Senior Austin Parker (Biochemistry & Biology double major with a concentration in Medicinal Chemistry ‘24) conducted research last summer as part of the Summer Scholars program with mentor Dr. Christopher Lassiter. His project, Using CRISPR/Cas9 to model lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia (LCAH) in zebrafish (Danio rerio), was inspired by his interest in medicine and health and cutting-edge technology like CRISPR/Cas9. Austin believes improving the quality of life for individuals with chronic diseases is a worthwhile effort, and getting involved in this research provided resources to expand on previous knowledge of LCAH and discover new ways to detect and treat patients.
The majority of his process was a learning experience. He said the beginning stages of the project involved learning how everything worked, technical and lab skills, as well as how to use CRISPR/Cas9. Once Austin learned to navigate the tools, cut sites were designed, and CRISPR was used. When asked what the most challenging part of his research was, he said having to troubleshoot things when they stopped working.
Austin’s research project required him to utilize CRISPR/Cas9, a gene-editing technology requiring the Cas9 protein to do all the heavy lifting. He explains that CRISPR/Cas9 originated in bacteria and was able to be modified by scientists at UC Berkeley to target and make cuts at specific DNA sequences. For his project, he designed a strand of RNA the protein used as a reference. He used the RNA to cut the star gene to prevent the product of the gene from working properly to replicate LCAH in zebrafish. Zebrafish were chosen for this model because of their vast similarities with human genetics; over 70% of the human genome has a zebrafish gene with similar functionality.
Currently, Austin is still hard at work on the model with zebrafish that could potentially carry the mutation. In the completion of his research project, Austin hopes to discover a deeper understanding of LCAH, including detecting early signs of the disease, new ways to treat it, and how it may impact other areas of the body. After graduating from Roanoke, he plans to attend pharmacy school and become a cornerstone in his community.
Senior Virginia Graves (Communications major & foreign policy and history minor ‘24) conducted research last summer with mentor, Dr. Martinez-Carrillo as part of the Summer Scholars program. Virginia knew she wanted to conduct research while at Roanoke and started thinking of topics in freshman year. Her project, “The evolution of hate speech and its consequences”, came about when she started taking communications and mass communications classes and realized the power it can have in manipulating thoughts and ideas. She took a personal interest in interpersonal communication and the dynamics of hate speech. Previous research revealed a connection between hate speech and violence, but she wanted to cover a topic that had not been researched enough.
Virginia says her research process has been going extremely well and her advisor, Dr. Martinez-Carrillo, has helped her along the whole way. This was her first time doing research and she was doubting herself, but found that the support she received along the way was helpful; she was able to prove to herself that she could do it. She said the Summer Scholars program is a great way to be introduced to research as a beginner.
Her research required her to examine hate speech in three different mediums, newspapers in Nazi Germany (1940-1945), radio in Rwanda (1994), and social media in the United States (2023). Her choice of three separate mediums is because she wanted to educate on different types of mass communication and she chose three different countries to show that hate speech is not an issue just in the United States. It has been around for a long time and it is in other cultures; they use different words but the same meaning. When asked what the most difficult part of her research was, she said reading the hate speech was extremely difficult, wondering how people could say such hurtful things about each other.
The first half of her research involved compiling the literature review and initial primary source analysis and the second half focuses on framing the project in the current global context. This entails an analysis of the relationship between hate speech and freedom of speech and how the two interact online. By conducting a thematic analysis, she has found that hate speech has not evolved and the themes carry through all mediums in different countries and time periods. People are still using hate speech to distinguish between in-groups and out-groups like religion. Furthermore, she explained how the connection between freedom of speech and hate speech differs in different countries. As she was doing research on radio hate speech in Rwanda, she found that it was extremely impactful, but the rules changed when the Rwandan Ambassador for the UN came to the United States to use a radio transmitter and was denied use in the United States because it opposed freedom of speech. This sort of interaction brings up the idea of where we draw the line when it comes to freedom of speech.
In the completion of this project, Virginia hopes to answer the question for herself as she has very strong feelings regarding freedom of speech. She wants to go into PR or marketing and says this project was a good writing experience and it taught her how to be resourceful and gain confidence in her work. She is hoping for a publication of her work and that future students will expand on her work.
Roanoke’s biology department had a major win over winter break with the acceptance of a publication in the Zebrafish journal. Congratulations are due to six former RC biology lab students: Kasey Cooper (’24), Bennet Franz (’22), Alexander Kramer (’17), Zoe Krut (’20), Jonathon Morgan (’16), Dr. Benjamin Walker, and RC biology professor, Dr. Christopher Lassiter, […]
Photo Credits: Nora Terrill Senior Talia Cartafalsa (Environmental studies & chemistry double major) conducted research this summer with Dr. Chelsea Peters as part of the Summer Scholars Program. Her project titled, An on campus collaborative restoration of landfill and degraded suburban ecosystems, started last spring when she was Dr. Peters’ advisee, and wanted to find […]
Photo Credits: Hany Hosny On September 22nd, Roanoke College held its annual Family Weekend Research Showcase and we had a great turnout of families, friends, staff and students! Photo Credits: Hany Hosny Congratulations to the first-place winner, James Hartmann (’25, Biology major) who presented on groundwater seepage (Methods for Identifying and sampling preferential groundwater seepage […]
Two RC Alums, Maria Damewood, Health and Exercise Science Major & Spanish Minor ’22 and Savannah-Faith Clark, Health and Exercise Science Major & Neuroscience Concentration ’21, were recently published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity alongside former assistant professor, Dr. Ashley Artese. Clark received funding from Roanoke’s Pathways Program allowing her to take […]
Earlier this month, Dr. Roland Minton and three Roanoke students competed in an online sports analytics championship! Read further to learn all about it: Maroons Second in National Championship! The Roanoke College team of James Rowe, Selam Mekonnen, and Cyrus Pace earned second place at the National Collegiate Sports Analytics Championship in Dallas, Texas, on […]
During the first week of October, Sydney Wagner attended the Southeastern Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences 2022 conference. Working with Dr. Sweet, she presented “Introducing Corporate Psychological Responsibility (CPR).” Sydney has been working with Dr. Sweet since the Spring of 2021 when she began conducting a literature review of multiple different motivational […]
This past weekend Megan Reynolds traveled to Dallas, Texas to present at the Queer History South Conference. She presented on the topic “The Internal Lavender Menace: Lesbian Feminist Challenges in Southwest Virginia” alongside only one other poster presenter due to complications with the hurricane. Despite this, Megan presented her research and findings to many archivists […]
This past weekend, we had an amazing turnout at the Family Weekend Research Showcase! There were so many wonderful topics that people presented. Congratulations to the first-place winner, Lydia Turner-Little, who presented on the topic of LGBTQ+ Experiences of Religion. For second place, we had a tie between David Adams (Intermittent Fasting Combats Diet-Induced Obesity […]
Kavya Iyer is a recent alum of Roanoke College, having graduated this past spring. This summer, she had the opportunity to work in a research lab as part of the Diversity Summer Internship Program at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Kavya worked specifically in the Population, Family, and Reproductive Health Department where […]
Ahmed Abusultan attended the 14th Annual Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium during the last week of July. His research revolved around understanding how humans develop the coordination patterns we use when walking, focusing on the relationship between the arms and the legs. For his project, he looked at the utilization of trekking poles to simulate having […]
James is currently assisting Dr. Ball with her project that focuses on the partners of formerly incarcerated people. There is very little research in this area, so James and Dr. Ball are conducting in-depth interviews with the partners of former prisoners in order to chronicle their experiences. They have completed almost sixty interviews with people […]
Shane Saunders spent the month of June with Dr. Collins, alongside other colleagues, conducting research on the Smooth Coneflower populations at Denhill Preserve. This research is a continuation of a research project Dr. Collins has been working on for almost a decade. Located south of Roanoke College, Denhill Preserve is home to a major population […]
This summer, Bobby Hoye has been focusing his research on the science behind solar panels. Working with Dr. Hickox-Young, he is looking at the compound, CsPbBr3, which is one in a new class of materials, called Perovskites. Perovskites, for reference, are semiconductors that transport electrical charges once the light hits them. These materials have only […]
Selma Sosic, one of our many student summer researchers, says that her favorite part about research here at Roanoke is that research advisors trust their advisees to do field research by themselves. She truly enjoys how much the research advisors value the input and thought processes the student researchers bring to the table. Selma experienced […]
Ivey Kline is a history major with an interest in American history and archival research. She has worked for the Roanoke College Archives and the Center for Studying Structures of Race for three years and spent the summer of 2021 carrying out extensive archival research. At the Center, she helped create and launch the Genealogy […]
During the weekend of June 24th, Dr. Lassiter took a couple of students to the International Zebrafish Society Conference in Montreal. Olivia Brichter and Allyson Herriges co-presented at their first international conference on the project, “Estrogen Exposure Results in Inhibited Tail Fin Regeneration in Embryonic Zebrafish (Danio rerio).” Together, they explored the effects of estrogen […]
Megan Reynolds is a rising senior pursuing a double major in History and Music. A member of the Class of 2023, Megan dedicates her time to a variety of campus activities. On top of her regular coursework, Megan plays the bassoon in the Wind Ensemble, is the secretary of the Historical Society, is a member […]
Emma Richards had the opportunity to go to Merida, Mexico in May to study at an American-based veterinary clinic called Planned Pethood. In her month there, she went through rotations of what she observed, shadowed, and helped with. The first week she was there, she shadowed the veterinary technicians, doing general care, and helping with […]
Last week, Luke Jones attended the Association of Environmental Studies and Science conference. Working with Dr. O’Neill in the Environment Department, Luke presented his project “Planting for climate resilience: Using heat mapping to assess climate vulnerability and the need for future greenspace and urban tree cover in Salem, VA.” This past weekend, Dr. Lassiter brought […]
Maryam Nishtar is a rising senior at Roanoke College, from Islamabad, Pakistan majoring in Psychology and Biochemistry with a concentration in Neuroscience. Maryam is a member of the service organization Alpha Phi Omega and is a resident advisor on campus. She is also a medical scribe at Lewisgale Medical Center and plans to pursue a […]
Haley Keene is a rising junior attending Roanoke College. She is from Abingdon, Virginia. She is majoring in biochemistry with plans off attending a medical school in her future. During her time at Roanoke College, Haley has become proficient in Excel data processing, NMR spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. She has experience in gas chromatography and […]
A recent honor places Roanoke College’s physics program in the top 10 percent nationally and internationally. The Roanoke College chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) has won an Outstanding Chapter Award from the SPS National Office. That designation is given to fewer than 10 percent of all SPS chapters at colleges and universities […]
Next up, we have Davis Tingle. Davis is a rising senior expecting to graduate with math and computer science degrees. As a summer scholar, he is working on optimizing drone delivery in rural and city landscapes. Outside of academics, Davis is a lead guide with Outdoor Adventures and is one of two R-house volunteer coordinators. […]
Happy Friday! We have two Summer Scholars to introduce today! First up, we have Lillian Pingle. Lillian is a junior from Waynesboro, Virginia, who is majoring in Sociology and minoring in Religious Studies. She is in the Honors Program, on HrnsPAG, and the president of RC Lutherans. She also has two jobs, one as a […]
As we begin to start a summer of research, it is time to introduce our Summer Scholars! Jennie Costa is a double major in Art History and History. This summer, she is working with Dr. Leslie Warden on the project “Visiting an Ancient Egyptian Oasis: What Ceramic Artifacts from ‘Split Rock’ Can Reveal About Ancient […]
I had the opportunity to interview Shannon Baker concerning her opportunity to have her distinction project on Confederate monuments be published in the Michigan Journal of History. Can you describe what your research project is about? My distinction project, Confederate Monuments in Context: Arlington National Cemetery and the Legacy of the Confederacy, analyzed the Confederate monument at […]
I had the opportunity to interview Abigail Packard concerning her time as a research fellow at Roanoke College. Can you describe what your research project is about? My independent project looks at Perceptions of Assessment: Comparing College Students & Faculty. We asked a series of questions about assessment type, including formative, summative, and standardized assessments, […]
I had the opportunity to speak to David Casson concerning his research on structural stigma and substance abuse disorder with the aid of Dr. Schorpp. Can you describe what your research project is about? My research project is about the effect of stigmatization, specifically in terms of a quantitative sociological analysis of structural stigma […]
I had the opportunity to speak to Emily Winstead concerning her research with Dr. Crozier on microbial source tracking using DNA sequencing. Can you describe what your research project is about? My research falls into the field of microbial source tracking – which are methods used to identify sources of fecal contamination in water sample. […]
I had the opportunity to speak with Lauren Powell concerning her research with Dr. Bucholz concerning the empathic differences between conservatives and liberals. Can you describe what your research project is about? The most recent research Dr. Buchholz and I have presented was a study about the empathic differences between conservatives and liberals. Right now, […]
I had the opportunity to speak with Andrew Droubay concerning his research on using virtual reality training to help the National Forest Service fight fires. The research led to his winning of first prize for student research at the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges: Southeastern Regional Meeting for “Interactive Fire Spread Simulation”. Can you […]
I had the opportunity to speak with Hannah Petty concerning her research experience with Dr. Lassiter on examining the effects spironolactone has on the embryological development of zebrafish. Can you describe what your research project is about? For my research project, I look at the effects spironolactone has on the embryological development of zebrafish. I […]
I had the opportunity to speak with Stephanie Zemba concerning her research experience with Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Mehrotra on examining interfaith dating relationships. Can you describe what your research project is about? Our research project examined interfaith dating relationships among college students, including students’ experiences, attitudes or views, expectations, and apprehensions. Drs. Kristi Hoffman […]
I had the opportunity to speak with Ryan Denholm concerning his experience participating in an independent study with Dr. Bañuelos Montes which focused on actions committed by the Guatemalan military during the Cold War. Can you describe what your research project is about? My research project is about atrocities committed by the Guatemalan military during […]
I had the opportunity to speak with Lauren Powell concerning her experience presenting research she conducted with Dr. Bucholz at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology’s Annual Convention in New Orleans. Can you describe what your research project is about? The most recent research Dr. Buchholz and I have conducted was a study about […]
I had the opportunity to talk to recent RC grad Jamie Obremski about her research experience. She had the opportunity to present her research at the Southeast Decision Science Institute (February 2020). Why did you decide to do research? I am a part of the Honors Program here at RC and this research is a […]