Month: February 2012

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RC Senior Co-Authors Publication with Faculty Mentor

Congratulations to Dr. Steve Powers (faculty member in Biology Department) and Ms. Sarah Ahlbrand (senior in Biology Department ) for the recent acceptance for publication of their study titled “Systematics of the Ashy Darter, Etheostoma cinereum (Teleostei: Percidae) species complex (subgenus Allohistium)” in the international journal Zootaxa.  Ms. Ahlbrand: “It was a great experience and really helped me realize that I want to pursue a career in biology lab research.”  Sarah’s participation in the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) and Summer Scholars at Roanoke College gave her the opportunity to do research with faculty members and allowed for the completion of this project.   Due in part to her experience with research at RC, Sarah was able to secure admission and financial support to some of the premier Ph.D. programs in the country and will continue her research this fall as a graduate student.

Dr. Stella Xu and 4 RC Students to do Fieldwork in China this Summer

Congratulations to Dr. Stella Xu (History Department) for winning a Freeman Foundation Fellowship for Summer 2012. Dr. Xu and four Roanoke College students will be doing field work in China this summer. Read the blog post about this award.

Apply to Summer Scholars Program by March 15

Would you rather flip hamburgers (or paint houses or mow lawns) or spend a summer on the Roanoke campus using your mind? Would you like to get paid $2,500 (and free housing and independent study credit) for feeding your curiosity? Roanoke’s Summer Scholar Program is designed for serious students who want to use their summers wisely and work one-on-one with faculty. Every year, students compete to receive one of the coveted slots. Applications are due March 15, 2012. P.S. The application has changed, so see the Summer Scholars page for new details on what is required.

Top 5 Reasons RC students Should do REU Summer Research

1. REU experience looks great on a grad school application.
2. You can apply for RC Summer Scholars and REUs to decide whether you’d like to stay at RC or go elsewhere for research this summer.
3. You experience what “big school” research is like.
4. You will be paid a stipend to do research.
5. You will get a realistic preview of graduate school.

Students, if you’re interested in doing research at a different college, you should look into NSF’s REU programs (REU = Research Experiences for Undergraduates). REUs are fantastic preparation for graduate school. The application process varies by school, but you can search for opportunities through the following website:

https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm

Find a Faculty Member to Work with on Research or Creative Works

Faculty research interests are posted under the “Faculty Research” section of the website.

Need Money to Present at a Conference? Apply now.

Students are eligible for funding to present their research or creativity at professional conferences. To apply, students should submit a request (including budget numbers) via: https://tiny.cc/travelfund. Funding is capped at $500 per student per year. Students planning to travel before June 30th should apply now for priority consideration.

Faculty Awarded External Grants

During  Fall 2011, the following faculty were awarded external grants:

• Dr. DorothyBelle Poli was awarded a grant from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for her project, “Bryological Respiration & Photosynthetic Comparisons: A Case to Connect Virginia High School Students to Active Research.”
• Dr. Timothy Johann was awarded a renewal of his grant from the Jeffress Memorial Trust for his study, “Characterization of the Active Site of MTHFS.”
• Dr. Catherine Sarisky was awarded a renewal of her grant from the Jeffress Memorial Trust for her study, “Purine Biosynthesis in Archaea.”
• Dr. Gerry McDermott received a grant from the Gaillot Center for Newman Studies for his project, “Typology in the Thought of John Henry Newman.”

Present at on-campus Conference on Research & Creativity in March

Save the date: Friday, March 30, 2012, 4-7 p.m. in Colket.
Submit an Abstract by the Priority Deadline:  March 13.
We will begin reviewing submissions and making decisions on that date, though you can submit through March 20th at 11:59pm.

Online submission: https://tiny.cc/Conference2012

Any Roanoke College student can present research or creative work at the conference. Projects from class, independent study, URAP, honors, etc. are welcome.

Recent Student Research  Presentations Off-Campus

National Conference Presentations

• Kayla Klingensmith presented at the Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology Annual Meeting in Charleston, SC in January 2012 on “Rapid Hemocyte Mobilization Following Acute Bacterial Exposure in the American Lobster.” Her research mentor was Dr. Dar Jorgensen  in Biology.
• Paul Vines presented at the Joint Mathematics Meeting in Boston, MA in January 2012 on “Computational Model of Iron Metabolism in Breast Epithelial Cells.” Paul’s research mentor was Dr. Anil Shende  in Computer Science.

State Conference Presentations

• Margaret Anderson presented at the Virginia Assessment Group conference in Williamsburg, VA in November 2011 on “Assessing Applied Learning Programs: The Role of Reflection.” Maggie’s research mentors are Dr. Kimberly Filer, Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment and Dr. Julie Lyon of the Business Administration & Economics Department.

For more details on student-faculty research at Roanoke College, see https://roanoke.edu/research 

By: Sam Smith

Dr. Stella Xu of the history department and four of her students will be taking part in the ASIANetwork-Freeman Foundation Student-Faculty Program for Collaborative Research in Asia this summer for three weeks (May 22 to June 12, 2012). Their project title is “Reinvented Tradition in the Age of Globalization: the Silk Road and its Legacy in Contemporary China.”

The program’s main goal is to support student driven research in Asia under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The organization provides up to $5,000 in research funds for each student and faculty member.

The Freeman Foundation Fellowship is a national competition where only 300 members are chosen to go and make up 14 different research teams in countries all over Asia. This is the first time Roanoke students and faculty are taking part in this and being chosen from numerous other applications is a very prestigious honor. Dr. Xu, Roanoke College’s first East-Asian specialist, attributes being chosen partly to the strong letters of support of the administration, faculty advisors, and the department chair, but mostly to her “strong group of students who show a real interest in East-Asian studies.”

Dr. Xu and her students began planning for this project in March of last year and the final application was submitted in December. Even though each student has a separate research topic Dr. Xu states that she “knows all of the students well and they are already a team”. All four of Dr. Xu’s students have taken classes in East Asian history and two of them are part of the East Asian Concentration program.

The students traveling with Dr. Xu are Kathleen Ouyang (senior) who will be examining “the complexity involved in the recent opening of the National Museum of China”, Mathilda Nassar (freshman) who will focus on “Chinese traditional medicine”, Zachary Hottel (senior) who will examine “European missionaries to China, and their impressions and interactions with Mongol elites in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries compared to contemporary China”, and Thomas Emerson (Junior) who will be conducting research on “the domestication of Buddhism as well as the revival of Buddhism in contemporary China.” While in China these students will get the opportunity to conduct interviews with scholars as well as visit museums, temples, churches, mosques, and Buddhist grottoes.

Dr. Xu is very proud of her students and is excited about this trip that should be as she says “an effective experience with very productive research. The students will be outside of their comfort zone in China but this will be the best experience of their college life.” The students will present their research reports at three different programs on campus next year but they will also present at the ASIANetwork’s annual conference in March of 2013.

For more information on the Student-Faculty Fellows Program for Collaborative Research in Asia you can visit: https://www.asianetwork.org/programs/freeman/students.html

Roanoke College Gender and Women’s Studies Concentration Prize

Purpose: To honor the best student work in Gender and Women’s Studies from 2011

Deadline for entries: Monday, February 20th

Students are invited to submit their work in four categories:

• Best Major Research Project (including senior thesis projects, summer scholars, honors projects, honors in the major, or other papers longer than 20 pages)
• Best Course paper (under 3,000 words)
• Best Creative Work (including creative writing and fine arts)
• Best Community Service Project – (projects that specifically attempt to better the lives of women or girls, and/or projects that promote gender equity or understanding across gender lines (male, female, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered). Students should submit a 3 page description of the project along with any pertinent support materials.

Cash prizes will be awarded!

Entries must date from 2011 (Spring, Summer, or Fall) and need not have been created for a Gender and Women’s Studies course.

Winners will present their work at our showcase on March 20th, 11:50-1pm.

Please send 3 copies of your work and a description of the assignment to Dr. Mary Henold, History Dept., 316 Bank Bldg.

Please direct questions to [email protected] or [email protected]

Have your hard work recognized!!