Forty-seven WVU students have been invited to participate the seventeenth annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol (URDC) in Charleston, West Virginia on Friday, February 7.
Students representing eleven institutions will present their research from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. In all, over 95 students will participate.
URDC allows students to present their discoveries in poster format and talk to legislators about their findings. The projects are original scholarly works and the presenters design posters for a general audience.
This year students were mentored by faculty from the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, School of Dentistry, Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Dentistry, College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and the WVU School of Public Health. Students will present their posters in the areas of biochemistry, biology, biomedical sciences, chemistry, community health, engineering, environmental studies, forensic science, history, immunology medical microbiology, material science, neuroscience, physical activity and sports sciences, psychology and sociology/social work.
In addition to WVU, other institutions represented at the event are Concord University, Davis and Elkins College, Fairmont State University, Glenville State College, Marshall University, Ohio Valley University, Shepherd University, University of Charleston, West Virginia State University and WVU Institute of Technology.
“Opportunities for students to engage in research and creative activities within their major are expanding at institutions throughout West Virginia. At WVU, students engage in one-on-one faculty mentored research as early as their first year of college. Our students are researching topics important to them and topics that directly impact West Virginia —the health and culture of its residents and the economy and environment of the state. Our state’s future depends on this generation of students. They are the innovators, business owners, legislators and decision makers of tomorrow. The URDC event offers a great opportunity for members of the state legislature to interact with students and discover the importance of continuing to invest in education and research at WVU and throughout the state,” said Michelle Richards-Babb, professor of chemistry and the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at West Virginia University.
Richards-Babb, a member of the event’s organizational committee, said the event’s attendance has grown over time due to the increasing interest of legislators, local business owners, the general public and local high school students seeking academic enrichment.
“The students really appreciate the interest shown by all attendees, especially members of the state legislature,” Richards-Babb said.
The following is a list of WVU’s participants, along with their town of residence, research disciplinary focus, research poster title and research mentors:
Abigail Paul, Jim Thorpe, PA (Environmental Studies), “The use of bioremediation as a potential treatment for produced water,” Shawn Grushecky, Research Mentor
Alex Deardorff, Charleston, WV, Carson Stebbins, Charleston, WV, and John Burke, Fredericksburg, VA (Material Science), “Investigation of Titanium-Dioxide Mesoporous Foams through 3D Printing in Microgravity,” John Kuhlman, Research Mentor
Alexandra Collins, Lothian, MD (Neuroscience), “Development of Biomechanical Tools For Assessment and Rehabilitation of Upper-Arm Functionality,” Valeriya Gritsenko, Research Mentor
Alyssa Rittinger, Red House, WV (Community Health), “Dietary patterns and their relation to gingival health during pregnancy in Appalachian women,” Daniel W. McNeil, Research Mentor
Bethany Wager, Waverly, WV (Environmental Studies), “Using sex ratios of Brook Trout to identify population resilience and spawning adult size structure,” Ross Andrew, Research Mentor
Caitlyn Lyons, Morgantown, WV (Physical Activity and Sports Sciences), “Camp FeWi: addressing the decline in female sport participation,” Dennis Jones, Research Mentor
Carlie Ramsayer, Madison, WV (Engineering), “Quantifying United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Using GREENSCOPE Indicators,” Fernando Lima, Research Mentor
Colter Uscola, Morgantown, WV (Sociology/Social Work), “Status, Trust and Their Effects on the Allocation of Positive and Negative Rewards,” Lisa Dilks, Research Mentor
David Sokolov, Morgantown, WV (Biology), “NMNAT1, a protein linked to blinding disease, is crucial for development of the retina,” Saravanan Kolandaivelu, Research Mentor
Emily Longerbeam, Morgantown, WV, and Victoria Rutherford, Morgantown, WV (Community Health), “The JUUL's Effects on The Oral Cavity and Lung Function,” Alcinda Trickett Shockey, Research Mentor
Fiona Galley, Morgantown, WV (Community Health), “Rate of Participation in High-Risk Occupations from 2009-2017 amongst Asians in the U.S.,” Carlos Siordia, Research Mentor
Grant DuVall, Bridgeport, WV (Community Health), “Development of a multidisciplinary metabolic clinic in a primary care setting.,” Treah Haggerty, Research Mentor
Jeffery Adkins, Nellis, WV (Neuroscience), “Repeat Concussions Impair Selectively Attention in Rats,” Cole Vonderhaar, Research Mentor
Jessica Hogbin, Hedgesville, WV (History), “Between two worlds: power, politics, and noblewomen in early modern Europe,” Matthew Vester, Research Mentor
Jordan Nistendirk, Charleston, WV (History), “Insiders and Outsiders on the Gay Community in Weimar Berlin,” Katherine Aaslestad, Research Mentor
Julie Gilmore, Winfield, WV (Psychology), “Associations Between Adolescent Internet Use and Problematic Outcomes: The Role of Parental Monitoring,” Aaron Metzger, Research Mentor
Kingsly Jonathan, Morgantown, WV (Biomedical), “Timing of Audiovisual Integration in Individuals with Autism,” Paula Webster, Research Mentor
Kylie Sharp, Reedsville, OH, and Shelby Hawk, Morgantown, WV (Community Health), “In Vitro Effects of Aloe Vera at Varying Concentrations on Cariogenic Bacterial Growth,” Alcinda Shockey, Research Mentor
Liam McCabe, Morgantown, WV (Psychology), “Political Affiliations and Happiness: How Do Liberals and Conservatives Differ?,” Amy Gentzler, Research Mentor
Lindsey Hartzell, Arbovale, WV (Environmental Studies), “West Virginia Trout Stocking Survey: Catch Expectations vs. Reality Considering Angler Effort,” Ross Andrew, Research Mentor
Madeline Price, Morgantown, WV (Psychology), “Parental Addiction is Associated with Adolescent Mental Health,” Amy Gentzler, Research Mentor
Madewa Adeniyi, Bridgeport, WV (Biomedical), “User-controlled strategies for effective enzyme immobilization,” Cerasela Dinu, Research Mentor
Matthew Young, Chesterfield, VA (Chemistry), “Valorization of WV wood waste-streams using novel green solvents,” Benjamin Dawson-Andoh, Research Mentor
Meredith Phillips, Hurricane, WV (Biomedical), “Perception threshold of external disturbances to locomotion in healthy young adults,” Jessica Allen, Research Mentor
Molly Plante, South Charleston, WV (History), “Life in the Face of Death: Children in the Theresienstadt Ghetto,” Katherine Aaslestad, Research Mentor
Morgan Glass, Triadelphia, WV (Biochemistry), “Picking favorites: Differential activation of phosphofructokinase-1 by biphosphorylated sugars,” Bradley Webb, Research Mentor
Noah Collie, Washington, WV, and Emmelia Braun, Hurricane, WV (Biology), “Phenomic and Genetic Variation Associated with Drought Stress, Recovery, and Memory in Sorghum bicolor,” Melissa Lehrer, Research Mentor
Rebekah Kroeze, Biglerville, PA (Community Health), “Using a Mystery Shopper Approach to Assess Emergency Contraception Access in West Virginia Pharmacies,” Amie Ashcraft, Research Mentor
Riley Darragh, Nottingham, PA (Sociology/Social Work), “Graduate Students' Identification with Science: The Roles of Demographics, Experiences, and Discipline,” Christopher Scheitle, Research Mentor
Samantha Holbert, Bridgeport, WV, Kelsey Keen, Harrisburg, PA, and Josh Roark, Fairmont, WV (Psychology), “Resiliency for Appalachia-Youth Overcoming Trauma and the State Opioid Response,” Cheryl McNeil, Research Mentor
Samuel Talkington, Bridgeport, WV, (Engineering), “Digital Forensics for Iris Image Spoof Detection: A Case Study,” Natalia Schmid, Research Mentor
Sara Kuberski, Morgantown, WV, and Morgan Simpson, Summit Point, WV (Forensic Science), “Development of electrochemical sensors for buprenorphine and naltrexone using screen-printed carbon electrodes,” Luis Arroyo, Research Mentor
Sarah Lipinski, Hurricane, WV, (Psychology), “Dental Provider-Child Interactions in West Virginia Pediatric Dental Care Settings,” Daniel McNeil, Research Mentor
Sarah Segear, Morgantown, WV, (Psychology), “Impacts of Parental Psychological Control and Substance Abuse on Adolescent Depression,” Aaron Metzger, Research Mentor
Savannah Hays, Mineral Wells, WV, (Psychology), “Association between social behavior and face responsiveness in autistic and healthy brains,” Shuo Wang, Research Mentor
Serenity McDill, Hedgesville, WV, (Community Health), “Coaching Palliative Home Care for Family Caregivers of Heart Failure Patients,” Trisha Petitte, Research Mentor
Sloan Nesbit, Morgantown, WV, (Immunology and Medical Micobiology), “Characterization of Drug Resistant B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Lines,” Laura F Gibson, Research Mentor
Torey Wright, Monroe, GA, (Engineering), “Experimental Evaluation of the Marcellus Shale Properties,” Majid Jaridi, Research Mentor
Trevor Brison, Morgantown, WV, (Engineering), “Development of Digital Models for Manufacturing of Surrogate Hands for Impact Tests.edu,” Eduardo Sosa, Research Mentor
