KY-WV LSAMP · Kentucky-West Virginia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and a Broadening Participation in Engineering grant of the National Science Foundation, which

KY-WV LSAMP

12th Annual Research Symposium

KY-WV LSAMP 12th Annual Research Symposium

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Friday, February 28, 2020 For LSAMP Only

Capital Plaza Hotel 02:00-04:00 PM Symposium Registration

02:00-03:00 PM Speed Mentoring Raúl Torres, KY-WV LSAMP Coordinator

03:00-03:15 PM Welcome and Introductions Kazi Javed, Ph.D. KSU Chemistry Professor and KY-WV LSAMP Co-PI Fara Williams, KY-WV LSAMP Director

03:15-04:00 PM KY-WV LSAMP Fara Williams, KY-WV LSAMP Director

04:00-05:30 PM Graduate School Application Process

Mike Heppler, Graduate School Expert

05:30-06:00 PM Dinner

06:00-07:00 PM Graduate Student Panel Mike Heppler, Moderator Graduate Students Cagney Coomer Norman Loving Courtney McKelphin Julia Parker Kayla Titialii-Torres

07:00-08:00 PM Gabrielle Luis, Vanderbilt

08:00-09:00 PM Networking Mixer / One-on-One Clinic

Saturday, February 29, 2020 For the General Public & LSAMP

Kentucky State University - Student Center 08:00-10:00 AM Symposium Registration and Refreshments Ballroom

08:15-08:45 AM K-12 Student Orientation TBD

09:00-09:30 AM Welcome and Introductions Fara Williams, KY-WV LSAMP Director Beverly Schneller, Ph.D., KSU Interim Provost & VP for Academic Affairs Charles McGruder, Ph.D., WKU LSAMP Coordinator

Ballroom

09:30-10:30 AM Keynote Presentation Astrid Suarez, Ph.D., Meterologist, US Air Force Civil Service

Ballroom

10:30-10:45 AM Pictures TBD

10:45-11:00 AM Break

11:00-12:00 PM Oral Presentations See Presentation List Ballroom

11:00-12:00 PM K-12 Session TBD

12:00-01:15 PM Networking Lunch

Ballroom

12:00-01:15 PM Alliance Meeting Lunch KY-WV LSAMP Administration, Campus Coordinators, and Invited Guests

TBD

01:15-03:15 PM Recruitment Tables See Recruitment List Ballroom Alcove

01:15-02:15 PM Poster Session 1 - Odd #'s See Presentation List Ballroom

02:15-03:15 PM Poster Session 2 - Even #'s See Presentation List Ballroom

03:15-03:30 PM Closing / Recognition Presentations

Fara Williams, KY-WV LSAMP Director

Ballroom

Funded by the National Science Foundation

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KY-WV LSAMP is funded by the National Science Foundation grant number HRD 1305039.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in KY-WV LSAMP material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the University of Kentucky.

KY-WV LSAMP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, veterans' status, or age in its programs and activities.

Notes


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Notes


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Louis Stokes

Louis Stokes and his brother, Carl, grew up in an impoverished part of Cleveland. After serving in the US Army during World War II, he worked for the US Department of the Treasury during the day while attending Case Western Reserve University at night. He earned a law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Congressman Stokes represented his Ohio District in the US House of Representatives for 30 years. Elected on November 6, 1968, he was the first African American member of Congress from the state of Ohio. The thrust of his career focused on advocacy for the

poor and disadvantaged, especially those in urban America. He sponsored legislation to help people of color enter the intelligence community, fought for adequate housing for the poor, and oversaw the passage of the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1989. Other legislative efforts included the sponsorship of programs for minority professionals in health and science and engineering at the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, respectively. He served under six presidents during his 30 years in Congress. Congressman Stokes passed away in 2015. http://lsmce.org/lsamp-community/about-louis-stokes/

Dr. A. James Hicks was named LSAMP

program director in 1997. He received a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana and additional training at Harvard University, the National Institutes of Health, and the Missouri Botanical Gardens. When Dr. Hicks took over LSAMP, there were 25 Alliances in the nation. Today, there are over 40 active LSAMP alliances with over 600 colleges and

universities involved in increasing the quality and quantity of students from underrepresented populations who receive degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.


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Astrid Suarez, Ph.D., serves as Analysis Branch Chief for the Meteorological Modeling and Analysis Mission at the Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick AFB, FL. She earned her B.S in Meteorology from Western Kentucky University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Suarez currently leads a team of meteorologists in support of a national security mission that monitor’s worldwide nuclear treaty compliance and nuclear surprises. Her work primarily focuses on improving numerical weather prediction and atmospheric transport and dispersion applications for nuclear monitoring efforts. She regularly serves as a national-level expert for work with major universities, national laboratories, and other U.S. government agencies. Dr. Suarez has also served as a U.S.

representative to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization Young Scientist Network. She has been the recipient of various institutional awards for her undergraduate and graduate work as well as professional achievements.

Michael Heppler is co-founder of a company called Creation’s Best. This is an Educational Advancement, Life Improvement, and Relationship Development consulting company. This includes presentations about the graduate and professional school application process, available financial support, and the importance of professional relationship development and academic performance. He has 30 years of experience in public education. This includes fifteen years in the graduate education administration and another 15 years of experiences in public school and community college environments. He has traveled throughout the United States

carrying a message about the abundance of opportunities for scholars to experience the Best of Life through academic excellence and scholar ly research. He has presented workshops to over 2,000 scholars across the United States and Costa Rica. A few of his prior appearances are the 2011 Oklahoma EPSCoR NSF Grants Workshop, the Inaugural Oklahoma PHD (Pursuing Higher Degrees) Camp held in 2010, National Society of Black Engineers Region V Conference, North Carolina A&T University McNair Scholars Research Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, Heartland McNair Scholars Research Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, Ronald E. McNair Research & Leadership Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (OK-LSAMP) state conference.

Speaker Biographies


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Cagney Coomer is from Louisville, Kentucky. She received an Associates degree in biotechnology from BCTC and a BS degree in biology from Virginia State University. Ms. Coomer went on to earn an MS in molecular biology at the University of Kentucky. Currently, She is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biology at UK, scheduled to defend her dissertation later this year. Ms. Coomer, since a young age, noticed a serious lack in adequate STEM education in the K-12 system in Lexington’s African-American community. She used this as inspiration to start a non-profit organization called NERD SQUAD. She has developed a number of STEM based student and community programs, some of which have been adopted by elementary schools and middle schools in the area. Norman Loving Jr is cur rently a graduate student at Marshall University studying Health Informatics. He has an undergraduate degree in Health Science with a minor in psychology. His ultimate career goal is to work as a Data Analyst preferably in the Healthcare industry specializing in improving the proficiency of healthcare delivery to those who are considered a minority. Upon graduation in May 2021, he plans to begin his career in the industry and beyond that a doctorate. Courtney McKelphin holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineer ing from the University of Kentucky. While attending UK, Courtney helped re-charter the collegiate chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) as Vice President, was involved in KY-WV LSAMP, and was recognized by the National Science Foundation for her research and publication in the field of renewable energy. Additionally, Courtney served on several panels for the advancement of race relations on campus. Today, Courtney manages over $3 million in capital projects across North America with Chemtrade Logistics specializing in process design, improvement, and safety. She is a certified Project Management

Professional (PMP), is in pursuit of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Missouri State University, and spends her free time as a math tutor at the adult learning center

Julia Parker, who is or iginally from Suwanee, Georgia, has been involved in research since 2018, when she started working at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UK CAER) as an undergraduate majoring in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE). At CAER, Julia’s undergraduate research was supported by the Kentucky-West Virginia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and a Broadening Participation in Engineering grant of the National Science Foundation, which also allowed her to attend a summer school focused on the application of renewable energy at the Reiner Lemoine Institute in Berlin, Germany in the summer of 2019. Immediately after graduating in 2019, Julia started pursuing a Master’s in BAE, performing her research in the

laboratories of UK CAER focused on the conversion of biomass as a replacement for petroleum derived chemicals to alleviate reliance on fossil fuels.

Kayla Titialii-Torres is or iginally from Seattle, Washington, and received her BS in zoology from Washington State University. Currently, she is a fourth year Ph.D. candidate at the University of Kentucky in the Department of Biology. Throughout her undergraduate career, Mrs. Titialii-Torres conducted research and attended multiple conferences through the support of programs such as LSAMP and the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program. Her research focuses on the relationship between metabolism and retina development as well as regeneration. Mrs. Titialii-Torres is interested in influencing policy that effects research funding, access to science, and opportunities for underrepresented students in STEM.

Grad Student Panel


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Thank you!

KY-WV LSAMP would like to offer a huge thank you to those who have helped to make this year’s

Annual Research Symposium such a wonderful success.

The UK Office of the President provides continuing support for the KY-WV LSAMP program,

administrative assistance, and has provided gifts for the speakers.

The UK Office of Institutional Diversity provides the KY-WV LSAMP program with administrative

assistance including arranging the travel for event speakers.

KY-WV LSAMP would like to give a large thank you to the Kentucky State University LSAMP

staff and associates for their priceless assistance in planning and implementing this event. Those

individuals include: Dr. Kazi Javed, Associate Professor of Chemistry and KY-WV LSAMP Co-PI

and Dr. Tierra Freeman-Taylor, Professor of Psychology and Chair, School of the Social

Behavioral Sciences.

KY-WV LSAMP would like to thank Sonia Sanders, Director of Public Engagement, for her help in

selecting and reserving space.

KY-WV LSAMP would like to thank Jessica Mack and Allen Green at the Capital Plaza Hotel.

Their assistance in reserving lodging for the scholars and coordinators was invaluable.

KY-WV LSAMP would like to thank Sodexo Catering.

KY-WV LSAMP would like to thank Jesi Bowman in the UK Office of Undergraduate Research for

printing the program posters for the symposium

KY-WV LSAMP would like to thank all the Volunteers including those who provided transportation

for the scholars and those who assisted with the registration table.

Most of all, KY-WV LSAMP would like to give a special thanks to the research Mentors. This

program would not be the success it is without expert support and guidance mentors provide to the

scholars as they explore and enhance their research and scientific skills. We cannot say “thank you”

enough.

KY-WV LSAMP would especially like to thank the National Science Foundation and the LSAMP

program director, A. James Hicks, Ph.D., for their continued support of the program.

KY-WV LSAMP is eternally grateful for the hard work and dedication of the KY-WV LSAMP Staff

on each campus. Their mentoring and guidance keeps scholars on track academically and

professionally, so they are ready for the rigors of graduate schools, academia, and/or industry

careers.


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Eli Capilouto, Sc.D., KY-WV LSAMP PI, [email protected], 859-257-1701

Dr. Eli Capilouto (Principal Investigator for KY-WV LSAMP) became the 12th

President of the University of Kentucky on July 1, 2011. Under his leadership, the

$3.5 billion flagship and land grant research university has gained significant

momentum in fulfilling its multi-faceted mission of teaching, research, service and

health care. Dr. Capilouto has led a process to enrich UK’s academic experience by

investing in priorities that maintain affordability and access; support the institution’s

talented faculty and staff; and revitalize the living, learning and research facilities

across campus. Under Dr. Capilouto’s leadership, the University of Kentucky is undergoing a

significant physical transformation of its academic, research, residential, health care and community

spaces. Through partnership, increased philanthropyand effective financial management, UK is self-

financing the vast majority of its more than $2.1 billion infrastructure development. Dr. Capilouto is

committed to enhancing UK’s research enterprise and graduate education programs through high-

quality partnerships, both domestic and international, and by recruiting and rewarding top scholars

across the world. Recently, UK’s Markey Cancer Center earned National Cancer Institute-

designation (NCI); making it one of 22 universities with the trifecta of federal research awards: NCI,

Clinical Translation Science Award (CTSA) and an Alzheimer’s Disease Center. A native of

Alabama, Dr. Capilouto previously served as Provost of the University of Alabama-Birmingham

(UAB) and Dean of the UAB School of Public Health. He holds several undergraduate and graduate

degrees from schools within the University of Alabama system, and a Doctorate in Health Policy

and Management from Harvard University.

Johné Parker, Ph.D., Co-PI, [email protected], 859-218-0647

Dr. Johné Parker serves as the lead Co-PI of KY-WV LSAMP. She received a

BS, MS, and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of

Technology and worked in industry for six years before completing her graduate

degrees. Dr. Parker is currently an Associate Professor at the University of

Kentucky. Her research interests include systems and controls, automation, radio

frequency identification and science/technology policy.

Fara Williams, Program Director, [email protected], 859-218-6326

Fara Williams received a BS in elementary education/middle level science from

Oklahoma State University. She taught for seven years in public and private

schools where she received a wide range of experience working with students

from 3 years old through high school. For 8 1/2 years, Ms. Williams worked with

the Oklahoma LSAMP. During those years, OK-LSAMP saw a significant

increase in the number of program participants and in annual symposium attendees. In October

2015, Ms. Williams became director of the KY-WV LSAMP and is working to increase the quality

and quantity of LSAMP programming and participants in the region.

Mark Pittman, Program Manager, [email protected], 859-323-4543

Willie Pearson, Jr., Ph.D., Program Evaluator, [email protected], 404-385-2265

Ed Marshall, Program Evaluator, [email protected], 215-746-0575

KY-WV LSAMP Program Administration


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Bluegrass Community and Technical College Victoria Paige Cloud, [email protected], 859-246-4613 Victoria Paige Cloud received an Associate’s degree in Science from Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College at the age of 16, then went on to receive as Associate’s in Applied Science in Science in Civil Engineering Technology from BCTC and went to work in industry. After several years in the industry she went back to University of Kentucky and finished her Bachelors in Mathematics and a Master of Arts in Education, with a concentration on Community College Teaching, at Western Kentucky University . She has work her way up to

Associate Professor in the Kentucky Community College and Technical System, teaching both and SKCTC and BCTC. While teaching full time, she continued her education and is ABD on a Doctorate in Education Leadership and Policy from Eastern Kentucky University. Centre College

John Wilson, Ph.D., [email protected], 859-238-5409 Dr. John Wilson received his BS in mathematics from the University of the South and his MS and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina. Currently, Dr. Wilson is the H.W. Stodghill, Jr. and Adele H. Stodghill Professor of Mathematics at Centre College and serves as the chair of the Division of Science and Mathematics. Dr. Wilson’s research interests include using math to develop efficient and reliable methods of transmitting and sorting information.

Jefferson Community and Technical College

Danielle Sims Brooks, [email protected] 502-213-2171 Danielle Sims Brooks received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Tennessee State University and a Master’s degree in Education Administration and Supervision from Lipscomb University. Currently, Danielle is working on her doctorate in Postsecondary leadership from Western Kentucky University. Danielle serves as Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Jefferson Community and Technical College.

Kentucky State University

Kazi Javed, Ph.D., Co-PI, [email protected], 502-597-6722 Dr. Kazi Javed received a BS in physics and chemistry from Dickinson College and a MS and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Clarkson University. Currently, Dr. Javed is an Associate Professor of chemistry at Kentucky State University. His research interests include hazardous and radioactive waste treatment technology, carbon nanotechnology and membrane platforms for environmental and energy applications.

Marshall University

Maurice Cooley, [email protected], 304-696-5430 Maurice Cooley earned a BS in sociology and a Master of Arts in counseling from Marshall University. Mr. Cooley joined the Marshall University staff in 2003 as the Director of the Center for African American students. Currently, he is the Associate Vice President for Intercultural Affairs.

David Cartwright, [email protected], 304-696-6024 David Cartwright earned a MS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Dayton, and is currently ABD in Industrial Engineering at West Virginia University. Mr. Cartwright has been teaching at Marshall since 1997 in Engineering and the College of Science.


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University of Kentucky Raúl Torres, [email protected], 857-323-2722 Raúl Torres received a BA in Comparative Ethnic Studies from Washington State University. Upon graduation, Mr. Torres worked at the WSU Office of Research as an office assistant, where he learned some of the intricacies of working in higher education. Mr. Torres has now served as the UK Campus Coordinator for 3 years.

University of Louisville V. Faye Jones, MD, Ph.D., MSPH, [email protected], 502-551-8624 Dr. Faye Jones received her BS in biology from Western Kentucky University and her MD, Masters of Science and Public Health, and Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Louisville. Dr. Jones also completed a fellowship in Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine. Currently, she is the Associate Vice President of Health Affairs / Diversity Initiatives for the Health Sciences Center campus at the University of Louisville as well as a Tenured Professor and Vice

Chair of Pediatrics. Dr. Jones’ research interests include health disparities, foster and kinship care, and culturally competent educational curriculum. West Virginia State University

Hannah Payne., [email protected], 304-553-8218 Hannah Payne received a BS in biology and an MS in biotechnology from West Virginia State University. Currently, she is the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CASTEM) and the Assistant Program Director for 4H Youth Development at West Virginia State University. Mrs. Payne delivers professional development sessions for students across the campus and coordinates K-12 outreach efforts in hopes of

contributing to a strengthened STEM pipeline in West Virginia. Ami Smith, Ph.D., [email protected], 304-204-4305 Dr. Ami Smith received a BS in biology from West Virginia State University and a Ph.D. in biosciences from the University of Exeter. Currently, Dr. Smith serves as the Associate Vice President for Public Service at WVSU. In her position, she assists in developing, maintaining, and showcasing WVSU’s outreach, public service and extension activities.

West Virginia University David Miller, Ph.D., Co-PI, [email protected], 304-293-2011 ext. 2323 Dr. David Miller received his BS in mathematics and engineering physics from Missouri State University. He received an MS in applied mathematics and a Ph.D. in mathematics with specialization in undergraduate math education from Oklahoma State University. Currently, Dr. Miller is an Associate Professor at West Virginia University and Undergraduate Program Director in Mathematics. Dr. Miller’s research interests include undergraduate math education, cognitive science, and

STEM education. Western Kentucky University

Charles McGruder, Ph.D., [email protected], 270-745-5277 Dr. Charles McGruder received his BS from the California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg. He is a past president of the National Society of Black Physicists and was appointed to the National Research Council’s Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics in 2005. Currently. Dr. McGruder is the William McCormack Professor at Western Kentucky University. His research interests include construction of a wide-wide network of fully robotic

imaging telescopes, extrasolar planets, and gamma-ray bursts.


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Notes


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You cannot do a kindness too soon because you

never know how soon it will be too late.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oral

Presentations


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BOREN A SCIENTIST: MANDARIN, INTERNATIONAL COMPETENCE, AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION Author: Scott Lopez University of Scholar: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

Location of Research: Beijing, China Funding: Institute of International Education, David L. Boren Scholarship Mentor: Aspire Office, West Virginia University

Twenty-first century scientific innovations have the potential to positively impact people across the world when communicated properly. English is the primary language of published scientific journals and is often be referred to as the international language of science. Science communication however, is not limited to a specific language or nationality. Building multilateral relationships and mutual understandings with people from different fields and backgrounds can be fundamental when forming the next scientific innovations. The Boren Scholarship can provide awards for undergraduate and graduate students to study a foreign language, conduct research, and strengthen international competence while being immersed in another country. An interpretation of these underlying themes will be presented as it relates to the experiences of an undergraduate LSAMP and Boren Scholar aspiring to substantiate that science can also be a ubiquitous language.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) TO VISITORS OF PUBLIC GARDENS

Author: Gustavo Camargo Silva

University of Scholar: Western Kentucky University

Location of Research: Bowling Green, KY

Funding: Jerry E. Baker Foundation, KY-WV LSAMP

Mentor(s): Martin Stone, Western Kentucky University and Baker Arboretum

This project assessed how mapping plants with GIS software can improve the experience of visitors to a public garden. As GIS technology becomes more advanced each day, many botanical gardens and arboretums are adopting it to aid in mapping and cataloging their specimens, which greatly benefits the employees of such institutions. This study was conducted at the Baker Arboretum in Bowling Green, KY and intended to evaluate the feasibility of using a GIS software to enhance the interaction between the visitors and the garden’s features. Eleven genera of trees that have edible properties were selected to be researched and mapped in a story map. Three of them (Diospyros, Ficus and Morus) were mapped during the execution of this project. The data of the remaining eight (Carya, Celtis, Cornus, Ginkgo, Juglans, Pinus, Platanus, and Quercus) was collected in previous years. This data was used to put together an interactive story map using ArcGIS software. The story map will be published in the Arboretum’s website as an educational tool for visitors, with the intention of teaching them about each genus that could be an alternative, natural and cheap food source. This study demonstrated that using GIS software enabled the Arboretum to create material that directly benefits its visitors and the community of Bowling Green. This study confirmed that GIS is beneficial not only to the employees of public gardens, but also to its visitors and the communities around them.

11:00-11:15

11:15-11:30


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MEASURING ENERGY DISSIPATION OF REFLECTING INTERNAL WAVES USING EXPERIMENTS AND SIMULATIONS Author: Clayton Bell University of Scholar: Centre College, Danville, KY, USA

Location of Research: Centre College, Danville, KY, USA Funding: KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: John Wilson Determining the energy flux of an internal wave from the experimental velocity field was made possible by the work of Lee et al. (Lee et al., Phys. Fluids, 26, 2014). This method is used in our work to measure the amount of energy dissipated when internal waves reflect from sloping boundaries by comparing the incoming energy flux to the outgoing energy flux through a surface near to the reflection region. We also use numerical simulations of the Navier-Stokes equations in the Boussinesq limit where the energy flux is known from the pressure and velocity fields. There is good agreement between our experimental and numerical simulation data, and we find that there are high rates of energy dissipation during reflection process at the critical angle when the boundary flows are strongest. The results are consistent with Dettner et al. (Phys., Fluids, 25, 2013) who showed that strong boundary flows are excited by tidal motion over model topography, but the conversion of tidal energy into internal waves is weak.

11:30-11:45

“You can do anything you want, but

you have to work at it”

Annie Easley, Mathematician and

Software Developer for NASA


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Notes


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“Whatever we believe about ourselves and our

ability comes true for us”

Susan L. Taylor“

Poster

Presentations


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1. Malik Appleton Pharmacy UK

2. Koji Barnaby Chemistry WKU

3. Micai Benford Chemistry Centre

4. Oriana Ovide Chemistry WVU

5. Samantha Belcher Biology WVSU

6. Jacob Clay Ag. Biotech UK

7. Mikayla Dematrakis Biology UL

Ephraim Otieno Biology UL

8. Annalisa Huckaby Biology WVU

9. Jonathan Kingsly Biology WVU

10. Olivia Lim Biology WVSU

11. Zedan Martin Biology WVSU

12. Caitlin Mickles Biology WVU

13. De’Anthony Morris Biology WVU

14. Ishita Sharma Biology Marshall

15. Mya Vannoy Biology WVU

16. Alyse Washington Biology WVU

Presentations by Poster Number

“Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your

creativity or your curiosity. It’s your place in the

world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with

it, and make it the life you want to live”

Mae Jemison, First African American Woman

Astronaut in Space


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Presentations by Poster Number

17. Alex Contreras Biology Ball State

18. Katelyn Ramsey Bioengineering WVU

19. Madewa Adeniyi Engineering WVU

20. Asahel Aguilar-Ortiz Engineering UK

21. Diego Cabanillas Engineering WVU

22. Arrah Calvin Engineering WKU

23. Joshua Hernandez Engineering WVU

24. Corey Mattic Chemistry KSU

25. Jacqueline Brown Computer Science Marshall

26. David Fowler Computer Science KSU

27. Derek Roberts Computer Science KSU

28. Emma Moore Mathematics WKU

29. Lukas Negron Mathematics WKU

30. David Suarez Mathematics WKU

31. Francisco Beltran Ag. Biotech UK

“Courage...is habitus, a habit, a virtue: you get it by

courageous acts. It’s like you learn to swim by

swimming. You learn courage by couraging.”

Dr. Marie Daly, The first African-American

Woman to earn a PhD in Chemistry


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P01 LEUKEMIA INHIBITORY FACTOR REGULATES THE POST STROKE IMMUNE CELL INFILTRATION IN AGED MALE AND FEMALE RATS Authors: Malik Appleton, Edric D Winford, Stephanie Davis PhD, Keith Pennypacker PhD

University of Scholar: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA Location of Research: Lexington, KY Funding: National Science Foundation, KY-WV LSAMP, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, UK Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Mentor: Dr. Keith Pennypacker University of Kentucky Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the world. There currently only two FDA approved treatments for ischemic stroke, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and mechanical thrombectomy. Leukemia inhibitory factor or LIF, has been shown to improve functional recovery in young rats put under ischemic stroke conditions, but neither the responses of older rats nor the gendered rat differences in immune responses have yet been tested with LIF. The purpose of this study is to identify the differences in immune cell infiltration of aged male and female rats subjected to MCAO and treated with LIF. For his study, the rats were subjected to either MCAO surgery or sham surgery and given an injection of either LIF or PBS at 6, 24, and 48-hour time points after surgery. At the 72h time point the rats had MRI scans done on their brains immediately before euthanasia, and brains, blood, and spleens of the rats were collected for flow cytometry analysis. The spleen, blood, and brain samples were stained and analyzed with a flow cytometer for counts of Macrophages and Monocytes, B cells, and CD4 and CD8 T cells, and the resulting data was compiled using FlowJo and visualized using GraphPad. Results show that while there are some potential differences in the immune cell infiltrations of male vs female rats and PBS vs LIF rats, the deviation in sample levels of immune cells is on high for statistically significant conclusions to be made. A larger sample size for each group (currently n≤4 per treatment group) would be needed in a future study to investigate his further.

P02 SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL AMINE OR THIOL FUNCTIONALIZED IONIC LIQUIDS Author(s): Koji Barnaby and Lawrence Hill University of Scholar: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA

Location of Research: Bowling Green, KY, USA Funding: KY-WV LSAMP Mentor(s): Dr. Lawrence Hill, Western Kentucky University With the current climate crisis, there is a need to change the current way energy is produced with a cleaner, more environmentally friendly method. Therefore, research in nanoparticles, small particles with controlled size and shape that catalyze reactions, has grown recently. Ionic liquids can be useful for nanoparticle synthesis due in part to their low volatility, staying a liquid over a large temperature range, and having surface tension that is useful in nucleating small particles. In this project, novel ionic liquids with amine or thiol functional groups were synthesized using a series of reactions. The product was extracted by filtration, recrystallization, and solid-liquid extraction followed by evaporating solvents off using a rotary evaporator. The results from each step were analyzed using 1H-NMR to confirm the presence of the predicted product. Solvents with different polarities like ethanol, anhydrous tetrahydrofuran, anhydrous dichloromethane, and deionized water were used in the reactions to effectively solubilize the reactants to allow for the reaction, and solvents such as dichloromethane, deuterated water, deuterated chloroform, and dimethyl sulfoxide were used to completely dissolve the products for the NMR analysis. In future, these novel ionic liquids with the attached functional groups can be used to synthesize nanoparticles to further control their shape.

P03 GOLD SHELL NANOPARTICLES IN DIAGONSTIC SYSTEMS Author: Micai Benford University of Scholar: Centre College, Danville, KY, USA

Location of Research: Kentucky and West Virginia, USA Funding: KY-WV LSAMP, NSF-EPSCoR, Pittcon Undergraduate Analytical Research Program Grant, Pittsburgh Conference Memorial National College Grant Mentor: Dr. Daniel Scott, Centre College New advancements in nanotechnology has led to a rise in research on applications of nanoparticles in fields of medicine, particularly in that of disease detection and diagnostics. Of specific focus to this area are gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) owing to the ease of surface modification. Using thiolated DNA in conjunction with AuNPs, a method for assessing disease DNA presence was demonstrated, based on preferential bonding


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between fluorophore and AuNP conjugated semi-complimentary DNA. Low concentrations of target DNA were able to release the fluorophore tagged DNA from the AuNP surface, leading to an increase in detectable signal. The ultimate goal is an analytical device able to detect binding of target DNA for use as a diagnostic system.

P04 ANALYSIS OF MODERN GLASS FOR FORENSIC COMPARISONS USING mXRF Author(s): Oriana Ovide, Ruthmara Corzo PhD, Tatiana Trejos PhD University of Scholar: West Virginia University

Location of Research: NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, US & WVU, Morgantown, WV, US Funding: West Virginia University, National Institute of Standards and Technology, KY-WV LSAMP Mentor(s): Ruthmara Corzo, NIST, Tatiana Trejos, WVU Glass is prevalent in everyday items and therefore is commonly found at crime scenes. Small glass fragments can go unnoticed in various crimes and have been shown to be persistent. Soda-lime float glass fragments have been shown to be differentiable by their elemental profile even within the same manufacturing plant (e.g., weeks to months apart). A lack of elemental differences can be indicative of a same source origin and the opposite can be related to glass from different sources. Micro x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (µ-XRF) is a relatively fast and inexpensive method of analysis used in forensic casework. Analyses make a fundamental assumption that the elemental variation within a single source is smaller than different glass sources. However, this assumption needs to be verified by assessing the homogeneity of a single glass source. In this study, 100 glass fragments were collected from the inner and outer panes of a windshield and were analyzed using µ-XRF. The outer pane and inner pane were found to be homogenous for all elements detected with an outer RSD ˂ 13% and inner RSD ˃ 15%. The comparison criteria (range overlap, mean ±3s, and ±3s with a minimum 3% RSD) were used to evaluate false exclusion rates (34.4%, 40.5%, and 10.8%, respectively) for the inner glass pane. These were calculated for one-to-one and one-to-three comparisons in order to simulate actual casework scenarios. To ensure that implementing a minimum RSD did not significantly increase false inclusion rates, a set of 22 glass fragments originating from different sources was also analyzed. The assessment of homogeneity within a glass source can validate that known fragments collected from a crime scene are representative of the glass source. Additionally knowledge of between-source variation of modern glass can provide a measure of the discrimination power for µ-XRF forensic analysis of glass.

P05 GENOME WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES (GWAS) ON FEEDING EFFECTS OF NIGELLA SATIVA ON DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER Authors: Samantha Belcher, Zedan Martin, John Ojeogwu, Garrett Crummett, Nirwan

Tandukar, Umesh Reddy, Padma Nimmakayala, Gerald Hankins, Ramesh Katam University of Scholar: West Virginia State University, Institute, WV, USA Location of Research: West Virginia, USA Funding: National Science Foundation, KY-WV LSAMP, DOW, USDA NIFA, Department of Biological Sciences Florida A&M University, WVSU Biology Department Mentor: Umesh Reddy, West Virginia State University Bodyweight is a complex trait defined by several biological processes. In this report, we describe the genetic approach used for fighting obesity and diabetes as per the consumption of Nigella sativa. We also present a web-based pathway simulation that may occur due to consumption of the Nigella sativa. We are planning to do a glucose analysis. To identify genes affecting bodyweight due to the Nigella sativa diet, we assessed the total dry body weight of aged flies of the sequenced, wild-derived lines from the Drosophila melanogaster Genetics Reference Panel. The flies were fed with the Nigella sativa diet throughout their life. We performed genome-wide association analyses to identify candidate genes associated with variation in bodyweight. Through our GWAS analysis we found certain genes that explain the effects of change in bodyweight. We also performed pathway analysis using R spider to find the enriched sub-cellular pathways.


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P06 THE EFFECT OF MYOSIN HEAVY CHAIN (Mhc) AND SPINOPHILLIN (Spn) DISRUPTION ON SLEEP IN Drosophila melanogaster Author(s): BaiLeigh McKenzie, Jacob Clay, Ren Guerriero, Bruce F. O’Hara, and Douglas

Harrison University of Scholar: Jacob Clay Location of Research: University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, Fayette County Funding: KY-WV LSAMP, Universtiy of Kentucky, Arts and Sciences; Biology Mentor(s): Dr. Bruce O’Hara, Ren Guerriero, Dr. Douglas Harrison Sleep and its functions are poorly understood, but appear to include memory consolidation, energy restoration, synaptic optimization, clearing of metabolites, immune function, and most aspects of mental and physical health. Genes that regulate or influence sleep should help clarify these roles. Previously, we found several newly-identified genes that influence sleep as part of the Knockout Mouse Phenotyping Program (KOMP2). The KOMP2 aimed to gather phenotype data from Mus musculus single gene knockouts on a C57BL/6 background (approximately 343 different genes). As part of a larger phenotyping pipeline, sleep was measured using a piezoelectric system called PiezoSleep (Signal Solutions, LLC.). Of the genes studied, loss of Myh1 (myosin, heavy polypeptide 1) and Ppp1r9b (protein phosphatase 1, regulatory subunit 9B) had large impacts on sleep phenotypes and were good candidates for future study. For this project, homologous proteins were identified in Drosophila melanogaster: Mhc (Myosin Heavy Chain) and Spn (Spinophillin), respectively. Advantages to using D. melanogaster is that they are cheap to maintain, have a short generation time, and have a large variety of readily available genetic tools. Using genetic mutations and knockdowns, 3-5 day old flies were monitored using DAM2 (Drosophila Activity Monitors, Trikinetics Inc) under a 12hr:12hr light:dark cycle to investigate sleep patterns in the mutants. Preliminary data analysis shows that both Mhc and Spn disruption may reduce sleep amount, suggesting a conserved function in influencing sleep in diverse animal species. Future experiments include sleep deprivation, to assess the impact of these genes on sleep homeostasis, as well as using genetic manipulations to localize effects to specific neuronal populations within the fly brain. After dozens of different manipulations in flies, those with the biggest impact on sleep can be tested back in mice, and perhaps eventually translated to humans, especially if any known drugs impact the relevant pathways.

P07 COMPUTATIONAL IDENTIFICATION OF PRENYLATED PROTEINS IN PHYSCOMITRELLA PATENS. Authors: Ephraim O. Otieno, Mikayla S. Demetrakis And Mark P. Running

University of Scholars: University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA Location of Research: Kentucky, USA Funding: NSF-IOS-1456884, NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1-1355438 Mentor: Dr. Mark Running, University of Louisville Prenylation is the lipid modification of specific target proteins that have a consensus motif of CaaX at the C terminus, with the prenyl group being attached to the cysteine, representing aliphatic amino acids, and X generally being one of six specific amino acids. Prenylation plays major roles across eukaryotes, with implications in the progression of many cancers and other diseases in humans, and governing many aspects of development, differentiation, metabolism, and environmental responses in plants. Specifically, we have found that mutations in various prenylation processes in P. patens have potential biofuel and biotechnology applications. To understand those processes better, it is necessary to identify potential prenylation targets in the genome. Our work involves database searches of the annotated genome of the moss Physcomitrella patens for targets of protein prenylation. The general project first involves finding potential target proteins based on the presence of a C-terminal CaaX motif; running the protein sequences through a prenylation prediction program to determine how likely the protein is a bona fide target; then determining the potential function(s) of the target proteins based on sequence similarity to previously-characterized proteins from other organisms (using BLAST). After identification of promising putative target proteins with potentially interesting functions, these proteins will be characterized by knocking them out in moss to determine their biological function, as well as biochemical characterization of their activities.


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P08 PURIFICATION OF GENETICALLY DETOXIFIED PERTUSSIS TOXIN Authors: Annalisa Huckaby, William Witt, F.Heath Damron, and Mariette Barbier University of Scholar:

Location of Research: Morgantown, WV, United States Funding: KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: Dr. Mariette Barbier. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, School of Medicine West Virginia University Whooping cough is a disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Bordetella pertussis that has seen an increase in incidence in the last two decades despite high vaccine coverage. Because of this, there is a great need to develop a new vaccine against this pathogen. Current vaccines are toxoid-based and contain the chemically detoxified and expensive pertussis toxin (PT). PT is essential for protection against whooping cough and is typically isolated from cultures of B. pertussis through column chromatography. Because PT is isolated in an active form, it must be chemically detoxified. This detoxification leads to changes in the protein structure, which reduce the immune system’s ability to mount a protective response to the live pathogen. To solve this problem, our objectives were to: 1) improve production of PT in a host that grows better than B. pertussis, and 2) produce a genetically detoxified version of PT to eliminate the need for chemical detoxification and improve immunogenicity. Bordetella bronchiseptica grows much better in vitro than B. pertussis, allowing for potentially higher protein yields. Therefore, we used a B. bronchiseptica strain that produces a genetically modified form of this toxoid, and isolated the toxoid using affinity chromatography. We also developed a more sensitive capture ELISA to quantify this toxoid. The genetically modified PT holds the same conformation as PT isolated from B. pertussis, meaning if used as a vaccine antigen, it could potentially elicit a stronger immune response when exposed to the actual pathogen than the currently used chemically detoxified PT. We anticipate that the work performed in this study will positively impact the development of a new generation of pertussis vaccine by improving immunogenicity and decreasing production costs.

P09 Timing of Audiovisual Integration in Individuals with Autism Authors: Kingsly Jonathan, Webster Paula J. 2, Bassler John3, Wen Sijin3, Frum Chris2, Lewis James W. 2, Wang Shuo1,2,

University of Scholar: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA Location of Research: Erma Byrd Biomedical Research Center, Morgantown, WV, USA Funding: Support was provided by the WVU Summer Undergraduate Research Experience and the WV Clinical and Translational Science Institute (NIH/NIGMS Award Number 5U54GM104942-03). Mentor: Shuo Wang, West Virginia University Autism is a developmental disorder that is often recognized after signs emerge such as language delays, repetitive behaviors, social communication deficits, and sensory differences. A critical aspect of sensory processing is the ability to integrate what we see and hear in order to make sense of the world. Previous research shows that individuals with autism may not integrate auditory and visual information in the same timeframe as those without autism and this wider temporal binding window (TBW) may contribute to core deficits in autism. Standard tests used to measure audio-visual integration have excluded many individuals with autism for task non-compliance; however, we hypothesized that many of these individuals have extremely wide TBWs beyond what is typically tested (500msec) and may constitute a subgroup within the broader autism spectrum disorder phenotype. Using a simultaneity judgment task in which participants indicate whether a tone and a circle are presented at the same time, we have measured the TBWs of 32 participants (Autism n=11 and controls without autism n=21). Our control group data replicates what has been found in prior studies, indicating our testing protocol works. The ASD data suggests they do in fact comprehend the task and that a subgroup whose windows were previously uncalculatable do have extremely wide TBWs for integrating auditory and visual information. In the future, we will recruit additional participants and correlate TBW measures with other measures including autism severity, IQ, and motor skills.


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P10 FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SPL13 GENE IN ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA Authors: Olivia Lim, Arjun Ojha Kshetry, Menuka Bhandari, Suhas Shinde,

Padma Nimmakayala, & Umesh Reddy University of Scholar: West Virginia State University, Charleston, WV, USA Location of Research: Charleston, WV, USA Funding: KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: Dr. Umesh Reddy, West Virginia State University In recent decades, members of the SQUAMOSA-PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) family of transcription factors have emerged as pivotal regulators of diverse biological processes in plants, including the timing of vegetative phase change and response to toxins and other stresses. The genes targeted throughout the research experience were AT5G50570 (SPL13A) and AT5G50670 (SPL13B). Specifically, the T-DNA knockout mutants of the SPL13B geneSalk._104630 and Salk._066361 were functionally characterized. We chose AT5G50670 due to the lack of current research about its functions in Arabidopsis thaliana. In order to begin identifying possible functions, two in-silico analyses were performed: one to discern what other proteins SPL13B interacts and one implementing microRNA data to show gene expression patterns. Findings showed that SPL13B is stress responsive in four abiotic stresses studied – including salt, drought, UV-B, and osmotic stressors. Root growth assays were then performed under control conditions as well as several abiotic stress conditions, including an Arsenic/5.7 pH media, a 4.5 pH media, and a pH 4.5/Aluminum media. After 5 days of root growth, the roots were scanned and data indicated that the SPL13B knockout mutants exhibited enhanced growth phenotypes compared to wild-type Columbia plants under every stress condition as well as control. Other findings included that the SPL13B gene is both spatiotemporally regulated throughout Arabidopsis thaliana and that it is a negative regulator of growth in the plant. Future work will include implementing CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing software to generate a complete SPL13 knockout mutant, generating overexpression of the SPL13 gene, and performing RNA-Seq analysis for both the knockout and overexpression of SPL13 lines to identify downstream targets in the signaling cascade. The expanding knowledge and understanding of the regulatory relationships between SPL genes will permit the creation of genetically manipulate crops under optimal parameters to ultimately maximize crop yields in areas deemed suboptimal for growth.

P11 MEMBRANE STEROID RECEPTORS IN BRAIN TUMOR CELLS Author: Zedan Martin University of Scholar: West Virginia State University

Location of Research: Hamblin Hall, WVSU, Institute, West Virginia, United States of America Funding: NSF, KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: Dr. G. Hankins, WVSU Brain tumors are the second leading cause of cancer-related death in young men and the fifth leading cause of cancer related deaths in young women. Meningiomas, tumors of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, are significantly more common in women than in men while tumors of glial cells (non-neuronal cells of the brain), referred to as gliomas, are more common in men. Glioma incidence increases drastically after puberty in males compared to females, with the difference in incidence increasing from puberty until the early fifty’s. Further, glioblastomas transplanted into female animals grow slower than those transplanted into males. Because of this, it has been postulated that steroid sex hormones play a key role in brain tumor biology, however the mechanisms are not well understood. To date, most investigations have focused on classical steroid hormone receptors not bound to cell membranes. Activators of the membrane-bound G Protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER1) have been shown to induce progesterone synthesis in brain cells. Progesterone acts not only through the classical progesterone receptor but also through membrane progesterone receptors (mPRs, also known as progestin and adipoQ receptor family members, PAQRs). We investigated response of human glioma and meningioma cells in culture to GPER1 and mPR activators by treating cells with progesterone, progesterone metabolites and a progesterone analog specific to mPRs (Org – OD-O2-O).


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P12 Classification of Chemical Hypersensitivity Potential Based on Gene Expression Profiles Authors: Caitlin Mickles, Rachel Baur, Ewa Lukomska, Hillary L Shane, Lisa Weatherly, and Stacey E Anderson

University of Scholar: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA Location of Research: NIOSH, Morgantown, WV, USA Funding: Health Effects Laboratory Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Mentor: Stacey E Anderson, NIOSH/CDC Occupational allergic disease is a serious public health burden that can result in asthma and allergic contact dermatitis and is often a result of exposure to low molecular weight chemicals. The classification of chemical allergens has proven to be difficult since many agents can elicit multiple hypersensitivity pathways. Additionally, studies are also demonstrating a role for exposure to non-sensitizing chemicals such as adjuvants and irritants in allergic disease. However, the complete immunological mechanisms driving these responses are not fully understood. It is increasingly being recognized that the skin plays a major role in the development of allergy due to its complex immunological environment. Preliminary data from our lab and others have shown that cells in the skin can secrete a variety of cytokines, regulatory cells and molecules in response to chemical exposure, supporting an important role in immunological responses. For these studies, mice were dermally exposed to representative chemicals (sensitizers, irritants, adjuvants) and the expression of cytokines and cellular mediators was evaluated in skin, lymph nodes and blood over time. Results identified unique expression profiles for select cytokines and molecular mediators. A20 and TLR4 were increased in the skin for the adjuvant but not for the sensitizers or irritant. Additionally, in the blood A20 was decreased for the sensitizers and S100A8 was elevated for the irritant. Increases in IL-10 were only observed for the sensitizers in the lymph node. In order to further the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies to combat allergic disease, the underlying mechanisms must be fully understood. Optimistically, the discovery of novel mediators of chemical allergy will broaden the general classification schemes and views of chemical allergy as a whole. This could represent a paradigm shift that may greatly improve allergy research and mechanistic understanding as a whole.

P13 DETECTING VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOC) OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN LIQUID/ WHOLE SHELLED EGG AND GROUND BEEF Author(s): De’Anthony Morris, Avery Fleehar ty, Jessica Lemley and Jacek Jaczynski

University of Scholar: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA Location of Research: West Virginia, USA Funding: Janet Reed Human Nutrition & Foods Endowment, USDA HATCH, KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: Dr. Jacek Jaczynski, West Virginia University Every year, pathogenic bacteria cause millions of cases of foodborne illness disrupting economic production through sickness, hospitalization and in some cases death. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to distinguish pathogenic bacteria, specifically, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076 through their volatile organic compounds (VOCs): chemicals detected by olfaction emitted from the environment. The project is intended to provide a blueprint for food companies to rapidly identify these bacteria that may infiltrate the consumer food supply. The methodology uses a closed-loop headspace system to capture VOCs via filters designed to trap VOCs. Samples are collected and analyzed by an ultra-sensitive gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GC-MS) that identifies VOCs through molecular weight and compares them to a database with chemicals of similar structure. Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076 will be grown in ground beef and egg respectively at 37*C for 8 hours for determination of unique VOCs to mark as their metabolic biomarkers; and therefore, allow rapid and accurate pathogen detection in food.


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P14 BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON A NOVEL “STRESS-LESS” OBESE MOUSE MODEL Authors: 1Ishita Sharma, Anis Messaabi*, 1Matthew Cincotta, 1Alexander Cheslock,

1Abbagael Seidler, 1Debbie Amos, 1Jared Mattingly, 1Lawrence Grover, 1Nalini Santanam Location of Research: 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA; *Sorbonne University, Paris, France Funding: KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: Nalani Santanam, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University There has been a plethora of studies that highlight the benefits of exercise on cardiovascular and psychological health. It has been demonstrated that the inclusion of different forms of aerobic and non-aerobic physical exercise alleviates depression and anxiety and increases muscle strength and balance in men and women of different age and physiological groups. Exercise is also known to be very effective in treating obesity, which is a widespread epidemic. However, obese vs. normal-weight individuals might have different responses to the same level of exercise intensity. In this study, we investigated the impact of sedentary vs. exercise lifestyle on muscle strength and anxiety in normal vs. genetically modified obese mice. We used three types of mouse models for the experiments: (i) the “control” C57bl6 mice (C57) that had no genetic modifications; (ii) catalase transgenic mice that had increased antioxidant catalase expression in all their tissues; and (iii) the newly generated genetically obese “Bob-Cat” mice (Cat-Ob/+) that lacked leptin but had high catalase. It was hypothesized that modulation of endogenous oxidant stress (over-expression of catalase) along with increased physical activity could produce positive results in the behavior of the mice. The aim was to understand the differences and similarities between behavioral patterns of the three mouse models. The data gathered suggest that exercise reduced anxiety in obese Cat-Ob/+ mice while it increased anxiety in other two genotypes. Exercise also improved muscle strength and increased balance and muscle coordination in all mice genotypes. Finally, the body weight and composition measurements indicated that the control C57 mice showed an increase in body weight and lean muscle mass, while Cat-Ob/+ mice showed a decline in body weight and an increase in fat mass in response to exercise. These findings indicated that excess Catalase along with exercise can modulate anxiety behavior.

P15 SEPTIC EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES ACCELERATE ONSET AND SEVERITY OF ALZHEIMER’S- LIKE PATHOLOGY Author(s): Mya Vannoy, Divine Nwafor, Allison Brichacek, Ahmad Dakhlallah, Emily

Hoblitzell, John Cavendish, Stanley Benkovic, Catheryne Gambill, Clay Marsh, Candice Brown, and Duaa Dakhlallah

University of Scholar: West Virginia University Location of Research: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV Funding: KY-WV LSAMP, WVCTSI Mentor: Duaa Dakhlallah, West Virginia University Sepsis is an incapacitating systemic inflammatory disease that is associated with infection etiology. Survival sepsis patients have a higher risk for developing chronic neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation, characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. The mechanisms that link sepsis outcomes to chronic neurodegenerative conditions are poorly understood but could lead to possible therapeutic targets to delay the onset and progression of AD. Autophagy is the cellular process of degradation and critical to maintain immune homeostasis. In septic patients, autophagy can improve symptoms of multiple organ failure and defects in the pathway lead to the formation of pathological hallmarks of AD like amyloid plaques. In previous studies, human sepsis patients demonstrated that DNA methyltransferase (DNMTs) mRNAs are elevated in extracellular vesicles (EVs) and methylated essential genes for autophagosome formation in recipients of septic-EVs injection invitro and invivo. Using qRT-PCR with specific primers for genes involved with neuroprotection, DNA methylation and autophagy, we found elevated DNMTs mRNA expression in septic-EVs from plasma, brain, and liver, decrease autophagy mRNA expression, and detected increased DNA methylation of autophagy gene promoters using MSD method in septic murine models. Injection of septic-EVs in CVN-AD transgenic mice resulted in a septic phenotype with decreased autophagy expression. We hypothesize that the shedding of sepsis-EVs initiates the epigenetic silencing of autophagy resulting in acceleration of severity in AD-like pathology onset and cognitive impairment. Our long-term aim is to provide better understanding of septic-EVs’ role in the progression of cognitive diseases and identify early diagnostic marker for sepsis and AD.


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P16 Sampling microbes from the cafeteria by sedimentation method Author: Alyse Washington University of scholar: Kentucky state university

Location of research: Kentucky state university Funding: KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: Dr. Alexander Lai, Kentucky state university The objective of my research was to determine if there are fluctuations in the quality and types of bacteria in the cafeteria air.

P17 OVEREXPRESSION AND PURIFICATION OF MUTANT T7 RNA-POLYMERASE FOR IN VITRO TRANSCRIPTION OF 2’F MODIFIED RNA Author(s): Alex Contreras and Emil F. Khisamutdinov

University of Scholar: Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA Location of Research: Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA Funding: National Science Foundation, IN LSAMP Mentor: Dr. Emil Khisamutdinov, Ball State University Abstract: The major limitation of chemical synthesis of RNA oligonucleotides is concerned about the length of the biopolymer as it becomes very challenging to synthesize individual RNA strands longer than 50 nucleotides. The transcription reaction using T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNApol) is an alternative method that requires DNA template to produce RNA strands. In optimized conditions, T7 RNApol can be used in vitro to produce milligram amounts of RNA biopolymers ranging from 30 - 30 000 nucleotides. The RNA self-assembling properties can be implemented to design and fabricate various types of RNA complexes. The naturally occurring RNA strands however are not stable and hydrolyze quickly in blood serum limiting its application for example in medicine. The replacement of Hydroxy group at the 2’ position of the ribose to 2’-Fluoro or 2’-Methoxy can drastically elevate the resistance of the RNA to nucleases and thus overall stability. However, to synthesize such modifed RNAs it is critical to utilize mutated version of T7 RNA polymerase that will not discriminate regular NTPs vs modified-NTPs. Herein, we describe overexpression and isolation of modified RGVG (R425, G542, Y639V, H784G) T7-RNA polymerase using Cobalt-affinity chromatography and transcription of 2’f-modified RNAs.

P18 LARGE AREA, UNIFORM GROWTH OF NANOPOROUS BIOCOMPATIBLE POLYMER BY PRESSURE AND FLUX CONTROLLED VAPOR DEPOSITION Author(s): Katelyn Ramsey, H. M. Azazul Karim, and Joonhee Lee

University of Scholar: West Virginia University Location of Research: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA Funding: National Science Foundation, KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: Dr. Joonhee Lee, West Virginia University Abstract: Parylene-c is a transparent, insulating, and biocompatible polymer that is commonly used in implantable device encapsulations and various biomedical applications such as lab-on-a-chip. Since this polymer is highly adaptable and conformal, many have investigated the various uses to increase its biocompatibility and prolong the lifetime of parylene-c coated devices. In our study we controlled the deposition pressure and flux shape during the time the parylene-c dimer was vaporized and deposited on the silicon wafer in order to create a diverse surface morphology and void micro/nano-structure. The results revealed that under elevated pressures, the porosity and distribution of the material on the substrate becomes more clustered together by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At pressures of 35 mTorr, 45 mTorr, 55 mTorr, 65 mTorr, 75 mTorr and 100 mTorr, the average surface roughness of the films increased each time by the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The study is significant for it expands the knowledge to tune the optical, mechanical and biological properties of parylene-c and aids in the development of improved implantable devices for patients in need.


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P19 User-controlled strategies for effective enzyme immobilization Authors: Madewa V. Adeniyi, Jordan S. Chapman, Huy Pham, and Cerasela Zoica Dinu University of Scholar: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

Location of Research: West Virginia, USA Funding: National Science Foundation, KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: Dr. Cerasela Zoica Dinu, West Virginia University Immobilized enzymes, notable for their specificity and biocompatibility relative to other catalysts, present efficacious potential of utilization ranging from cellular drug delivery to blood glucose detection. Advantages of immobilizing enzymes include increased stability and resistance to changes in the environment, namely pH and temperature. Consequently, it is important to study how immobilization’s goals of high activity and high enzyme stability can be most effectively achieved. We hypothesized that hyaluronic acid (HYA), a polymer with known ease of chemical functionalization, could be used to achieve biocompatible, efficient support allowing increased enzyme implementation. To test our hypothesis, we used enzyme glucose oxidase known for its potential utilization for human monitoring. Enzyme loading and relative activity after HYA immobilization were determined using colorimetric assays, morphological characterizations were determined by atomic force microscopy, while chemical characterization of the enzyme-based conjugates was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results demonstrate effective enzyme-conjugates formation, and high loading of such conjugates in hydrogels with reduced activity. Further study explores combining experimental and computational approaches to understand the conditions that allow effective immobilization.

P20 ALGAE-BASED CARBON CAPTURE AND UTILIZATION FOR PIGMENT PRODUCTION Authors: Asahel Aguilar-Ortiz, Byaombe M’muto, Maya Hillis, Stephanie Kesner, Eduardo

Santillan-Jimenez, Mark Crocker University of Scholar: University of Kentucky Location of Research: Center for Applied Energy Research Funding: U.S. Department of Energy & National Science Foundation Mentors: Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez, Stephanie Kesner, Robert Pace (University of Kentucky) Algae-based technology can be used to capture the CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants, the resulting algae also offering great opportunities for utilization. Indeed, in addition to their well-known biofuel potential, algae can also be utilized for other high-value market products such as carotenoids. Carotenoids are valuable pigments produced by many known plants usually identified by a red, orange, or yellow coloration. Plants, specifically algae, are known to produce these pigments under stressful conditions. In this research, the algae strain coellastrella siapanesis was cultured and exposed to stressful environments to induce carotenogenesis within the algal cells. Variables that were considered included water salinity, nitrogen availability, and light intensity. The most carotenogenesis was seen under high-intensity light. Unanticipated growth within salinity similar to seawater was also observed.

P21 MEASURING GAS ADSORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF MARCELLUS SHALE WITH GAS ADSORPTION ISOTHERM SYSTEM Authors: Diego Cabanillas, Yahia Mustafa, and Kashy Aminian

University of Scholar: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26505 Location of Research: Morgantown, WV, 26505 Funding: KY-WV LSAMP Research Mentor: Shale gas is the largest contributor to US natural gas production. Among the shale gas producing plays, Marcellus shale has the highest contribution which is growing daily due to advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques. Shales have extremely low permeability values due to the microstructure of the shales. These micropores which are only a few nanometers in diameter alongside the organic material in the shales, Kerogen, have a significant adsorption capacity. In this study, we are employing the Gas Adsorption Isotherm System (GAIS), a state-of-art laboratory set up, which is capable of measuring the gas adsorption characteristics. GAIS is used in this study to measure the adsorption characteristics of a Marcellus Shale sample which can provide the foundation for evaluating the Marcellus Shale’s real potential. Detailed protocols are being developed to ensure the system is measuring the


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adsorption characteristics accurately and with the repeatable results. Key aspect of these protocols are to ensure the results are not skewed by human error such as a leaking component. Lab equipment is properly set up and inspected regularly. These comprehensive laboratory study will help us grasp a better understanding of the shale adsorption characteristics which could improve the gas in place estimation; prediction of the gas to be released during reservoir depletion, and the potential for CO2 sequestration.

P22 A Brief View of “Vortex Asymmetry at High Angles of Incidence” and Simulation Authors: Arrah Calvin, Dr. Rajan Kumar, and Roopesh Kumar Location of Research: FCAAP at FSU-FAMU, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

Funding: National Science Foundation, FSU-FAMU, KY-WV LSAMP, and DoD Mentor(s): Dr. Rajan Kumar, FSU-FAMU; and Doctoral Student Roopesh Kumar, FSU-FAMU Abstract: This abstract’s desire is to provide the average reader an overview of the Summer 2019 MASS-REU project “Vortex Asymmetry at High Angles of Incidence,” and additional work done under the supervision of Dr. Kumar, and graduate mentorship of Roopesh. The project took place within the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion in the Low-Speed Wind Tunnel at FAMU-FSU and was focused on understanding advanced concepts of fluid flow by utilizing experimental methods such as Particle Image Velocimetry data acquisition. In detail, the study centered on the formation of asymmetric vortices over conical forebodies, their causes and effects, and prevention. In addition to the regular study and experimental analysis, numerical analysis was also performed in the form of simulation in an attempt to recreate the phenomenon on the conical models and compare the results to previous experiments. Results of numerical simulation vary in comparison to the experimental results but promise potential methods of further analysis with extreme complexity. Finally, the results of both numerical and experimental methods are compared to test the viability of pursuing further simulation.

P23 ANALYSIS OF VULNERABILITIES IN UBUNTU OPERATING SYSTEM Authors: Joshua Hernandez, Mohammad Jamil Ahmad, and Katerina Goseva-Popstojanova University of Scholar: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505

Location of Research: Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, WV, USA Funding: SURE program research funding, LSAMP research funding Mentor: Dr. Goseva-Popstojanova, West Virginia University As cyber-security attacks become more common, they drain resources and expose users’ personal and financial information. Certain methods to prevent and avoid such software security vulnerabilities are necessary. Software security vulnerabilities and other issues are tracked by specialized bug tracking systems; the Ubuntu operating system uses Launchpad. Our work was focused on collecting and labeling bugs from Launchpad. We used Python, SQL, and Tableau to extract, store, analyze and label over 340,000 unique bugs reported in Launchpad. For bugs which had a reported Common Vulnerability Exposure number (CVE), our methodology labeled those as security-related and used two national software vulnerabilities databases to assign a Common Weakness Exposure (CWE) number to each vulnerability. We found that security-related bugs made up about 5% of the total number of bugs present in our records and that the two most common security weaknesses were Information Exposure Vulnerabilities (CWE200) followed by Improper Restrictions of Operations within the Bounds of Memory Buffer (CWE119). The extracted data will be used in future research to build software vulnerability detection and classification models.

P24 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIN LAYER SPIN COATING of SODIUM ACETATE Authors: Corey L. Mattic, Jr. University of Scholar: Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY, USA

Location of Research: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA Funding: NSF Powering the Kentucky Bio economy for a Sustainable Future project Mentor: Jaizhu Hu, University of Kentucky Spin coating is a technique that implies the coating of a substrate by spinning them. It is a quick and simple procedure that can uniform films, on the nanometer levels of thickness. Working with the University of Kentucky's Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, the effectiveness and most effective way of spin coating a Sodium Acetate film was able to be produced.


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P25 Penalty-Based Countermeasure Against Interest Flooding Attack in Named Data Networking Authors: Nathaniel Payne, Jacqueline Brown

University of Scholar: Marshall University Location of Research: Marshall University, Huntington, WV, US Funding: n/a Mentor(s): Dr. Cong Pu, Marshall University Due to the rapid growth of Internet traffic, increasing mobility, and stronger security requirements, today's Internet shows signs of aging. To keep pace with changes and move the Internet into the future, Named Data Networking (NDN), a future Internet architecture, was proposed and has been demonstrated as a viable architecture for content distribution and widely recognized as a promising architecture for future Internet. However, NDN is not originally designed to consider the security requirement for all potential attacks, thus, NDN is vulnerable to a well-known Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack that primarily targets service availability by flooding the network and obstructing the service received by legitimate users. In this project, we propose a self-adjusting share-based countermeasure, also referred to as SSC, against Interest flooding attack in NDN, where the attacker issues an excessive number of non-satisfiable Interest packets to drop legitimate Interest packets by overwhelming Pending Interest Table in NDN routers. In the SSC, each router maintains an Interest unsatisfaction ratio and dynamically adjusts the share of forwarded Interest packets for each incoming interface accordingly. In addition, the Interest packets that pass the assigned share of forwarded Interest packets are used as scouts to investigate unknown paths to complement routing information. We conduct extensive simulation experiments for performance evaluation and comparison with the existing constant share-based approach. The simulation results show that the proposed countermeasure can not only improve the Pending Interest Table utilization ratio of legitimate Interest packets, but also reduce the number of accepted malicious Interest packets, indicating a viable approach against Interest flooding attack in NDN.

P26 Machine Learning Algorithms to Classify Network Traffic Authors: David Fowler Jr and Alexander Bochenek University of Scholar: Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY, USA

Location of Research: Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA Funding: National Science Foundation-REU Mentor: Dr. Bin Wang, Wright State University Data is communicated across a network using packets. Each network packet contains a header with information about the other portion of the packet, the payload. There are an astounding number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices being implemented in today’s world. To maximize profits and push more products out faster, some companies skip out on the security of these devices that are communicating data across the internet. This data could be sensitive information that—without the proper security in place—can easily be accessed by improper hackers.

P27 MOTION TRACKING FOR VOLUMETRIC MOTION CAPTURE DATA Authors: Derek Roberts and Ying Zhu University of Scholar: Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY, USA

Location of Research: Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Funding: NSF REU Immersive Media Computing Mentor: Dr. Ying Zhu, Georgia State University Motion capture is often used to study the biomechanics of human motion. The first step in this type of research is to process and retrieve biomechanical data from the motion capture data. In this paper, we introduce a new method to dynamically track joint locations in volumetrically captured human motion sequences. The challenge is to identify corresponding components in a sequence of 3D meshes that not only transform and deform but may also have different vertex structures. To solve this problem, we have developed a method that uses user-selected vertices from the surface data, derives joint locations, and attempts to track their positions frame by frame.


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P28 CONTROLLING UNWANTED VIBRATIONS ON SMART DEVICES Authors: Emma Moore and Dr. Ahmet Ozkan Ozer University of the Scholar: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA

Location of the Research: Bowling Green, KY, USA Funding: Western Kentucky University, National Science Foundation, KY-WV LSAMP Mentor: Dr. Ahmet Ozkan Ozer, Western Kentucky University Smart devices are multi-layered structures with perfectly bonded active and passive layers. Active layers can be chosen as elastic or piezoelectric materials, a multi-functional smart material being used as both actuator and sensor. These devices are used as part of the highly-functional and constantly vibrating host structures. These unwanted vibrations are the primary cause of fatigue, which decreases the service lifetime of the host structures. At the design level, active elastic/piezoelectric layers are chosen for the key layers of the smart devices so that the vibrations on the host structure are suppressed quickly and effectively. Some of these vibrations are also dampened by an intelligent choice of passive viscoelastic layers as part of the smart device. In this project, we first consider a highly-advanced mathematical model for accurately describing the vibrations on the device where elastic/piezoelectric and viscoelastic layers are alternating. Next, we develop an approximation technique and a computational toolbox to estimate these vibrations quickly and reliably. Then, we design the sensor data to make the correct measurements on the device, and, finally, we design a highly effective real-time actuator/controller data through elastic/piezoelectric layers. The suppression of the vibrations is achieved in real time in a fraction of a second. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide new insights into the active controlling of smart devices in the market, such as cardiac pacemakers, inchworm robots, and NASA/commercially-operated inflatable space antennas.

P29 Manipulating Link Diagrams using Flypes Author: Lukas Negron University of Scholar: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA

Location of Research: Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA Funding: The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky Mentor: Dr. Claus Ernst, Western Kentucky University Knot theory is the study of mathematical knots. A knot is a one-dimensional closed curve in 3-space. A knot diagram is a two-dimensional representation of a knot, similar to a shadow of it. A link is the union of multiple knots, each of which is called a component of the link. All minimal diagrams of an alternating link can be found through some series of flypes performed on a single minimal diagram of that link. My project involved creating code in Wolfram Mathematica that can perform a flype on an alternating link.

P30 CANDIDATE QUARK STARS AND THE EQUATION OF STATE Authors: David Suarez and Dr. Keith Andrew University of Scholar: Western Kentucky University (WKU), Bowling Green, KY, USA

Location of Research: WKU, Gatton Academy Research Internship Grant (RIG) Funding: Mentor: Dr. Keith Andrew, Western Kentucky University In recent years, supernovae with energies orders of magnitude larger than any previously recorded measurements have been observed: these stellar spectacles are referred to as hypernovae. Several models have been proposed to describe observations of these unusually bright supernovae — one pertinent to our research is the idea of a quark nova, an explosion resulting from the collapse of a neutron star to a quark star. Through the Gatton Academy Research Internship Grant (RIG), we explored how the generation of quark star cores is possible for certain quark interactions in an effort to find a theoretical basis for certain pulsars exhibiting behavior inconsistent with current star models by using the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equation describing the structure of general-relativistic stars. Intense pressures and low temperatures in the quark star’s core forms a state of matter in which quarks become deconfined: this state of matter is hypothesized to be cooler in order to produce the characteristic color-flavor locking behavior responsible for quark deconfinement. The deconfined quarks were hypothesized to form color-neutral, bound quark clusters under interaction potentials motivated by the Dirac Equation, forming the framework for lattices of quark clusters within the quark star’s core. The TOV equation was numerically solved in Mathematica under the assumption that quarks cluster in various cubic crystalline configurations under a Lennard-Jones interaction potential. In


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addition, the TOV equations were solved using the MIT Bag Model – a relativistic potential with a vacuum barrier arising from gluon fields – as a standard of comparison. Our results show that a stable star configuration results from this clustering, and we use them to predict future results concerning different lattice configurations’ effects on the final state parameters of the quark star.

P31 CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL ANTIMICROBIAL COMPOUND PRODUCTION BY COLLETECHRIUM STRAINS CAUSING BITTER ROT DISEASE

Authors: Francisco Beltran University of Scholar: University of Kentucky Location of Research: Univeristy of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky; United States of America Funding: KY-WV LSAMP; NSF EPSCoR; Igniting Research Collaborations Mentor(s): Dr. Lisa Vaillancourt; Dr. Steven Van Lanen University of Kentucky Historically, many agricultural products have been the basis of groundbreaking medical innovations. Penicillin being one of the first antibiotics and pig livers being utilized for insulin powerhouses. In recent times however—through a collaborative research effort between the labs at the College of Agriculture and College of Pharmacy—a novel antibiotic has been discovered. This pharmaceutical compound has been proven to be effective against gram (-) bacteria, specifically S. Aureus. In the face of a rising amount of antibiotic resistant superbugs (such as Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA), this is ecstatic news. Nevertheless, it is currently speculated that this treatment is being produced somewhere between the interaction of a fungus and apple media to ward off microbiological competition. Therefore, raw infected apple tissue was extracted for its secondary metabolites and showed positive results in minimum inhibitory concentration tests (MIC). HPLC readings, meanwhile, show no known links to current antibiotics. Although, this therapy is still in its developmental infancy, the involved research groups hope to manipulate it’s sequenced genome to streamline it’s production synthetically. This discovery will open up numerous doors of treatment for patients infected with preventable bacterial infections.


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Notes


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Registered Attendees


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Madewa Adeniyi

Alexis Adkins

Asahel Aguilar Ortiz

Malik Appleton

Brooke Armenta

Nima Asgari

Ky'Achia Atkins

Payton Atwood

Cindy Bachurski

Joseph Baird

Jayla Baker

Nia Bard

Koji Barnaby

Lloyd Bartley

Christine Belance

Samantha Belcher

Jania Bell

Micai Benford

Alethea Bernard

Karyn Bernard

Janae Boyd

Ally Boyer-Sprouse

Ernest Brothers

Jacqueline Brown

Jordon Burdette

Diego Cabanillas

Gustavo Camargo Silva

David Cartwright

Jacob Clay

Victoria Paige Cloud

Jaelin Cochran

Nigel Cochran

Jada Coleman

Cristian Cuevas-Mora

Evonie Daugherty

Dejuante Davenport

Camron De’Vine

Mikayla Demetrakis

Tara Dempsey

Kelsie Derico

Shannon Derkson

Raquel Dominguez

Sajana Dumre

Oluwatoyin El-Amin

Tiane Ellis

Kiana Fields

Paola Flores

David Fowler

Moriah Frazier

Angel Freeman

Tierra Freeman Taylor

Isabelle Garza

Alana Gipson

Leanne-Sarah Gnamba

Noah Gray

Jacelyn Grimes

Bessie Guerrant

Brandon Guzman

Aaron Harris

Elijah Haskins

Avery Hatchett

Joshua Hernandez

Nicole Heuker

William Hicks

Marcus Hodge

Kamara Hollins

Crescent Holmes

Myles Hopkins

Annalisa Huckaby

Cameron Huey

Jada Hunter-Hays

Kazi Javed

Neil Evans Jikang

Dylan Johnson

Morgan Johnson

Kingsly Jonathan

Faye Jones

Osei Jordan

Alisha Joseph

Alyssa Kabithe


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Mahireyaa Kao

Alula Kebede

Muriithi-David Kem

Alexia Keomanivong

Parth Khetia

K'Lynn King

Michael Lauer

Mark Lawhorn Jr

Savannah Lewis

Olivia Lim

Julian Little

Scott Lopez

Norman Loving

Gabriel Luis

Egon Mamboleo

Emmanuel Markin

Andy Martin

Zedan Martin

Liliana Martinez

Corey Mattic Jr

Laura Mbogo

Charles McGruder

Marriah Menchaca

Caitlin Mickles

David Miller

Byaombe Mmuto

Alexander Molex

Daniela Montanez

Makayla Montgomery

Emma Moore

De'Anthony Morris

Marco Munoz

Meherunissa Naseem

Sonia-Frida Ndifon

Rosemary Nwosu-Ihueze

Olufunmilola Obielodan

Mary Okocha

Delyla Oldham

Ephraim Otieno

Oriana Ovide

Hannah Payne

Camila Perez

Jalyn Perry-Bell

Archie Petin

Gerail Pickett

Suzette Polson

Aaron Potter

Allen Potter

Caitlin Powell

Chase Pressley

Cleo Price

Kendriana Price

Cong Pu

Mauricio Ramirez

Katelyn Ramsey

Alexis Remezo

Mya Reynolds

Derek Roberts

Steven Roberts II

Ariel Robinson

Chelsea Robinson

Kalvin Rucker

Andrea Ruiz

Charles Sanders

Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez

Abran Santos

Eve Schneider

Trayvon Scott-Prince

Kelsi Sego

Masooma Seyal

Ishita Sharma

Tyus Short

Keitius Simpson

Jalajaa Slaton

Ariel Smith

Chloe Smith

Malik Smith

Nyah Smith

Simeon Spottswood

Sierra Stewart


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“I believe that fortitude is key. More than any-

thing, be consistent. Go at it. When you succeed,

don’t forget the responsibility of making someone else

succeed with you.”

Dr. Antonia Novello, former Surgeon General

of the United States

David Suarez

Nyla Swain

Ariana Swayne

MaKayla Swayne

Afi Tagnedji

Blien Tella

Malik Thompson

Kayla Titialii

Raul Torres

Ajia Toth

Jacqueline Tran

Valerie Tran

Meagan Turner

Mya Vannoy

Nathaniel Vu

Miana Wallace

Christopher Ward

Alyse Washington

Brandon Weathers

Sydney Wichmann

Amya Wilborne-Geyen

Carion Williams

Fara Williams

Alexis Woods


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Recruitment Tables

University of Louisville

Graduate School


Biology


Engineering

Marshall University

Graduate School

University of Cincinnati

Office of Graduate Education

University of Kentucky

Biology


Agriculture, Food, & Environment


Graduate School


National Science Foundation Graduate Research Traineeship (NRT)

University of Tennessee—Knoxville

Graduate School

Vanderbilt University

Engineering


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Practice your interview skills

Conduct and record a mock interview through Interview Stream

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West Virginia Academy of Science

March 21, 2020

Fairmont University

Fairmont, WV

Women of Color STEM Conference

October 8—10, 2020

Detroit, MI

NCUR National Conference on Undergraduate Research

March 26—28, 2020

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT

Kentucky Academy of Science

April 18, 2020

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Kentucky-West Virginia

Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

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Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky

Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia

University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky—Lead Institution

University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky

West Virginia State University, Institute, West Virginia

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