As the 2019-2020 academic year draws to a close, The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities would like to recognize and celebrate our outstanding grant recipients. If you would like to read more about what our award recipients are up to, project abstracts can be found at the end of the article.
2020 Summer Undergraduate Research with Faculty (SURF)
The purpose of SURF grants is to expand the opportunities for undergraduate students and faculty to work collaboratively on scholarly projects during the summer.
The recipients are as follows:
- Sophia Bernstein and Dr. Daniel McGlinn, Optimizing Indoor Saltwater Agriculture using Salicornia europaea
- Chris Blouin and Dr. Michael Larsen, Investigations of Light Transmission through Clouds
- Katrina Bynum and Dr. Joe Carson, A Hubble Space Telescope Direct Imaging Investigation of Extrasolar Planets
- Hannah Collins and Dr. Kate Pfile, Lower Extremity Jump-Landing Biomechanics after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Quadriceps Tendon versus Patellar Tendon Autografts
- Conner Cozad, Dr. Norman Levine and Professor Lancie Affonso, Developing a Mobile Application for Flood Warning in the Charleston, SC Region
- Madison Davis and Dr. Christine Byrum, Mapping Importin Distribution in the Developing Sea Urchin
- Emily Dombrowski and Dr. Jody Beers, Physiological Effects of Temperature and Parasite Load on Metabolism of Spotted Seatrout
- Ashley Dowd and Dr. Ashley Pagnotta, Long-Term Evolution of Novae
- Sydney Eiland and Dr. Eric McElroy, Evolution of Pelvis Musculoskeletal Anatomy in Lizards
- Johnathan Ellwood and Dr. Kris Ghosh, Automated Repair of Programs
- Andre Gagliano and Dr. Gamil Guirgis, Preparation, Characterization and Conformational Analysis of 1,1-dichlorocyclohept-2-ene, 1,1-dicholoro-1-silcyclohex-2-ene
- Pearce Hamilton and Dr. Michael Larsen, Studies of Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation on Treated Mica
- Hawken Hass and Dr. Adam Doughty, Revisiting the Relation between Derived-Relations Testing and Transfer of Function
- Raija Haughn and Dr. Beth Sundstrum, Women with HIV’s Perception of Coercion during Contraceptive and Infant Feeding Counseling
- Timothy Hunter and Dr. Rick Heldrich, Part I – Modeling Substitution Elimination Reaction Manifold; Part II -Preparation of bis-para-anisylalkanes and [n.0]-metacyclophanes
- Vernon Kennedy and Dr. Jennifer Wilhelm, The Effects of Estradiol Treatment on Synaptic Reorganization and Plasticity around Motoneurons after Traumatic Peripheral Nerve Injury in Mice
- Harrison Koller and Dr. Brooke Van Horn, Toward Antimicrobial Materials: Synthesis and Characterization of Cl-Hydantoin-PCL
- Katherine Martin and Dr. Kris de Welde, Expanding LGBTQ+ Responsiveness at CofC Student Health Services
- Chloe Mattila and Dr. Stéphane Lafortune, Pattern Observed on Mussel Bed Formation
- Fabio Najjar and Dr. Kate Mullaugh, Synthesis, Efficiency and Recyclability of Magnetic Nanoparticles the Removal of Micropollutants from Water
- Vershelle Peterson and Dr. Jennifer Wilhelm, Effects of steroid hormones on voluntary physical activity levels
- Ethan Pierce and Dr. J.D. Adams, Time-Course Decay of Urine Electrolytes: Effect of Environment and Time
- Natalie Sorrem and Dr. Theodore Them, High-resolution sedimentary [Hg] records across the PETM from a terrestrial latitudinal transect in North America
- Ryland Talmadge and Dr. Jody Beers, Physiological Effects of Temperature and Parasite Load on Swimming Performance of Spotted Seatrout
- Gabi Tutelo and Dr. Allison Welch, Growing up Salty: The Effects of Transient Salinity Stress on Tadpole Growth and Development
- Duncan Weller, Dr. Sarah Hatteberg, and Dr. Kristy Kollath-Cattano, Encountering Overdose: How College Students Are Impacted by Overdose Experiences
- Patrick Wohlscheid and Dr. Jonathan Neufeld, The Use and Abuse of Philosophy in History: James Warley Miles ‘Hegelian’ Defense of Slavery
2019-2020 Major Academic Year Support (MAYS)
The purpose of MAYS funding is to expand the opportunities for undergraduate students and faculty to work collaboratively on scholarly projects that take place during the academic year.
The recipients are as follows:
- Kelly Ackerly and Dr. Daniel Greenberg, An Exploration of Maternal Factors Affecting Children’s Autobiographical Memory
- Bailey Borreson and Dr. Allison Foley, History, Ethics, and the Body: Establishing the Provenience of a Mummified Medical Specimen
- Madison Crow and Dr. Ricard Vinas-de-Puig, Expanding Indigenous Language Knowledge and Preservation in South Carolina: A Survey for Immigrant Indigenous Language Speakers in Charleston County
- Ashley Dowd and Dr. Ashey Pagnotta, Long-Term Evolution of Novae
2019-2020 Research Presentation Grant (RPG)
The purpose of RPG’s are to expand the opportunities for undergraduate students to present their student-faculty research and creative activity at meetings, conferences, competitions, etc.
The recipients are as follows:
- Hannah Addis and Dr. Jennifer Fox, Interactions between Heme Biosynthetic Proteins in Mitochondria
- Miranda Badolato and Dr. Kathleen McInvale, Exploring the Role of Social Support in Peruvian Women’s Physical Activity Levels
- Blaine Billings and Dr. Ricard Vinas-de-Puig, Modality and What Should Would Be Acceptable: Syntactic Promiscuity in Spanish and English Double Modal Constructions
- Andrew Bogatkevich and Dr. Timothy Barker, Synthesis of Amines by Nucleophilic Ring Opening of Aziridines
- Bailey Borreson and Dr. Allison Foley, History, Ethics, and the Body: Establishing the Provenience of a Mummified Medical Specimen
- Niamh Cahill and Dr. Wendy Cory, Investigating Meclizine Tablets for NASA Space Mission Planning
- Xandre Clementsmith and Dr. Sorinel Oprisan, Delay Embedding of Low-Dimensional Attractors of Local Field Potentials from Optogenetic Data
- Tanner Crunelle and Dr. Kris de Welde, Towards Equit/Ecology: One Student’s Praxis
- Samantha Czwalina and Dr. Chris Freeman, An Investigation of Detritus Production by Caribbean Sponges
- Jaclyn Dunne, Dr. Marcello Forconi and Dr. Michael Giuliano, Modifications of Thiols via Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution
- Gracie Eldridge and Dr. Barbara Beckingham, Partitioning and Bioaccessability of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Tire Materials
- Bailey Fallon and Dr. Chris Freeman, Microplastics and Caribbean Sponges
- Bailey Fallon and Dr. Robert Boessenecker, Ancient Leatherbacks of the coastal United States: Fossil Ossicles from California and Carolina and the Stories They Tell
- Phia Gierszal and Dr. Timothy Barker, Reaction of Alkylboronic Esters with Epoxides
- Hawken Hass and Dr. Adam Doughty, Effects of Changeover Requirement on Between-Sequence Variation in Pigeons
- Elizabeth High and Dr. Kathleen McInvale, Presenting Social Support as a Predictor of Obesity Related Behaviors in Peru
- Catherine Hill and Professor Megan Goettsches, Systematically Counted and Silenced: Exploring the Effects of Prison Gerrymandering
- Mason Huebsch and Dr. Jennifer Fox, Investigating the Mechanism of Eukaryotic Heme A Synthase
- Skye Jacobson and Dr. Amy Rogers, Expression and Purification of the Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Heme Domain R367K Mutant
- Dashiell Jay and Dr. Michael Giuliano, Bilayer Interactions of the Endogenous Opioids
- Vernon Kennedy and Dr. Jennifer Wilhelm, Estrogen Signaling is required for Treadmill Exercise Mediated Effects on Synaptic Plasticity around Axotomized Spinal Motoneurons
- Marissa Knight and Dr. Theodore Them, Assessing the Chemostratigraphic Record of Sedimentary Mercury Concentrations across the End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction Event
- James Linzel and Dr. Marcello Forconi, Introduction of Fluoroaromatic Probes into Peptides and Proteins via Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution
- Mary Britt McDonald and Dr. Jay Forsythe, Investigating the Role of Chirality in the Formation and Hydrolysis of Model Prebiotic Peptides
- Emily McGee and Dr. Michael Giuliano, Toward an Understanding of the Relationship between Sequence, Acylation, and Solution Behavior in Human Ghrelin
- Clara Meier and Dr. Theodore Them, Ocean, Atmosphere, Land: Assessing the Source(s) of Mercury across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
- Gabrielle Mullins and Dr. Stephen Short, The Role of Place Attachment and Message Framing on Climate Change Risk Perception
- Claire Natiez and Dr. Gretchen McLaine, Senesce
- Lauren Nelson and Dr. Kathleen McInvale, Presenting Social Support as a Predictor of Obesity Related Behaviors in Peru
- Bach Nguyen and Dr. Katherine Mullaugh, Sulfidation of Silver Nanoparticles by Zinc Sulfide
- Andrew Pampu and Dr. Frederick Heldrich, Metal Catalyzed Coupling in the Synthesis of Bis-Para-Anisyl Alkanes
- Lyndsey Prosser and Dr. Richard Himes, Vitamin K2 Analogs as Anti-Epilepsy Therapeutics
- Emily Ramsayer and Dr. Katherine Mullaugh, Influence of Ligands and pH on Dissolution of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles
- Abigail Reeves, Dr. Jennifer Fox and Dr. Marcello Forconi, Predicting Reactivity of Homologous Sulfohydrolases via Bioinformatics
- Keon Rezaeerod and Dr. Jay Forsythe, Development and Validation of a Differential FTIR Method for the Analysis of Model Prebiotic Peptides
- Casey Roche and Dr. Amy Kolak, The Perfect Narcissist
- Emmaline Sheahan and Dr. Gretchen McLaine, Cogito: An Undergraduate Modern Dance Work
- Elizabeth Smolenski and Dr. Marcello Forconi, Kinetic Isotope Effect on the Kemp Elimination
- Shawn Spann and Dr. Richard Lavrich, Origin of Conformational Flexibility in Linear Amino Alcohols
- Abigail Stephens and Dr. Chris Freeman, Sponge Babies: Larval Survey of Caribbean Sea Sponges
- Briana Taormina and Dr. Marcello Forconi, Kinetic Isotope Effect in the Kemp Elimination Catalyzed by Heme Systems
- Reilly Walker, Dr. Michelle McLeod and Dr. Tom Parry, Effects of Yoga Participation on Dynamic Balance and Core Strength
- Emma Watt and Dr. Richard Himes, Vitamin K2 Analogs in Toxicant-Induced and Genetic Models of Parkinson’s Disease
- Kristen Weeks and Dr. Neal Tonks, Synthesis and Analysis of Biologically Compatible Drug Delivery Systems