KU NEWS
LAWRENCE — This spring, 50 University of Kansas students will receive $1,000 scholarships as they work on mentored research and creative projects.
“We are excited by all of the innovative research these students will be doing and are pleased that we are able to help fund this step in their path to success at KU and beyond,” said Alison Olcott, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and associate professor of geology.
Students apply for Undergraduate Research Awards by writing a four-page research proposal under the guidance of a mentor. Faculty reviewers evaluate the applications based on the merit of the applicant’s proposal and a recommendation from the mentor.
Students interested in applying for summer or fall 2019 UGRAs can find more information and apply on the Center for Undergraduate Research website. The student proposal deadline for summer and fall awards will be March 28.
Kansas students receiving awards for the spring of 2019 are listed below by county, along with hometown, project title, mentor, and mentor’s department. A full list of student award recipients is listed online.
Douglas County
Aaron Barrett, senior from Lawrence: “Randomized Conjugate Gradient Algorithm to Solve Large Linear Systems for Exascale Computing,” mentored by Agnieszka Miedlar, assistant professor of mathematics
Sofia Chana, junior from Lawrence: “Discrepancies Between Teacher- and Child- Reports on Proactive and Reactive Dggression: Does Prosocial Behavior Matter?” mentored by Paula Fite, professor of psychology and applied behavioral science
Sarah Cluff, senior from Lawrence: “A Study of Population Structure and Migration in Giant Honey Bees Apis dorsata and Apis laboriosa,” mentored by Deborah Smith, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology
Chantelle Davis, senior from Lawrence: “Effects of Ephemeral Flow on Bank Storage, Aquifer Recharge, and Water Chemistry in Western Kansas Streams,” mentored by Randy Stotler, associate professor of geology
Hannah Glatter, senior from Lawrence: “Operant Demand for SafeRide Services in Undergraduate Students,” mentored by Derek Reed, associate professor of applied behavioral science
Elise Klaske, senior from Lawrence: “Nativism and Maria Montessori: the Montessori Method in the United States, 1911-1920,” mentored by Jonathan Hagel, assistant teaching professor of history
Grayson Petter, senior from Lawrence: “Unveiling Star Formation and Its Demise in Ultra-Compact Galaxies Using VLA Measurements,” mentored by Gregory Rudnick, professor of physics & astronomy
Sharyn Serbet, sophomore from Lawrence: “A Chytrid Community on a Land Before Time: The Diversity and Interactions of ~407 Million-Yr.-Old Fungi with the Earliest Land Plants,” mentored by Carla Harper, postdoctoral researcher at Biodiversity Institute
Sydney Weese, senior from Lawrence: “Anatomy and Art: Antonyms or Analogous?” mentored by Mary Anne Jordan, professor of visual art
Ellis County
Sarah Rooney, senior from Hays: “Assessing the Role of Parental Psychological Control in the Relationship Between Alexithymia and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents in Juvenile Detention,” mentored by Paula Fite, professor of psychology and applied behavioral science
Ford County
Nila Khan, sophomore from Dodge City: “Effects of Elevated Carbon Dioxide Levels on Leaf Hair Initiation and Density Across Arabidopsis thaliana Lines,” mentored by Joy Ward, Dean’s Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and James Fischer, doctoral candidate in ecology & evolutionary biology
Geary County
Sierra Mortimer, senior from Milford: “Identifying Genes Responsible for the Proper Migration of Neuroblasts in C. elegans,” mentored by Erik Lundquist, professor of molecular biosciences
Johnson County
Skylar Pryor, senior from De Soto: “ACT UP: Protests, Rituals, and the Call for Humanity,” mentored by Sandra Zimdars-Swartz, professor of religious studies
Corey Monley, senior from Lenexa: “Internet Gaming Focus Groups,” mentored by Bruce Liese, clinical director at Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment
Eleanor Stewart-Jones, junior from Mission: “Understanding the Factors Governing Oxygen Atom Transfer of Manganese-oxo Complexes,” mentored by Timothy Jackson, professor of chemistry
Rose Argent, senior from Olathe: “Species Delimitation in the Widespread Northern Philippine Bent-toed Gecko, (Cyrtodactylus philippinicus),” mentored by Rafe Brown, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology
John Higgins, junior from Olathe: “An Assessment of the Supply of Affordable Rental Housing and the Experiences of Residents in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Properties in Douglas County,” mentored by Kirk McClure, professor of urban planning
Jennifer Nguyen, junior from Olathe: “Optimization of Decellularization of Meniscus for Potential Use as a Scaffold,” mentored by Jennifer Robinson, assistant professor of chemical engineering
Michelle Oboro, junior from Olathe: “Stigma and Attitudes Surrounding the Intersection of African American Women, Domestic Violence, and Substance Abuse,” mentored by Carl Lejuez, professor of psychology
Preetkamal Punia, senior from Olathe: “Analyzing Factors Affecting Pre-Medical Students Cultural Competency,” mentored by Tracey LaPierre, associate professor of sociology
Ali Ciersdorff, senior from Overland Park: “fMRI Connectome: Reexamining the Correlations Between Attachment and Brain Functioning and Structure,” mentored by Omri Gillath, professor of psychology
Joseph Denning, senior from Overland Park: “Drop the Base: Omission MMN Sensitivity to Morphological Status, Predictability, and Their Interaction,” mentored by Robert Fiorentino, associate professor of linguistics
Elizabeth Liu, senior from Overland Park: “Effects of age on foraging shovel-snouted lizards (Meroles anchietae) in the Namib Desert,” mentored by Maria Eifler, collection manager at Biodiversity Institute
Catherine Pham, senior from Overland Park: “Investigating the Relationship Between Island Sensitivity and Working-Memory Capacity,” mentored by Robert Fiorentino, associate professor of linguistics
Tyler Thornton, junior from Overland Park: “Interrelations Between Polysubstance Use and Temporal Discounting in Undergraduate Students: Implications for the Reinforcer Pathologies Model of Addiction,” mentored by Derek Reed, associate professor of applied behavioral sciences, and Gideon Naudé, doctoral candidate in applied behavioral sciences
Anna Trofimoff, junior from Overland Park: “Effect of Relative Humidity on Internal Fiber Architecture in Emulsion Electrospun Fibrous Scaffolds for Targeted Release of Estrogen Receptor Agonist,” mentored by Jennifer Robinson, assistant professor of chemical engineering
Sara Carlsen, junior from Prairie Village: “Parents as Participants: Social Media Use Through a Dual Lens,” mentored by Germaine Halegoua, associate professor of film & media studies
D’Arlyn Bell, senior from Shawnee: “Political Organizing of the Poor by Nonprofit Social Service Agencies,” mentored by Charles Epp, University Distinguished Professor of public affairs & administration
Julia Davis, senior from Shawnee: “Quality of Life Parameters for Three Medically Complex Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,” mentored by Deanna Hanson-Abromeit, associate professor of music education and music therapy
Leavenworth County
Maisie Conrad, senior from Leavenworth: “Using EEG Data to Further Investigate the Dual Process of Attention Among Avoidantly-Attached Individuals,” mentored by Omri Gillath, professor of psychology
Marshall County
Jake Hill, senior from Home: “HAF-8 Dimerization Partners,” mentored by Lisa Timmons, associate professor of molecular biosciences
Miami County
Natalie Eppler, senior from Paola: “The Importance of Gene, BTH_II1576 to Antibiotic Production in the Bacterium Burkholderia thailandensis,” mentored by Josephine Chandler, assistant professor of molecular biosciences
Dylan Sims-West, senior from Paola: “Analysis of Novel OPY Mutation in Danaus plexippus Through Pigment, Proteomic, and Genetic Analysis,” mentored by James Walters, assistant professor of ecology & evolutionary biology
Sedgwick County
Trevor Lies, senior from Cheney: “The Effect of Construal Level on Perceptions of a School Shooter,” mentored by Monica Biernat, University Distinguished Professor of social psychology
Samantha Ellis, senior from Wichita (67235): “Interactions of Stress Levels, Sleep Quality, and Alcohol Intake in University Students,” mentored by Nancy Hamilton, associate professor of psychology
Shawnee County
Adrienne Cox, senior from Topeka: “The Qipao: How the Manchu Dress Became Chinese,” mentored by Megan Greene, associate professor of history
Payton Leiker, junior from Topeka: “The Fsr Quorum Sensing System Contribution to Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm Development,” mentored by Lynn Hancock, associate professor of molecular biosciences
Wyandotte County
Jacob Asherman, senior from Kansas City, Kansas: “Investigating the Impacts of Hail Parameterizations in Idealized Supercells in the WRF Model,” mentored by Justin Stachnik, assistant professor of geography & atmospheric science.