Lincoln, Neb., April 18, 2003--More than 100 of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's top undergraduate students had a chance to put their research efforts on display April 4 during UNL's ninth-annual Undergraduate Research Conference at the Nebraska Union.
"The conference is an excellent opportunity for promising students to experience the excitement of sharing their research and their observations," said Karen Lyons, assistant director of UNL's Honors Program. "The conference also provides students the chance to become familiar with a conference atmosphere while in a cooperative, non-threatening, non-competitive environment."
The conference is part of the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences program. Supported by the Office of Academic Affairs and funded by the Pepsi Endowment, UCARE's purpose is to create intellectual partnerships between UNL faculty and undergraduates by providing funds for research.
A list of students who participated follows, alphabetically by hometown. Information includes year in school, type of presentation (paper or poster), title of the presentation, and the student's faculty adviser. The students' research did not have to be in the area of his or her academic major.
NEBRASKA
Alliance: Miranda Curtiss, senior, paper, "Alcohol Dehydrogenase Mutants in Maize," John Osterman, associate professor of biological sciences.
Axtell: Nathan Wells, senior, poster, "Development of a Self-Calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index," Steve Goddard, assistant professor of computer science and engineering.
Beaver Crossing: Adele Phillips, senior, poster, "Design Thoughts Retrospect," Jeffrey Day, assistant professor of architecture.
Bellevue: Kimberly Bunz, senior, poster, "Monitoring of Carbon Monoxide Infiltration into Residential Homes from Attached Garages," Amy Musser, assistant professor of architectural engineering; Joseph Cheatle, junior, poster, "Development of a Reporter System to Study the Decay of PPR1 mRNA," Audrey Atkin, assistant professor of biological sciences; Jonathan Reyes, senior, poster, "Systematic Studies of Rb Optical Pumping at Low Buffer Gas Densities," Timothy Gay, professor of physics and astronomy; Kandi Stallings, senior, poster, "Life-History Trade-Off Between the Immune System and Reproductive System in Crickets," R.L. Pardy, professor of biological sciences.
Bellwood: Mark Hassebrook, senior, paper, "Legislative and Interest Group Activity Impacts on Ethanol Production Incentives, a Study of LB 536 in the 2001 Nebraska Legislature," George H. Pfeiffer, associate professor of agricultural economics.
Columbus: Tyler Anderson, senior, poster, "A Compact, Efficient Mott Polarimeter," Timothy Gay, professor of physics and astronomy; Andrew Kubik, senior, poster, "UNL Cosmic Ray Observatory Project," Greg Snow, associate professor of physics and astronomy; Sallie Rinkol, senior, poster, "Relationship Between Coping Strategies and Adult Psychological Functioning Among CSA Survivors," David DiLillo, assistant professor of psychology.
Cook: Amy Cropp, junior, poster, "Role of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) in Early Embryonic Development," Brett White, assistant professor of animal science.
Doniphan: Rachel Deitemeyer, junior, poster, "Assessment of Environmental Recovery Methods for Clostridium Spores," Jeanette Thurston-Enriquez, USDA microbiologist in Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.
Elkhorn: Amy Hoefker, senior, poster, "Jealousy in Relationships and How it Relates to Personality," Susan Churchill, assistant professor of family and consumer sciences.
Fullerton: Stephanie Sonderup, sophomore, poster, "Hog Dust Causes Adult Respiratory Syndrome (ARS): What Are the Chemical Correlets of Hog Dust Bioreactivity?" R. L. Pardy, professor of biological sciences.
Grand Island: Emily Goering, junior, paper, "Marital Status, Psychoactive Substance Use, and Exploitation as They Relate to Victim Age and Sexual Recidivism," Calvin P. Garbin, associate professor of psychology.
Gretna: Amanda Bartholomew, sophomore, poster, "Buyer Beware: Not All Potting Mixes Are the Same," Ellen Paparozzi, professor of horticulture.
Hastings: Thomas Oldham, junior, poster, "Title Pages in Romantic Literature," Stephen Behrendt, Holmes distinguished professor of English.
Hay Springs: Rhoda Beutler, senior, paper, "Values and Motivations of Workers in Santa Cruz, Bolivia," Charles A. Braithwaite, editor, Great Plains Quarterly.
Hebron: Joseph Bernadt, senior, poster, "Authoritative Citation KNN Learning with Noisy Training Datasets," Leen-Kiat Soh, assistant professor of computer science and engineering; Brian McKenzie, senior, paper, "First-Generation College Students at UNL," Lynn White, professor of sociology.
Holdrege: Jessica Hall, junior, poster, "The Effect of Scattering in Room Acoustic Modeling," Lily Wang, assistant professor of architectural engineering.
Humphrey: Kerry Burns, senior, poster, "Comparative Mapping of Genes Involved in Reproduction Using Bioinformatics," Daniel Pomp, professor of animal science.
Kearney: Amanda Dillon, senior, poster, "Evolutionary Trends in Axopodorhabdus biramiculatus: A Biometric Approach," David Watkins, professor of geosciences; Patrick Moore, senior, presentation boards, "Sustainable Architecture of Nebraska," Keith Sawyers, professor (emeritus) of architecture.
Kimball: Matthew Moehr, junior, paper, "Delivery of Brief Alcohol Interventions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln," Alan Tomkins, professor of psychology and law.
Lincoln: Joel Barkley, junior, poster, "On Microsoft's Clock: The Efficiency of Code in .NET," Donald Costello, senior lecturer in computer science and engineering; Matthew Beermann, senior, paper, "One Degree," Tice Miller, professor of theatre arts; Tuan Dao, senior, paper, "Monitoring JAVA Programs," Sebastian Elbaum, assistant professor of computer science and engineering; Gavin Donaldson, senior, paper, "Societal Issues in Contemporary Theater and Film: Offspring Isolation as Seen in Painting Churches and One True Thing," Miller; Julie Eihusen, senior, paper, "The Dry Bean Intake of Nebraska Women Ages 19-45 Years," Julie Albrecht, associate professor of nutritional science and dietetics; Mary Everett, junior, poster, "UNL Cosmic Ray Observatory Project," Greg Snow, associate professor of physics and astronomy, and Dan Claes, assistant professor of physics and astronomy; Kristin Grohs, senior, poster, "Countless Emotions: A Senior Dance Concert," (with Kimberly Schroeder of Churdan, Iowa; Grohs and Schroeder were UCARE grant recipients for an advanced choreographic exploration), Sara Semonis, assistant professor of dance; Allison Haley, senior, poster, "Minimizing Punishment: How Comparative Negligence Affects the Awarded Amounts of Punitive Damages," Brian Bornstein, associate professor of psychology; Karen Lee, sophomore, poster, "Role of enhC Gene in Entry Legionella pneumophila," Jeffrey Cirillo, associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences; Amber McClung, junior, paper, "Coming Home--A Comparison of the Contemporary Play, 'Painting Churches' to the Contemporary Film "Sweet Home Alabama,"'" Miller; Russell Meyer, sophomore, poster, "My UCARE Experience," Sandra Williams, assistant professor of art and art history; Ly Nguyen, sophomore, paper, "Analysis of Chitin Synthase in Aspergillus Nidulans," Steve Harris, assistant professor of plant science; Adam Pont, senior, poster, "Influence of Sunscreens on Penetration of 2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Through Skin," Rhonda Brand, assistant professor of biological systems engineering; Jon Richardson, sophomore, poster, ".NET Reverse Engineering," Donald Costello, senior lecturer in computer science and engineering; Gretja Schnell, junior, poster, "Generation of New Growth and Hair Mouse Mutants," John Weber, assistant professor of animal science; Elizabeth Shubert, junior, poster, "Identification of Biotinylation Sites in Human Histone H4," Janos Zempleni, assistant professor of nutritional science and dietetics; Devan Starks, sophomore, paper, "School Climate: Predicting Sexual Risk Taking, Substance Use, and Delinquent Behavior," Lynn White, professor of sociology; Emily Thaden, senior, poster, "Sexual Dimorphism in the Size of Two Raptors," Patricia Freeman, professor and curator of zoology, NU State Museum; Ashley Vodehnal, senior, poster, "Fat and Sugar Substitution in Blueberry-Bran Muffins," Marilynn Schnepf, associate professor of nutritional science and dietetics; Elise Woita, senior, paper, "Jane Austen and the Rhetoric of Womanhood," Karen Lyons, assistant professor of English.
Madrid: Caleb Harms, senior, paper, "Differing Perspectives on the Future of Rural Education in Nebraska," Dann Husmann, associate professor of agricultural leadership, education and communication.
McCook: Douglas Grafel, senior, poster, "Comparisons of Auditory and Visual Presentations of Time Series Data," John Flowers, professor of psychology.
Minden: James McCormick, senior, paper, "Meteorological Conditions of the Ogallala, Neb., Flash Flood on 6 July 2002," Mark Anderson, associate professor of geosciences; Abigail Thomsen, senior, paper, "The Latino Achievement Mentoring Program: An Effective Academic Mentoring Program," Marcela Raffaelli, associate professor of psychology and ethnic studies.
Morrill: Megan Lutz, junior, poster, "An Architectural Addition: Contributions by Female Alumni of the UNL College of Architecture," Sharon Kuska, professor of architecture.
Nebraska City: Rebecca Widoe, senior, poster, "Vinegar and/or Honey: Comparing Social Influence Strategies," Cal Garbin, associate professor of psychology.
Norfolk: Josh Scheffler, junior, poster, "Spectrum Stabilizer Design for High-Resolution Materials Characterization," Brian Robertson, associate professor of mechanical engineering; Beracah Stortvedt, junior, paper, "Active Assaults on American Business: Comparisons of Stage and Film," Tice Miller, professor of theatre arts.
North Bend: Robert Soukup, senior, poster, "Buildings of Nebraska: An Introduction," Keith Sawyers, professor (emeritus) of architecture.
North Platte: Courtney Shultz, senior, paper, "Effects of Pet Therapy on Hospitalized Children," Susan Churchill, assistant professor of family and consumer sciences.
Omaha: Stephen Ballan, senior, poster, "Decision Making Regarding Complementary and Alternative Medical Procedures," Marc Kiviniemi, assistant professor of psychology; Emily Bannick, senior, poster, "A Conceptual Model for the Development and Facilitation of Effective Teamwork in Engineering Education," Stephanie Adams, assistant professor of industrial and management systems engineering; Dan Benesh, junior, paper, "The Behavioral Response of Amphipods Harboring Corynosoma constrictum (Acanthocephala) Cystacanths to Various Wavelengths of Light," Brent Nickol, professor of biological sciences; Anne Marie Donovan, senior, poster, "Prevention of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women," Nancy Waltman, associate professor of nursing (UNMC); Chabria Dorsey, senior, poster, "There's No Place Like Home: The Struggle for Home Ownership Among African Americans"; Erin Gilbert, sophomore, paper, "Fight Club's Six Degrees of Separation: A Comparison of Structures," Tice Miller, professor of theatre arts; Elizabeth Lefler, senior, poster, "The Effects of the Media on Female Body Esteem and Eating Behavior," Jennifer Hunt, assistant professor of psychology; Doug McKenney, junior, poster, "Russian Heritage Project," Mila Saskova-Pierce, associate professor of modern languages and literatures; Joseph Meyers, junior, poster, "Grande Opera," Elizabeth Ingraham, assistant professor of art and art history; Brad Peterson, senior, poster, "Mapping of Permanent Electrical Patterns in Nanometer-Thick Polymer Crystals," Stephen Ducharme, professor of physics and astronomy; Jeffrey Scott, senior, Brian Rex, assistant professor of architecture; Ryan Sneed, senior, poster, "Next-Generation Thermal Insulation," Kevin Cole, associate professor of mechanical engineering; Audrey Tapprich, sophomore, poster, "Development of a Reporter System to Study the Decay of PPR1 mRNA," Audrey Atkin, assistant professor of biological sciences; Adam Tourek, junior, poster, "Grand Opera," Ingraham; Arturo Valenzuela, senior, paper, "Social/cultural Evolution and Influence of Myth and Fairy Tales--'Les Contes de Charles Perrault,'" Russ Ganim, associate professor of modern languages and literatures; Colleen Whalen, senior, paper, "Effects of Language Profile on Latinos' Ability to Access Health Care," Marcela Raffaelli, associate professor of psychology and ethnic studies.
Papillion: Jessica Buechler, junior, poster, "Spirit of Design," James Potter, professor of architecture; Cece Hedrick, freshman, paper, "The Variability of Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies," Martin Gaskell, senior lecturer in physics and astronomy.
Pender: Kris Haskin, senior, poster, "An Exploration in the Art of Installation," Dana Fritz, assistant professor of art and art history.
Plainview: Eric Fluckey, senior, poster, "Using Value Focused Thinking for Mobile Commerce," Fiona Nah, assistant professor of management.
Pleasant Dale: Angela McMullen-Gunn, senior, poster, "Aspects of Semiconducting Neutron Detector Fabrication," Brian Robertson, associate professor of mechanical engineering.
Roca: Mali Dyck, senior, poster, "Hegemonic Legitimacy: U.S. Unilateralism and International Public Opinion," David Rapkin, associate professor of political science.
Schuyler: Kristina Folken, junior, poster, "Tissue Culture of Potatoes for Curriculum," Paul Read, professor of agronomy and horticulture.
Scottsbluff: Morgan Hartman, junior, paper, "The Truth in Lies," Tice Miller, professor of theatre arts; Justin Stiers, junior, poster, "Positional Cloning of Fumonisin B1 Resistant Arabidopsis Mutants," Julie Stone, assistant professor of biochemistry.
Seward: Seth Hain, senior, poster, "Fock Algebras, or Why l^1 is not an Operator Algebra," David Pitts, professor of mathematics and statistics; Lisa Pfeiffer, senior, paper, "Agricultural Productivity Growth in the Andean Community," Lilyan Fulginiti, professor of agricultural economics.
Stamford: Shauna Bose, senior, poster, "Greenbug-Resistant Sorghum: An Investigation of Biochemical and Physiological Mechanisms," Tiffany Heng-Moss, assistant professor of entomology.
Tekamah: Jarrod Brand, senior, poster, "The Peculiar Interactions and Research of Simon Forman and John Dee," Carole Levin, professor of history.
Waverly: Todd Reed, senior, poster, "Measuring Soil Mechanical Resistance, Specifically the Coefficient of Friction Between Soil and Steel," Viacheslav Adamchuk, assistant professor of biological systems engineering.
Wilber: Megan Becher, senior, poster, "Effects Of Structured Play with a Pet Therapy Dog, Robotic Dog, and a Stuffed Dog Puppet on Affect in Children with Autism," Ellin Siegel, associate professor of special education and communication disorders.
Wisner: Lia Erickson, senior, paper, "A Study of the Effectiveness of the WordWork Program with English Language Learner Students," Ali Moeller, Greer professor of education, and Kathleen Wilson, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction.
ELSEWHERE
Adel, Iowa: Colin Exline, senior, paper, "Isolation of New Chlorella Viruses," James L. Van Etten, professor of plant pathology.
Bariloche, Argentina: Conrado Tognetti, junior, paper, "Civil War U.S. Through the Eyes of an Argentina Woman," Gustavo Paz.
Barquisimeto, Venezuela: Adriana Velasquez, senior, poster, "Effect of Electron Beam Irradiation on Poultry Meat Safety and Quality," Shelly McKee, assistant professor of food science and technology.
Cali, Columbia: Cesar Delgado, senior, poster, "High Resolution Tiled Display Wall," David Swanson, research assistant professor of computer science and engineering.
Cameron Highlands, Malaysia: Seng Yee Wong, senior, poster, "Enhancing Multiplication Rate of Micropropagated Hazelnut (Corylus spp.)," Paul Read, professor of agronomy and horticulture.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Carl Galloway, senior, poster, "Heterochromatin Boundary Elements in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae," Xin Bi, assistant professor of biochemistry.
Churdan, Iowa: Kimberly Schroeder, senior, poster (with Kristin Grohs of Lincoln, Neb.), "Countless Emotions: A Senior Dance Concert," (Schroeder and Grohs were UCARE grant recipients for an advanced choreographic exploration), Sara Semonis, assistant professor of dance.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Feroz Patwa, senior, poster, "Ping Pong Coach," Leen-Kiat Soh, assistant professor of computer science and engineering
Freeport, Ill.: Erin Teuber, senior, paper, "The Educational Histories of Two Multi-Cultural, Multi-Lingual Women," Joy Ritchie, professor of English.
Harlan, Iowa: Jenny Heim, junior, poster, "Development of a Reporter System to Study the Decay of PPR1 mRNA," Audrey Atkin, assistant professor of biological sciences.
Leavenworth, Kan.: Sara Krondak, senior, poster, "Predicting Binge Drinking from Need for Cognition and Drinking Perceptions," Brian Bornstein, associate professor of psychology.
Loveland, Colo.: Megan Young, senior, poster, "Courseware Standardization in Rough Cilicia and Its Relationship to Roman Influence," LuAnn Wandsnider, associate professor of anthropology.
New Delhi, India: Nipun Mathur, senior, poster, "Reducing Test Vectors Required for Very Large Scale Digital Circuits Using Fault Simulations," Sharad Seth, professor of computer science and engineering.
Palisade, Colo.: Dana Brosig, senior, poster, "Health Monitoring of Laminate Composites Using Disposable PVDF Sensors," Yuris Dzenis, associate professor of engineering mechanics.
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Jerome Heah, senior, poster, "The Globalization of Professional Sports and Counterfeiting of Sports Paraphernalia," James Gentry, professor of marketing; Kok Yung Soon, senior, paper, "Whiz-Kids or Not: A Closer Examination on Asian American Students' Academic Achievement from the Parent-Student Interaction Perspectives," Carolyn P. Edwards, Cather professor of psychology and family and consumer sciences.
Rapid City, S.D.: Carrie Todd, senior, poster, "Dictyostelium: A Look at the Wonderful World of Macrocysts," Catherine Chia, associate professor of biological sciences.
Sioux Falls, S.D.: Erin McCarthy, senior, poster, "Assessment in the General Music Classroom," Robert Woody, assistant professor of music.
Surabaya, Indonesia: Shirley Chen, sophomore, poster, "Evolution of Ribonuclease (Viewed from The 3-D Structure)," Hideaki Moriyama, research associate professor of chemistry.
Wilmington, N.C.: Amy Miller, senior, poster, "Construction of a Chimeric Gene to Isolate Mutants Defective in the Signal Transduction Pathways of the Carbon Concentrating Mechanism," Donald Weeks, professor of biochemistry and biological sciences.
Winner, S.D.: Trent Blare, junior, paper, "Calling the Kettle Black: Are U.S. Demands to End Export Subsidies Hypocritical?," David Rapkin, associate professor of political science.
Yankton, S.D.: Ben Williams, sophomore, poster, "Photonic Quantum Memory," Herman Batelaan, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.
Yukon, Okla.: Jack Quimby-Hopkins, senior, poster, "Waste Product: Rethinking Recycling," Jeff Day, assistant professor of architecture.
CONTACT: Karen Lyons,
Asst. Director, Honors Program, (402) 472-2456
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Posted by Tom Simons, Office of
University Communications
Phone: (402) 472-8514, Fax: (402) 472-7825