer Undergraduate Research in Energy Studies

            Sheila Pedigo, Case Western Reserve University

SURES is an educational and professional development program exposing undergraduate students to cutting-edge research in energy related topics while introducing them to the broad area of energy research.  In addition to their research projects, students attend a weekly lunch seminar series featuring industry professions and faculty speakers.  The weekly seminars engages students, staff, faculty, and community members in discussion and debate of energy issues, as well as provide students exposure to technological and policy driven solutions.  2008 marks the third summer for the program.  Information about the program and its funding will be provided on the poster.

Psychology

C-NERVE (Cognitive Neuroscience Education and Research-Valued Experience)

            Richard Tafalla, Desiree Budd, Michael Donnelly, and Ann Parsons, University of Wisconsin – Stout

C-NERVE (Cognitive Neuroscience Education and Research-Valued Experience) is a three-year, laboratory-based program funded by the National Science Foundation.  It is designed to provide University of Wisconsin-Stout undergraduates education in cognitive neuroscience through hands-on experiences with psychophysiological technologies and methods used to study brain-behavior relations.  Students complete five core courses that use digitally enhanced, hands-on lab activities.  Students serve one semester as a research assistant in each of four different faculty research labs.  They carry out a senior research project using psychophysiological measures and are assigned a C-NERVE advisor.  Finally, members take part in a number of additional activities integrating them as a group into a cohesive learning community, such as bi-monthly meetings, field trips to laboratories conducting cognitive neuroscience research and trips to national and regional conferences.   This poster will inform attendees on C-NERVE and describe outcome assessment data.

Creating Context: Linking Research Methods with a Content Course

            Pamela Bacon, College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University

Psychology students are often encouraged to complete research methods early on in their career because it will help them understand the content courses they will take as juniors and seniors.  Thus, many research methods students enter the course having only taken introductory psychology and statistics, which may make research methods feel removed from their “real” psychology content classes.  One solution to this problem is to require concurrent registration in a research methods class and a content course.  In this poster I will discuss the logistics of linking these courses and students’ evaluations of the experience.  Data on the impact of the linked experience on students’ self-reported interest in undergraduate research will also be discussed.

Inquiry Learning Across all Years of the Undergraduate Experience

            Connie Varnhagen, University of Alberta

Students in all years of undergraduate education can benefit from research experiences.  In this interactive poster and display, I will describe ways to incorporate inquiry learning into freshman through senior courses in psychology and will show examples from actual student projects. I will display examples from students in large introductory classes applying their new understanding to solving problems, such as helping a parent understand their child’s letter reversals in beginning writing, and creating resources based on psychological principles, such as designing a Christmas Web site that people with red-green colorblindness may enjoy.  I will also display examples from students in capstone courses translating science to a lay audience, such as producing a public service announcement on children’s stress, and developing educational resources, such as games to help children learn to stay safe on the Web.

Psi Chi Support for Undergraduate Research

            Ngoc Bui, Psi Chi National Honor Society

Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, provides over $250,000 per year in support for research by undergraduate students. This poster highlights these funding opportunities.

Starting a Psi Chi Chapter on Your Campus

            Ngoc Bui, Psi Chi National Honor Society

To be eligible for over $250,000 of research support provided by Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, undergraduate students must be members of chapters at their home institutions. Although over 1100 institutions have Psi Chi chapters, some still do not. This poster explains the process of establishing a Psi Chi chapter.

Student and Faculty Perceptions of Student Research and Conference Presentations

            Rebecca Hendrix and Alisha Francis, Northwest Missouri State University

Students gain several skills through research: critical thinking, research design, and result analysis/interpretation. Such involvement leads to opportunities for professional presentation communication and development. The current project used online surveys to ask 61 students and faculty about these goals related to student conference presentations. Students perceived research design as positively related to critical thinking, r(30) = .596, p = .000, analysis/interpretation, r(30) = .443, p = .011, communication, r(29) = .371, p = .04, and professional development, r(29) = .600, p = .000. Professional development was related to critical thinking, r(29) = .600, p = .00 and communication, r(28) = .457, p = .011. Finally, analysis/interpretation was related to communication, r(29) = .433, p = .015. Faculty positively related critical thinking analysis/interpretation, r(12) = .602, p = .023. Additionally, professional development was related to analysis/interpretation, r(11) = .684, p = .01, and communication, r(11) = .708, p = .007.

Transformational Pedagogy of Grief Models Through Electronic Communication Technologies

            Angela Knight, Lauren Winston, James Stafford, and  Todd Shifflett, University of Central Oklahoma

Higher education and grief education is experiencing a surprising new trend of transformative or transformational learning. Taken largely from seminal work, transformational learning (Meizrow 1981) involves putting students at the center of their education. In grief education current models tend to be one-size-fits all. There is not a “normal” representation of grief that can fit all interpretations. To rectify the teaching of grief models, we have incorporated current electronic communication technologies bereavement in the classroom so that students can link general models with individual experience. Participants are students who will develop a MySpace page that either reflects the student’s own experience with grief or reflects grief in general. The pages will include images, text, and sounds. Analyses will include qualitative assessments and quantitative assessments. Expected results, based upon an informal pilot in 2007, are that students demonstrate both interdisciplinary understanding of grief as well as superior understanding of traditional theories.

Using Focus Groups to Asssess Early Childhood Literacy Efforts

Evelyn Brooks, Missouri Western State University

It is estimated ½ of children of working mothers In Missouri are cared for in unlicensed, unregulated childcare settings. This project was designed to evaluate early learning opportunities (ELO) for literacy in childcare facilities.  This project  provided an opportunity for senior research students to evaluate the five outcomes through focus groups (6-8 participants) conducted throughout the 15 month project.  Qualitative analysis revealed three major themes:  Recognized benefits, identified challenges, and future opportunities for parents, childcare providers and community partners.  The findings highlight the role of  education and research in the community as well as specific benefits for children and childcare providers.  An increased child development facilitation, enhanced parent resources, and improved coordination of early learning programs and healthcare was noted.  Community partners were identified to enhance future involvement in early learning.  This was funded by Enrichment Through Investment, ELO Act Discretionary Grant from the USDHHS  to SuccessBy6 Council United Way.

Social Sciences

Evaluating the Practice of Deliberative Democracy

            William Ball, The College of New Jersey

This poster reports on a project that combines undergraduate research and community engagement. I have been working with teams of undergraduates for the past six years to organize and host public deliberative forums as form of community engagement. More recently, research positions for students have been added to assess the effectiveness of these forums in accomplishing their goals. The project is embedded in coursework, internally funded summer research positions, and a national research network with foundation funding.  Students get to experience both the practice of, and engage in research on, deliberation as a form of political communication. This both connects practice in the community with disciplinary learning and allows them to wrestle with important questions about the potential biases and other pitfalls of evaluating one's own work.

Undergraduate Research Program Directors

Summers at MU:  A centralized approach for multiple REUs

            Linda Blockus, University of Missouri-Columbia

Each summer at the University of Missouri the Office of Undergraduate Research coordinates 3 REU programs, plus about 7 other programs ranging from 2-30 students.  This poster will describe how the various programs are coordinated out of one office which results in logistical efficiencies as well as building a critical mass for activities.  The poster will describe social and educational activities that are organized for the whole group, as well as specialty discussions for focused research programs.

The EXPRESS Program at Missouri:  Research Exposure for Freshmen and Sophomores

            Linda Blockus, University of Missouri-Columbia

This poster will describe the elements of Missouri's successful EXPRESS program for freshmen and sophomore minority students.  Students work 10 hrs/week in a faculty research lab, attend weekly group meetings and met regularly with a peer mentor.  The program has increased the number of minority students participating in life sciences research projects as upperclassmen.  The program provides hourly wages for the students and helps to introduce them to research opportunities.

Monday Poster Session

Assessment of Research Outcomes

Assessing Learning Outcomes in a Writing Intensive Interdisciplinary Introduction to Research Class

            Glena Temple, and Jennifer Sadowski, Viterbo University

Our three-credit Introduction to Research course is the first course in a three-course research series, required for the majority of science majors in the fall of their junior year. This interdisciplinary course has biochemistry, biology, biopsychology, chemistry and natural science majors enrolled.  The focus of the course is on students writing and defending a research proposal under the guidance of a research mentor, which will lead to a research project in the next semester or summer for 80% of the students.  In addition, this course discusses research ethics, analysis of primary literature, and career opportunities in research.  Our evaluation of learning outcomes related to research in the sciences indicated senior students attribute many of their overall research learning outcomes to this course, even more so than compared to the research experience itself.  We will present our evaluation methods and results in this poster.

Georgia Tech’s Research Option: A Long-term, Thesis-based Research Program for Undergraduates

            Karen Harwell, Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Tech, as part of its Quality Enhancement Plan, created a new degree option—Research Option—which highlights a long-term undergraduate research experience culminating in a thesis.  Research Option students are required to complete a research proposal, at least nine credit hours of research, the newly developed multi-disciplinary course Writing an Undergraduate Research Thesis, and a final research thesis.  The proposal includes a literature review, discussion of the research’s purpose, and a set of research targets.

Assessment tools are under development to assess the writing and communication aspect of each individual student’s progress including a set of writing evaluation metrics.  At the department level, quality is managed through the discipline-specific approval of both the research proposal and final thesis.

The author will discuss program elements and requirements, student feedback on the program, and additional assessment of the quality of student work produced under the option. 

Rhode Island College Efforts to Expand Faculty-Mentored Research

            Karen Almeida, Rebeka Merson, and Sarah Spinette, Rhode Island College

The volume of faculty and students engaged in collaborative research at Rhode Island College, a predominantly undergraduate institution, has dramatically increased in recent years. In order to sustain and expand undergraduate research, faculty require tools to implement and assess research programs.  Three new faculty members collaborate to design a series of activities and assessments based on the skills required for the practice of science with the goal of broadening students’ laboratory skills, increasing knowledge transfer, and encouraging peer interactions. We present a variety of activities, focusing mainly on the collaborative nature of our program, such as joint group meetings, communications assessments and a standardized lab practicum. The ultimate goal is increased quality and quantity of faculty-mentored research by streamlining the training process. We anticipate increased faculty participation in mentored research as a result of these tools and better preparedness of students for post-baccalaureate research positions and graduate school.

Beyond the Academy:  Real World Applications of Research Results

From Proposal to Publication: Engaging Students in Successful Research in the Community

            Carie Braun, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University

From proposal to publication, this poster provides a model for engaging students to initiate and complete relevant research within practice disciplines. A complex study performed by nursing students examining animal-assisted therapy as a pain intervention for children is used to illustrate this practical collaborative model. The emphasis is on how to see longer-term studies to completion within a collaborative framework.

Research and Innovation: The Intersection of Research, Entrepreneurship and Real-World Projects

            Don Takehara and Mike Bates, Taylor University

The Center for Research & Innovation (CR&I) at Taylor University gives undergraduates the opportunity to make real-world application of research results through the generation of new companies and commercialization. Since 2004, the CR&I has assisted in transferring technology to student start-up companies.  Stratostar Systems leveraged Taylor’s high altitude balloon technology and created a business which provides access to near space opening possibilities for novel, low cost communications, measurement and data acquisition capability. Tiergen Technologies, is based on novel technology for producing high quality, low cost carbon nanotubes. In addition, the CR&I has brought real-life projects to students including an assessment of state-of-the-art technologies for an ethanol company, mathematical and experimental modeling for a company with innovative oil pumping technology, publishing a feasibility study for a community business incubator, and implementation and assessment of critical thinking curriculum at a local high school.  The CR&I is linking discovery with value-add societal benefits.

Early Involvement in Research

A Research Pipeline:  Introduction to Research

            Nancy Carpenter and Ted Pappenfus, University of Minnesota, Morris

A curriculum shift from quarters to semesters was the impetus for creation of the "Introduction to Research" (ItR) course at the University of Minnesota, Morris.  Not merely a research methods course, ItR first teaches the tools a chemistry or biochemistry major needs to make a successful entry into research, then provides an opportunity to apply this learning to research with a chemistry faculty member.  The evolution of the course over the past several years will be presented.

Cooperative Undergraduate Research between a University and a Community College: An Opportunity

            K. Scott Alberts, Truman State University

Few mechanisms exist to ease cooperation between a University and Community College. Since our research looks at differences in student attitude and learning between students at our institutions, we could use the research as a means to develop such cooperation beyond the actual research itself. The institutional strengths of each can be used to enhance the research experience for students from both institutions, as well as other students in our classes and the institutions as a whole.

It is not surprising that differences in mathematics anxiety factors exist between students at our institutions as does the way instructors react to such anxiety. Using student research, we have been able to learn more about these differences, and are starting to investigate ways to reduce the anxiety and improve mathematics performance.

Getting Introductory-Level Students Hands-on With Multimedia Technology for Research-Based Community Projects

            Laura Guertin, Penn State Brandywine

Students in an introductory Earth science course integrated multimedia technology with several research-based outreach activities.  The overarching goal of the projects was to provide students with experience using technology to share research results with the university and greater community.  One project required students to create an enhanced podcast and virtual tour in Google Earth to document Pennsylvania biodiversity at a local state park. Another project required students to use photos and iPods with microphones to electronically document and archive the 2007 Solar Decathlon in Google Earth.  A final project required students to create multimedia presentations to submit to the SCA/Mazda Conservation in Action competition that would promote behavioral change and suggest solutions towards environmental challenges.