Clare Kinney is working alongside Dr. Ackley in the HHP Department to study lower back pain in collegiate pole vaulters. Her research proposal was created as a part of her Research Methods class, a HEXS major requirement, after writing a literature review on spondylolysis in collegiate pole vaulters. After completing the class, Clare decided to use the base proposal she had developed to look towards conducting data collection. Currently, she is planning to research the different factors of pole vault mechanics and joint range of motion that may impact the occurrence of lower back pain. Fantastic work!
Zachary King conducts research with Dr. Steinweg which involves collecting ticks from various locations across southwest Virginia, calculating the density of the different tick species at the locations, and eventually extracting DNA to find diseases from the collected ticks. So far, they have documented the density of the various tick species from our 2021 collection. As a result of his work with Dr. Steinweg, Zach has presented his research at the Research Showcase at Roanoke College in addition to being selected as a runner up for the Virginia Mosquito Control Association (VMCA) student poster competition. Great work!
Bryn Haden is currently conducting research with Dr. Ackley in which they are investigating temporal change in children’s perception of their environment from 2017-2021 to determine if there is a correlation to their BMI status throughout the years. Since the Fall semester, Bryn has been accepted to present her research findings at the SEACSM Conference this February! Throughout her experience with research at Roanoke College, Bryn loves that, “there are a variety of topics that you can research in many different departments all while still in your undergraduate studies. This is a rare and very special opportunity for all of us. Also given Roanoke’s smaller size, we students are able to take charge in our research and gain meaningful skills that will aid us in our future endeavors.” Keep up the great work!
Caylyn’s research involves the testing of pharmaceuticals from middle to lower income countries using high performance liquid chromatography. So far, she has performed system suitability for two active pharmaceutical agents (acetaminophen and amoxicillin) and is in the process of working on a third, amoxicillin clavulanic acid. Caylyn is planning to present at the American Chemical Society Conference in March. She also is working to build another HPLC for the Chemistry Department and helping with a pioneer project for sample tracking. Throughout her research experience, Caylyn has had the opportunity to present her research during Family Weekend at the Student Research Showcase in which she was able to gain confidence in her presenting skills! Fantastic work Caylyn!
Dr. Todd Peppers, Henry H. & Trudye H. Fowler Professor in Public Affairs, spent his extra time during the COVID-19 lockdown researching topics that were later created into an article for the October 13, 2021 issue of the Journal of Supreme Court History, titled “‘Destructive to Judicial Dignity’: The Poetry of Melville Weston Fuller.” This article features a collaboration with Mary Crockett Hill ’91, assistant professor of English and communication studies and director of the “Roanoke Review.” Hill and Peppers’ article explores the career and life of Supreme Court Justice Melville Weston Fuller, who was appointed by President Grover Cleveland. Setting this article apart, Hill and Peppers wrote about Fuller’s penchant for writing poetry, an important aspect of his legacy that is often overlooked. From this collaboration, Hill notes, “At a place like Roanoke, there is this sense of community and a focus on liberal arts that derives faculty and students to know things far beyond their field or ways of thinking.” Peppers adds, “A benefit of teaching at a small, liberal arts college is that it fosters and encourages opportunities for interdisciplinary partnerships.”
On December 14, seven Roanoke College student researchers presented their findings on various topics as a part of the ECON Lab @ RC Fall Mini-Conference. ECON Lab, a stellar program at Roanoke College, allows students to conduct real-world research under the guidance of Dr. Alice Kassens, John S. Shannon Professor of Economics at Roanoke. Wonderful work!
Maria Damewood is a Senior Health and Exercise Science major with a Spanish minor. Last year, she conducted research in the HHP Department that focused on the effects of the COVID-19 statewide closure of fitness facilities on older adults and their physical activity levels. Last week, Maria was accepted to present her findings at the Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine meeting in February of 2022! Fantastic work Maria!
Quinn Kunath is a Freshman Economics and Math double major with a Spanish minor and Accounting concentration. Quinn and Dr. Robbins in the Math department are planning to examine previously collected data on trends of incoming Freshmen in their Math 121 and Calculus 1 classes. We can’t wait to see all your hard work pay off Quinn!
For this week’s Student Spotlight we are thrilled to highlight Senior Lexie Duttera. Lexie is working with doping lanthanides into Silver Gallium Sulfide nanocrystals with Dr. Hughes in the Chemistry Department. When asked what she loves most about research at Roanoke College, Lexie says she loves helping create new experiments to conduct and she loves learning new things that no one else has done before. Great work Lexie!
This week we are excited to showcase Olivia Brichter’s work with Dr. Lassiter in the Biology Department. Currently, Olivia and Dr. Lassiter are researching the effects of estrogen and seizure behavior in developing zebrafish. Olivia has loved working with Dr. Lassiter to explore her academic and research interests, especially since faculty are just as much a part of the learning process as students are! Wonderful Work Olivia!
