Honors-Program Funded Projects
HISTORY
Erin Doyle, advised by Professor of History Susan Oullette, spoke on Sisters of Saint Joseph of Rochester in Selma, Alabama. This collective biography of the very impressive Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester highlights the history of service by the Sisters in Selma on the Civil Rights frontier. The project documented the sisters’ service to the black community that included running a school, nursing home, hospital, and nursing school, and as well as health clinics and preschools.
PSYCHOLOGY
Erica Masi, advised by Assistant Professor of Psychology Melissa VanderKaay Tomasulo, spoke on The Impact of Different Types of Friendship Support during Psychosocial Stress on Cardiovascular Reactivity and Salivary Cortisol Levels. This controlled scientific study hypothesized that with either of the two types of friend-support conditions, individuals will have decreased cardiac reactivity and cortisol levels in comparison to the alone condition (whether a friend was there for support or was not there). Secondly, participant’s personal dependence, coping style and quality of friendship were examined in relation to each friend condition (present, nearby, or absent during the testing).
GLOBAL STUDIES
Kelly Huettner, Sarah Coghlan, and Brielle Domings, advised by Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication Jon Hyde, spoke on Food Life: From Seed to Shelf. This study and website traced the American food system from industrial food to organic and then onward to the localvore movement. Explaining the path from seed to shelf, the researchers advocated greater understanding of the source of our food.
Presentations by Summer-Grant Recipients
ECONOMICS
Dmitri Repnikov, advised by Professor of Economics Reza Ramazani, spoke on The Impact of Exchange Rate Changes on the Trade Balance of Ex-Soviet Transitioning Economies. A summer grant allowed this student to explore the economies of ex-Soviet nations in Eastern and Central Europe which have seen “astonishing rates of growth.” In a very sophisticated mathematical study, Mr. Repnikov examined the impact of devaluations on trade balance in these countries. He used the Ordinary Least Squares technique and discovered that “in the long-run, a depreciation in the exchange rate eventually improves a trade balance.”
PSYCHOLOGY
Eric Jackson, advised by Psychology Professor Ari Kirshenbaum, presented a paper titled Response disinhibition evoked by nicotine administration. Using step by step measurements, this student carried out extensive research on the impact of nicotine on his test animals, producing work that was also presented to a professional psychology conference. His results “provide novel evidence of nicotine sensitization on the stop-signal task” performed by the subjects.
BIOLOGY
Ed Griffin, advised by Biology Associate Professor Mark Lubkowitz, presented a very detailed, very impressive report on his research titled Oligopeptide transporters are not regulated by absiscic & gibberellic acid. This advanced science student carefully measured the impact of those two acids on the germination of rice seeds at the molecular level.
CHEMISTRY
Katelyn Billings, advised by Associate Professor of Chemistry Bret Findley, presented her research titled Synthesis of Novel Octyl D-glucoside Fused [13]-Macro-dilactones. This student altered macrolides, which are used in antibiotics, but which have become resistant, and thus less effective in curing illnesses. Her alterations to the drugs were purified and carefully documented and were so promising that “samples were subsequently accepted for testing at the National Cancer Institute.”
MATHEMATICS
Brittany Baker, advised by Professor of Mathematics George Ashline, presented her research titled Detecting Forged Signatures Using Wavelet Decomposition. Here is her description of this fascinating study: “An effective procedure for distinguishing between genuine and forged signatures is analyzing them with wavelets. This is done by…..calculating row and column sums using horizontal, vertical, and diagonal details for individual signatures. Mat lab is then used to compare the sums of each signature to the sum of the average genuine signature. Signatures with sums relatively close to the average genuine signature are then considered authentic.”
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Kate Mooney, advised by Professor of Political Science Patricia Siplon, presented a paper titled When Empowerment Fails: Understanding the Problems of Sexual Pressure on Young Women in Tanzania: The Case of Unwanted Pregnancies. Extensive research with young women on site in Tanzania led this student to make a series of recommendations to improve “(1) the existing empowerment programming of the Ilula Orphan Program [an organization that she worked in], and similar non-governmental organizations that work with vulnerable youth and (2) empowerment programming for girls post-pregnancy.”