student research

WSRA spotlight: Jennifer Barthol

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Jennifer Barthol, a sophomore at Roanoke College, is one of the students under the work study research assistant program. In the program, students are hired and paid to work alongside a professor on a research project. A variety of research projects are spread across all the academic departments on campus. Jennifer works under the Health and Human Performance department with Dr. Elizabeth Holbrook. Jennifer first became interested in the project after being contacted by Dr. Holbrook. After discussing some of her interests and goals, Jennifer decided to work on the project.

Jennifer’s research focuses on surveys given to local elementary school students and their parents about healthy eating and physical activity habits as a part of Dr. Holbrook’s Roanoke Valley Community Healthy Living Index annual assessment. Last semester, Jennifer compiled all the data and entered it into a worksheet. Afterwards, she met with Dr. Holbrook to discuss creating a PowerPoint presentation about the data. The PowerPoint was created and presented to community stakeholders across the Roanoke Valley to inform private and non-profit organizations about the health-related needs of the children in our community. After presenting to the community, they discussed writing an abstract for conference presentation. The abstract was submitted to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research and has been accepted.
While conducting her research, Jennifer was thankful to work with Dr. Holbrook.

“She not only pushes me to do my best, but she is an incredible mentor and role model of someone I hope to be like one day. She has taught me many things, and I do not know what I would do if I didn’t have her by my side throughout the research process and my time here at Roanoke College. If it weren’t for her, I would not have had this opportunity to research something so intriguing to me.”

One of Jennifer’s favorite things about conducting research was learning about other research projects.

“I enjoyed learning from other students who are conducting research in my major. I am able to learn what they are doing and then see if I can apply it to my research findings in any way.”

To anyone considering research, Jennifer says:

“Make sure you enjoy what you are researching, find new ways of doing things (whatever it may be), ask questions, and read up on other research projects/articles.”

Roanoke College student presents research at the Experimental Biology conference in Boston

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Nicholas Wright, a senior at Roanoke College, presented at the Experimental Biology conference in Boston in March of 2015. Nick’s project focused on understanding the amino acids responsible for binding interactions occurring between two subunits of a protein complex in the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. The project was a collaboration between the Roanoke College Chemistry department and the Department of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University. He decided to do research at Roanoke as soon as he found a research project he was interested in.
Nick really appreciated the ability to work with a professor while conducting research.

“Working with my advisor, Dr. Tim Johann, is a great experience. I always feel welcome to talk about an experiment, preparations in lab, techniques, etc. Having worked in labs elsewhere, this is something that is unique and special at Roanoke. In many labs you may rarely see the faculty principle investigator.”

Nick found that presenting can be one of the most challenging components of conducting research.

“You always have to know your audience and remember that the audience does not have the same level of understanding of the project as you do. Communicating science is the most important part of doing research, so it is critical that you prepare for presentations of your work.”

Despite the challenges, Nick still encourages getting involved as soon as possible.

“Research isn’t for everyone, but if you are interested in research and it turns out that you enjoy it, the earlier to start the better. Graduate programs value experience and competency very highly.”

Nick spent the Summer of 2015 doing research at the Scripps Institute, Florida and will be interviewing for graduate programs this spring.

Three Roanoke College students share their experience about their work on a research collaborative

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Pictured above: Anna Denisch (top), Rebecca Conter (left) and Emma Clarke (right)

The MARCUS conference (Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Undergraduate Scholarship), is an annual conference where students can present their research to other students, professors, and the public. In 2015, the conference was held at Randolph College on October 10th. The conference is multidisciplinary where students can share a topic using knowledge and methods from a variety of fields.

Anna Denisch, ’16, Rebecca Conter, ’17, and Emma Clarke, ’18, another group of students from Dr. Poli and Dr. Stoneman’s Dragon Research Collaborative, attended the MARCUS conference in October 2015. Anna Denisch worked under the education department and spent her time researching dragon lore and writing a children’s book that explains the myths. Rebecca Conter worked with the Virginia Museum of Natural History studying Paleobotany to later develop activity pages to help children learn about Paleobotany. Emma Clarke spent her time on the project studying Lepidodendron fossils and dragon myths.

Rebecca really enjoyed working with Dr. Poli and the “Dragon research team”.

“It’s a very rewarding experience. Dr. Poli and “Team Dragon” (as we call the Collaborative), push me to expand my knowledge and grow independently. The whole team serves as a support system for one-another. Every week, we bounce ideas back-and-forth, looking for ways to overcome obstacles and expand our horizons”

Anna’s favorite moment doing research was when the research group travelled to Beckley, West Virginia

“We went to the quarry where the fossils that are essentially the backbone of the whole project are found. These tree fossils show bark that looks a lot like how dragon scales are portrayed in art about dragons. It was a lot of fun to go with the group and be able to dig around the site looking for the fossils. The best part: we got to keep whatever we found. I now have dragons in my room, it’s pretty amazing.”

All three students encourage getting involved in research:

Emma: Research is a great resume builder as well as a way to get to know more people on campus.

Anna: I would say go for it! But I would also encourage caution and slowness. When you start a research project, it is so easy to come up with a million ideas of all the different things you want to do. I’m telling you now, you can’t. Yes it’s a good idea to have ideas, but with time constraints you really need to pick one or two solid ideas (that hopefully overlap) and just run with those. You may think you have all the free time in the world when a semester and research start, but trust me, by midterms you’re going to be glad that you’ve only got one or two projects to work on for your research.

Rebecca: Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Talk to your professors. Explore your options. You have no idea how good it gets until you dive-in!

Two Roanoke College biology students present at the MARCUS conference

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Pictured above: Benjamin Schwartz (left) and Sarah Petrosky (right)

The MARCUS conference (Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Undergraduate Scholarship) is an annual conference where students can present their research to other students, professors, and the public. In 2015, the conference was held at Randolph College on October 10th. The conference is multidisciplinary where students can share a topic using knowledge and methods from a variety of fields.

Benjamin Schwartz, ‘16, and Sarah Petrosky, ‘17, are two students involved in Dr. Poli’s Dragon Research Collaborative, a multidisciplinary research team focused on explaining some of the myths and traditions around dragons. Both students travelled to the MARCUS conference in October to present their research. Ben’s research investigated medicinal properties in “dragon plants” while Sarah’s research focused on the plant species Lycopodium digitalus and why the plant species is extremely flammable.

Both Ben and Sarah really enjoyed working with Dr. Poli on their research projects.

Ben Schwartz: “Working one on one with a professor is an extremely worthwhile experience. Through research, Dr. Poli has become more than just a supervisor to me. She provides me with just enough insight into my research protocol and technique that I am driven in the right direction, but also so that I am forced to critically think on my own and feel comfortable executing the experiment independently. Moreover, she is also a wealth of knowledge for my future ambitions. Harvesting a relationship like this with a professor is invaluable, and I will always hold close to me everything she has taught me.”

Sarah Petrosky: “I really enjoy working with Dr. Poli. For the most part, I work on my own while giving her frequent updates as to how my research is coming along. In my lab, it is a very independent process. I do not have scheduled time in a lab, just goals that I am required to meet on a weekly basis.”

Ben’s favorite part about working on his project was presenting at the conference.

“Some of the Dragon Research Collaborative traveled together to represent the team and spread the word about our interdisciplinary approach toward research. I enjoyed sharing my studies with people outside of Roanoke College and also learning about research that other schools provide.”

The toughest part about Sarah’s research project was managing the development of the plants.

“The plants I work with cannot be grown in a greenhouse. This means that the stages of development that I look at occur only once a year. The incredibly time-sensitive nature of my project, then, places a lot of pressure on me during the weeks of late August through early November, since I have to catch the plants at each stage in their development when it happens, or I would be unable to complete my protocol.”

Both Ben and Sarah recommend getting involved in research and offer their advice to anyone considering it.

Ben: “Whether you need experience for graduate school or employment after college, or if you’re just truly passionate about a subject and want to learn more, then you must get involved. It’s a win-win, you cannot go wrong.”

Sarah: “There are two big suggestions I have. The first one is, when you get involved in research, make sure your other schoolwork is manageable. This is more for your own health more than anything. Different professors run their labs different ways, but it is still a time commitment, and if you have overloaded on courses, it could get very overwhelming very quickly. The second one is, work with a professor that you like and that has a project that is of interest to you.”

Roanoke College senior presents at the MARCUS conference

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The MARCUS conference (Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Undergraduate Scholarship), is an annual conference where students can present their research to other students, professors, and the public. In 2015, the conference was held at Randolph College on October 10th. The conference is multidisciplinary where students can share a topic using knowledge and methods from a variety of fields.
Andrew Dittmar, a senior at Roanoke College, was one of the students who participated in the conference. Andrew was involved with the History department for his research project. The project was titled: “”Discovering Liberty: Defining Individualist Anarchism in Liberty, 1881-1908″. It focused on a periodical titled “Liberty”, which covered a radical political philosophy known as individualist anarchism. Andrew’s goal was to investigate the political philosophy and how it managed to become a part of the magazine.
Andrew first came across his research topic while searching for a topic for his Historical Methods course.

“I was struggling to come up with a topic, as my primary historical interests lie in the ancient world and in turn-of-the-20th-century Russia. I was doing a simple Google search trying to somehow unite one of my areas of interest with our course era, and I stumbled across the first page of the first issue of Liberty in 1881. What struck me was a particular page feature a full length eulogy in poem form honoring Sophia Perovskaya, a Russian revolutionary who had, earlier in 1881, been involved in the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, and had been executed for it. The poem continually referred to her action as having been heroic and necessary; I was intrigued, and kept reading. What I discovered was a full-fledged political ideology taking form in the pages of a newspaper”.

One of the things Andrew enjoyed at the conference was how the panel sessions worked.

“I was a part of a five-person student panel, and each of us had researched dramatically different things. My fellow panelists talked about: neurotransmitters in rats; women in French literature; a skeleton used by secret societies at Bennington College; and sound wave patterns. I have no idea why we were all put together, but I learned a lot. It was really cool to see what other students at other schools were researching.”

To anyone considering doing research, Andrew says:

“I know research in a humanities subject area looks very different than research in hard science, but in both instances, research is about uncovering a story, the story behind what, how, and why things are the way they are. Many of these stories have been told, but many are still waiting to be told. So always keep your eye open for a story that you can uncover and tell, because they’re all around you.”

URAP Student Spotlight: Emily Searles

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The Undergraduate Research Assistants Program (URAP) is a program where students work one on one with a faculty member on a research project together. Students apply their senior year of high school and can work on their research program for four years. Emily Searles, a sophomore at Roanoke College, is a URAP student working in the chemistry department. Her topic investigates nanocrystals and their use for fluorescence in LEDs and other forms of light. Emily’s work involves making copper indium sulfide nanocrystals with a silver gallium shelling and then optimizing the fluorescence in the crystals. She then changes different variables in the experiment to see the differences.
Emily learned that working with her project adviser, Dr. Hughes, was a big help.

“It is great working with a professor because they understand what you know and what you need to learn while doing research and really help to propel you forward in the department.”

To anyone considering doing research, Emily says:

“Research is a great way to develop skills outside of the classroom that will be beneficial in helping gain real world experience in the lab. The opportunities Roanoke gives students are outstanding and as a student you can fully encompass Roanoke through research”

Roanoke College student conducts research on walking patterns

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The Undergraduate Research Assistants Program (URAP) is a program where students work one on one with a faculty member on a research project together. Students apply their senior year of high school and can work on their research program for four years. Annaliese LaDuke, a sophomore at Roanoke College, is one of the students in the URAP program. She works in the Health and Human Performance Department with Dr. Rearick on the project: “Understanding the Choices We Make: A Psychological, Physiological, and Kinematic Examination of Human Motion”. Annaliese first became interested in doing research when she was applying to URAP before her freshman year.

“Dr. Rearick’s really stuck out to me. I have always been really interested in and curious about knowing why things work the way they do, especially the human body, so this project seemed like a great way to explore that interest further.”

Annaliese and Dr. Rearick’s project seeks to determine how people select their preferred walking pace. Annaliese tests the subjects walking on a treadmill at different paces and has the subjects rate their perceived level of exertion, energy, and comfort; she then records the data.

“Last semester I was working alongside Annie Shreckhise, another URAP student of Dr. Rearick’s, and assisting her in her study that concentrated on measuring patients’ respiratory gases and the paces at which they are most efficient. This semester, I am doing a continuation of that to determine if there are any statistical differences between selecting a preferred pace with or without a loaded backpack, and also between the pace at which one is most efficient and one’s preferred pace.”

Annaliese has really enjoyed her time working with Dr. Rearick:

“I love getting to work with Dr. Rearick one-on-one because I feel like I learn so much from talking to him about his experiences and when we are covering new material, we can go at a pace at which I learn best. Dr. Rearick is the best professor to work with because he acknowledges all of the other things I have going on outside of research, and he plans our research accordingly. He is very caring and has his students’ best interest at heart. I am never just left to figure things out on my own, but Dr. Rearick also challenges me and helps me grow academically in this way.”

Annaliese strongly encourages current and incoming students to get involved in research.

“If [you] don’t know what [your] interests are, I would tell them to pick anything that peaks [your] interest. [You] can always spend some time in a lab and figure out whether or not [you] want to continue that kind of work. If not, there are so many other labs and opportunities at Roanoke where students can get involved in research. But I think everyone should consider trying it, because it gets you thinking and learning in a way that is so different from what is done in a classroom setting.”

Roanoke College conducts summer research on tuberculosis

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Lydiah Mpyisi, a senior at Roanoke College, was one of the students who did research on campus during Summer 2015. Lydiah worked in the Chemistry Department on an independent research project. Her research focused on a better understanding of the four putative Glutamine synthetases found in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent for tuberculosis disease. Lydiah decided to pursue the project because of her interest in medicine and desire to get experience doing laboratory work. She became involved in Dr. Johann’s research work, which focuses on finding potential targets for drugs against tuberculosis.

Lydiah spent her time conducting experiments, doing literature research, and updating her lab notebook. She’s enjoyed working together with Dr. Johann on the project.

“He is always available to answer any questions or concerns that I may have, regardless of whether they are research related or career related questions. In addition, I have been able to fit research hours into my schedule and sometimes Dr. Johann stays late just to help me conduct my research. I would say being involved in on-campus research is one of the best experiences that I’ve had in my undergraduate experience so far.”

Lydiah’s favorite part of her project are the times when experiments go late into the night.

“I stay in the lab until midnight setting up an experiment that needs to run through the night, and then I find positive results the following morning. I’m usually filled with joy and lots of satisfaction from my hard work.”

For people considering research, Lydiah says:

“Research will lead you into numerous opportunities that you never anticipate. It is through my research experience that I got an internship with Novozymes – an international biotechnology company. I used my research for my honors project and now I’m in the process of earning an honors in Biology through the same research. In addition, I earned class credit through the same research and ended up earning a minor in Chemistry without having planned for it.”

Roanoke College student interviewed by Roanoke Times about summer research

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Molly Trosch, a senior at Roanoke College, is one of the students who did research at Roanoke College over the summer. Molly works in the History department with Dr. Miller and Dr. Leeson. The project involves taking artifacts from Explore Park, a closed state park, and housing them in educational settings. Molly became involved with the project after hearing her friends talk about the project last semester.

Molly helps fill out the paperwork associated with the artifacts. Afterwards, she takes a photo of the artifact and attaches a tag to identify it. She also meets with people interested in taking in some of the artifacts for education.

Molly enjoyed working with her project advisers.

“Working with Dr. Miller and Dr. Leeson helped me learn about what the museum and archiving world is actually like, plus I got to learn a lot about the artifacts and the time period they came from.”

One of Molly’s favorite moments from the project was being interviewed by the Roanoke Times with Dr. Miller.

“It was such a fun experience being able to show the reporters (and the Roanoke area!) what I’ve put so much work and effort into. It was really fun and incredibly special.”

To anyone thinking about doing research, Molly says:

“Just go for it! If you are especially interested in what your friends or your professors are doing, ask them about it. Cool projects and experience opportunities like these tend to be hard to find, but if you do find one, do it. What have you got to lose?”

To see the interview with Molly, click the link below

https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/salem/roanoke-college-to-turn-clay-street-house-into-th-century/article_99b13751-babf-5164-8bc4-f1d864539513.html

Roanoke College Student Conducts Research Near Myrtle Beach

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Dionys Beck, a senior at Roanoke College majoring and physics and minoring in math, travelled to Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina over the summer to conduct research. During his 10 weeks at Coastal, Dionys assisted a graduate student’s research project. The project studied the dispersion of rainwater runoff through an offshore outfall into the ocean front.

“I first had to study up on the theory behind the research, which was a lot of fluid mechanics. During the time I was there the project was in the experimental design phase. I was responsible for testing instruments that would later be used for the experimental deployment. Testing the instruments resulted in a lot of data being collected, so it was my job to learn how to use various computer programs (MATLAB mostly) to organize and plot the results of the tests.”

Dionys’ favorite part of the program was going out in the marshes and testing the salinity and temperature of the water.

“It was important to get accurate measurements because my data was used to ensure that the instruments would get quality readings during the month long deployment. It was exciting to see the end result of my work actually making an impact and being used to further the research project.”

Dionys’ advice to incoming and current students is to get involved in undergraduate research.

“If your plan is to attend graduate school or go into a science related field, there is nothing else you can do to better prepare yourself. Not only will it look great on a resume, but it will let you apply the knowledge you have learned at Roanoke College to real life situations.”