Faculty and Students Put Research Front and Center
The third annual Faculty and Student Research Expo is Thursday, March 1, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. in Boyer Hall and the Health Sciences Building. Meet faculty researchers and their student collaborators and see firsthand the scientific research that takes place on Arcadia’s campus.
Attendees are invited to take part in the Research Rumble. Pick up a Q-and-A sheet and follow the exhibits. Hand in completed Q-and-A sheets before leaving for the faculty lectures, which take place at 6 p.m. in Grey Towers Castle. Winners will be notified.
“The skills that our students learn in conducting research are never lost or forgotten; the confidence that comes from success in this arena is shown in all aspects of life,” says President Carl (Tobey) Oxholm III. Alumni and friends of the University are invited to join the campus community in this celebration of faculty-student research.
Dr. Christopher Binckley, Assistant Professor of Biology, will present “Invasive Species Research with Arcadia Undergraduates.” Dr. Andrea Ketscheck ’03, Adjunct Professor of Biology, will present “The cytoskeletal and signaling mechanisms responsible for axon collateral branching of sensory neurons.”
Faculty and Student Research
Biology, Chemistry and Psychology research will be presented on the first and second floors of Boyer Hall.
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Dr. Chad Hoefler, Assistant Professor of Biology:
- Lorena Londono, “Male-male competition effects on female reproductive success in the wolf spider, Pardosa”
- Sarah Kistenmacher, “Concordance between host preferences and reproductive success in a bean beetle”
- Erin Kennedy, “Intrasexual competition effects on cryptic male choice in a cellar spider, Pholcus phalangioides”
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Binckley, Assistant Professor:
- Erin Gillian and Sneha Thomas, “Effects of biopesticides on Asian tiger mosquito reproduction”
- Ashley Zechman, “Effects of invasive plant species on Asian tiger mosquito reproduction”
- Sarah Stanton, “Phytoplankton diversity patterns in the Chesapeake Bay”
- Robert Petrillo, “Effects of Urbanization of Stream Salamanders in the Wissahickon Watershed”
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Howard, Assistant Professor of Biology:
- Kayla Kroll, Emy Christodoulou, and Thanh Truong, “Dendrochronology of Pitch Pine and Fire in West Virginia Forests”
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Dr. R. Wesley Rose, Assistant Professor of Biology:
- Michaela Petit, PJ Turcotte, and Katelyn Sweeney, “Elucidating immune mechanisms in the central nervous system”
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Dr. Sheryl Smith, Assistant Professor of Biology:
- Nickodemo Pavoni, Kyrillos Awad, Amy Lloyd, and Brittany Pasierb, “Analysis of DNA elements responsible for genome organization and regulation of gene expression using D. melanogaster as a model system”
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Dr. Megan Wright, Assistant Professor of Biology:
- Geoffrey Eill, Zainab Kakhu, Michael O’Donnell, and Jessica Parker, “Mechanisms to promote peripheral nerve regeneration, repair and functional recovery”
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Dr. Naomi Phillips, Associate Professor of Biology:
- Latresha Anderson, Christopher Baines, and Mike McGrath: “Conservation Genetics of Bioko Primates—Determining Genetic Structure of these Endangered Monkeys”
- Grace Han and Kevin Mealy, “Evolution of the Brown Algae from their Unicellular Relatives to the Diverse Kelp Forests”
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Dr. Lauretta Bushar, Associate Professor and Chair of Biology:
- Sharese Tucker, “Population genetics of Timber Rattlesnakes populations in Pennsylvania. Demonstration of the CEQ800, an instrument used for sequencing DNA and analyzing short segments of DNA” Chemistry
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Dr. Emanuele Curotto, Professor and Chair of Chemistry and Physics:
- Chelsey van de Gohm, “Parallel Computing Strategies for the Genetic Algorithm: Optimizing Ammonia Clusters”
- Sarah Wolf, “Potential Enrgy Model of the Water Dimer and Trimer”
- Sanket Patel, “Optimizatin of Parameters for a Double-Well Potential Using Vairational Monte Carlo Algorithm”
- Kelsey Roberts, “Sampling Enhancement for Diffusion Monte Carlo Algorithm”
The following students will present their research completed under the supervision of Mr. Jon Orr, Laboratory Manager, Department of Chemistry and Physics:
- Marilyn Beatty and Annastassia Gallo, “The Faraday Effect: Experimentally Exploring the Magneto-optical Phenomenon”
- Melissa DeBello, “Elucidating the Verdet Constant for Salt Solutions”
- Kathryn Surdovel , “Investigating the Effects on the Induced Polarity of an Organic Solution”
Celia Foster will present her research on “Slippery Substrates: The Testing of Poly (ethylene glycol) as a Medical Device Coating,” which was completed in collaboration with Dr. Linda Mascavage and Biocoat, Inc, where she has had an internship since the fall semester.
Haylie Lobeck was awarded a National Science Foundation Research for Undergraduates Award last summer. Her research on “The HydroThermal Synthesis of Uranyl-Tungstate” was completed at the Universiry of Notre Dame in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Burns.
Under the guidance of Dr. Chet Mikulski, Taylor Berardi has been investigating “The Binding Activity of L-Theanin with 3d Transition Metal Perchlorates and Halides.”
Working with Dr. Peter Campbell, Anthony Cella has been determining “The Dimerization and Equilibrium of Acetoin” using NMR spectroscopy.
Psychology students from PY331 and PY332 will present their research completed under the supervision of Adam Levy, Adjunct Professor of Psychology.
Physical Therapy will be presented throughout the Health Sciences Building.
- Stephanie Evans will present “Hand Held Dynamometry,” completed under the supervision of Dr. Marty Eastlack, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy:
- Stephanie Muth (PhD candidate) will present “The Effects of Thoracic Spine Mobilization in Subjects with Subacromial Impingement Syndrome,” completed under the supervision of Dr. Philip McClure, Professor of Physical Therapy.
- Dr. Rebecca Craik, Professor and Chair and Dr. Kate Mangione, Professor of Physical Therapy will present, “Gait Mat: The objective of the presentation will be to show the use of the Gait Mat as an instrument to examine walking performance after hip fracture”
- Dr. Katie Mangione, Professor of Physical Therapy, will present “A Novel Approach to Home Based Physical Therapy”
- Dr. Scott Stackhouse, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, will present “Activation Failure of the Rotator Cuff with Acute Pain”
- Megan Smith and Laura VanArsdale will present “Sit to Stand Strategies,” completed under the supervision of Drs. Craik and Jamie Tomlinson, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy.
- Erin Edenfield and Megan Yellets will present “The Effectiveness of a Standardized and Integrated Program in the Care of Heart Failure Patients in the Home,” completed under the supervision of Dr. Amy Miller, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy.
- Dr. Janet Readinger, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, will present “Dan Aaron Fit Exercise Program.”
