student research

Research Highlight: Jamie Obremski

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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 part of my Distinction Project.

Can you describe what your research project is about?

My research project is on the topic of financial literacy in college students.  I worked on measuring the financial literacy, or lack thereof, of Roanoke College students and determining ways to lessen this gap.

What made you decide to pursue your topic?

One of the biggest gaps experienced by college students is financial knowledge and responsibility. Students are beginning to take more control over their personal finances at this age and lack the skill and knowledge to make responsible financial decisions. Therefore, I wanted to see if there was any way to help resolve this issue since it is such an important life skill.

Talk about the conference experience?

Attending this conference was a positive experience for me. I was exposed to a lot of different levels of research, some from college students like me and some from experienced professionals.  I enjoyed being able to learn about different projects being done and also hear some feedback about my own project from outsiders.

Why would someone be interested in presenting your findings at a conference?

Financial literacy is a topic that everyone needs to have familiarity in. As students grow older and have to face the “real” world, it is becoming apparent that the education system is not doing well at preparing students for this responsibility. Making this more well-known will hopefully bring attention to this issue and help find a way to resolve it.

Research Highlight: Savannah Faith Clark & Christian Sanchez

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Savannah Faith Clark and Christian Sanchez are current juniors at Roanoke College. They had the opportunity to present their research at the Virginia Academy of Science Undergrad Meeting. I asked them questions to get an insight of their experience presenting and what conducting research at Roanoke College is like.


Can you describe what your research project is about?

The purpose of this study is to examine strength, muscle power, and range of motion in the affected arm (arm where breast cancer was present) compared to the unaffected arm in breast cancer survivors. Since breast cancer treatment results in impaired upper body function, more research is needed to examine the extent of losses in the affected arm compared to the unaffected arm. In addition, we plan to examine individual arm strength, muscle power, and range of motion in the upper body of breast cancer survivors compared to women who have not had breast cancer.

What made you decide to pursue your topic?

This project is an extension of research that our adviser, Dr. Ashley Artese, has previously done where she found that body fat and bone mineral density were lower in the affected arm compared to the unaffected arm of breast cancer survivors. Therefore, we are interested in how these body composition and bone deficits can impact strength, muscle power, and range of motion.

Talk about the conference experience?

After submitting a research proposal to the Virginia Academy of Science in October, we presented our proposal at a poster session at the Virginia Academy of Science Fall Undergraduate Research Meeting. The competition consisted of 40 undergraduate posters from other colleges in Virginia. Each poster was presented to three judges who evaluated the written proposal and our oral presentation. We were the top nine posters that were awarded a $750.00 research grant. We will present the results of this project at the Annual Spring Meeting.

Why would someone be interested in presenting your findings at a conference?

Findings from this study will provide a better understanding of long-term side effects of treatment on strength, muscle power, and range of motion in affected and unaffected arms in breast cancer survivors and how those outcomes compare to women who have not had cancer. Results may impact how healthcare providers use exercise as an additive during and after treatment to prevent potential losses in functional outcomes in the upper body.

Research Highlight: Stephanie Zemba

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I had the opportunity to talk to Stephanie Zemba a current junior at RC. Not only did she have the opportunity to conduct research in the summer, but she also presented her research at MARCUS (Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference of Undergraduate Scholarship). I asked Stephanie a few questions to get her insight about what her experience was like.

Can you describe what your research project is about?     

I am doing a research project with Dr. Mehrotra that examines whether and how social isolation is experienced by older immigrants living in Southwest Virginia, an area with few large ethnic communities. In addition to exploring the factors that contribute to isolation and loneliness among this group, I was also interested in how they reduced loneliness. I conducted over 40 semi-structured interviews with immigrant elders this summer and fall. For MARCUS, I presented on the three primary ways that older immigrants described reducing their loneliness—maintaining strong family and friend relationships, becoming involved in a religious community, and continuing to practice their culture (cultural continuity).

What made you decide to pursue your topic?       

The topic of immigration was brought up in my Global Perspectives on Family class (SOCI-329) and I was interested in learning more about it. My grandfather was an immigrant from Germany, which also contributed to my interest in immigration. In addition, I came across a news article about the growing problem of loneliness among older adults. I was talking about my ideas for potential research topics with Dr. Mehrotra and when I mentioned both these interests, she said, why not look at both? One of the first articles I found presented a seeming contradiction—late-life immigrants who came to join family members still experienced loneliness despite being embedded in a strong family network. Moreover, since so few researchers have actually focused on isolation among foreign-born elders, it was a promising area. Once I looked into it more, I was hooked!

Talk about the conference experience?      

 I think presenting at MARCUS was a great experience. I wouldn’t describe myself as much of a public speaker, so the idea of signing up to do a 12-minute presentation seemed really daunting at first. However, everyone I talked to said it would be a good way to become more comfortable with speaking in front of people, especially considering that I want to present at a regional sociology conference in April. I also plan to earn a PhD and become a sociology professor, so public speaking is definitely a key skill to build. Before the conference, Dr. Mehrotra and I met every 2 or 3 weeks so that I could become more comfortable with public speaking and get feedback about how to improve. Despite all this preparation, I was still nervous on the day of the actual presentation, but it went very well and I received a lot of interesting questions from the audience.

Why would someone be interested in presenting your findings at a conference?      

Presenting at an smaller undergraduate conference like MARCUS is a great way to “get your feet wet” and practice for larger national or regional conferences. It’s also a good strategy for getting feedback on your work and exploring new directions for research, as audience questions can make you think about your findings in another way.

Research Highlight: Dr. Sarisky, Caroline Hunter, Nicholas Plymale, & Kevin Smee

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Some of our fellow RC Maroons were recently published in The PLOS Journal. Dr. Sarisky and 3 recent RC graduates, Caroline Hunter, Nicholas Plymale, and Kevin Smee published their paper “Experimental characterization of two archaea inosine 5′-monophosphate cyclohydrolases”. RC Research had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Sarisky and Caroline Hunter about this accomplishment and their research.

I’m an enzymologist, which means I study enzymes.  With the explosion in the number of sequenced genomes, we have a tremendous amount of genome-level data, but far less experimental characterization.  So we have literally millions upon millions of apparent genes, whose enzymes have been labeled by a computer (sometimes vaguely) about what they might do, but very few have been actually characterized at the protein level. In this paper, my students and I looked at a couple of enzymes called “inosine 5′-monophosphate cyclohydrolases” from two species of archaea.  These enzymes had never been characterized before, and their gene assignments were based on pretty distant relationships.  These enzymes are interesting because they close up the second ring needed to make purines (those are the As and Gs of DNA), and because they’re from organisms that live at very high temperatures.  One of the two enzymes ended up being most active at 80 degrees C (which was as high as we could measure).  That was pretty interesting, since lots of proteins are unfolded (and non functional) at that temperature. 

—Dr. Sarisky

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Roanoke College, from the fantastic classes, to professors, to the extra-curricular activities; however, none of these were comparable to my research experience in Dr. Sarisky’s lab. From the first day I stepped into her lab to do my summer research project, I fell in love with research and my life wasn’t the same. I planned on going to medical school after graduation, but after doing research, trying to answer a question no one has before, I realized that this was my passion. Not only was our research project “Experimental characterization of two archaeal inosine 5′-monophosphate cyclohydrolases” fascinating to me, but it also gave me invaluable cognitive and laboratory skills that set me apart from other applicants when applying to graduate school as well as provided me with a strong foundation for my own PhD research project at Marshall University School of Medicine. I am forever grateful for the experience I had at RC, especially doing research with Dr. Sarisky, and am thrilled that our research was published for others to see. For the students who aren’t sure if they want to do research, my advice is try it, you never know how it will turn out.

—Caroline Hunter

Here is the link to their research if you would like to check it out. Congratulations to our fellow maroons!!!

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223983

Research Highlight: Dr. Johann, Casey Cooper, Matt Bryant, & Naomi Hogan

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Some of our fellow RC Maroons were recently published in The Protein Journal. Dr. Johann and 3 students, Casey Cooper (Wojtera while at RC), Matt Bryant, and Naomi Hogan, published their paper “Investigations of Amino Acids in the 5-Formyltetrahydrofolate Binding Site of 5,10-Methenyltetrahydrofolate Synthetase from Mycoplasma pneumonia”. RC Research had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Johann and Naomi Hogan about this accomplishment and their research.

Enzymes are biological catalysts; they speed up chemical reactions.  Our work focused on structure/function relationships in 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (MTHFS).  This enzyme is important in that it converts a storage form of tetrahydrofolate into a useful form.  Tetrahydrofolates are typically made in the human body starting with the vitamin folic acid.  In some cancer treatments, this process is blocked to semi-selectively kill cancer cells.  Normal cells are then rescued using the storage form of folate that the enzyme MTHFS helps change into a useful form.

Enzymes are made up of smaller units called amino acids.  We removed specific amino acids in the enzyme MTHFS and replaced them with other amino acids.  We then studied if the enzyme worked as well as it does with the natural amino acid.  This helped us to determine the role that those amino acids play in the function of the enzyme. 

—Dr. Johann, Chemistry

“Doing research over the summer gave me the opportunity to see more realistically how a lab functions.  It gave me the chance to determine whether research is the right choice for me when pursuing a career. There is a lot more effort that goes into the process than publications show, as well as a lot of failures before a success. Being published is a very marketable achievement. It will help me secure a career with an employer that values research and all of the trial-and-error that goes into it. I greatly appreciate Dr. Johann giving me this golden opportunity to enhance my future career.”

—Naomi Hogan

Here is the link to their research if you would like to check it out. Congratulations to our fellow maroons!!!

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10930-019-09861-4?fbclid=IwAR3vyKaEKXcC82r-RRB-tIYY9RMxGxMIae9JG-CRWV4Iayfo7wTGKyaZXVw

Research Highlight: Erin McDonnell

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Recent graduate Erin McDonnell had the opportunity to present at SDB conference with Dr. Lassiter. I had the opportunity to interview her and get her take on her conference experience.

Can you describe what your research project is about?

At its core, my research project centered around ideas of Behavioral Neuroscience and Toxicology. My experiment looked at the development of zebrafish embryos while being exposed to a chemical compound called Tributlytin (TBT).  I measured brain areas of certain regions and the length of the notochord through phase contrast microscopy. Once the brain had been imaged, I let them develop further in the chemical environment to the age where they could swim and tested for a specific behavioral response. The response that I measured was how long the embryos swam around after being startled.  This was done in order to establish a link between the chemical’s effects on the body as well as later developed behavioral patterns that may be extrapolated to humans. 
We found that TBT does have an impact on how the brain and notochord develop as well as how larvae interact with their environment. Specifically, my research showed that exposure to this chemical, even at 0.1 nM, decreased the size of the forebrain, increased the length of the notochord and increased the amount of time the larvae stayed in a startled state. Other behavioral abnormalities were also found that offers many doors in future directions for expanding the project.

What made you decide to pursue your topic?

         Ultimately, I wanted to work on a project that truly integrated both Psychology and Biology to greater explore the neurological, and I have always had a fascination with the “black box” of Psychology, the concept that the mind can only be explored in matters of influencing input and describing the output. This concept of what is going in affects what is there and changes something that is expressed was an attainable premise to build upon, and is the idea that the project centers on. Marrying that idea to another of my major interests of not knowing how certain drugs and chemicals work within living systems is how I decided to pursue the full topic of the project. 

Talk about the conference experience.

The conference that I went to was the Society for Developmental Biology’s 78thannual meeting. The conference spanned a variety of developmental biology topics such as Evolutionary Biology, Epigenetics, modeling human pathologies, Regeneration and Organogenesis, and new live imaging techniques. My research was accepted for presentation during a poster session that had other neurodevelopment and related projects from all over the nation as well as a few from visiting countries. This was my first conference ever, and at first it was a tad overwhelming. Once I got into the rhythm of the conference, however, everything was incredible.  I learned so much about things I had never even thought about before, all while having a great time interacting with new people and getting to see a different side of my professor. Going to a conference is yet another way to experience a field of study in a more hands on way. I got to hear from top minds in the field and people on more my level of study about the research they have done, where the field is going, and also just simply what excites them about science. It was a whirlwind experience that I think everyone that can, should have. It is also one that, no matter who you are, will gain something from it.  

Why would someone be interested in your findings at a conference?

Personally, I wanted to present my findings at a conference in order to get the experience of presenting as well as network with people I would likely never have the opportunity to meet outside of that conference. It is one thing to present to a room of peers, or even colleagues, but presenting in a space filled with strangers of who most have advanced degrees and want to speak with you about your work is another. It is one that is exhilarating, at times nerve wracking, but in its entirety unique.
While I am a bit biased, my findings alone were intriguing due to the unexplored nature of the chemical I chose and what I ended up finding. I wanted to get the chance to tell other people about what I had done and found.  I was looking at zebrafish and how they reacted in ways that I thought might be seen affecting humans. So not only are there developmental and purely biological implications, but one might be interested in presenting my research at a conference that focuses on health, environmental risk factors for disease or human ecological impacts.  I would love to have someone take a look at the work that I have done and expand on it. My project was meant as a stepping stone that I hope a student will take up in the future.

Summer Scholar Research Highlights

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Stephanie Zemba ’21

Major: Sociology

Title:Social Isolation Among Aging Immigrants

Abstract: Health consequences of social isolation are well-documented. Older immigrants are particularly vulnerable to social isolation due to the stresses associated with aging in a foreign country. The projected increase in foreign-born elders makes social isolation an important phenomenon to study. The proposed research will employ semi-structured interviews to explore whether and how social isolation is experienced by immigrant elders in the Roanoke Valley. Investigating social isolation among immigrant elders who live in an area where their ethnic group is underrepresented will provide a greater understanding of the challenges these elders face and potentially help local organizations address their needs.

Something about the scholar: Stephanie is a junior at Roanoke College, majoring in sociology. She was born and raised in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Through the Research Fellows program and an independent study course, Steph is involved with two ongoing research projects in the Sociology department on interfaith dating and nondrinking students. She is a member of the French and Culture Shock clubs on campus, and her hobbies include creative writing, reading, and painting. Her friends like to joke that if you can’t find Steph in the library, you’ll find her attending office hours. Steph’s future plans include attending graduate school, earning a PhD in sociology, and becoming a college professor.

Nathaniel Willis ’20

Major: History, Political Science

Title: Religion and Politics in the Middle East: A Comparative Study of Christian Communities in Egypt, Lebanon, and Israel

Abstract: The relationship between religion and state is an important component of the political dynamic of the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, and while Islam is the predominate religion in these areas, Christian Minorities play a notable role in the region. These communities include the Coptic Christians of Egypt, Maronite Christians of Lebanon, and the numerous Christian churches in Israel and Palestine. This study is a comparative analysis of how each community directly and indirectly participates in the political and civil service apparatuses of their respective countries.

Something about the scholar: Nathaniel is a senior from Bedford, Virginia and is a History and Political Science double major. His primary interest of study is the intersection of religion with the fields of politics and history, which is an interest likely influenced by his parents, one of whom is a professor of religious studies at Lynchburg College and the other an ordained Presbyterian minister. Nathaniel is involved in Roanoke College athletics, having participated for 3 seasons of Cross Country and 2 seasons of Track and Field. Nathaniel has spent his past three years at Roanoke working as a student assistant (churl) for the History Department, as well as spending a semester in Washington, D.C. working as an intern for the U.S. Department of State.

 

Summer Scholar Research Highlights

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Dylan Sullivan ’20

Major: Chemistry

Title: Development of a Low-Cost Fluorescence Spectrometer

Abstract: The technique of fluorescence spectroscopy utilizes light to determine unknown concentrations of molecules. The actual instrument used, a fluorimeter, costs over $30,000 so most students lack access to learn about and use this technique. In this research, I propose to develop a fully-functional LEGO-based fluorimeter as a cost efficient alternative to a commercial fluorimeter. Specifically, I will determine how various components and engineering designs affect the LEGO fluorimeter’s performance. Afterwards, I will then utilize this instrument to characterize the speed of an enzymatic reaction, with an end goal of developing a laboratory experiment to be used by Roanoke College students.

Something about the scholar: Dylan is from Fredericksburg, Virginia and is currently a senior at Roanoke College. He is majoring in Chemistry and is looking to attend a graduate program for a Ph.D. in Chemistry after his graduation. Dylan is also currently working as a chemistry departmental assistant under Dr. Keithley’s mentorship. When it comes to chemistry courses he has previously taken, he enjoys organic chemistry and quantitative chemistry the most.

 

Andrew Webb ’20

Major: Applied Computer Science

Title: Creating Interactive Fire Spread in VR

Abstract: The project is focusing on creating a program that can take the United States Forest Service’s Fire Spread data and put it into a Virtual Reality space. From there, the Virtual Reality space will be used to create training programs for US Forest Service Firefighters to better learn how to handle forest fires.

Something about the scholar: Andrew is a Senior Applied Computer Science Student. A New Mexican student, he prefers to consider himself a Roanoker. When he isn’t busy working on VR forests, he likes to explore the local ones.

Summer Scholar Research Highlights

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Andrew Droubay ‘20

Major: Computer Science & Mathematics

Title: Pointer Visualization and Education in C++ Through Gamification

Abstract:The syntactic and theoretical use of pointers within computer programming is often a difficult obstacle to intermediate students. Solutions involving visualizations and practice problems have been used before, but a better result may be obtained through gamifying the problem. This project aims to create an enjoyable, educational, and visual game that will reinforce the use of pointers within a computer science curriculum. The game’s effectiveness will be tested on a group of students in CPSC 170 at Roanoke College.

Something about the scholar:  Andrew is a math and computer science major and IT programmer at Roanoke College, where he writes forms and web applications for the college’s website and internal IT use. He has been inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta, the freshman honor society, and Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society, and has been a member of the President’s or Dean’s list each semester at Roanoke. He enjoys computer science as a problem solving challenge yielding tangible results. When he’s not studying, he likes to spend his time fishing, woodworking, or designing, studying, and playing video games.

Mark Maust ‘20

Major:Chemistry

Title:Optimization and Investigation of a novel palladium-catalyzed olefin difunctionalization

Abstract:Organic compounds are molecules are compounds that can be found everywhere in modern life. The creation of organic compounds is often tedious and costly, so exploring opportunities to efficiently synthesize these compounds is of interest. An essential component to the synthesis of organic molecules is the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. Palladium has shown capabilities to form carbon-carbon bonds and thus has been utilized widely in organic synthesis. Specifically, this research investigates the transformation of a carbon-carbon double bond through a novel pathway using palladium to gain a deeper understanding of the reaction so others can utilize it in their investigations.

Something about the scholar: A third year Chemistry major, Mark has an interest for the discovery and excitement that is associated with research. In the summer of 2017, Mark began his research in the Brenzovich lab where he began studying a palladium-catalyzed olefin difunctionalization reaction. During his research time, Mark has successfully created unique compounds that have provided insight into the step-by-step process of how the reaction occurs. The work he performed has been presented at the national American Chemical Society Conference (March 2018) and is currently being prepared for publication. Mark plans to continue his research and take his love for discovery to graduate school to further his education in organic synthesis and hopefully start a career in pharmaceutical research. 

RC Showcase of Research & Creativity

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On April 5th, approximately 40 RC students had the opportunity to present their work at the Roanoke College Showcase of Research and Creativity. 

Top awards went to . . .

First Place: Katie Hefele –– Cardiac function in the American lobster: How does pericardial sinus pressure relate to pressure inside the heart? 

Dr. Dar Jorgensen, Biology

Second Place: Matt Johnson –– Kinetics studies of archaeal PurO and PurH1-related cyclohydrolases

Dr. Cathy Sarisky, Chemistry

Third Place was a tie between: 

Kasey Ansell –– Active Commuting and Weight-Related Health Status in Elementary School-Aged Youth: A Preliminary Investigation

Dr. Liz Ackley, Health and Human Performance

Erin McDonnell –– Effects on nervous system development and anxious state behavioral patterns of zebrafish (Danio rerio) from short term exposure to Tributyltin (TBT)

Dr. Chris Lassiter, Biology