Research Experiences for Undergraduates
Symposium
Council on Undergraduate Research
Hilton, Arlington, VA
October 25-26, 2015
Council on Undergraduate Research
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), founded in 1978, is a national organization
of more than 10700 individual members and 740 institutional members. Our primary
advocacy is in support of faculty and undergraduate students engaged in research. We
achieve our vision through the efforts of our membership that is organized in 13 divisions:
arts and humanities, biology, chemistry, education, engineering, geosciences, health
sciences, mathematics and computer science, physics and astronomy, psychology, social
sciences, an at-large division that serves administrators and other disciplines, and a
division for directors of undergraduate research programs.
CUR believes that faculty members enhance their teaching and contribution to society by
remaining active in research and by involving undergraduates in research. CUR provides
support for faculty and student development, and our publications and outreach activities
are designed to share successful models and strategies for establishing and
institutionalizing undergraduate research programs. We assist administrators and faculty
members in improving and assessing the research environment at their institutions. We
also provide a growing number of services and programs directly engaging undergraduate
students, including the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Posters on the
Hill, the Registry of Undergraduate Researchers, and the special REU Symposium that you
are now attending!
CUR’s leadership also works with agencies and foundations to enhance research
opportunities for faculty and students. We proactively provide information on the
importance of undergraduate research to state legislatures, private foundations,
government agencies, and the U.S. Congress. CUR welcomes faculty, staff, students, and
administrators from all academic institutions and affiliated non-profit associations.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
…………………………………….……………………………………….2
Program Schedule……….…………………………..………………………………………….…….. 3
Student Posters ……….…………………………………………..………………………….…….. 5
Speakers’ Biographies …..………..……………………………………………………….…….30
Conference Hotel Map ………………………………………………………Inside Back Cover
Page | 1
Planning Committee
Liljana Babinkostova, Associate Professor
Department of Mathematics
Boise State University
James D Batteas, Professor of Chemistry,
Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M
University
Michael Ceballos, Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
University of Minnesota Morris
Karla Heidelberg
Associate Professor (Teaching) of Biological
Sciences and Environmental Studies, College
of Letter, Arts, and Sciences, University of
Southern California
Valentin Soloiu, Allen E. Paulson
Distinguished Chair, Department of
Mechanical Engineering
Georgia Southern University
CUR National Office Staff
Elizabeth Ambos
Executive Officer
Robin Howard
Senior Director, Membership Services & Internal Operations
Jenn Chow
Membership Coordinator
Tavia S. Cummings
Manager for Institutes and Meeting Services
Pamela Dodge
Accounting, Grants, and Human Resources Specialist
Sabrina E. Hall
Student Programs Assistant
Jeffrey Johnson
Office Coordinator
Charles Sullivan
Consultant
Page | 2
REU 2015 Symposium Schedule
Arlington Hilton
October 25-26, 2015
Sunday, October 25, 2015
2:30-4:30
Registration and Check-In
4:30-5:30
Welcome and Keynote
Dr. Elizabeth Ambos, Executive Officer, Council on Undergraduate Research
Keynote speaker
Dr. Nicole Bennett, Program Officer, National Science Foundation
Title: “The NSF REU Program: Establishing a Lifetime of Discovery”
Location: Gallery I, II, & III
5:30-6:15
Lite Dinner
6:15-8:00
REU Program Networking and Focus Group Discussion
Monday, October 26, 2015
7:30-9:00
Breakfast
9:15-10:15
Group 1/Workshop 1
10:15-10:30 Switch Groups/break
Poster groups 1 & 2 will go to NSF atrium at 9:00. Group 1
sets up, group 2 attends poster session. Switch at 10:15.
10:30-11:30 Group 2/Workshop 2
11:30-12:30 Lunch (Gallery I, II, & III)
12:30-1:30
Group 3/Workshop 3
1:30-1:45
Switch Groups/break
1:45-2:45
Group 4/Workshop 4
2:45-3:15
Closing Session/Wrap-up
Poster groups 3 & 4 will go to NSF atrium at 12:30. Group
3 sets up, group 4 attends poster session. Switch at 1:30.
Page | 3
Concurrent Workshops
Session 1|9:15AM-10:15AM
Student Session
Applying for Graduate School Support from NSF, Dr. Susan Brennan, Program Director, Graduate
Research Fellowship Program, National Science Foundation
Room: Gallery I
Faculty Session
NSF REU Program Update, Dr. R. Corby Hovis, Program Director, Education and Human Resources
Room: Da Vinci/Matisse
Session 2|10:30AM-11:30AM
Student Session 1:
Effectively leveraging an undergraduate research experience on your resume,
Dr. Rebecca Jones, Associate Term Professor, Department of Chemistry, and Director, STEM
Accelerator Program, George Mason University
Room: Da Vinci/Matisse
Student Session 2:
Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships at ASEE, Ms. Rachel Levitin, Program Manager, American Society
for Engineering Education
Room: Renoir
Faculty Session
How to Recruit and Retain Students from Underrepresented Groups in your NSF REU Program,
Dr. R. Michael Ceballos, Professor of Biology, University of Minnesota, Morris
Room: Gallery I
Session 3|12:30-1:30PM
Student Session
Applying for Graduate School Support from NSF, Dr. Joerg Schlatterer, Program Director,
Graduate Research Fellowship Program, National Science Foundation
Student Session
Room: Gallery I
Faculty Session
Effective Strategies for NSF REU Renewal: A Principal Investigator Brainstorming Session
Dr. Karla Heidelberg, Professor of Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies, University of
Southern California
Room: Da Vinci/Matisse
Session 4| 1:45 PM-2:45PM
Student Session
Smithsonian Internships and Fellowship Opportunities, Karen Carter, Program Specialist,
Smithsonian Office of Fellowships and Internships
Room: Gallery I (note: Needs projector/laptop)
Faculty Session
Effective Practices for NSF REU Site Operation and Assessment
Dr. Charles Sullivan, Professor of Biology, Grinnell College
Room: Da Vinci/Matisse
Page | 4
Student Poster Sessions
Monday, October 26|National Science Foundation Atrium
9:15-10:15|Session 1
Astronomical Sciences; Earth Sciences; Education and Human Resources; Ocean Sciences;
Polar Programs; and Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
10:30-11:30|Session 2
Biological Sciences
12:30-1:30|Session 3
Engineering; Cyberinfrastructure; International Science & Engineering; and Computer &
Information Sciences and Engineering
1:45-2:45|Session 4
Chemistry; Mathematical Sciences; Materials Research; and Physics
Page | 5
NSF Division: Astronomical Sciences
1-1
Title: Analysis of Globular Cluster Systems in the Coma Cluster using HST/ACS Data
Presenter(s): Alexander Thomas Gagliano | Juan Madrid
REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Astronomy at Cerro Tololo Inter-American
Observatory (2012-2016)
Host Institution: AURA/National Optical Astronomy Observatories
Grant #: 1062976
Principal Investigator: Catherine Kaleida; Faculty Mentor: Juan Madrid
1-2
Title: Inferring the Gravitational Potential of the Milky Way
Presenter(s): Casey Chu
REU Site: Preparing a Diverse Workforce through Interdisciplinary Astrophysics Research
Host Institution: Northwestern University CIERA
Grant #: 1359462
Principal Investigator: Vassiliki Kalogera; Faculty Mentor: Yoram Lithwick
1-3
Title: Composition of the Upper Atmosphere of Neptune
Presenter(s): Elizabeth Nance
REU Site: National Radio Astronomy Observatory Summer Research Experience in Astronomy for
Undergraduates
Host Institution: Associated Universities Inc./National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Grant #: 1358169
Principal Investigator: Arielle Moullet
1-4
Title: High-Cadence Timing Observations of an Exoplanet-Pulsar System, PSR B1257+12
Presenter(s): Rudy A. Rivera
REU Site: Research in Radio/ Radar Astronomy and Atmospheric Sciences
Host Institution: Arecibo Observatory
Grant #: 1262974
Principal Investigator: Hilda Colon; Faculty Mentor: Andrew Seymour
NSF Division: Biological Sciences
2-1
Title: Unique Prokaryotic IMP Dehydrogenase Residues Help Determine Inhibitor Selectivity
Presenter(s): Alejandro Cuadros
REU Site: Cellular and Molecular Visualization
Host Institution: Brandeis University
Grant #: 1359172
Principal Investigator: Susan Lovett; Faculty Mentor: Lizbeth Hedstrom
Page | 6
2-2
Title: Cues Triggering Toe Tapping Behavior in TÚNGARA FROGS
Presenter(s): Katelin Marie Morrison | Ximena Bernal | Ivonne Meuche
REU Site: Integrative Tropical Biology
Host Institution: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Grant #: 1359299
Principal Investigator: Ana Spalding; Faculty Mentor: Ximena Bernal
2-3
Title: Factors Affecting the Distribution of the Swamp Palm Astrocaryum Alatum (Arecaceae)
Presenter(s): Christian George Irian
REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Tropical Biology at the La Selva Biological
Station, Costa Rica
Host Institution: Organization for Tropical Studies
Grant #: 1549523
Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Losos; Faculty Mentor: Erin Keprewicz
2-4
Title: Correlations between Wood Nitrogen Content and Wood-Boring Beetles
Presenter(s): Amy Berkov
REU Site: Research in Biology
Host Institution: City University of New York - City College
Grant #: 1156512
Principal Investigator: Christine Li
2-5
Title: Evolutionary Insights from Fruit and Seed Morphology in Ludwigia (Onagraceae)
Presenter(s): Corrie Hamilton | Christina Torres
REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Plant Systematics, Conservation Biology, and Ethnobotany
Host Institution: Missouri Botanical Garden
Grant #: 1157030
Principal Investigator: David J. Bogler; Faculty Mentor: Peter Hoch
2-6
Title: An Examination of Humoral Antibody Reaction Levels to Plasmodium Falciparum in Central
Region, Ghana.
Presenter(s): Araba A. Wubah | Paula Ampomah
REU Site: Studies in Ecology, Environmental and Conservation Biology in Ghana.
Host Institution: Washington and Lee University
Grant #: 1061500
Principal Investigator: Daniel A Wubah; Faculty Mentor: Paulina Ampomah
Page | 7
2-7
Title: Genetic Patterns of the Invasive Eurasian Ruffe Over Time and Space: Comparing
Introductions in the Laurentian Great Lakes and Northern England
Presenter(s): Devon Eddins
REU Site: Undergraduate Research and Mentoring - Using the Lake Erie Sensor Network to Study
Land-Lake Ecological Linkages
Host Institution: University of Toledo
Grant #: 1461124
Principal Investigator: Carol A. Stepien
2-8
Title: Functional Characterization of the Gene CG6767 on Odor-Guided Behavior in Drosophila
Presenter(s): Emily Rayens
REU Site: Sensory Ecology: An Integrative Approach
Host Institution: University of Cincinnati
Grant #: 1262863
Principal Investigator: George W. Uetz; Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stephanie Rollmann
2-9
Title: Auditory Frequency Sensitivity of Single Neurons in the Amphibian Inferior Colliculus and the
Effects of Descending Modulation
Presenter(s): Keith Perkins
REU Site: Research Experience for Underrepresented Minority Undergraduates in Basic Science
and Genetic Research at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Host Institution: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans
Grant #: 1359140
Principal Investigator: Fern Tsien; Faculty Mentor: Hamilton Farris
2-10
Title: Exploring the Recognition and Modification of Substrates by HopZ3 a Peptide Screening
Approach to Mapping Virulence Factor-Target Interactions in Tomato
Presenter(s): Fernando Valbuena
REU Site: Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
Host Institution: The University of Chicago
Grant #: 1359128
Principal Investigator: Aaron Turkewitz; Faculty Mentor: Jean Greenberg
2-11
Title: Variation in Stomatal Traits Associated with Drought Tolerant and Intolerant Pinyon Pine
(Pinus Edulis)
Presenter(s): Filiberto S.A. Vecenti
REU Site: Human Impacts on the Colorado Plateau: Placed Based Research and Training
Host Institution: Northern Arizona University
Grant #: 1461295
Principal Investigator: Amy Whipple; Faculty Mentor: Catherine Gehring
Page | 8
2-12
Title: Five New Species of the Longhorned Wood Boring Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in the
Genus Urgleptes of Hispaniola including a New Synonymy for a Highly Variable Species
Presenter(s): Ian Ravin
REU Site: Natural History Research Experiences
Host Institution: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Grant #: 1062692
Principal Investigator: Gene Hunt; Faculty Mentor: Steven Lingafelter
2-13
Title: Visualizing Proteins in Living Cells: A Modified Epifluorescence Setup for Improved Imaging
Parameters
Presenter(s): Izabella Berman
Convergence of Research at the Interface of the Biological, Physical, and Engineering Sciences
Host Institution: Yale University
Grant #: 1156585
Principal Investigator: Corey O'Hern; Faculty Mentor: Simon Mochrie
2-14
Title: Radiocesium (Cs-137) Uptake in Ring-Necked Ducks using Pond B on the SRS
Presenter(s): Joshua D King
REU: Radioecology
Host Institution: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory/University of Georgia
Grant #: 1460940
Principal Investigator: J. Vaun McArthur; Faculty Mentor: Robert A. Kennamer
2-15
Title: Role of Isatin in the Regulation of Secondary Metabolites in Lysobacter Enzymogenes
Presenter(s): Jacob Elliot Robinson
REU Site: Training in Redox Biology
Host Institution: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Grant #: 1461240
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Liangcheng Du
2-16
Title: DSCAM and DSCAML1 Molecular Mechanisms of Self-Avoidance
Presenter(s): Julia Bassell
REU Site: Functional Genomics Research Projects for Undergraduates
Host Institution: The Jackson Laboratory
Grant #: 1262049
Principal Investigator: Bob Braun; Faculty Mentor: Robert Burgess
Page | 9
2-17
Title: Electrolyte Leakage from Leaves of Oryza Sativa during Recovery from Chilling Stress
Correlates with Whole Plant Survivability
Presenter(s): Katie R. Zarbock
REU Site: Undergraduate Summer Research in Molecular and Cellular Biology
Host Institution: Marquette University
Grant #: 1156569
Principal Investigator: Edward Blumenthal; Faculty Mentor: Michael Schlappi
2-18
Title: 3D Reconstruction and Approximation of Pneumatophore Geometry
Presenter(s): Kendra Lynn
Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Dynamics of the Columbia River Basin: Integrating Terrestrial
and Aquatic Perspectives
Host Institution: Washington State University Vancouver
Grant #: 1461057
Principal Investigator: Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens; Faculty Mentors: Stephen Henderson |
Nikolay Strigul
2-19
Title: Controlling 2-Aminoacrylate Accumulation in Salmonella enterica LT2
Presenter(s): Kenton Cornell Hipsher
REU Site: Research in Prokaryotic Biology
Host Institution: University of Georgia
Grant #: 1460671
Principal Investigator: Vincent Joseph Starai; Faculty Mentor: Diana M. Downs
2-20
Title: Ecosystem services and hotspot distribution under four different land-use scenarios in
Massachusetts, USA
Presenter(s): Mayra I. Rodriguez-Gonzalez
REU Site: A Forest Full of Big Data: the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology 20152019
Host Institution: Harvard University/Harvard Forest
Grant #: 1459519
Principal Investigator: Aaron M. Ellison; Faculty Mentor: Jonathan R. Thompson
2-21
Title: Building a Biosensor as Part of a Synthetic Biology and Computer Science Pre-REU Pilot
Program
Presenter(s): Michaela Lynott | Stefanie Huttelmaier
REU Site: GPG: Research Collaboration: Synthetic Biology Bootcamp
Host Institution: Simmons College/Carthage College
Grant #: 1444406
Principal Investigators/ Faculty Mentors: Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield | Deborah Tobiason
Page | 10
2-22
Title: Fungal Enzymes for Deconstructing Lignocellulose
Presenter(s): Natalia A. Batchenkova | Ruben Michael Ceballos | Amanda E. Nelson
REU Site: Indigenous America to Indigenous Borneo: Adventures in Biology and Biodiversity
Host Institution: University of Minnesota - Morris
Grant #: 1521023
Faculty Mentor: Ruben Michael Ceballos
2-23
Title: Circular Exonic RNA in Xenopus Oocytes
Presenter(s): Nicole Bush
REU Site: Visualization of Macromolecules in Biological Research
Host Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Grant #: 1262985
Principal Investigator: Joel Schildbach; Faculty Mentor: Joseph G. Gall
2-24
Title: Coordinated Functions of Nonmuscle Myosin II and Membrane Remodeling Proteins in
Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis
Presenter(s): Phuong N. Pham
REU Site: Site in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Sanford Research and Augustana College
Host Institution: Sanford Research and Augustana College
Grant #: 1262744
Principal Investigator: Seasson Vitiello; Faculty Mentor: Indra Chandrasekar
2-25
Title: Translatome Profiling During Leaf Development in Maize
Presenter(s): Priscilla Glenn
REU Site: Research Experiences in Plant Science at the Danforth Center
Host Institution: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Grant #: 1156581
Principal Investigator: Sona Pandey; Faculty Mentor: Dr. Indrajit Kumar
2-26
Title: The Association between Parasitic Kudoa inornata and Post-Mortem Muscle Softness in
Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)
Presenter(s): Eric McElroy | Isaure De Buron | Sierra Duca
REU Site: Marine Organism Health: Resilience and Response to Environmental Change
Host Institution: College of Charleston
Grant #: 1359079
Principal Investigators: Robert D. Podolsky | Isaure De Buron; Faculty Mentor: Eric McElroy
Page | 11
2-27
Title: Using "Anchor Away" to Test Mediator Presence at Pol III Genes
Presenter(s): Simey Emerson
REU Site: Networking Basic Research for Collaborative Biological Discovery
Host Institution: Wadsworth Center
Grant #: 1359413
Principal Investigators: Matthew Kohn | Randall Morse; Faculty Mentor: Randall Morse
2-28
Title: Gene Expression and its Role in Stationary Phase Mutagenesis in Bacillus subtilis
Presenter(s): Tatiana S. Ermi
REU Site: Mechanisms of Evolution
Host Institution: University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Grant #: 1358896
Principal Investigators: Kurt M Regner| Eduardo A. Robleto; Faculty Mentor: Eduardo A. Robleto
2-29
Title: Simulating Conformation and Stability Constants of Crown Ether-Ion Complexes
Presenter(s): Emma Stavropoulos| David Reha| Babak Minofar
REU Site: Molecular Biophysics
Host Institution: Princeton University
Grant #: 1358737
Principal Investigator: Jannette Carey; Faculty Mentor: Rüdiger Ettrich
2-30
Title: A Natural Control for a Natural Nuisance
Presenter(s):
REU Site: Translational Ecology for Undergraduates
Host Institution: Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Grant #: 1062987
Principal Investigator: Alan R. Berkowitz; Faculty Mentor: Shannon LaDeau
NSF Division: Chemistry
4-1
Title: Design of Organometallic Photochromes based on Ligand Substitution
Presenter(s): Theodore J. Burkey | Abigail Cole
REU Site: University of Memphis Interdisciplinary Research in Chemistry
Host Institution: University of Memphis
Grant #: 1156738
Principal Investigator: Theodore J. Burkey; Faculty Mentor: Ted Burkey
Page | 12
4-2
Title: Detection of Explosive Vapors WITH Fluorescent Polymer-Porous Silicon Microcavity Device
Presenter(s): Angel S. Breton-Vega
REU Site: Puerto Rico Research in Cross-Disciplinary Chemical Sciences
Host Institution: Universidad Metropolitana
Grant #: 1262826
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Samuel P. Hernandez
4-3
Title: Controlling the Local Environment of Metal Nanoclusters for Catalysis
Presenter(s): Benjamin J. Greydanus
REU Site: Catalysis in a Collaborative REU Program at the University of Utah
Host Institution: University of Utah
Grant #: 1358740
Principal Investigator: Janis Louie; Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Shumaker-Parry
4-4
Title: Design and Synthesis of 2, 4-DiPAM Sugar to Combat Organophosphorus Compounds
Presenter(s): Bryce Lipinski
REU Site: Chemical Sciences Leadership Initiative
Host Institution: University of Delaware
Grant #: 1263018
Principal Investigator: Karl S. Booksh; Faculty Mentor: John Koh
4-5
Title: Nickel Dithiolene Complexes as Potential Acceptors for Donor-Acceptor Co-Crystals
Presenter(s): Emily Sharpe | Seth Marder
REU Site: Hooked on Photonics
Host Institution: University of Washington
Grant #: 1156598
Principal Investigator: Seth Marder; Faculty Mentor: Seth Marder
4-6
Title: Investigation of Active Site Residues in the Retaining Glycosyltransferase MshA from
Cornynebacterium Glutamicum
Presenter(s): Emily Simon
REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Chemistry at The University of
Alabama
Host Institution: The University of Alabama
Grant #: 1358971
Principal Investigator: John B. Vincent; Faculty Mentor: Patrick Frantom
Page | 13
4-7
Title: Synthesis of Metal Heterostructure Nanocrystals
Presenter(s): Jennifer R. Miller
REU Site: Biological, Green, and Materials Chemistry Research at Texas A&M University
Host Institution: Texas A&M University
Grant #: 1359175
Principal Investigator: Holly C. Gaede; Faculty Mentor: Matthew Sheldon
4-8
Title: Cocrystallization of N, N’-Diphenylureas and Triphenylphosphine Oxide Based on
Heterodimer Energies
Presenter(s): Taylor Watts | Jennifer Swift
REU Site: Chemistry Research at Georgetown University
Host Institution: Georgetown University
Grant #: 1156788
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Swift
4-9
Title: Visualization of Developing Dorsal Root Ganglion Cultures Using Optical Microscopy and
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Imaging
Presenter(s): Kelsey Rae Winchell
REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates at Illinois
Host Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Grant #: 1062462
Principal Investigator: Alexander Scheeline; Faculty Mentor: Jonathan V. Sweedler
4-10
Title: Reagentless and Reusable Electrochemical Aptamer Based Sensor for Cadmium (II) Detection
Presenter(s): Mark Griep
REU Site: Chemical Assembly at the University of Nebraska
Host Institution: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Grant #: 1460829
Principal Investigator: Rebecca Lai; Faculty Mentor: Rebecca Lai
4-11
Title: Excited State Properties of Copper (I) bis-Phenanthroline Complexes
Presenter(s): Megan Toda
REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates at the Interface of Computations and
Experiments
Host Institution: North Carolina State University
Grant #: 1359377
Principal Investigator: Elon Ison; Faculty Mentor: Felix N. Castellano
Page | 14
4-12
Title: A Novel Synthesis of Hydroxyphenstatin: An Application of Tandem C–O, C–H Bond
Activation
Presenter(s): Melissa Hardy
REU Site: Challenges for the 21st Century
Host Institution: University of Minnesota
Grant #: 1359181
Principal Investigator: Steven Kass; Faculty Mentor: Christopher Douglas
4-13
Title: Specificity and activity of DinB and Pol Kappa loop swap variants
Presenter(s): Morgan Packer
REU Site: Research Opportunities in Biological and Chemical Catalysis
Host Institution: Northeastern University
Grant #: 1262734
Principal Investigator: Carla Mattos; Faculty Mentor: Penny Beuning
NSF Division: Computer & Information Science and Engineering
3-18
Title: Energy Efficient Multicore Architectures for Profiling and Benchmarking Graph Applications
Presenter(s): Chan J. Jong
REU Site: New-Generation Power-Efficient Computer Systems Design
Host Institution: Washington State University
Grant #: 1359461
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Behrooz Shirazi
3-19
Title: Web Access Control using WebID and ACL
Presenter(s): Cory Sebastian Sabol
REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Cyber Identity
Host Institution: North Carolina A&T State University
Grant #: 1460864
Principal Investigator: Kaushik Roy
3-20
Title: Fluency Transformations in Storytelling
Presenter(s): Emily Ahn
REU Site: Research in Interactive Virtual Experiences
Host Institution: Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California
Grant #: 1263386
Principal Investigator: Evan Suma; Faculty Mentor: Andrew Gordon
Page | 15
3-21
Title: Automatic Segmentation of Captions
Presenter(s): James Marzuola Waller
REU Site: Accessible Multimodal Interfaces
Host Institution: Rochester Institute of Technology
Grant #: 1460894
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Raja S. Kushalnagar
3-22
Title: Building Intelligent Agent Systems Capable of Plan Failure Analysis
Presenter(s): Jason Yim
REU Site: Declarative Approaches to Knowledge Intensive Applications
Host Institution: Texas Tech University
Grant #: 1359359
Principal Investigator: Yuanlin Zhang; Faculty Mentor: Michael Gelfond
3-23
Title: Modification of Microalgae and Waste Activated Sludge Anaerobic Co-Digestion Kinetic
Models
Presenter(s): Jewel Cumberbatch
REU Site: Tampa Interdisciplinary Environmental Research (TIER)
Host Institution: University of South Florida
Grant #: 1156905
Principal Investigator: Maya Trotz; Faculty Mentor: Qiong Zhang
3-24
Title: Design and Evaluation of a Parallel GLCM Utility for Processing Diffraction Images
Presenter(s): John M. Dixon
REU Site: Software Testing: Foundations, Tools and Applications
Host Institution: East Carolina University
Grant #: 1262933
Principal Investigator: Junhua Ding
3-25
Title: Fabrication of MIS Solar Cells and Utilization of 2-D Materials
Presenter(s): Raul Ramos
REU Site: NASCENT ERC REU
Host Institution: University of Texas Austin
Grant #: 1160494
Principal Investigator: Marylene Palard; Faculty Mentor: Marylene Palard
Page | 16
3-26
Title: Software in the Machine Protection System of the LHC: Its Significance and Evolution
Presenter(s): Rebecca Ellen Barsotti
REU Site: Software Safety: Research, Practice and a Path Forward
Host Institution: University of Texas at Dallas
Grant #: 1461149
Principal Investigator: Weichen Eric Wong
3-27
Title: Non-Homogeneous Concurrent Open Shop
Presenter(s): Riley Murray | Megan Chao
REU Site: Combinatorial Applied Algorithms Research
Host Institution: University of Maryland
Grant #: 1262805
Principal Investigator: Samir Khuller
3-28
Title: Privacy Enhancing Keyboard for Mobile Device Authentication
Presenter(s): Ruowei Zhang
REU Site: HCISec - Enhancing Undergraduate Research in Modern Human Computer Interaction
(HCI) Security and Privacy
Host Institution: University of Massachusetts Lowell
Grant #: 1461060
Principal Investigator: Xinwen Fu
3-29
Title: User Authentication Using Haptic Stylus
Presenter(s): Janina Grayson
REU Site: Research on Security of Mobile Devices and Wireless Networks at NYIT
Host Institution: New York Institute of Technology
Grant #: 1263283
Principal Investigator: Paolo Gasti; Faculty Mentor: Kiran Balagani
3-30
Title: Fault-Based Testing of XACML 3.0 Policies
Presenter(s): Turner Lehmbecker
REU Site: Software Security
Host Institution: Boise State University
Grant #: 1461133
Principal Investigator: Dianxiang Xu
Page | 17
NSF Division: Cyberinfrastructure
3-15
Title: Using Imaris Software to Visualize in 3-D the Mechanism of Barnacle Attachment
Presenter(s): Caroline Zhang
REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Collaborative Data Visualization Applications
Host Institution: Clemson University
Grant #: 1359223
Principal Investigator: Vetria L. Byrd; Faculty Mentor: Andrew Mount
3-16
Title: Many Devices, One Orchestra: An Internet of Things Approach to Collaborative Digital Music
Presenter(s): Anna Baglione | Chris Branton
REU Site: Interdisciplinary Research Experience in Computational Sciences
Host Institution: Louisiana State University
Grant #: 1263236
Principal Investigator: Juana Moreno; Faculty Mentor: Stephen David Beck
NSF Division: Earth Sciences
1-5
Title: Range Precision and Accuracy of Terrestrial Laser Scanners
Presenter(s): Dana Downs | Jessica Whiteaker
REU Site: Leading Undergraduates in Challenges to Power Academic Development in Geosciences
Host Institution: UNAVCO
Grant #: 1359469
Principal Investigators/Faculty Mentors: Marianne Okal | Keith Williams | Chris Crosby
1-6
Title: Permafrost Thaw Induces Methane Oxidation in Transitional Thaw Stages in a Subarctic
Peatland
Presenter(s): Clarice Perryman
REU Site: Northern Ecosystems Research for Undergraduates
Host Institution: University of New Hampshire
Grant #: 1063037
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Ruth Varner
1-7
Title: Exploring Anaerobic Decomposition in Peatland Soils
Presenter(s): Efren Gonzalez
REU Site: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Earth and Environmental Sciences
(SURFEES)
Host Institution: Chapman University
Grant #: 1359500
Principal Investigators: Christopher Kim | Cassandra Medvedeff; Faculty Mentor: Jason Keller
Page | 18
1-8
Title: Periphyton Assessment and Growth in a Restored Stream in Stillwater, Oklahoma
Presenter(s): Megan Knight
REU Site: Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Stream Restoration Project Based on Natural Channel
Design Using Process-Based Investigations
Host Institution: Oklahoma State University
Grant #: 1358908
Principal Investigator: Garey Fox; Faculty Mentor: Andy Dzialowski
NSF Division: Education and Human Resources
1-9
Title: Viral Infection of Emiliania Huxleyi: Implications On Organism Physiology In A Multi-Trophic
System.
Presenter(s): Aaminah Aleem | Madison Marra
REU Site: Undergraduate research experience in the Gulf of Maine and the world ocean
Host Institution: Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science
Grant #: 1460861
Principal Investigator: David Fields
1-10
Title: Students’ Motivations and Faculty Care in Undergraduate Chemistry Courses
Presenter(s): Emilia Dewi Tanu
REU Site: Engineering Education Research: Understanding and Improving Student Experiences
Host Institution: Olin College of Engineering
Grant #: 1156832
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Yevgeniya V Zastavker
1-11
Title: Developing Fourth-Grade Students’ Multiplicative Thinking
Presenter(s): Michelle Ott
REU Site: PATHWAYS - Preparing Aspiring Teachers to Hypothesize Ways to Assist Young Students
Host Institution: Salisbury University
Grant #: 1356001
Principal Investigator: Randall E Groth; Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Bergner
1-12
Title: The Design of a Microfluidic Platform for the Evaluation of a Nanopore Device
Presenter(s): Tina Anjonrin-Ohu Olufunke
REU Site: Solid-State Devices for Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetics Technology
Host Institution: Clemson University
Grant #: 1262991
Principal Investigator: William R. Harrell; Faculty Mentor: Guigen Zhang
Page | 19
NSF Division: Engineering
3-1
Title: Experimental Analysis of Energy Safety Limits for Photoacoustic-Guided Endonasal Surgery
Presenter(s): Alicia Dagle
REU Site: Computational Sensing and Medical Robotics
Host Institution: The Johns Hopkins University
Grant #: 1460674
Principal Investigator: Muyinatu Bell
3-2
Title: Release and Characterization of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles along a Value Chain
Presenter(s): Catherine C. Ninah | Nicolas Rogers
REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Environmental Implications of
Nanotechnology
Host Institution: Duke University-Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology
Grant #: 1359131
Principal Investigator: Glenda T Kelly; Faculty Mentors: Mark Wiesner | Greg Lowry
3-3
Title: Laser Cavity Stabilization Utilizing Piezoelectric Actuators
Presenter(s): Eric Reichel
REU Site: Research in Optics (RiO)
Host Institution: University of Arizona
Grant #: 1460723
Principal Investigator: R. John Koshel; Faculty Mentor: R. Jason Jones
3-4
Title: Impact of Swelling on Polymeric Adsorbents
Presenter(s): Falliou Djigal
REU Site: Ecosystem Restoration through Interdisciplinary Exchange
Host Institution: State University of New York at Buffalo
Grant #: 1263257
Principal Investigator: Alan J. Rabideau; Faculty Mentor: John D. Atkinson
3-5
Title: Linking light and structure: investigating the correlation between corneal stiffness and
fluorescence
Presenter(s): Genna Touchette
REU Site: Wellman-Hst Summer Institute for Biomedical Optics
Host Institution: Massachusetts General Hospital
Grant #: 1358296
Principal Investigator: Walfre Franco
Page | 20
3-6
Title: Optimization of Patterned Thin Films of Photoresist for Plasma Etching Applications
Presenter(s): Irving Garduno
REU Site: Advancing California Community College Students through Engineering Research
Host Institution: UC Berkeley
Grant #: 1461157
Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Bokor; Faculty Mentor: Jeffrey Clarkson
3-7
Title: Fabrication of Mechanically Flexible Photonic Crystal Cavities on Germanium
Nanomembranes
Presenter(s): Lauren Ashley Strong
REU Site: Integrated Nanomanufacturing
Host Institution: Trustees of Boston University
Grant #: 1461152
Principal Investigator: Helen Fawcett; Faculty Mentor: Roberto Paiella
3-8
Title: Open Knee(s): The Role of the Transverse Ligament in Cartilage and Menisci Mechanics
Predicted by Finite Element Analysis of the Knee
Presenter(s): Omar Gad
REU Site: An Immersive Research Engineering Training Program for Undergraduates
Host Institution: Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Grant #: 1358579
Principal Investigator: Ahmet Erdemir
3-9
Title: Establishing Antibody-Conjugated Quantum Dot Saturation Curves for the Quantification of
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Receptors on Endothelial Cells
Presenter(s): Rachel E White
REU Site: Discoveries in Bioimaging
Host Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Grant #: 1461038
Principal Investigator: Princess U. Imoukhuede
3-10
Title: Ductile Multi-Functional Hybrid Composite System for Design of Resilient Structures
Presenter(s): Samuel Turek
REU Site: Research Experience in Cyber and Civil Infrastructure Security: Fostering Innovation
Host Institution: University of Connecticut
Grant #: 1461165
Principal Investigator: Arash Esmaili Zaghi
Page | 21
3-11
Title: Surface Flux Analysis of Trace Gas Emissions from a California Landfill
Presenter(s): Stephanie C. Tjan
REU Site: Sustainable Management and Beneficial Reuse of Residual Wastes and Byproducts
Host Institution: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Grant #: 1263337
Principal Investigator: Gregg Fiegel; Faculty Mentors: James Hanson | Nazli Yesiller
3-12
Title: A Novel Technique based on Fluorescence Spectroscopy for Quantifying OH Radicals
Produced by Electrical Discharge Plasmas
Presenter(s): Stephanie Hernandez
REU Site: ASSETs to Serve Humanity NSF REU Site Program
Host Institution: Clarkson University
Grant #: 1359256
Principal Investigator: Shane W. Rogers; Faculty Mentor: Selma Mededovic
3-13
Title: Applications of Organic Nanopillars Grown on Graphene
Presenter(s): Victor K Champagne
REU Site: Nanoscale: Science and Engineering Center
Host Institution: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Grant #: 1025020
Principal Investigator: Alejandro Briseno
3-14
Title: Control of a Single-Stage Three-Phase Buck-Boost Power Factor Correction Rectifier
Presenter(s): Bryan Faulkner
REU Site: Summer Engineering Research Experiences in Transportation Electrification
Host Institution: University of Maryland
Grant #: 1263063
Principal Investigator: Alireza Khaligh
NSF Division: International Science and Engineering
3-17
Title: Sacred Sites: Development & Regions with Similar Struggles on Conserving Culture
Presenter(s): Dawn Falcon
REU Site: Informal Science Learning in Ecological Contexts: Science Learning and Native Language
Use in Contrasting USA and Russia Mountain Systems
Host Institution: Montana State University
Grant #: 1261160
Principal Investigator: Kristin T. Ruppel
Page | 22
NSF Division: Materials Research
4-22
Title: Regional Flora as Electron Reservoirs for the Production of Environmentally Friendly Gold
Nanoparticles
Presenter(s): Hannah Huhman | Matthew Brown
REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Materials and Modeling
Host Institution: University of Missouri
Grant #: 1359430
Principal Investigator: Sashi Satpathy; Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kattesh Katti
4-23
Title: Hemocompatibility of Drug-Releasing Vascular Graft Materials
Presenter(s): Emily Mihalko
REU Site: Interactive Biomaterials
Host Institution: Syracuse University
Grant #: 1460784
Principal Investigator: Eric Finkelstein
4-24
Title: Improving Surface Area and Plasmonic Properties of Metal Polymer Nanocomposites for
Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection of Bioactive Agents in Water
Presenter(s): Jessica Bojorquez | Marco De Jesus
REU Site: Reconfigurable and Multifunctional Soft Materials
Host Institution: University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Grant #: 1460704
Principal Investigators: Patricia Ortiz-Bermudez | Marco De Jesus
4-25
Title: 3-D Simulation of Ligand Phase Separation on Faceted Nanoparticles
Presenter(s): Margaurite Ilene Osmundsen
REU Site: Surface and Thin Film Science and Engineering
Host Institution: University of Virginia / School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Grant #: 1157007
Principal Investigator: Jerrold Anthony Floro; Faculty Mentor: David L. Green
4-26
Title: Evidence for Proposed Mechanism of Surface Layer Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption
Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (SL-MALDI-ToF-MS)
Presenter(s): John Meyerhofer
REU Site: Polymer Science and Engineering at The University of Akron
Host Institution: The University of Akron
Grant #: 1359321
Principal Investigator: Mark D. Foster
Page | 23
NSF Division: Mathematical Sciences
4-14
Title: Compartmental Competition Model with Cancer Stem Cells in a Colon Crypt
Presenter(s): Amber Lee
Winthrop University REU: Bridging Applied and Theoretical Mathematics
Host Institution: Winthrop University
Grant #: 1358534
Principal Investigator: Joseph Rusinko; Faculty Mentor: Zachary Abernathy
4-15
Title: An Agent-Based Model Simulating the Reintroduction of the Extinct Passenger Pigeon under
Varying Resource Availability
Presenter(s): Erin Boggess
REU Site: Valparaiso Experience in Research by Undergraduate Mathematicians
Host Institution: Valparaiso University
Grant #: 1262852
Principal Investigator: Alex Capaldi
4-16
Title: A Compartmental Model of Positive and Negative Stimulation in T Cell Receptor Signaling
Presenter(s): Hannah G. Rollins
REU Site: Modeling and Simulation in Systems Biology (MSSB)
Host Institution: UConn Health, Center for Quantitative Medicine
Grant #: 1460967
Principal Investigator: Reinhard Laubenbacher
4-17
Title: Context-Directed Reversals of Signed Permutations
Presenter(s): Hannah Qiuhan Li
REU Site: Complexity Across Disciplines (CAD)
Host Institution: Boise State University
Grant #: 1359425
Principal Investigator: Liljana Babinkostova; Faculty Mentor: Marion Scheepers
4-18
Title: Frechet Differentiability in Optimal Control of Parabolic Free Boundary Problems
Presenter(s): Jessica Pillow | Dylanger Pittman
REU Site: Partial Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems
Host Institution: Florida Institute of Technology
Grant #: 1359074
Principal Investigator: Ugur G. Abdulla
Page | 24
4-19
Title: Sign-Characteristic-Preserving Linearizations in DL (P)
Presenter(s): Joseph Breen
UCSB Mathematics Summer Research Program
Host Institution: University of California Santa Barbara
Grant #: 1358884
Principal Investigator: Maribel Bueno
4-20
Title: Large Induced Outerplanar and Acyclic Subgraphs of Planar Graphs
Presenter(s): Melissa Sherman-Bennett
REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science
Host Institution: Oregon State University
Grant #: 1359173
Principal Investigator: Holly Swisher; Faculty Mentor: Glencora Borradaile
4-21
Title: Minimal Length Maximal Green Sequences for Type A Quivers
Presenter(s): Peter Emil Dillery
REU Site: Mathematics REU at UConn
Host Institution: University of Connecticut
Grant #: 1262929
Principal Investigator: Luke Rogers; Faculty Mentor: Khrystyna Nechyporenko
NSF Division: Ocean Sciences
1-13
Title: Tank Cultivation of the Red Algae Palmaria Mollis: Effects of Nutrients on Growth Rate,
Biochemical Quality, and Epiphytic Growth
Presenter(s): David Edmond Ben
REU Site: From Estuaries to the Deep Sea
Host Institution: Oregon State University/Hatfield Marine Science Center
Grant #: 1263349
Principal Investigator: Itchung Cheung; Faculty Mentor: Chris Langdon
1-14
Title: Understanding Trophic Transfer of Gambiertoxins in Herbivorous Reef Fish from St. Thomas,
Virgin Islands
Presenter(s): Jesse Kay Gwinn
REU SITE: Undergraduate Research Experiences in Coastal and Nearshore Marine Systems of the
Northeastern Gulf of Mexico
Host Institution: Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium
Grant #: 1358873
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Alison Robertson
Page | 25
1-15
Title: Drowning Coasts: A Multi-Proxy View of Anthropogenic Sediment Supply at Joppa Flats, MA
Presenter(s): Justin Shawler
REU Site: Coastal Marine Science Research Opportunities for Undergraduates at the Virginia
Institute of Marine Science
Host Institution: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Grant #: 1062882
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Christopher Hein
1-16
Title: The phenotypic plasticity of the Caribbean climax seagrass Thalassia testudinum
Presenter(s): Brian Griffiths
REU Site: Coral Reef Biodiversity and Resilience on Little Cayman
Host Institution: Central Caribbean Marine Institute
Grant #: 1358600
Principal Investigator: Carrie Manfrino; Faculty Mentor: John Gregory Foster
1-17
Title: Wave Riding at the Micro-Scale: A 3D visualization of Hydrodynamic Trail Following Behavior
In Calanoid Copepods, Hesperodiaptomus Arcticus and H. Shoshone
Presenter(s): Nicholas Vang
REU Site: Aquatic Chemical Ecology at Georgia Tech
Host Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Grant #: 1262962
Principal Investigator: Linda Green; Faculty Mentor: Jeannette Yen
1-18
Title: Calibration and deployment of a P-cable and a single long offset cable to create 3D seismic
imaging
Presenter(s): Tyler Hackett
REU Site: Marine Technology Mentoring and Internship Program on Oceanographic Research
Vessels
Host Institution: Monterey Peninsula College
Grant #: 1359474
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Nandita Sarkar
1-19
Title: Bioluminescent bacteria associated with coastal zooplankton in Big Fisherman’s Cove
Presenter(s): Vivianna Alejandra Sanchez
REU Site: Ocean Coastal Zone Sustainability
Host Institution: USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies
Grant #: 1263356
Principal Investigator: Karla Heidelberg; Faculty Mentor: Adriane Jones
Page | 26
NSF Division: Physics
4-27
Title: Phase Wrapping of Epicyclic Perturbations in the Wobbly Galaxy
Presenter(s): Alexander de la Vega
REU Site: Physics and Optics at Rochester
Host Institution: University of Rochester
Grant #: 1460352
Principal Investigator: Arie Bodek; Faculty Mentor: Alice Quillen
4-28
Title: Topological phases in non-Hermitian Hamiltonians
Presenter(s): Elizabeth Noelle Blose
REU Site: Applying the Tools of Physics - From the Cosmos to the Living Cell
Host Institution: University of Illinois
Grant #: 1359126
Principal Investigator: Kevin Pitts; Faculty Mentor: Prof. Taylor Hughes
4-29
Title: Testing Rapid Fabrication Tools of Surface Acoustic Wave Devices
Presenter(s): Jordan L. Eagle
REU Site: Physics Research in America's Historic Triangle
Host Institution: College of William & Mary
Grant #: 1359364
Principal Investigator: Wouter Deconinck; Faculty Mentor: Russell Wincheski
4-30
Title: Diffusion of hydrogen donors in In2O3
Presenter(s): Karla Villata
REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Physics at Lehigh University
Host Institution: Lehigh University
Grant #: 1359195
Principal Investigator: Volkmar Dierolf; Faculty Mentor: Michael Stavola
4-31
Title: Submonolayer Island Nucleation and Growth for Subdiffusive Random Walkers
Presenter(s): Mikheal Semaan
REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Physics and Astronomy at The University of
Toledo
Host Institution: University of Toledo
Grant #: 1262810
Principal Investigator: Richard E Irving; Faculty Mentor: Jacques Amar
Page | 27
NSF Division: Polar Programs
1-20
Title: Recent Changes in Subglacial Discharge Characteristics of the Kongsvegen-Kronebreen
Glacial Complex, Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Presenter(s): Dominique Aviana Seles
REU Site: Svalbard Research Experience for Undergraduates -- Modern-day Processes & Climate
Impacts on Tidewater glaciers, Kongsfjord, NY Alesund
Host Institution: University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Grant #: 1263005
Principal Investigator: Julie Brigham-Grette; Faculty Mentor: Tim Cooke
1-21
Title: Autochamber Measurements of Net Ecosystem (CO2) Exchange at a Subarctic Mire in
Northern Sweden
Presenter(s): Maeah Jame Walthall | Xavier Knicholar Parker-Smith
REU Site: Arctic and Antarctic REU
Host Institution: Elizabeth City State University
Grant #: 0944255 and 1263061
Principal Investigator: Linda Hayden; Faculty Mentor: Ryan Lawrence
NSF Division: Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
1-22
Title: Property Rights Discourse and Lake Clean-Up Efforts
Presenter(s): Eniola Afolayan
REU Site: LAKES REU
Host Institution: University of Wisconsin-Stout
Grant #: 135738
Principal Investigator/Faculty Mentor: Tina Lee
1-23
Title: The Effect of Prosodic Tune on Object Localization
Presenter(s): Jocelyne Muñoz
REU Site: The Science of Language and the Language of Science
Host Institution: The Ohio State University
Grant #: 1461039
Principal Investigator: Kathryn Campbell-Kibler; Faculty Mentor: Shari Speer
1-24
Title: Folk Taxonomies, Species Naming and Linguistic Diversity: An Ethnobiological Approach to
Micronesian Fauna
Presenter(s): Joseph P. Corcoran | K. David Harrison
REU Site: Building digital tools to support endangered languages and preserve environmental
knowledge in Mexico, Micronesia, and Navajo Nation
Host Institution: Swarthmore College
Page | 28
Grant #: 1461056
Principal Investigator: K. David Harrison
1-25
Title: Biological Rhythms in the Chambered Nautilus
Presenter(s): Lisa Caraballo
REU Site: Brooklyn College Neuroscience Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program
Host Institution: CUNY Brooklyn College
Grant #: 1156870
Principal Investigator: Laura Rabin; Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Basil
1-26
Title: Military Veteran/Non-Veteran Teams of Undergraduates Identifying Genomic Biomarkers of
PTSD in Peripheral Blood
Presenter(s): Matthew Weinert | Lauren Chilcott | Jonathan Winfield
REU Site: Training Diverse Undergraduate Teams of Veterans and Non-Veterans to Conduct
Trauma Research with Veterans
Host Institution: Syracuse University, SUNY Oswego, and SUNY Upstate Medical
Grant #: 1359358
Principal Investigator: Brooks Gump; Faculty Mentor: Stephen Glatt
1-27
Title: Using an IAT to Examine Factors Related to Suicidality in Adolescents
Presenter(s): Micaela M. Lippert
REU Site: Advancing Psychological Research with Technology
Host Institution: Western Kentucky University
Grant #: 1460942
Principal Investigator: Amber N. Schroeder; Faculty Mentor: Stephen O'Connor
1-28
Title: Bad Shades: The Negative Implications of Darker Skin Tones
Presenter(s): Natarshia Corley | Jeremy Horne
REU Site: NYU Center for Behavioral Statistics and the Study of Motivated Perception
Host Institution: New York University
Grant #: 1460626
Principal Investigator: Emily Balcetis
1-29
Title: Spatial Language Use of Middle Schoolers in Math Think-Alouds
Presenter(s): Elsa Bravo
REU Site: Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (SILC) REU Program
Host Institution: Temple University
Grant #: 1358852
Principal Investigators: Julie Booth | Nora Newcombe
Page | 29
REUS 2015 Speakers’ Biographies
alphabetical by last name
Elizabeth L. Ambos is Executive Officer for the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). CUR
(http://www.cur.org) supports and facilitates high-quality undergraduate student-faculty
collaborative research and scholarship. Over 740 institutions and 10700 individuals belong to CUR, an
international non-profit organization. Prior to becoming CUR’s Executive Officer in May 2012, Beth
Ambos served for six years as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Initiatives and Partnerships for
the 23-campus California State University system. A geophysicist by training, Beth Ambos has also
held several appointments at California State University, Long Beach, including Associate Vice
President for Research and External Support, Graduate Dean, Associate Dean, and Professor of
Geological Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences in Mathematics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in
geology from Smith College, and Master’s and PhD in marine geology and geophysics from University
of Hawaii at Mānoa.
Liljana Babinkostova is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Boise State
University. Her research efforts concern problems in topology, game theory and cryptography, ranging
from highly theoretical to the most practical of efforts, in which she routinely engages undergraduate
students. Dr. Babinkostova is one of the lead faculty members that developed an undergraduate
research program at her institution and the program chair for the Idaho Conference on Undergraduate
Research. Babinkostova is a councilor in the Mathematics Division of AAAS-PD, and in the Mathematics
and Computer Science Division of CUR. She serves as the PI for the NSF REU Site: Complexity Across
Disciplines (CAD), a program in interdisciplinary mathematics research.
Nicole Bennett is an Associate Professor at Appalachian State University and a rotating Program
Officer for the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education. She received a B.S. in Chemistry at UNCChapel Hill in 1990 followed by a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
in 1996. Her 17-year career as a teacher/scholar began in the Chemistry Department at Hope College,
a 3,000-student Liberal Arts college in Holland, MI. There, Nicole thrived in an environment where it
was the norm for teachers and students to collaborate, discover, and learn together. In 2002, she
moved to Appalachian, a primarily undergraduate institution with approximately 17,000 students,
where she established a vigorous undergraduate research program in physical organic studies of
microwave-induced synthesis of biodiesel and small molecules and she still enjoys the strong sense of
community that research collaboration imparts on students and faculty alike. Nicole has been the
principal investigator or co-principle investigator for undergraduate research projects funded through
the NSF-POWRE (2000), NSF-CCLI (2004), Merck/AAAS (2006), Pfizer Inc. (2007), NSF-STEP (2007),
NSF-S-STEM (2007), NC Space Grant (2008), NSF-REU (2010), and NSF-MRI (2012) Programs.
Susan Brennan is Program Director for NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program and Professor
of Psychology with joint appointments in Computer Science and Linguistics at Stony Brook University
in NY. She is a cognitive scientist who studies psycholinguistics, spoken dialogue, verbal and
nonverbal communication, and the human use of technology. She received a Ph.D. in psychology from
Stanford University, a Master of Science from MIT (from what is now the Media Lab), and a B.A. from
Cornell University in anthropology. She is passionate about graduate education and was once a
Graduate Research Fellow.
Karen Carter is a Program Specialist at the Office of Fellowships and Internships since May 2013. Her
focus is on outreach and recruitment for internships and fellowships, with a particular emphasis on
diversity. Prior to the Smithsonian, Karen worked for almost 20 years at George Mason University
where she taught in the School of Social Impact and Innovation (SSII), an undergraduate
Page | 30
interdisciplinary degree program, as well as in Women and Gender Studies. Karen served as the
Director of Experiential Learning in SSII, where she oversaw Mason’s Center for Field Studies and the
SSII Internship Program. She also served as the Associate Director of Mason’s Women and Gender
Studies Program. Karen holds a B.A. in Psychology, a M.A. in Liberal Studies (emphasis on Philosophy
and Museum Studies), and is A.B.D. in the Cultural Studies Ph.D. program, all from Mason.
Ruben Michael Ceballos is an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of MinnesotaMorris. He is a co-director of the Minority Institute Astrobiology Collaborative (MIAC) and the
Bioenergy Research Collaborative-Microorganisms As Renewable Energy Sources (BRC-MARES). The
Ceballos Lab studies extreme and exotic microorganisms and the potential for microbes and their
proteins to be used in biotechnology. As a PI on multiple international REU Site projects funded by the
U.S. National Science Foundation and research project funded by NASA, Dr. Ceballos has conducted
research with students and international collaborators on a variety of topics in the countries of
Norway, Mexico, India, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Malaysia. These projects span a broad range of
topics including studies of bioactive properties and anti-microbial properties of tribal-use plants and
the impacts of anthropogenic drivers on biodiversity in tribal regions. The Ceballos Lab is a highly
interdisciplinary laboratory that provides unique opportunities for students from groups that have
been historically underrepresented in the sciences.
Karla Heidelberg is an Associate Professor Teaching in the Marine Environmental Biology section of
the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. She received her Ph.D.
from the University of Maryland in Marine Science. Before joining USC, she was an AAAS Science Policy
Fellow at the US Department of State Office of Oceans Affairs followed by being appointed as the Global
Programs coordinator for the J. Craig Venter Institute, where she coordinated an around-the world
research expedition to evaluate marine microbial diversity. Her research program at USC focuses on
biodiversity and genomic underpinnings of tropical, temperate and polar marine microbial
communities. She is a recipient of the USC Steven B. Sample USC Teaching and Mentoring Award, and
in 2014 was appointed as the Director of the Environmental Studies Program. Heidelberg serves as the
PI on an NSF REU Site: Ocean Coastal Zone Sustainability through the USC Wrigley Institute for
Environmental Studies.
R. Corby Hovis is a senior program director in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources at
the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, Virginia, where he has worked since 1997. At NSF,
Dr. Hovis is the NSF-wide coordinator for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
program, the Federal government's oldest and largest grant program supporting research experiences
for students. He also coordinates the participation of community colleges in NSF's programs
supporting cybersecurity education, such as the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program,
which currently sponsors four major centers for cybersecurity education. Before coming to NSF, he
served on the faculty of Valparaiso University in Indiana and, at the same time, as science editor at
Encyclopædia Britannica in Chicago. He received his PhD from Cornell University in both astronomy
and the history and philosophy of science, and he received his BA in physics and English from Wake
Forest University. From September 2009 through August 2010, he served on special assignment from
NSF as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow in the Office of the President at The Ohio State
University.
Rebecca M. Jones, a former undergraduate researcher at The Ohio State University, earned her Ph.D.
in inorganic chemistry from the University of Cincinnati and joined the faculty of Austin Peay State
University in 2004. While earning tenure at APSU, she created of the Office of Undergraduate Research
(OUR) in 2010 and was appointed Director. She relocated to George Mason University In January 2012
to become the Assistant Director of OSCAR, where she administrates student programs such as the
Undergraduate Research Scholars Program and the Undergraduate Student Travel Fund. She serves as
Page | 31
the Secretary for the Mason chapter of Sigma Xi and is an active member of the American Chemical
Society, AAAS, and the Council on Undergraduate Research.
Rachel Levitin is the Program Manager for the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate
(NDSEG) Fellowship Program – which is administered by the American Society for Engineering
Education (ASEE) – and has worked in some capacity as a member of the NDSEG Program Team since
November 2009. Miss Levitin is a graduate of the American University (B.A. Journalism, 2009) where
she has served as a mentor to undergraduate students in the School of Communications for four years.
Joerg Schlatterer is a Program Director in the Division of Graduate Education at the National Science
Foundation. Dr. Schlatterer studied chemistry in Berlin and received his PhD in Heidelberg (Germany).
In 2004, he moved to the US and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the National High Magnetic Field
Laboratory in Florida before moving on to become a research associate and subsequently a faculty
member in biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Dr. Schlatterer
published more than 15 peer-reviewed articles and filed 4 patents and patent applications. At Einstein
Dr. Schlatterer also co-created and directed the Career & Professional Development Program for
Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Researchers. Dr. Schlatterer worked as Assistant Dean of Faculty
Professional Development at Columbia University Medical Center before joining the National Science
Foundation in summer 2015.
Valentin Soloiu is the Allen E. Paulson Distinguished Chair of Renewable Energy at Georgia Southern
University and has 30 years of experience in university teaching and research. Soloiu supervises the
Renewable Energy and Biofuel Combustion Laboratory program exploring the formulation,
combustion, and emissions of alternative fuels/biofuels. This laboratory engages 20 undergraduate
students and 4 graduate students in research. Soloiu serves as the PI on several federal grants from
the DOE, EPA, and ORNL as well as the PI on an NSF REU Site: Undergraduate Research in GreenEngineered New Transportation Technologies (URGENTT).
Charles Sullivan earned a B.A. degree in zoology from the University of Maine at Orono and graduate
degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park. After a postdoctoral fellowship in
developmental biology at the University of Virginia, Dr. Sullivan joined the Department of Biology at
Grinnell College in Iowa. During his 30 year career, he taught courses in introductory biology, cell
biology, and developmental biology and served two terms as Department Chair. Dr. Sullivan also
supervised nearly 100 independent projects ranging from guided readings to lab-based research on
the formation of sensory structures (such as the lens in the eye) in chicken and frog embryos. His
research and teaching efforts have been supported by NIH (AREA), Research Corporation, and NSF
(ILI, CCLI, MRI, and ROA). Dr. Sullivan recently completed a four-year appointment as a rotating
Program Director at the National Science Foundation. While at NSF he helped manage the Research
Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in the Biological Sciences Directorate and the
Undergraduate Biology Education track of the Research Coordination Networks program (RCN-UBE).
Page | 32
Hilton Arlington Hotel Map
Council on Undergraduate Research
734 15th St NW, Suite 550
Washington, DC 20005
www.cur.org