URAP

URAP spotlight: David Miller

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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. David Miller, a sophomore at Roanoke College, is a URAP student that works in the Chemistry department with Dr. Keithley. David decided to get involved in URAP to get a feel for the lab environment and to prepare for any graduate or professional programs. His project is titled “Carbon-Fiber Microelectrodes for use in Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry”. He has been working on the optimization of the process for making disk shaped carbon-fiber microelectrodes.

David has enjoyed working with Dr. Keithley.

“Dr. Keithley is a mentor to me and is always helping me to see things differently and support me as well as pushing me to try things on my own and letting me run with some of my ideas for the project”

One of the most challenging aspects of David’s research has been optimizing the process for the electrodes.

“It requires thought and observation by comparison to ones we have already done and requires a drive to match a certain standard of quality.”

To anyone considering research, David says:

“Even if you are unsure but the door is open take the opportunity as long as you can still get all your course work done. Research is very valuable in its experiences and the bonds it builds with faculty and other students.”

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.”

Jon Marino (’14) and Heather Cook (’14) Present Present Research at National Conference, MathFest

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Watch out Hartford–the mathematicians are coming! Over the next three days, two Roanoke College student researchers will present at MAA’s MathFest, “the largest annual summertime gathering of mathematicians.” The mission of the Mathematical Association of America, is “to advance the mathematical sciences, especially at the collegiate level.”  https://www.maa.org/meetings/mathfest

Jon Marino ('14) and Dr. Karin Saoub
Jon Marino (’14) and Dr. Karin Saoub

Jon Marino (’14) has spent his summer researching Twitter under the direction of Mathematics professor Dr. Karin Saoub.  Jon is presenting his Summer Scholars research during the Pi Mu Epsilon session titled #GraphTheory in 140 Characters or Less: An Analysis of Directed Social Networks. From his abstract:

Social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter allow individuals to post their thoughts in real time and “follow” others. However, each network behaves differently. We used graph theory to visualize and measure the difference between several social networks as well as quantify how information is dispersed throughout a given network.

Heather Cook (’14) will also be presenting her research in the Pi Mu Epsilon session. Heather studies gambling and games under the direction of Dr. Dave Taylor as part of the Undergraduate Research Assistants Program (URAP). Heather will present The Walking Dice: An Optimal Play Strategy. From her abstract:

We will discuss the game of “Zombie Dice,” published by Steve Jackson Games. Game play will be explained, and then we will investigate a model for deciding whether or not to continue rolling if given the opportunity. Examples will be shown to highlight the game and its strategy.

This is Heather’s second time presenting at MathFest. At MathFest 2012, she presented An Analysis of Blackjack Switch. From that abstract:

Blackjack Switch is an alternative to Blackjack. Each player is dealt two hands and after the second card for each is dealt, the player may switch those two cards. We will discuss changes to Blackjack basic strategy along with other results about the game of Blackjack Switch.

Jon and Heather are Roanoke College students who “out-do, out-smart, and out-solve the expected” as stars in the Mathematics program. We can’t wait to see what graduate school holds for you!

For more information on how you can support outstanding students like Jon and Heather, learn more about our Ultimate 3-in-1 Education (broad, deep, and experiential) at https://roanokerising.com/education

For more information on our student-faculty research programs, visit https://roanoke.edu/research and like us on facebook https://facebook.com/RCResearch.

 

Roanoke College Senior Presents at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Annual Conference

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Maura Belanger recently presented her research project on purine biosynthesis in Archaea at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) annual meeting in Boston, MA. Maura’s research is based in the chemistry department and she works with “one archaeon in particular Sulfolobus solfataricus and the first step in purine biosynthesis, characterized by the PurF enzyme.”

Maura is a URAP student and has been doing research at Roanoke for three years now. She decided to get involved with research here because “it was something that I really wanted to explore and I thought that it would provide a good opportunity for further education. I thought that doing something no one else had done was really interesting and getting the chance to actually be published as an undergraduate was something that I hadn’t really found anywhere else.”

Maura’s faculty mentor is Dr. Cathy Sarisky and Maura explains that they work very closely. “Whenever I have questions she is there to help me or put me in the right direction. It has been great being able to get to know and work with a professor so closely over these past three years. Being able to focus and be with one professor really makes a difference and I think that it has only helped me and made this experience better.”

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Maura chose this conference to present at due to its focus on biochemistry and this was her first time presenting at a major conference of this nature. Maura felt that presenting her research at this conference was a great experience overall. “Not only did I get to see what other undergraduate researchers are doing but I got a chance to show them what I had done as well. A lot of them were impressed by how my project was entirely student driven and that I had been able to complete so much without the help of a grad student. I also got to see that many times the students were just presenting research done in their labs and not research that they had actually done. I was really happy to present my research and show them what research at Roanoke is like.”

For students considering research opportunities, Maura advises to apply to URAP or talk to a professor in a field they are interested in. “You should do research if you are willing to put the time and effort into a project and if you want to work closely with an advisor. I would also tell them to not get discouraged if it doesn’t work the first, second, third or even fourth time you try something. If it were easy someone else would have done it by now too.”

For more information on the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, visit: https://www.asbmb.org/

Congratulations to the 2 Valedictorians – Both URAP Scholars at Roanoke College

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Congratulations to Kayla Muncy and Jeremy Johnson, our two valedictorians for the 2013 graduating class. Kayla has been a URAP scholar with Dr. Johann in Biochemistry for the past four years. Jeremy has been a URAP scholar with Dr. Vern Miller in Chemistry for the past four years. We can’t wait to hear you speak tomorrow at graduation! Best of luck to you!

Kayla

 

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Come to the RC Alumni Weekend Showcase of Research & Creativity this Friday

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Roanoke College invites you to the “Alumni Weekend Showcase of Research & Creativity”, which takes place on Friday, April 12, 2013. Oral Presentations will be held in Fintel Library in the basement and Poster Presentations will be on the first floor of the library from 6-9pm. Students and faculty from all disciplines will be sharing their research and creative works on a variety of topics. All are welcome. Free to the public.

Some of the poster presentation topics include “Group Dynamics: The Qualities of a Successful Group”, “Fanatical about Facebook”, “Technointerruption and Social Life of College Students”, “Printmaking in the Classroom”, “College is Worth It!”, and some of the oral presentation topics include “The Relationship of Law and Violence in Apartheid South Africa”, “Chaotic Dynamics in the Heart”, “Michelangelo’s Victory” and much more!! Be sure to check back here on the RC Research blog during the next few weeks for highlights from the showcase.

The program (including abstracts) is available here: https://roanoke.edu/Documents/research/Program2013SP.pdf

Roanoke College Sophomore Presents at SEACSM Conference

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Roanoke College sophomore, Annie Shreckhise, recently attended the SEACSM (Southeast American College of Sports Medicine) Annual Meeting in Greenville, SC to present her research project: “Determining Physiological Demands in an Open-Skilled Sport: A Case Study Investigating Women’s Lacrosse Practice”. Annie is a URAP student and began this program last year as a freshman. This conference marked her first time presenting off campus, and several other students from Roanoke attended as well to present and participate in an exercise Trivia Bowl.

Annie worked with Dr. Matthew Rearick as her faculty mentor as well as Brittany Frost who worked in concurrence with her in collecting data. The goal of this project was to determine the physiological demands of women’s lacrosse practices. Multiple types of data were collected from one player during four practices of varying intensities. The data can then be used to create “more specific and better aligned training regimens.”

Annie states that she decided to pursue research opportunities because “having the chance to work one-on-one with a professor on a project that is so intriguing was an opportunity that I could not let pass by. Many students don’t have this opportunity until they are in graduate school; I feel that it is a great way to prepare for my future.” Annie worked directly under Dr. Rearick’s supervision, but she was given freedom with the direction that she wanted to take this project in. “Working one on one with a professor is one of the greatest benefits of pursuing an education at a small, liberal arts college. This interaction has allowed me to extend my studies outside of the classroom into a close-knit environment where I can explore areas of research specific to my field” she explains. Dr. Rearick also states that working one-on-one with a student is “without question my favorite aspect of teaching.  In a one-on-one situation you can really connect with what students like to do and what they are interested in; you can also tap into what they do well and what they struggle with academically.  It allows me to truly customize the learning experience for them.”

 

Brittany Frost and Annie Shreckhise presenting

As for the experience of presenting at a conference, Annie notes that it was an “incredible experience. When discussing research with other students and professors that have pursued an education related to health and exercise science, presenting becomes more interesting and more challenging. New ideas evolve as details of the project are discussed in greater depth.  It has also opened my eyes to all of the available career paths in health and exercise science as I was able to talk with other students and professors that share this common interest.” Dr. Rearick also points out that this is “the time when my relationship with students becomes less teacher-student and more mentor and colleague. I love that transition.”

For students considering research opportunities, Annie advises that “students should take full advantage of available research opportunities. The professors are incredibly helpful and push you to explore and investigate your own questions. It teaches you to apply what you have learned in the classroom to an area that is of personal interest. Involvement in research teaches you to integrate and apply the knowledge you have gained through a variety of disciplines. My URAP experiences have had a huge impact on my college career, and it is a great way to prepare for graduate school.” Dr Rearick also points out that “the best learning often occurs when we are trying to solve a problem or question that is important to us.   Research is very much like that.  And I think it’s important to point out that “research” is not necessarily this high ideal, unreachable for some.  Anyone and everyone can do research at some level.  It’s simply a matter of figuring out what you really enjoy and then aggressively pursuing it.”

Roanoke College Junior will Study Abroad in Puebla, Mexico

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Photo Credit: Israel Espinosa López, Wikipedia

 

Charla Henley (junior) presented her Summer Scholars research project, “The Economic Role of the Mexican Sweatshops: Exploitation or Saving Grace?”, at the RC Family Weekend Showcase of Research & Creativity. Charla is a Business and Spanish double major and she has been involved with research opportunities since her freshman year when she started out as a URAP student. Charla explains that “Research has always been something I was interested in, even in High School. It seemed natural to continue my research in college.”

Charla’s topic is concerned with the economic impact of the Mexican sweatshops in the communities of Northern Mexico. For many years these sweatshops were believed to improve economies and living conditions because they gave employment opportunities to thousands of people who either did not have an educational degree and/or were living below the poverty line. On the other hand, these sweatshops have been greatly criticized in recent years because they employee people at low wages, for long hours, under bad conditions and it is believed that they are exploiting people in need of a job to support their families. Charla became interested in this topic from a subtopic that she learned about in her Micro Economics class. Charla’s faculty mentor was Dr. Bañuelos and Charla states that “It was great to have someone with such a great base of knowledge on my topic at my fingertips.” Charla will soon be continuing her research by studying abroad in Puebla, Mexico where she will get to see firsthand what the conditions are like in the Mexican Sweatshops. Charla also hopes to continue her research interests in graduate school.

Charla’s message to freshman considering research is “Do it! If nothing else, it’s at least a great experience to put on your resume.  You’ll learn your strengths and weaknesses, be better able to complete projects for class, and may find something you’re really passionate about in the process!”

For more information on research opportunities at Roanoke College please check out: https://roanoke.edu/Academics/Learning_Firsthand/Research.htm

Roanoke College Junior presents Zebrafish Research Project at Family Weekend Showcase

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Tyler Barnes (junior) presented her research project, “vitellogenin1 in Embryonic Zebrafish as a Bioindicator to Detect Estrogenic Compounds within the Roanoke River”, at the RC Family Weekend Showcase of Research & Creativity. Tyler is a Biology major and has been involved with research since her freshman year. Tyler became interested in research opportunities after talking to a professor at an open house at another University, “I did research in high school, but had no idea that opportunities were granted to undergraduate students.  I found out that Roanoke offered an Undergraduate Research Assistants Program (URAP) and decided to apply for a research position.  I was lucky enough to be awarded a research position in Dr. Lassiter’s research lab and have been there ever since!”

The research project that Tyler is currently working on was started by someone who worked in the laboratory prior to her arrival. “When I saw this project advertised as an eligible URAP project, I knew that this project was my first choice.  Hormone pollution has been madly talked about in the media for the past decade and I wanted to learn more about it!” explains Tyler. Tyler’s project is mostly concerned with Estrogen contamination within the Roanoke River so she actually goes into the field and measures water from the Roanoke River and tests it on the Zebrafish embryos. Future work in this project will include testing direct effluent water samples from the Roanoke Wastewater Treatment Plant and expanding out to include other sample sites and variables of interest.

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Roanoke River2

 

Tyler also points out that she has enjoyed working closely with her faculty mentor, Dr. Chris Lassiter, “Dr. Lassiter and I work on revising protocols, running through treatments, and bouncing ideas off of one another.  I truly value and enjoy working with Dr. Lassiter.  I think that being able to work with a professor outside of the classroom is a truly rewarding experience.”

As for presenting at the Family Weekend Showcase, Tyler states that “I enjoy presenting my research because I feel that I am contributing to society by educating others about problems that no one has the exact answers to yet.  Although I have presented my research before at other conferences, this past time was special because my family was there. They had no idea what I have been up to for the past three years besides hanging out in a fish lab!”

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Zebrafish

 

Tyler advises that “freshman should get involved with research, regardless of their intended major.  If they are truly interested in something, then they should pursue it!  This opportunity may lead them to other opportunities or job ideas later on in life.”