March 23, 2017
M
SHOWCASING
UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
IN MISSISSIPPI
1
Posters in the Rotunda 2017
March 23, 2017
A SHOWCASE OF UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP IN MISSISSIPPI
www.postersintherotundams.org
Mississippi Posters in the Rotunda
@posters_ms / #MSPosters
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Statements of Institutional Support ………………………………………….……..…….. 3
University Coordinators ………………………………………………....………….….……….. 8
Student Presenters by Legislative Districts and Institution…..……………….…. 9
Map of Poster Locations ………………………………………………….….………..……… 10
Presenter Information and Poster Abstracts………………………………….….…… 12
Acknowledgments …………………………..…………………………………….…..…..……. 50
2
EVENT SCHEDULE
7:30 – 9:30 am Posters on Display / Visits with Legislators and Public
9:30 am
Welcome Remarks
(Introductions by Dr. Gordon Cannon, VP-Research,
University of Southern Mississippi)
Gov. Phil Bryant
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves
10:00 am
Proclamation of Support – House Chamber
10:30 am
Proclamation of Support – Senate Chamber
11:00 am
Tour of Capitol
Noon
Close of Event
3
INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT
Alfred Rankins, Jr., President
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University has a great tradition of excellence and a powerful place in
history. Alcorn strives to prepare graduates to be well-rounded future leaders of
high character and to be successful in the global marketplace of the 21st century.
The Posters in the Rotunda event will offer a wonderful opportunity to celebrate
the research and creative contributions of undergraduates as they share their
work with state legislators. Sharing research ideas and findings with students
from other institutions will be an edifying experience.
We are excited and fully support this event and look forward to exposing our
students to the opportunities that the Posters in the Rotunda event offers. We
recognize the importance of research and see this as another enriching and
value-added experience for our students which benefits the greater society.
Thank you for considering Alcorn State University’s students in this event.
William N. LaForge, President
Delta State University
Delta State University is a University of Champions — in the classroom with
talented faculty who focus on student instruction and mentoring; through awardwinning degree programs in business, arts and sciences, nursing, and education;
with unique, cutting-edge programs such as commercial aviation, music/
entertainment industries, and geospatial studies; and, with a full package of
extracurricular activities and a college experience that help prepare our students
for careers in an ever-changing, global economy. We are proud of our students,
who are the livelihood of our state’s bright future, and who are making significant
contributions to the cultural, scientific, and economic vitality of our great State.
4
Rod Paige, Interim President
Jackson State University
Jackson State University is honored to participate in the “Posters in the Rotunda”
statewide university research initiative. It is our belief that early undergraduate
research empowers students to become technologically advanced, diverse,
ethical, and global leaders who think critically, address societal problems and
compete effectively.
As Interim President of Jackson State University, I would like to commend our
students for their work and commitment to the various research projects
presented. Their outstanding posters depict the global research that is taking
place at the Jackson State University.
A special thank you goes to the University of Southern Mississippi for
coordinating the activities for this event. Our students have been given a
wonderful opportunity to network with a diverse group of students from other
Mississippi universities.
Mark E. Keenum, President
Mississippi State University
Students at Mississippi State University are proving to the world every day that
they're driven to make a difference. Their energy and drive are fueling our journey
into the future. Representing every state and nearly 90 countries, they've chosen
to attend MSU not only to pursue their career aspirations but also to solve realworld problems and forge meaningful connections that will last a lifetime.
We know that an essential part of learning is leading. Thanks to Mississippi
State's top-ranked research programs, our students are on the cutting edge of
advancements in multiple fields with local, national and global impacts. This year
we're proud to be represented by four undergraduates whose research projects
are being showcased in "Posters in the Rotunda" — Ciarra Smith, Jackson Coole,
Elizabeth Roshelli and Fleshia Gillon.
From engineering, architecture and medicine to education, business and the arts,
Mississippi State is opening worlds of opportunity for students to learn, lead and
shape the future. MSU also is an economic engine for the state and a key asset
in building Mississippi’s profile as a research, technology and innovation leader.
Congratulations to Ciarra, Jackson, Elizabeth, Fleshia, and to everyone whose
hard work earned much-deserved recognition in "Posters in the Rotunda."
5
James Borsig, President
Mississippi University for Women
Congratulations to Cassidy and Tamra for having their research projects selected
for “Posters in the Rotunda.” The W values undergraduate research as a vital part
of a student’s education, and the work exhibited by these outstanding students is
representative of the potential contributions to knowledge by our students that can
improve the lives of Mississippians.
Research at The W is by its nature an extension of our personalized learning
environment. In an institution of our size, students often are directly involved in the
exploration of topics they might otherwise only read about. Working closely with
faculty mentors, they are able to hone analytical skills that will serve them well in
advanced studies or in their careers. This is especially significant at The W, where
faculty carry full teaching loads and commit the additional effort of undertaking a
specialized area of research. Their commitment benefits not only our students, but
the region and the state. They represent the academic rigor and regional
stewardship that define The W.
Constance Bland, Vice-President for Academic Affairs
Mississippi Valley State University
A college education requires the ability to think critically and to synthesize large
quantities of information from different sources. The involvement of undergraduate students in research is one of the most effective strategies for
achieving this benchmark. By allowing students to engage in research, we
provide an additional opportunity for them to further understand the information
they are learning in their classrooms. The “Posters in the Rotunda” activity
provides a venue for our students to demonstrate and validate their understanding of the scientific process and provides our faculty with evidence of their
impact on the lives of our most precious gifts. We are confident that our
legislators will be impressed with our student’s knowledge and echo our
sentiments and beliefs that our students are on a path to contribute to the state
and ultimately the nation’s advancement.
6
Jeffrey S. Vitter, Chancellor
The University of Mississippi
Nothing is more important to the future success and vitality of society than higher
education. It has a transformative power on people and their well-being, which we
see across all the campuses of the University of Mississippi in our faculty, staff,
and students. We certainly see this transformative effect in the students participating in “Posters in the Rotunda.” I congratulate UM students Jarett Bell, Nate
Greene, Heather Poole, and Sarah Sutton — they are stellar representatives of the
scholarly, research, and creative endeavors emanating from UM.
As we all know, it is the students who form the heartbeat of any university. For the
24,250 students who attend the University of Mississippi, we are proud to assert
our “student-first” mentality by inspiring and challenging our students. They will
play a critical role in leading this flagship institution and our state to ever greater
heights of excellence and national visibility.
Along with more than 100 programs of study offering superior academic
experiences, UM will build on the momentum of our Carnegie R1 “highest research
activity” designation. We will make our great university even greater, providing
each graduate with the background necessary for a lifetime of scholastic, social
and professional growth, and serving as a magnet to continue drawing the best
and the brightest like Jarett, Nate, Heather, and Sarah.
7
Rodney D. Bennett, President
The University of Southern Mississippi
I am proud of the ways that The University of Southern Mississippi has helped our
undergraduate students pursue independent research to address real-world
issues that affect our communities. I hope you will enjoy your time learning about
current undergraduate research across the state as our students showcase their
work at this “Posters in the Rotunda” event.
The continuous pursuit and creation of knowledge forms a strong foundation for
robust research and creative endeavors. Discoveries in a variety of academic
disciplines lead to the development of innovative products and solutions that
improve the quality of life in our state, our country, and beyond. Undergraduate
research also promotes a more educated workforce as participants develop
career goals associated with their research and advance to specialized graduate
study.
Students who generate their own research projects at the undergraduate level
gain first-hand experience in identifying topics that merit investigation, designing
and executing detailed research plans, applying for grant funding, and communicating their findings both in writing and via conference-style presentations.
These experiences strengthen their work ethic and time management skills.
Participating students are also better prepared for rigorous graduate school
courses and have a higher level of confidence in their ability to succeed in
master’s, specialist’s, and doctoral programs.
Thank you for your support of undergraduate research and higher education –
past, present, and future. I look forward to witnessing the impact of our students’
projects in the years to come.
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UNIVERSITY COORDINATORS FOR POSTERS IN THE ROTUNDA
Alcorn State University
Dr. Thomas C. Sturgis
Director, Pre-Professional and Honors Curriculums Programs
[email protected] | 601-877-6197
Dr. Wandra Arrington
Assistant Director, Pre-Professional and Honors Curriculums Programs
[email protected] | 601- 877-6138
Delta State University
Mr. Jeff Slagell
Dean, Library Services
[email protected] | 662-846-4441
Jackson State University
Mrs. Edna Caston
Director, Center for Undergraduate Research
[email protected] | 601-979-0839
Mississippi State University
Dr. Seth Oppenheimer
Director of Undergraduate Research, Shackouls Honors College
[email protected] | 662-846-4441
Mississippi University for Women
Dr. Brian Anderson
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
[email protected] | 662-329-7386
Mississippi Valley State University
Dr. Constance Bland
Vice-President for Academic Affairs
[email protected] | 662-254-9041
The University of Mississippi
Mr. Jason Hale
Director of Research Development, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
[email protected] | 662-915-7482
The University of Southern Mississippi
Dr. Marie Danforth
Chair, Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research Steering Committee
[email protected] | 601-266-5629
9
POSTER
10
LOCATIONS
11
STUDENT PRESENTERS
BY MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS AND INSTITUTION
District
Senate / House
36
85
24
24/32
46
122
28
67/69/70
36
85
40
108
34
88
17
39
28
67/69/70
7
20
49
118
17
36
13
31
45
111
60
115
41
103
26
64
28
67/69/70
28
67/69/70
28
67/69/70
28
67/69/70
24
32/34
12
29
28
67/69/70
9
5/8/10/12/13/23
36
85
52
102
15/16
37/38
22
28
16
38
28
67/69/70
28
67/69/70
45
87
9
5/8/10/12/13/23
36
85
13
28
14
46
12
Student Presenter
Afua A. Antwi-Boasiako
Kayla Bailey
Jarett Bell
Haley Bender
Cherish Burrell
Jackson Coole
Erin Crater
Cassidy DeGreen
Menelik Gatachew
Fleshia Gillon
Nathaniel Greene
Tamra Harrison
Kristina Hong
John Hood
Brittany Hulsey
Dana Shondrika Jones
Tembra Jones
Rebekah Lee
Jasmine Liddell
Nahu Merawi
Kenzye Murden
Victor Opurum
Kiersten Page
Patricia Perry
Heather Poole
Jenedria Price
Maya Rex
Elizabeth Roshelli
Jermarlius Rushing
Ciarra Smith
Ernest Smith
Centurie Stewart
Britton Strickland
Sarah Sutton
Ariel Walker
William Weeks
Egypt Williams
Institution
Alcorn State University
Mississippi Valley State University
University of Mississippi
Jackson State University
Alcorn State University
Mississippi State University
University of Southern Mississippi
Mississippi U for Women
Jackson State University
Mississippi State University
University of Mississippi
Mississippi University for Women
Delta State University
University of Southern Mississippi
Delta State University
INBRE/William Carey University
INBRE/Tougaloo College
Jackson State University
Jackson State University
Jackson State University
Jackson State University
Mississippi Valley State University
Delta State University
Jackson State University
University of Mississippi
Alcorn State University
University of Southern Mississippi
Mississippi State University
Mississippi Valley State University
Mississippi State University
Jackson State University
Jackson State University
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Mississippi
Alcorn State University
Delta State University
Mississippi Valley State University
Poster
Number
16
8
11
1
10
13
24
4
18
6
22
19
2
9
20
5
21
1
1
18
1
14
7
18
17
23
30
29
27
12
1
1
15
3
28
26
25
Afua A. Antwi-Boasiako
Alcorn State University
Selective Sensing of Breast Cancer Cell Using
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Lorman, MS
Senate District 36
House District 85
Afua A. Antwi-Boasiako is a
President’s Scholar at Alcorn State
University, and has been named
Freshman of the Year. After
graduation in May 2017, she plans
to attend medical school and
eventually specialize in the field of
Pediatrics, possibly becoming an
oncology pediatrician.
“The American Cancer Society
estimates that 16,680 new cases
of cancer will be diagnosed in
Mississippi in 2016, including
1,530 new cases of colorectal
cancer and 2,330 new cases of
breast cancer in women. Breast
cancer can be diagnosed through
multiple tests, including a
mammogram, ultrasound, MRI
and biopsy.”
-- Afua A. Antwi-Boasiako
In this work, we demonstrate the use of bioconjugated 2D
graphene oxide (bio-GO) nanostructure to probe breast cancer
cell (SKBR3) with excellent discrimination over other types of
circulating tumor cells. We have distinctly observed that bioconjugation of GO surface drives 2D nanostructure to the
target and bind SKBR3 cell selectively. Longer incubation of
SKBR3 cell with bio-GO causes SERS signal “turn off” when
excited with 532 nm laser. Our experimental data with the
HaCaT healthy cell line, as well as with LNCaP prostate cancer
cell line, clearly demonstrated that this surface enhanced
Raman spectroscopy (SERS) assay is highly selective to SKBR3.
Our experiment indicates that this bioassay is quite efficient
and it can be 2 orders of magnitude more sensitive than the
usual colorimetric methods. Using this technique, we can
detect up to ~60 cell/mL SKBR3 cell in-vitro with excellent
specificity and sensitivity. The experimental results open up a
possibility of new label free SERS assay, for reliable diagnosis
of cancer cell lines by monitoring “turn-off” of the SERS signal
from Bio-GO nanostructure.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Biochemistry
Dr. Anant K. Singh
Chemistry and Physics
13
Kayla Bailey
Mississippi Valley State University
Interaction of Biodegradable Nanoparticles with
Bovine Serum Sibumin
University Park, IL
Senate District 24
House Districts 24/32
Kayla Bailey has consecutively
been a Presidential Scholar at
MVSU, earning a 4.0 gpa. She was
also the Outstanding Chemistry
Scholar and recently presented
her research at the Mississippi
Academy of Sciences meeting.
During summer 2016, Kayla was
part of the Department of
Homeland Security’s team
research program for minorityserving institutions. This summer
she will participate in research at
Boston University.
“Nanomaterials are products of
recent technology with tremendous potential applications, such
as targeted drug delivery. In this
project, an effort was made to
understand the molecular level
interaction of biodegradable NPS
with protein. This work will
allow our university as well as
the state to participate in this
cutting-edge research.”
14
-- Kayla Bailey
Biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) such as Poly (D, Llactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) are attracting a great deal of
research interest due to their potential to deliver therapeutic
molecules such as vaccines, drugs, and genes to target cells.
The use of biodegradable NPs in drug delivery systems arises
from their unique and various properties, including biocompatibility, versatility, and better drug stability. Several studies
for particle uptake by target cells have demonstrated that
properties of NPs such as shape, surface modification, and
particle size significantly affect the intracellular uptake as well
as their interaction with various proteins. Upon their entry into
the biological system, they encounter with various serum
proteins. Their efficacy in drug delivery depends on these
interactions therefore; understanding the binding interactions
between protein and biodegradable NPs is critical. Investigating
their interaction with the biological system helps us determine
appropriate surface modifications, size and shape. We have
used fluorescent marked Bovine serum albumin, (BSA-FITC) as a
model protein to investigate its binding to unmodified PLGA.
Various concentrations of unmodified PLGA nanoparticles were
incubated with a constant concentration of BSA-FITC; then a
fluorescence plate reader was used to determine the emission
intensity for each of the nanoparticle-protein samples. Our
results show a decrease in fluorescence emission as the
concentrations of nanoparticles increased, indicating strong
binding of BSA to the surface of PLGA-NP. Study done using
Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) also show an increase in size of
the PLGA as the proportion of BSA and PLGA increased
indicating protein corona formation.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Chemistry
Dr. Matthewos Eshete
NSEH – Chemistry
U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
Summer Research FacultyStudent Team Program for
Minority-Serving Institutions
Jarett Bell
University of Mississippi
Evaluating the Land Use Land Cover Change in
the Coastal Watersheds of Mississippi
Waveland, MS
Senate District 46
House District 122
Jarett Bell will graduate in May
2017 with a B.S. in Geological
Engineering, with plans to attend
graduate school and further his
education in the use of remote
sensing for coastal and land cover
applications.
“Data will be used to develop a
Decision Support System to
integrate geospatial data characterizing the drainage networks,
satellite observed LULC and
water quality estimation, and the
EPA's coupled watershed and
water quality model Better
Assessment Science Integrating
point & Non-point Sources
(BASIN), which has been
developed/tested by the EPA.”
-- Jarett Bell
A decision support system (DSS) is being developed to evaluate the impacts of upland land use and land cover (LULC)
change on coastal water quality in three counties (Hancock,
Harrison, and Jackson) in the Mississippi Sound areas using
remote sensing based LULC and water quality data. The DSS
will provide analytical tools to help select the most suitable
areas for restoration and sites for monitoring the progress of
the coastal restoration process in Mississippi. The watersheds
of interest are the Bay St. Louis, Biloxi Bay, and the Tchoutacabouffa. The years of interest for the remote sensing based
LULC is 1984 – 2017. The remotely sensing based water quality
parameter estimation will be calibrated and evaluated using
the in situ measurements of water quality parameters
measured by the Mississippi Department of Water Quality
(MDEQ) and Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
(MDMR). The poster presented here shows the LULC
determined from the USGS NLCD datasets for the study site.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Geological Engineering
Dr. Greg Easson
Geology and Geological Engineering
AmericaView and U.S. Geological
Survey
15
Haley Bender
Jackson State University
Spring Break Kick-Off: STD/HIV Education and
Sexual Health Kits Dissemination Initiative
Jackson, MS
Senate District 28
House Districts 67/69/70
Haley Bender is a junior Healthcare
Administration student, and is a
part of the HCA Cares Initiative.
After graduating from Jackson
State, she will either attend
Mississippi College to acquire a
certification in Health Informatics
or will return to JSU to pursue a
Master’s of Public Health.
“This initiative is designed to
increase knowledge about the
prevalence of STD and HIV
trans-mission in the state of
Mississippi and provide information on prevention strategies.”
-- Haley Bender
16
Background: In 2016, Jackson Mississippi ranked 4th in the
nation for HIV/AIDS prevalence. According to the Mississippi
State Department of Health (MSDH), African Americans (AA)
accounted for 37% of the state’s population, yet AA comprised
72.8% of people living with HIV (MSDH, 2011). According to
surveys by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
about one third of young adults experiment with risky
behaviors, including sex, during their first semester of college.
Objective: The objective of this project is to increase knowledge about STD and HIV transmission, decrease risky
behaviors and to increase sexual health (condom use) of
students attending Jackson State University.
Methods: The initiative was a three day event beginning on
Wednesday and ending on Friday in the JSU Student Center
from 11am until 1pm. Each table consisted of the sign-in
sheets, STD/HIV fact sheets, a bowl filled with candies and
sexual health kits.
Results: A total of 379 sexual health kits and STD/HIV facts
sheets were distributed to students attending Jackson State
University and the initiative reached a small portion of the
community.
Conclusion: The HCA Cares Initiative event was a great success.
Since the spring break holiday was the week after this event, it
was very important that students received the STD/HIV fact
sheet and sexual health kit prior to leaving for the holiday day
break. The intended outcome of the Initiative was to educate
students on STD and HIV transmission and the importance of
using condoms each time he or she engage in any sexual
activity.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Healthcare Administration
Dr. Shemeka Hamlin-Palmer
Healthcare Administration
Title III
Cherish Burrell
Alcorn State University
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials
(NORM) in Sediments from Lower Stretches of
the Mississippi River
Hermanvile, MS
Senate District 36
House District 85
Cherish Burrell is a junior and an
Entergy scholarship recipient for the
years 2015-16 and 2016-17. She is
planning to intern at the Los Alamos
National Laboratory in summer
2017. Cherish intends to graduate in
May 2018 and pursue graduate
education in Health Physics. She
plans to be a Health Physicist and
work for a private nuclear facility or
a National Laboratory.
“Due to the increased usage of
fertilizers in the farming industry,
isotopes such as Radium,
Potassium and Thorium are significantly accumulated in rivers
and big waterbodies. This study
assesses isotopic concentration of
key radioisotopes of concern that
have accumulated in the lower
Mississippi River sheds.”
-- Cherish Burrell
Human activities such as farming, fertilizers processing units,
and other industrial activities tend to elevate NORM levels in
soils and water bodies. Even though the released radioactivities are minimal, releases over longer period time tend
to elevate these activities to significant levels and may pose
health hazards to living organisms. In this context, a study on
NORM levels in 70 sediment cores collected from Mississippi
River (from three different regions – Vicksburg, Port Gibson
in Mississippi and Vidalia, Louisiana) was performed using
gamma spectroscopic analyses. The obtained results
indicated the presence of significant quantities of NORM
isotopes, with mean activities of 26, 17.5, and 506 Bq kg-1
for Ra-226/U-238, Th-232, and K-40 respectively. For a better
assessment of the measured radioactive isotopes in
sediment considered In this study, a comparison of key
isotopic concentrations with the documented NORM levels
in the continental US indicated that the levels in lower
Mississippi shed is significantly higher. Based on this study, it
is strongly recommended that the regulating authorities
provide some endorsements to the farming industry so that
the increasing NORM levels in rivers and water bodies can be
reduced as these isotopes tend to be active in the
environment for a significant period of time.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Health Physics
Dr. Jermiah K. Billa
Advanced Technologies
17
Jackson Coole
Mississippi State University
Persistent Organic Pollutants Increase Rage
Signaling and Oxidative Stress in Diabetic Hearts
Picayune, MS
Senate District 40
House District 108
Jackson Coole has participated in
two undergraduate summer
research experiences at UMMC in
Jackson and Baylor College of
Medicine. He has also performed
research at MSU for the past two
years. Currently Jackson is the vicepresident of Theta Tau Professional
Engineering Fraternity at MSU. He
plans on going to graduate school
to specialize in computational
modeling of biological systems in
order to better understand the
mechanisms of diseased states.
“The goal of our research is to
better understand how persistent
organic pollutants promote
diabetes in agricultural areas
such as the Mississippi Delta.
We hope to offer an approach in
finding a solution to alleviate the
negative symptoms of these
pollutants in the diabetic
system.”
-- Jackson Coole
18
Consuming environmental contaminants with a high,
saturated fatty diet has been demonstrated to promote
precursors for metabolic syndrome (hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hypertriglyceridemia). The purpose of this
study was to determine if exposure to the most prevalent
environmental persistent organic pollutants (POPs) would act
as causative agents to promote metabolic syndrome
independent of dietary intake. We hypothesized that
AGE/RAGE signaling cascade will activate downstream
signaling modulators to promote cardiovascular remodeling
and oxidative stress in the heart. At 5 weeks of age
nondiabetic (Wt) and diabetic (ob/ob) mice were exposed to
sham or POPs mixtures through oral gavage twice a week for
6-weeks. At the end of 6-weeks, animals were sacrificed and
the hearts were taken for biochemical analysis. Increased
activation of the AGE/RAGE signaling cascade resulted in
elevated levels of downstream markers for fibroblast
differentiation, RAGE, and oxidative stress. POPs treatment
increased protein levels of AGE/RAGE signaling outcomes in
the diabetic animals. Conversely, ob/ob-POPs groups had
decreased superoxide dismutase-1 and -2 (SOD-1 and SOD-2)
expression than other groups. Reduction in SOD-1 and SOD-2
protein expression could exacerbate the adverse changes
occurring as a result of POPs treatment, whereas in nondiabetic, cardioprotective mechanisms are primed (increased
SOD-1 and -2 protein levels) to offset oxidative and
inflammatory stressors allowing for POPs treatment to have
less of an impact on the heart.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Biomedical Engineering
Dr. James A. Stewart, Jr.
Biological Sciences
National Institute of Health
U.S. Department of Defense
Erin Crater
University of Southern Mississippi
Photon Upconversion via Triplet-triplet Annihilation in Diphenylanthracene Based Copolymers
Laurel, MS
Senate District 34
House District 88
Erin Crater currently is a
Presidential Scholar and a member
of the Honors College. She will
appear as a co-author in a peerreviewed journal this year. Erin also
is a member of Women in Science
and Engineering (WISE) and the
Polymer Science Association. Her
future plans include to continue
studying polymer science and to
attend law school to study
intellectual property law.
“My research could potentially
expand solar cell technology,
specifically in Mississippi, a
leader in solar cell manufacturing.
Research in this area supports
economic growth through its
ability to optimize pre-existing
photovoltaics. My hope for this
research area is that it will help
bring renewable energy to more
homes and businesses.”
-- Erin Crater
My research project aims to increase solar cell efficiencies by
expanding the range of light they can harvest. Current solar
technologies can only utilize high energy light, or photons,
from the sun while the low energy photons are wasted. My
work utilizes a process known as upconversion (UC) that
takes low energy light and converts it to higher energy light.
While there are many forms of upconversion, my research is
based on triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA), the only method by
which low power, non-coherent light sources can be utilized
(i.e. sunlight). Recent efforts have pushed to achieve this
process in solid state materials for their mechanical properties and application in devices; however, limited molecular
mobility and solubility of the chromophores are challenges
that arise in implementing this in solid materials. My research
aims to overcome these challenges by developing syntheses
and materials processing methods to realize solid materials
capable of TTA-UC. I hypothesized that covalently attaching
chromophores to a polystyrene polymer chain would
mitigate these determents for achieving TTA UC in solid
materials. My work will lead to solid materials that can be
incorporated into preexisting photovoltaic devices to
improve our ability to harvest energy from the sun. Because
of its unique process, TTA UC has other emerging applications
in bioimaging and water detoxification.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Polymer Science
Dr. Joseph Lott
School of Polymer Science and
High Performance Materials
National Science Foundation
19
Cassidy DeGreen
Mississippi University for Women
Comprehensiveness of Sex-Trafficking Survivor
Recovery Assistance Programs in the U.S.
Birmingham, AL
Senate District 17
House District 39
Cassidy DeGreen is graduating with
highest honors this May. She has
presented her research in multiple
venues, including the 2017
Mississippi State Honors Research
Conference where she was
awarded first place in humanities.
She will intern with A21 Campaign,
an anti-trafficking organization, this
fall before serving at non-profits
that restore sex-trafficking
survivors. Cassidy will seek a
Master’s degree in social work and
eventually direct an anti-trafficking
organization.
“This research highlights a need
for government officials to
actively support organizations to
end this societal injustice and
health issue. This partnership
will assist in the rescue and
restoration of survivors and
prevention of trafficking
(re)occurrences.”
-- Cassidy DeGreen
20
Sex-trafficking survivor recovery assistance programs
throughout the US were examined for the inclusion of critical
components in order to assess their potential to help survivors
achieve full recovery. Previous researchers have frequently
concluded that specific characteristics of and services
provided by programs are essential in fostering survivor
rehabilitation and reintegration. These components were
compiled in a program comprehensiveness survey to test for
the inclusion of each in survivor recovery programs.
Respondents were staff members from 29 sex-trafficking
survivor recovery programs based in the US. Most programs
were found to be high or extremely high in comprehensiveness while few were moderate or low; only 10% of
participating programs included all 34 critical components
tested for. In the future, programs need further expansion and
development to include all evidence-based components and
reach their fullest potential to foster survivor recovery.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Multidisciplinary Studies
Dr. Brian Anderson
History, Political Science, and
Geography
Menelik Getachew
Jackson State University
Using GITLAB in Computer Science Programming
Courses
Teamwork is crucial in the development of new software or
the maintenance of old systems. This project has built an inhouse version control system using only open source products
to provide students with the platform to experience
collaborative development.
Jackson, MS
Senate District 28
House Districts 67/69/70
Menelik Getachew is a sophomore
computer science student currently
engaged in research on GitLab and
how to use open source software in
software engineering classes. He is
also the webmaster for the
computer science department. His
career aspiration is to be a software
engineer and work on web and
mobile applications.
“This project will train computer
science and computer
engineering graduates on
software development in a team
environment similar to the real
world environment.”
-- Menelik Getachew
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Computer Science
Dr. Ali Abu El Humos
Computer Science
Title III
21
Fleshia Gillon
Mississippi State University
Sweet Potato Leather
Amory, MS
Senate District 7
House District 20
Fleshia Gillon would like to pursue
a career in women's luxury design
after graduation. Her future plans
include starting her own fashion
label and ultimately being
recognized at the CFDA Awards
(Council of Fashion Designers of
America).
“This extension service is for
students to engage in relevant
research but while engaging in
that research, we are helping the
sweet potato farmers of Vardaman, MS, come up with different
ideas to help cut down on their
waste of culled sweet potatoes.”
-- Fleshia Gillon
22
Technology we know is a forerunner of fashion. Just by
stepping into a clothing store your whole style is created for
you through technical concepts. We live in a world where
technology meets fashion, but what happens when science
and fashion collide? Creativity is all around us and in learning
and exploring creativity in the design process to come up
with different ways to solve problems provided the
foundation for this project.
The purpose of this project was to use culled sweet potatoes
and make a functional alternative end-use product. Using an
innovative vegetable leather recipe, we converted the
process to make a synthetic leather from sweet potato
sucrose. In collaboration with Dr. Todd French, chemical
engineering professor, we utilized chemical engineering labs
and our ingredients to create our sweet potato leather.
In order to grow this fabric, we needed 200 milliliters of
organic cider vinegar, 200 grams of granulated sugar/sucrose,
one live kombucha culture, and 2 green tea bags. In this
process, researchers boiled two liters of water, and steeped
the tea for 15 minutes. After stirring in the sugar until it is
dissolved, the vinegar and culture were added once the tea
had cooled to 86 degrees and covered.
We modified the original method to switch out the 200 grams
of sugar for extracted sweet potato sucrose with the help of
Jason Ward and Stephen Meyers of the Agricultural and
Biological Engineering department. Results indicate a
successful modification and ingredient substitution from the
original recipe, with similar quality and durability.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Fashion Design & Merchandising
Dr. Charles Freeman
Human Science
Nathaniel Greene
University of Mississippi
Giving Wings But Keeping Them Clipped: The
Relationship Between Overprotective
Parenting and Student Psychological WellBeing During the Transition to College
Gulfport, MS
Senate District 49
House District 118
Nathaniel Greene has had the
honor of participating in the Ronald
E. McNair Summer Research
program and is a McNair Scholar.
He will be graduating Magna Cum
Laude in May and will then pursue
a PhD in Cognition and
Neuroscience at the University of
Missouri.
“Retention rates in Mississippi
colleges are the 36th highest in
the United States, with 49.8% of
all students graduating in 6 years.
These findings may demonstrate
some factors that undermine
college student retention. Students with reduced psychological
well-being may be more prone to
academic problems in college.”
--Nathaniel Greene
Helicopter parenting, marked by excessive involvement and
control in the child's life, is related to several negative
outcomes in college students' psychological well-being.
Students' needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness - which predict overall well-being - are undermined
when their parents hover in their lives. Additionally, helicopter parenting relates to depression and anxiety in college
students. Whether helicopter parenting may affect students
already predisposed to reduced psychological well-being
remains to be determined. The present study examined how
helicopter parenting relates to several psychological
outcomes in two diverse groups of students: first-generation
students, who experience more challenges in college, and
continuing-generation students. Data from 355 incoming
college freshmen (210 females; 72.4% Caucasian, 19.4%
first-generation) was collected during orientation sessions.
Results indicate that helicopter parenting negatively relates
to students' needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Moreover, helicopter parenting positive predicts
feelings of achievement guilt and student worry about the
transition to college. However, there were no differences in
these outcomes between first- and continuing-generation
students. These findings extend the literature on helicopter
parenting to show that it begins to take a toll on students
even before they have started college. Additionally, they
demonstrate that helicopter parenting affects students of
diverse backgrounds, namely first-generation students and
their peers, in very similar ways.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Psychology
Dr. Carrie Smith
Psychology
U.S. Dept. of Education
23
Tamra Harrison
Mississippi University for Women
Children’s Guide to Columbus
Columbus, MS
Senate District 17
House District 36
Tamra Harrison made the decision
to return to school after spending
many years working in medical
billing and pursue her lifelong
passion to work with children.
During her time at MUW, she has
made the President’s List three
semesters and is a member of the
National Society for Leadership and
Success. After graduation in the
spring, Tamra hopes to become an
Elementary Education teacher in
the Columbus area.
“Participants in this collaborative
project shared their product with
the Columbus/Lowndes tourism
bureau to encourage greater and
more sustainable tourism in the
local area. Local K5 students
and MUW teacher candidates
worked in a partnership to
promote the community’s rich
history and culture.”
-- Tamra Harrison
24
This project was conducted through a partnership of The
W’s pre-service teacher candidates and the ColumbusLowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau. The goal was
the development of next-generation leaders’ knowledge
of the rich heritage of Columbus. Both pre-service
teachers and K5 students researched the cultural heritage
of Columbus and developed a way to share the
information with current residents and tourists from a
child’s perspective. Research topics included, but were
not limited to, Columbus’ architecture, music, food,
celebrations, and history. The MUW students developed
and presented lessons on the research topics to K5
students from partner schools. The K5 students then
investigated the rich heritage of Columbus in each of
these areas on their own. Both the MUW candidates and
K5 students worked with representatives from the
Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau to
develop a method for sharing their research and
knowledge with residents and visitors of Columbus.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Elementary Education
Dr. Monica Riley
Education
Appalachian Teaching Project
Kristina Hong
Delta State University
Game-Based Student Response Systems
and Academic Performance
Indianola, MS
Senate District 13
House District 31
Kristina Hong is a member of four
honor societies and winner of the
2016 Business Programming
Competition, the CIS Faculty
Award, Outstanding CIS Junior
Award, and Top College of Business
Undergraduate Scholar Award. She
is active in the local branch of the
Association of Information
Technology Professionals.
Kristina’s future plans include
completing a second internship at
International Paper headquarters in
Memphis, TN, this summer and
graduating in Spring 2018.
“This research will show state
educators the effects of using
GSRS in the classroom. The
results will help teachers both
familiar with and new to GSRS
decide if these systems will be
effective for their students and
aid their learning.”
-- Kristina Hong
This research examines the relationship between game-based
student response systems (GSRS) and college student
academic performance. GSRS, such as Kahoot!, are emerging
in classrooms as a “fun” way to review course material and
test student understanding. Its increasing usage begs the
question of its effectiveness for students. Few studies exist on
the impact of GSRS on academic performance. Therefore, this
research tests that impact based on goal-orientation theory
and engagement theory. The research model behind this
study outlines the relationship between GSRS and academic
performance with learning goal-orientation, performance
goal-orientation, and engagement acting as mediators. To
test this model, we will survey Delta State students in March
2017. We expect to see positive relationships between GSRS,
mediators, and academic performance. This research will give
empirical results needed to see how much GSRS helps
students.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Computer Information Systems
Dr. Don Kim
Computer Information Systems
Dulce Fund 2017
25
John Hood
University of Southern Mississippi
Diastereoselective Synthesis of 2,4,6-Trisubstituted Piperidines via aza-Prins Cyclization
Mandeville, LA
Senate District 45
House District 111
John Hood was a Drapeau Summer
Research Scholar and received an
Eagle Wings Travel Award to
present at the American Chemical
Society meetings in San Francisco.
John was selected to submit to the
2017 Goldwater Scholarship and
was awarded a summer Pediatric
Oncology Experience at St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital. His
future educational goals are to
apply to M.D.-Ph.D. programs with
the intention of becoming a clinical
research doctor in orthopedics.
“Every expenditure to produce a
prescription pharmaceutical
drug has an exponential cost for
governments in suppling that
product to its tax payers. This is
evident in that 24.9% of
Mississippi’s budget is utilized
to provide health care to its
taxpayers: a 5.6-billion-dollar
annual expenditure.”
-- John Hood
26
The research and development of new pharmaceutical drugs is
a lengthy and costly process that on average costs $2.6 billion
per new drug approved. The multi-year R&D endeavor is then
followed by several more years of clinical research before
submission to the Food and Drug Administration. Ultimately
this cost is distributed amongst the consumers so that
pharmaceutical industries can continue to bring new
compounds to the market.
My research is focused on the asymmetric synthesis of novel
six membered ring nitrogen heterocycles known as piperidines
since 60% of new FDA approved drugs contain nitrogen. The
piperidine scaffold is a privileged motif found in the many
common therapeutic areas such as cardiology, endocrinology,
immunology, infectious diseases, neurology and psychiatry. As
viral and bacterial diseases mutate over time, existing
prescription drugs are rendered less effective. There is a
continual need to develop newer, more efficient chemical
methods to synthesize new small molecule prescription drugs.
It is important to note that the piperidine structure is also
utilized in a variety of other economically important industries
such as agriculture and petroleum. While there are established
strategies to produce such substituted piperidines, the
objective of my current research is to investigate a new fourstep method to generate 2,4,6 tri-substituted piperidine rings
with control of the stereogenic carbons positions 2, 4 and 6
and minimization of chemical waste by-products.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Chemistry (Biochemistry emphasis)
Dr. Matthew Donahue
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Brittany Husley
Delta State University
Paleocommunity of Rancholabrean Age Megafauna
Found Along Lower Mississippi Delta Gravel Bars
Biloxi, MS
Senate District 60
House District 115
Brittany Hulsey is a member of
Beta Beta Beta. She attended and
presented posters at Society of
Vertebrate Paleontology and
Mississippi Academy of Sciences.
Brittany will graduate in December
2017 and is interested in pursuing
her master’s degree studying
Herpetofauna.
“By recording and identifying
ice age fossils found along the
gravel bars of the Mississippi
river, it gives us an understanding of the megafauna that lived
and thrived in this area during
the Rancholabrean age.
Identifying the megafauna also
gives us a historical glimpse at
the ecosystem of this area.”
-- Brittany Hulsey
The Rancholabrean age (240,000 to 11,000 y BP) of the Late
Pleistocene is characterized by large vertebrate animals
including Mammut americanum (American mastodon), Bison
spp. (bison), Megalonyx jeffersonii (Jefferson’s ground sloth),
Arctodus simus (short-faced bear), and others that lived in
pine-hardwood forests and grasslands during that time.
Disarticu-lated cranial and post-cranial elements of vertebrate
fauna are frequently found on floodplain and gravel bar
deposits throughout the Mississippi River Delta, especially after
the floodwaters retreat in the late spring. One collection
known as the Looper Collection, catalogued in early to mid1990s, consists of 550 cranial and post-cranial elements. The
fossils in this unpublished collection were recovered from
Mississippi River gravel bars that spanned 142 river miles
(499.7 – 641) and 19 counties within three states (Arkansas,
Louisiana, and Mississippi) from Coahoma County, Mississippi
in the north to East Carroll Parish, Louisiana in the south.
Mammals assigned to 8 different orders are represented, as
well as bone fragments of Aves (birds), dorsal fin spines of
Pylodictis olivaris (flathead catfish), and shell fragments of
various Testudines (turtles). This collection contains remains of
several species that have not been previously reported from
the Mississippi Delta: Canis dirus (dire wolf), Mammuthus
columbi (Columbian mammoth), Tapirus veroensis (Florida
tapir), and Paleolama mirifica (stout-legged llama). Other
species contained in this collection appear to represent first
time occurrences within the southeastern U.S. Trichechus
manatus (manatee), Ictiobus bubalus (small mouth buffalo),
Castor canadensis (modern beaver), Tapirus haysii (giant tapir),
and Ursus americanus (American black bear).
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Wildlife Conservation
Dr. Nina L. Baghai-Riding
Biological Sciences
27
Dana Shondrika Jones
MS INBRE / William Carey University
Activity of Plant-Derived Antimicrobials Against
Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens
Hattiesburg, MS
Senate District 41
House District 103
Dana Jones belongs to Phi Theta
Kappa honor society and Mu Alpha
Theta math honor society. She also
is a NASA scholarship recipient and
was elected to Who's Who Among
American Universities and Colleges.
Dana has been on the Dean’s List
consecutively with a GPA of 3.94.
She received 2nd place for an oral
presentation and 3rd for a poster
presentation at the 2017 Mississippi
Academy of Sciences meetings.
“Bacteria are ubiquitous and may
cause infections in many immunecompromised patients, elderly,
children, and pregnant women in
Mississippi. Hence, exploring
new antimicrobial drugs are of
urgent concern to decrease the
trending epidemic of mortality
related to antibiotic resistant infections, and increase knowledge
concerning preventative care.”
- Dana Shondrika Jones
28
Each year in the United States over 2 million people become
ill and 23,000 people die as a result of infections caused by
antibiotic-resistant pathogens. These infections are a major
health concern because bacteria constantly evolve new
mechanisms to resist antibiotics, thus making the number of
effective drugs rapidly decline. Hence, there is a need for
novel therapeutic measures against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Plant-derived antimicrobial compounds have emerged
as a promising alternative to medical antibiotics but detailed
knowledge about their mode of action against antibioticresistant pathogens is lacking. In this study, we screened
plant-derived antimicrobials vanillin, carvacrol, and thymol,
as well as butyl paraben, chlorobenzaldehyde, and methoxybenzaldehyde for the ability to antagonize different strains of
Staphylococcus, Burkholderia, Escherichia, Mycobacterium,
and Pseudomonas. We used an overlay assay to determine
the activity of individual compounds and broth microdilution
method to define their Minimal Inhibitory Concentration
(MIC). Our results revealed that each compound inhibited at
least six pathogens, and the MIC assay showed that carvacrol
and vanillin were the most active compounds, as they
inhibited 100% of all tested pathogens at low concentrations.
We are currently working on determining the synergistic
effect of different compounds to increase their efficacy. We
also plan to incorporate the most active compounds into
polymer nanoparticles to improve their stability and
sustained delivery.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Biological Sciences
Dr. Dimitri Mavrodi
Biological Sciences (USM)
NIH-NIGMS/Mississippi INBRE
Tembra Jones
MS INBRE / Tougaloo College
Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Reduces
Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Brain Injury and
Improves Neurobehavioral Performance in
Neonatal Rats
Jackson, MS
Senate District 26
House District 64
Tembra Jones is a Presidential
Scholar, Howard Hughes Medical
Institute Scholar, and Jackson Heart
Study Scholar. She earned 1st place
in the Mississippi Academy of
Science Health Science Division,
and the Millsaps/HHMI Undergraduate Scholars Symposium, and 3rd
place at the Kincheloe Research
Symposium. Tembra was a Student
Travel Awardee for the Annual
Biomedical Research Conference
for Minority Students. She plans on
becoming a neonatal nurse
practitioner.
“The research conducted focuses
on preterm birth, which accounts
for 12-13% of total births in
Mississippi (the highest in the
United States). Preterm birth is
classified as a baby born before
37 weeks of gestation and has
been known to result in cognitive
and behavioral deficits.”
-- Tembra Jones
Inflammation plays an important role in brain injury in
neonatal human and animal models. Our previous study
indicated that neonatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure
resulted in brain inflammation, as indicated by sustained
activation of microglia and elevation of interleukin-1beta
levels in the brain. The objective of our current study was to
examine whether the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra)
reduces systemic LPS-induced brain inflammation, brain
damage, and neurological dysfunction. Intraperitoneal (i.p.)
injection of LPS (2 mg/kg) was performed in P5 SpragueDawley rat pups and IL-1ra (100 mg/kg) or vehicle was
administered (i.p.) 5 min after LPS injection. The control rats
were injected (i.p.) with sterile saline. Neurobehavioral tests
were performed and brain injury was examined on P6. Our
results showed that IL-1ra protected against LPS-induced
neurobehavioral impairments, including reduction of mean
latency times in wire hanging maneuver and hind-limb
suspension. IL-1ra treatment also provided protection against
LPS-induced brain damage, as indicated by loss of oligodendrocytes. IL-1ra also significantly attenuated LPS-induced
increment in the number of activated microglia and
concentration of IL-1beta in the neonatal rat brain and
serum. In summary, our data suggests that due to its potent
anti-inflammatory property, IL-1ra may protect developing
brain against systemic LPS exposure induced brain injury and
neurobehavioral disturbance.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Biology/Pre-Nursing
Dr. Lir-Wan Fan (UMMC)
Pediatrics, Division of Newborn
Medicine Biological Sciences
NIH-NIGMS/Mississippi INBRE
29
Rebekah Lee
Jackson State University
Spring Break Kick-Off: STD/HIV Education and
Sexual Health Kits Dissemination Initiative
Jackson, MS
Senate District 28
House Districts 67/69/70
Rebekah Lee a Junior Healthcare
Administration major. She is
involved in the HCA Care Initiative
program, where she is a certified
peer educator in HIV/STDs. After
graduating with a Bachelor of
Science in Healthcare Administration, Rebekah plans to enroll in
combined Bachelor of Science in
Nursing/Master of Science of
Nursing program. After graduating
with her BSN and MSN, she hopes
to be a registered nurse.
“This initiative is designed to
increase knowledge about the
prevalence of STD and HIV
transmission in the state of
Mississippi and provide information on prevention strategies.”
-- Rebekah Lee
30
Background: In 2016, Jackson Mississippi ranked 4th in the
nation for HIV/AIDS prevalence. According to the Mississippi
State Department of Health (MSDH), African Americans (AA)
accounted for 37% of the state’s population, yet AA comprised
72.8% of people living with HIV (MSDH, 2011). According to
surveys by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
about one third of young adults experiment with risky
behaviors, including sex, during their first semester of college.
Objective: The objective of this project is to increase knowledge about STD and HIV transmission, decrease risky
behaviors and to increase sexual health (condom use) of
students attending Jackson State University.
Methods: The initiative was a three day event beginning on
Wednesday and ending on Friday in the JSU Student Center
from 11am until 1pm. Each table consisted of the sign-in
sheets, STD/HIV fact sheets, a bowl filled with candies and
sexual health kits.
Results: A total of 379 sexual health kits and STD/HIV facts
sheets were distributed to students attending Jackson State
University and the initiative reached a small portion of the
community.
Conclusion: The HCA Cares Initiative event was a great success.
Since the spring break holiday was the week after this event, it
was very important that students received the STD/HIV fact
sheet and sexual health kit prior to leaving for the holiday day
break. The intended outcome of the Initiative was to educate
students on STD and HIV transmission and the importance of
using condoms each time he or she engage in any sexual
activity.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Healthcare Administration
Dr. Shemeka Hamlin-Palmer
Healthcare Administration
Title III
Jasmine Liddell
Jackson State University
Spring Break Kick-Off: STD/HIV Education and
Sexual Health Kits Dissemination Initiative
Jackson, MS
Senate District 28
House Districts 67/69/70
Jasmine Liddell is a junior Healthcare Administration major. Her
achievements include being
recognized as a Dean’s List Scholar
and a President’s List Scholar on
numerous occasions. Jasmine is a
Peer Educator for the HCA Cares
Initiative and a member of
Toastmasters International, which
promotes public speaking,
leadership skills, and improves
communication skills. In the future,
she aspires to become a neonatal
nurse and to work towards
completing her MSN degree.
“This initiative is designed to
increase knowledge about the
prevalence of STD and HIV
transmission in the state of
Mississippi and provide information on prevention strategies.”
-- Jasmine Liddell
Background: In 2016, Jackson Mississippi ranked 4th in the
nation for HIV/AIDS prevalence. According to the Mississippi
State Department of Health (MSDH), African Americans (AA)
accounted for 37% of the state’s population, yet AA comprised
72.8% of people living with HIV (MSDH, 2011). According to
surveys by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
about one third of young adults experiment with risky
behaviors, including sex, during their first semester of college.
Objective: The objective of this project is to increase knowledge about STD and HIV transmission, decrease risky
behaviors and to increase sexual health (condom use) of
students attending Jackson State University.
Methods: The initiative was a three day event beginning on
Wednesday and ending on Friday in the JSU Student Center
from 11am until 1pm. Each table consisted of the sign-in
sheets, STD/HIV fact sheets, a bowl filled with candies and
sexual health kits.
Results: A total of 379 sexual health kits and STD/HIV facts
sheets were distributed to students attending Jackson State
University and the initiative reached a small portion of the
community.
Conclusion: The HCA Cares Initiative event was a great success.
Since the spring break holiday was the week after this event, it
was very important that students received the STD/HIV fact
sheet and sexual health kit prior to leaving for the holiday day
break. The intended outcome of the Initiative was to educate
students on STD and HIV transmission and the importance of
using condoms each time he or she engage in any sexual
activity.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Healthcare Administration
Dr. Shemeka Hamlin-Palmer
Healthcare Administration
Title III
31
Nahu Merawi
Jackson State University
Using GITLAB in Computer Science Programming
Courses
Teamwork is crucial in the development of new software or
the maintenance of old systems. This project has built an inhouse version control system using only open source products
to provide students with the platform to experience
collaborative development.
Jackson, MS
Senate District 28
House Districts 67/69/70
Nahu Merawi is a sophomore
computer science student currently
engaged in research on GitLab and
Mobile Apps Development. He
plans to complete his Master’s
degree after graduating. Nahu then
wants to work with a big tech
company where he can apply the
knowledge and skills he acquired
about computer science during his
study at JSU.
“This project will train computer
science and computer engineering graduates on software
development in a team environment similar to the real world
environment.”
-- Nahu Merawi
32
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Computer Science
Dr. Ali Abu El Humos
Computer Science
Title III
Kenzye Murden
Jackson State University
Spring Break Kick-Off: STD/HIV Education and
Sexual Health Kits Dissemination Initiative
Jackson, MS
Senate District 28
House Districts 67/69/70
Kenzye Murden is a junior Healthcare Administration student. One of
her goals is to help individuals and
to advocate for awareness of
sexually transmitted diseases.
Kenzye is a Peer Educator for the
HCA Cares Initiative. She has found
the experience of being a peer
educator to be wonderful because
she has gained knowledge about
HIV and strategies that can assist
with the prevention of STD/HIV
diseases.
“This initiative is designed to
increase knowledge about the
prevalence of STD and HIV
transmission in the state of
Mississippi and provide information on prevention strategies.”
-- Kenzye Murden
Background: In 2016, Jackson Mississippi ranked 4th in the
nation for HIV/AIDS prevalence. According to the Mississippi
State Department of Health (MSDH), African Americans (AA)
accounted for 37% of the state’s population, yet AA comprised
72.8% of people living with HIV (MSDH, 2011). According to
surveys by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
about one third of young adults experiment with risky
behaviors, including sex, during their first semester of college.
Objective: The objective of this project is to increase knowledge about STD and HIV transmission, decrease risky
behaviors and to increase sexual health (condom use) of
students attending Jackson State University.
Methods: The initiative was a three day event beginning on
Wednesday and ending on Friday in the JSU Student Center
from 11am until 1pm. Each table consisted of the sign-in
sheets, STD/HIV fact sheets, a bowl filled with candies and
sexual health kits.
Results: A total of 379 sexual health kits and STD/HIV facts
sheets were distributed to students attending Jackson State
University and the initiative reached a small portion of the
community.
Conclusion: The HCA Cares Initiative event was a great success.
Since the spring break holiday was the week after this event, it
was very important that students received the STD/HIV fact
sheet and sexual health kit prior to leaving for the holiday day
break. The intended outcome of the Initiative was to educate
students on STD and HIV transmission and the importance of
using condoms each time he or she engage in any sexual
activity.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Healthcare Administration
Dr. Shemeka Hamlin-Palmer
Healthcare Administration
Title III
33
Victor Opurum
Mississippi Valley State University
Visualization of Atomic Level Material Structure
Using Qt 41
Imo State, Nigeria
Senate District 24
House Districts 32/34
Victor Opurum is currently the
President of the National Society of
Black Engineers (NSBE) Chapter at
MVSU while maintaining an Honor
student status (3.7 GPA and above).
After college, he plans on working
at a company as a software
engineer.
“This project is relevant to the
state of Mississippi because it
focuses on geoscience generated
elements which can be found in
abundance here. It is also important to inform people about the
concept of Scientific Visualization (data visual analysis) here.”
-- Victor Opurum
34
Scientific Visualization is the representation of data
graphically as a means of gaining insight into the data. The
primary target of this project is to visualize atomic level
material structure using the Qt Cross-Platform. We extract
data from a data file that contains the structure of the atom
and its individual elements. This file contains information
generated by atom dynamics simulation in geoscience
studies. It contains the system name, total steps of
conversion, atoms, species (elements), number of bins,
maximum distance and individual Radial Distribution
Function (RDF) of the elements. The data file which is initially
in the .csv format is converted to .txt and extracted with C++
programming language. Using Qt as a suitable crossapplication platform, we are able to display the relationship
between the RDF and the radius of the listed elements in a
graphically format hence giving the users an insight as to the
purpose of scientific visualization in Computer Science.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Computer Science & Mathematics
Dr. Timothy Holston
Computer Science & Mathematics
Kiersten Page
Delta State University
Using VARK Modalities to Increase Retention
in Organic Chemistry
Trinity, AL
Senate District 12
House District 29
Kiersten Page has presented her
work at the Mississippi Academy of
Sciences and will be giving at the
meeting of the American Chemical
Society National Meeting. She will
also participate in the Academic
Research Showcase at DSU. After
graduation, Kiersten intends to
begin a career in industry in the
field of chemistry.
“The first part of this study
evaluated learning preferences of
students in the MS Delta. The
second part analyzes the impact
on student tests results after
faculty increases implementation
of preferred learning preferences
within a science lecture class.”
-- Kiersten Page
A study was conducted to determine if there was a
correlation of VARK learning preferences amongst science
majors at Delta State University. The VARK Survey assesses
what modalities a person prefers when learning. According
to the VARK Survey, one can communicate by visual (V),
aural (A), reading/writing (R), or kinesthetic (K) modalities.
In the 2015-2016 academic year, college students in several
science classes were administered two surveys, the VARK
Survey, as well as a survey to assess their educational
backgrounds and general information. From the gathered
data, it was evident that science majors at Delta State
University preferred the kinesthetic learning modality. In Fall
2016, the surveys were administered to Organic Chemistry I
students along with a pre-test to assess their prior
knowledge of Organic Chemistry I material. The results
showed that the kinesthetic learning modality was still
preferred amongst the students. The pre-test showed that
the students possessed the same level of knowledge,
assuring that one student would not skew the results of the
post-tests. By implementing more kinesthetic teaching
methods, we anticipate seeing better student test scores
compared to previous years. For Spring 2017, the pre-test
was administered in Organic Chemistry II which covered all
organic chemistry material. At the end of the semester
another post-test with Organic Chemistry I and II material
will be given to check for long and short term retention. We
hypothesize with the implemented methods retention and
test scores will increase.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Chemistry/Biology
Dr. Sharon K. Hamilton
Chemistry and Physics
35
Patricia Perry
Jackson State University
Using GITLAB in Computer Science Programming
Courses
Teamwork is crucial in the development of new software or
the maintenance of old systems. This project has built an inhouse version control system using only open source products
to provide students with the platform to experience
collaborative development.
Jackson, MS
Senate District 28
House Districts 67/69/70
Patricia Perry is sophomore
computer science student working
on the SOSS project. She plans to
work for a company as a mobile
developer after she graduates.
Eventually, Patricia would like to be
a cyber security team lead where
she can exercise her knowledge and
experience from her undergraduate
degree and be able work for one of
the Fortune 500 companies.
This project will train computer
science and computer engineering graduates on software
development in a team environment similar to the real world
environment.”
-- Patricia Perry
36
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Computer Science
Dr. Ali Abu El Humos
Computer Science
Title III
Heather Poole
University of Mississippi
Improving Health of Rural Mississippians
through Farmers’ Markets
Keller, TX
Senate District 9
House Districts
5/8/10/12/13/23
Heather Poole is a senior of the Sally
McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi,
ODK, and Mortar Board Honor
Societies. After graduation, Heather
will attend a dietetic internship
program to complete her rotations
and become a Registered Dietitian.
“In 2014-16, 20.8% of MS households experienced food insecurity,
compared to 12.7% of U.S. households. Within rural communities
where barriers to a healthy diet
may include the cost of produce or
lack of transportation to a grocery
store, local farmers’ markets that
provide incentives pose a
solution.”
-- Heather Poole
Community hubs, such as local farmers’ markets, have the
potential to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
Promoting these markets builds a sense of community,
supports local farmers, and potentially improves overall
health of the consumer.
The 12-week Cultivating Healthy Communities nutrition
education and incentive program was implemented in
Calhoun County, Mississippi, to promote local farmers’
markets and a healthy nutrition environment, increase
produce intake, and reduce barriers to food security.
Programmatic components included a weekly $3 incentive
to purchase fresh produce at the farmers’ market, producethemed nutrition education, food samples utilizing in-season
produce, and other periodic materials, including a
Mississippi farmers’ market cookbook and kitchen tools.
Sixty adults participated in the program, which was
evaluated using pre- and post-surveys (demographic
information, a diabetes risk calculator, food and nutrition
health behaviors questions, perceived diet quality questions,
frequency of fruit and vegetable intake questions, and USDA
household food security survey questions).
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Nutrition and Dietetics
Dr. David H. Holben
Nutrition and Hospitality
Management
Robert M. Hearin Foundation
37
Jenedria Price
Alcorn State University
Depression, Alcohol Abuse and Suicidal Ideation
in College Students: A Study Conducted by ASUSPARK Project at Alcorn State University
Woodville, MS
Senate District 36
House District 85
Jenedria Price is a recipient of the
President’s Scholarship. She is a
sophomore, pursing a degree in
Elementary Education. Jenedria is
actively involved in the Honors
Society, Saturday Science Academy,
Child Development Tutoring services
and Active Minds Chapter at Alcorn
State University. She intends to
obtain a terminal degree in
Educational Psychology.
“This research is timely and
needed as the graduation rates in
Mississippi are low. Mental health
issues pose a serious impediment
to academic success. Providing
support and services through
counseling, peer leadership and
faculty and staff training in mental
health are likely to increase the
number successful and on time
graduates.”
-- Jenedria Price
38
Mental health issues in college students are growing concerns
nationwide. Issues such as depression, alcohol abuse and
suicidal ideation significantly affect students’ academic
performance. By addressing these issues, student success and
well-being are likely to be enhanced. The current study is an
attempt to (1) determine the consumption of alcohol, (2)
assess the proportion of students at risk for depression and
(3) identify students at risk for suicide. This cross-sectional
study included a sample of 144 students from all majors
currently enrolled at Alcorn State University. Students were
screened for depression and alcohol consumption using the
modified version of PHQ-9 and ADUIT-C. Standards for cumulative scores on the instruments were obtained and plotted in
range for various categories on age, sex, classification, major
and program of study. Results demonstrate that the highest
level of depression was found in freshman students (50%)
majoring in biology. A high level of depression is a risk factor
for suicide. With regards to alcohol consumption, rates above
75% of the recommended amount were found in female students from Sociology and Criminal Justice programs and male
students majoring in Pre- Engineering with consumption of
about six or more drinks on one occasion. The same was also
found in senior students majoring in Criminal Justice, Engineering, Robotics and Automation Technology. It is concluded
that efforts are needed for regular screening, counseling services and psycho-education, especially for freshman students
as they are the most vulnerable of all classifications of students. These efforts are needed to reduce the risks for mental
health problems thereby increasing college success rates.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Elementary Education
Dr. Martha D. Ravola
Human Sciences
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human
Services SAMHSA Grant
Maya Rex
University of Southern Mississippi
Racial Bias in Elementary School Children: Effects
of Skin Color and Facial Features
Ocean Springs, MS
Senate District 52
House District 102
Maya Rex is a member of the USM
Honors College. She received
funding for her work from the Eagle
Scholar Program for Undergraduate
Research in 2015. Maya recently
was accepted to the Public Policy
and International Affairs Junior
Summer Institutes fellowship at
Princeton University. After
graduation, she hopes to study
racial biases while obtaining her
JD/PhD and become a civil rights
attorney.
“This project investigates our
racial biases, implicit and explicit.
With the current racial climate, it
is important that states educate
themselves and recognize that
biases do exist for progress to be
made. Because of Mississippi's
diverse population, research like
this is even more important.”
-- Maya Rex
This project aims to answer the following research question:
will facial features and skin color affect explicit and implicit
racial biases in elementary school children of various racial
backgrounds? By answering this question, the psychology
community can decipher where racial bias originates and how
children’s race affects their racial bias. Additionally, this work
will compare explicit and implicit racial attitudes in elementary school children of various ages. All of these previously
unexplored pathways will contribute new knowledge to a
novel field of social cognitive development.
Earlier findings indicate that attention to race concept in
younger children is better conceptualized as attention to skin
color. In my research, I tested whether explicit and implicit
racial attitudes are driven primarily by skin color in children or
perhaps by both facial features and skin color. Participants
complete two tasks that measure both implicit and explicit
biases. Results showed that children do show more attention
to skin color when creating their concepts on race. Results
showed that children create their attitudes on race from an
early age based on both skin color and facial features. The
results also showed children favor more ambiguous facial
features and skin color.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Philosophy/Psychology (minor)
Dr. Elena Stepanova
Psychology
39
Elizabeth Roshelli
Mississippi State University
Populations in Flux: An Analysis of Broadcast
and Web-based News Presentations of the
Migration Crisis in Russia
Starkville, MS
Senate District 16
House District 38
Elizabeth Roshelli is a second place
winner, Social Sciences Division, at
the MSU Shackouls Honors College
Summer Research Symposium. She
plans to attend graduate school
after graduation in May 2018 and
will continue research on media on
a global scale.
This paper explores Russian web-based and broadcast news
media sources using the Broadcast Monitoring System (BMS)
and the Web Monitoring System (WMS) from Texas A&M
University. It examines the way in which the Russian media
portrays the migrant crisis and the effect this portrayal of the
crisis has on the Russian populace. For this analysis framing
theory and rhetorical theory are referenced when developing
the narrative formed out of the web-based and broadcast
news media. The analysis was written as part of a larger
collaborative effort on the Russian “Gray Zone” with the
Department of Defense and in collaboration with Texas A&M
University. This work identifies the way in which the Russian
news media has utilized framing theory and rhetorical theory
to effectively shape the conversation had amongst the
Russian populace regarding the nature of the migrant crisis in
relation to the strength of the ruling regime in Russia for the
benefit of the Russian government.
“This paper was written as part
of a larger collaborative effort on
the Russian “Gray Zone” with
the Department of Defense and
in collaboration with Texas
A&M University.”
-- Elizabeth Roshelli
40
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Public Relations
Dr. Skye Cooley
Communications
Jermarlius Rushing
Mississippi Valley State University
School Desegregation in Mississippi – It Goes On
and On
Cleveland, MS
Senate District 22
House District 28
Jermarlius Rushing as a junior in
high school was selected to attend
a summer institute of the William
Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation in Oxford. Upon
graduating from high school, he
enlisted in the National Guard and
has completed five years of his six
years of service. Jermarlius is
active in history program activities
at Mississippi Valley State and
hopes to continue his education in
History, carrying on with study of
this Cleveland court case.
“This study is important because
it reveals the continued presence
of inequities in our educational
institutions. This lack of equity
has severe consequences for the
economic development of the
state and holds this state back
from the future it deserves.”
-- Jermarlius Rushing
It is hard for many around the country to understand when
they read headlines such as, “A School District That Was
Never Desegregated.” Sixty plus years after the Brown v.
Board of Education court decision, the Cleveland, Mississippi
School District is still fighting a desegregation case. This is
absurd, some argue. It’s not surprising that it’s in Mississippi,
others argue. How has the government allowed such to go
on this long, many wonder? The news reports are misleading
and cannot possibly have anything to do with race, others
state. Conflicting reports and debates have led many to
wonder exactly what the problem really is. Being a product
of this district, and having experienced the neglect from the
district to address the issues of the divide first hand, this
researcher feels obligated to try to understand and explain to
the world exactly how and why the district has fought
integration for over five decades. Racism is an issue that has
long plagued the reputation of this state and as evident in
these research findings is still plaguing Mississippi. This study
explores the actions of the district since the filing of the
initial lawsuit in 1965 until the settlement this year, 2017.
Part of this study examines the timing of the opening of the
private academy as it relates to this case. It is imperative that
Mississippians understand how situations such as the one in
Cleveland and citizens’ resistance to change affect the whole
state educationally. The research shows that the district’s
resistance to settlement of this case, Cowan v. Cleveland
School District, was fueled by racial fears and has hurt all
students and deprived some of educational equality.
Through examination of the court filings, district documents,
newspaper articles, oral interviews, and other sources of
relevance this research offers clear evidence of how racist
attitudes still persist today.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
History
Dr. Kathryn Green
Social Sciences
41
Ciarra Smith
Mississippi State University
Anxiety-Related Behaviors in Juvenile T. gondiiInfected Mice
Starkville, MS
Senate District 16
House District 38
Ciarra Smith is Provost Scholar, a
member of the Shackouls Honors
College and the American Society
for Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology, and the Nonfiction Editor
of The Streetcar. Ciarra will be presenting her work at the National
Conference on Undergraduate
Research and has been selected to
conduct research in molecular
biology this summer at Colorado
State University. After graduation,
she plans to pursue her Ph.D. in
neurobiology.
“Roughly 30% of the population is
infected with T. gondii, which
causes flu-like symptoms often
misattributed. T. gondii’s interaction in dopamine production is
linked to anxiety-related behaviors
and other mental disorders.
Infection occurs in rural communities and places with a high feline
population like Mississippi.”
-- Ciarra Smith
42
Infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii as well as
alterations in the transcription factor Nurr1, necessary for
mesencephalic dopamine neuron development, have both
been linked with an increased risk of schizophrenia. These
protozoans form cysts in the central nervous system where
they are believed to have some effect in altering dopamine
production. Previously, we have shown that Nurr1-null
heterozygous (+/-) mice have altered dopamine-related
behaviors which are enhanced by infection with T. gondii. As
schizophrenia involves an interaction between genetic
predisposition and environmental factors, we are investigating the effects on T. gondii infection in (+/-) and Nurr1
wildtype (+/+) mice infected at juvenile (30d) and adult ages
(90d). The mice were tested on a variety of behavioral tests
including the elevated zero maze, a test of anxiety, and novel
object recognition (NO), a test of episodic memory. In the
elevated zero maze, both genotypes of adult T. gondii
treated mice spent the same amount of time in the open as
controls. The juvenile treated mice spent significantly more
time in the open suggesting the timing of T. gondii infection
is an important variable for this behavior. The NO test
compares the time a mouse explores a novel object relative
to a familiar object presented earlier. The T. gondii infected
mice spent less time interacting with the novel object
relative to the familiar object, suggesting a memory deficit
with T. gondii infection. These results suggest T. gondii
infection can cause cognitive deficits similar to those
expressed by individuals with schizophrenia.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Biochemistry
Dr. Jeffrey Eells
Basic Science (College of
Veterinary Medicine)
Ernest Smith
Jackson State University
Spring Break Kick-Off: STD/HIV Education and
Sexual Health Kits Dissemination Initiative
Jackson, MS
Senate District 28
House Districts 67/69/70
Ernest Smith is a Sterile Processing
Supervisor at the University of
Mississippi Medical Center.
Currently he is involved in the
community outreach program
known as HCA Cares Initiative.
Ernest is dedicated to educating the
community on safer sex practices
and the prevention of HIV/STDs
among African American young
adults. After completing his degree
in April, he plans to continue to be
active in his community and to
utilize his education to create an
even greater impact on the healthcare of Mississippians.
“This initiative is designed to
increase knowledge about the
prevalence of STD and HIV
transmission in the state of
Mississippi and provide information on prevention strategies.”
-- Ernest Smith
Background: In 2016, Jackson Mississippi ranked 4th in the
nation for HIV/AIDS prevalence. According to the Mississippi
State Department of Health (MSDH), African Americans (AA)
accounted for 37% of the state’s population, yet AA comprised
72.8% of people living with HIV (MSDH, 2011). According to
surveys by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
about one third of young adults experiment with risky
behaviors, including sex, during their first semester of college.
Objective: The objective of this project is to increase knowledge about STD and HIV transmission, decrease risky
behaviors and to increase sexual health (condom use) of
students attending Jackson State University.
Methods: The initiative was a three day event beginning on
Wednesday and ending on Friday in the JSU Student Center
from 11am until 1pm. Each table consisted of the sign-in
sheets, STD/HIV fact sheets, a bowl filled with candies and
sexual health kits.
Results: A total of 379 sexual health kits and STD/HIV facts
sheets were distributed to students attending Jackson State
University and the initiative reached a small portion of the
community.
Conclusion: The HCA Cares Initiative event was a great success.
Since the spring break holiday was the week after this event, it
was very important that students received the STD/HIV fact
sheet and sexual health kit prior to leaving for the holiday day
break. The intended outcome of the Initiative was to educate
students on STD and HIV transmission and the importance of
using condoms each time he or she engage in any sexual
activity.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Healthcare Administration
Dr. Shemeka Hamlin-Palmer
Healthcare Administration
Title III
43
Centurie Stewart
Jackson State University
Spring Break Kick-Off: STD/HIV Education and
Sexual Health Kits Dissemination Initiative
Jackson, MS
Senate District 28
House Districts 67/69/70
Centurie Stewart is a senior
Healthcare Administration major.
She is a Peer Educator for the HCA
Cares initiative, which is a group of
peer educators who specialize in
sexually transmitted diseases and
HIV/AIDS. Centurie’s career
aspirations include becoming an
administrator of an assisted living
facility in Mississippi.
“This initiative is designed to
increase knowledge about the
prevalence of STD and HIV
transmission in the state of
Mississippi and provide information on prevention strategies.”
-- Centurie Stewart
44
Background: In 2016, Jackson Mississippi ranked 4th in the
nation for HIV/AIDS prevalence. According to the Mississippi
State Department of Health (MSDH), African Americans (AA)
accounted for 37% of the state’s population, yet AA comprised
72.8% of people living with HIV (MSDH, 2011). According to
surveys by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
about one third of young adults experiment with risky
behaviors, including sex, during their first semester of college.
Objective: The objective of this project is to increase knowledge about STD and HIV transmission, decrease risky
behaviors and to increase sexual health (condom use) of
students attending Jackson State University.
Methods: The initiative was a three day event beginning on
Wednesday and ending on Friday in the JSU Student Center
from 11am until 1pm. Each table consisted of the sign-in
sheets, STD/HIV fact sheets, a bowl filled with candies and
sexual health kits.
Results: A total of 379 sexual health kits and STD/HIV facts
sheets were distributed to students attending Jackson State
University and the initiative reached a small portion of the
community.
Conclusion: The HCA Cares Initiative event was a great success.
Since the spring break holiday was the week after this event, it
was very important that students received the STD/HIV fact
sheet and sexual health kit prior to leaving for the holiday day
break. The intended outcome of the Initiative was to educate
students on STD and HIV transmission and the importance of
using condoms each time he or she engage in any sexual
activity.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Healthcare Administration
Dr. Shemeka Hamlin-Palmer
Healthcare Administration
Title III
Britton Strickland
University of Southern Mississippi
The Functional Significance of Branch Points in
Mirtrons
Hattiesburg, MS
Senate District 45
House District 87
Britton Strickland has received
numerous awards for his work,
including first place at the Southeast Regional IDeA Biomedical
Conference and USM Undergraduate Symposium (Molecular Biology
Division. He also has received a
Mississippi INBRE Summer Research
Grant. Britton has also been named
a Mississippi Eminent Scholar, and
has served as the Honors College
Standard Bearer. He will pursue his
PhD at either NYU or Vanderbilt.
“Understanding the biogenesis of
regulatory components is crucial
to understanding the many pathways that control our bodies.
Since miRNAs are prevalent
regulators involved in many
cardiac, immune, neurological,
and carcinogenic disorders, an indepth understanding of these
essential regulators could lead to
many biomedical treatments.”
-- Britton Strickland
DNA is genetic material passed down from both parents that
codes for proteins, the building material of our bodies. As
proteins are produced, many regulation pathways control this
mechanism to prevent both under or overproduction of proteins.
One very important regulator is microRNAs, a heterogeneous
group of small RNAs that inhibit gene expression. Mirtrons are a
specific class of microRNAs that uses an alternative pathway
called splicing, where the non-coding region (intron) of the
genetic information is cleaved from the coding regions (exons) by
a spliceosome complex. During splicing, a loop-like “lariat” intermediate structure is generated when the one end of the intron is
attached to a specific base pair within the intron, and this is
called the branch point. The goal of this project is to uncover the
contribution of branch point location to the processing of
mirtrons into functional gene regulators. This project explored
this process by experimentally isolating, mutating, and verifying
the branch point location of mirtron-1017, a mirtron that is
conserved across many species of Drosophila (fruit flies) and
plays an important role in proper neuronal activity. Additionally,
a synthetic mirtron-1017 mutant was created without any
branch points, causing the omission of the lariat-intermediate.
We examined the mutation’s effects by inserting the new
constructs into Drosophila cells; this revealed that the mutated
branch point actually increased the production of mature
mirtrons and removing the branch point abrogated expression
entirely. This indicates that mirtron maturation may be very
dependent on the branch point location.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Biological Sciences
Dr. Alex Flynt
Biological Sciences
NIH-NIGMS/Mississippi INBRE
45
Sarah Sutton
University of Mississippi
Spectroscopic and Computational Study of
Chlorine Dioxide/Water Interactions
Albuquerque, NM
Senate District 9
House Districts
5/8/10/12/13/23
Sarah Sutton has been on the
Chancellor's Honor Roll and is a
member of several academic
honors societies, including Rho
Lambda, Order of Omega, Mortar
Board, and Phi Kappa Phi. In spring
2016, Sarah was named the American Chemical Society's Outstanding
UM Biochemistry Student.
Recently, she was chosen to be a
member of the University of
Mississippi's Who's Who. In the
future, Sarah plans to pursue a PhD
in Chemistry or Public Health.
“This research directly benefits
those who are building portable
water purification systems using
chlorine dioxide to be used in
third world African countries.
This work can also benefit those
scientists studying ozone
depletion.”
-- Sarah Sutton
46
Chlorine dioxide, a stable free radical, is a main component
of the modern-day water purification process. Not only does
chlorine dioxide oxidize harmful metals found in unpurified
ground water with very few harmful side-products, but the
molecule also possesses strong antimicrobial properties.
Chlorine dioxide has proved to completely eliminate bacteria with a cell wall strong enough to survive in space, as
well as oxidize pollutants that traditionally-used chlorine
could not. For these reasons, chlorine dioxide has also
emerged as a leading disinfectant for medical equipment.
After it was discovered to also deplete ozone, many efforts
have been made to characterize the properties of chlorine
dioxide. However, the molecule has proven to be hard to
study; chlorine dioxide (OClO) photoisomerizes into its
anionic state (ClOO-) after prolonged exposure to sunlight,
but the kinetics of this photoisomerization are solvent
dependent. Previously, many have attempted to determine
the solvent effects on chlorine dioxide via spectroscopic
methods, but no definite conclusions have been made. The
purpose of this research is to elucidate the effects of
chlorine dioxide/water interactions using UV-vis and Raman
spectroscopies and computational chemistry. The effects of
these interactions are applicable to chemists, environmentalists, and engineers at the University of Mississippi, as
well as those at other universities and laboratories, who are
fighting against ozone depletion and building portable water
purification systems for third world countries in Africa.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Chemistry
Dr. Nathan Hammer
Chemistry and Biochemistry
National Science Foundation
Ariel Walker
Alcorn State University
The Effects of Foot Arch on Tibia Force Through
the Leg During an Underbody Blast Event
Lorman, MS
Senate District 36
House District 85
Ariel Walker received an Academic
Scholarship from ASU. After graduating, she plans to attend medical
school and then practice Neurosurgery/ Emergency Medicine in
underserved communities. Ariel
would also like to volunteer with
organizations such as the Peace
Corps or Doctors Without Borders.
She intends to conduct research on
various brain disorders, especially
how to potentially reverse the
effects due to illness.
“Understanding the correlation
between foot arch and force
exerted during an underbody blast
event is the first step towards
designing more protective footwear for our soldiers to wear
during combat. Protective
equipment can be the difference
between life or death for soldiers
and this research aims at finding
ways to make defending our
country safer.”
-- Ariel Walker
The human foot contains 26 bones, 33 articulations, and more
than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments that combine
mechanical complexity with structural strength. These
components enable the foot with the fundamental functions
of supporting, shock absorbing, and weight bearing. The arch
is the most important structural feature of the foot absorbing
the brunt of the pressure thrust upon the foot each day.
There are three arches in the foot: the medial longitudinal,
lateral longitudinal, and transverse. The medial longitudinal
arch will be the arch studied being that is the highest and
provides the most structural support.
Arch structure is known to vary widely and studies have
shown that it may be linked to intrinsic factors such as
gender, age, and weight. Using Williams’ and McClay’s Arch
Height Index system, we were able to come up with three
different foot models representing flat foot (pes planus),
normal foot arch, and high arch (pes cavus). We ran
underbody blast simulations of a 3.36 kg plate impacting the
bottom of each foot model at 4.88 m/s using LS-DYNA. The
tibia force was recorded in each model. Our results showed
an 11.4% increase in tibia force of the flat foot model
compared to the normal arched model. The high arched
model showed the least exerted tibia force at -2.0%. Von
Mises contours revealed an increase in stress on the talus and
calcaneus bones of the low arched model. Improving the
current understanding of the foot’s response to dynamic
impacts can lead to the creation of improved protective
footwear for the soldiers, while also aiding the efforts to
mitigate injuries from underbody blast events.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
Biological Sciences
Dr. Marta A. Piva
Biological Sciences
47
William Weeks
Delta State University
Electrospinning Alginate-Based Nanofibers
Boyle, MS
Senate District 13
House District 28
William Weeks was an Elliot
Scholar in 2014 and 2015 and was
on the Dean’s List 2013-17. He was
inducted into Alpha Epsilon Delta in
2015 and Phi Lambda Upsilon in
2017. After graduation, William
intends to pursue a PhD in Organic
Chemistry at Vanderbilt University.
“Retention rates in Mississippi
colleges are the 36th highest in
the United States, with 49.8% of
all students graduating in 6 years.
These findings may demonstrate
some factors that undermine
college student retention. Students with reduced psychological
well-being may be more prone to
academic problems in college.”
--Nathaniel Greene
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Recent evolutions in the field of biomaterials have focused on
developing materials that can interact with biological systems
to aid in wound healing. Natural polymers, including polysaccharides, have been investigated as viable biomaterials to
aid in the environment of body tissues and mimic tissue
regeneration as well as facilitate controlled drug delivery.
Electrospinning natural polymers, like alginate, yield
nanofibers that have shown promise as tissue scaffolds and
drug delivery molecules. However, this renewable biopolymer
contains inherent charges, which make it difficult to
electrospin, which is why researchers continue to investigate
the optimal electrospinning conditions for biopolymer fiber
formation. In this project, the formation of natural polymer
nanofibers was explored using alginate solutions with glycerol
or ethylenediamine as co-solvents. Other electrospinning
parameters were also explored including distance to the
target, flow rate, and voltage. It was found that the negatively
charged alginate formed the best fibers when it was
electrospun with a co-solvent system. Additionally, oxidized
alginate was prepared from the commercially available
alginate. The oxidized alginate was characterized and its
ability to electrospin was explored. It is conjectured that the
oxidized alginate polymer will have an increased hydrolysis
frequency as compared to alginate which should result in a
more appropriate drug release profile. It is expected that
these fiber structure could be useful towards the controlled
delivery of small drug molecules.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
External Funding:
Chemistry
Dr. Sharon K. Hamilton
Chemistry and Physics
NIH General Medical Sciences
IDeA Grant / Mississippi INBRE
Egypt Williams
Mississippi Valley State University
Government Assistance and the Increase in
One-Parent Households
Itta Bena, MS
Senate District 14
House District 46
Egypt Williams is a member of the
university band at MVSU. She
began as a Music major, but her
interest in History led her to move
into that field, although keeping
Music as a minor. Egypt has been a
University Scholar and is a member
of Tau Beta Sigma. She hopes to
pursue graduate education in the
field of Public History.
“This topic is very relevant to
this state because it is at the top
of the list in government
assistance expenditure. With
increasing budget shortfalls, it is
crucial to study this issue toward
achieving an equitable solution.”
-- Egypt Williams
The purpose of this research is to identity the relationship
between one-parent households and government assistance.
Census records show a drastic decrease in two-parent
households since the 1960s. Today, many households in
America are led by one parent. There is also a great increase
in the number of citizens receiving financial assistance from
the government. The data from this research show that
government assistance is the cause of the increase in singleparent households in the Mississippi Delta region. It is this
researcher’s opinion that this dependency on government
assistance has a negative effect on the economy in general.
The increasing number of government assistance recipients
is aggravating to taxpayers. Taxpayers are the only source of
the funds to disburse to people receiving government
assistance. Daniel Patrick Moynihan produced a study
decades ago regarding this topic. It is very important to
revisit this topic in this era because many people do not
realize the severity of the issue. The endless cycle of
generations growing up receiving government assistance can
sometimes seems unbreakable. Sometimes availability of the
government programs can drive any individual to also
become a part of the statistic. Growing up in poverty can
also be a reason for an individual to choose to settle for less
and live similarly to the people in their community. It is
hoped that this study can bring attention to this topic and
influence the next generation to make other choices and
become more financially self-sufficient.
Student’s Major:
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor’s Department:
History
Dr. Kathryn Green
Social Sciences
49
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals, units, and agencies who
provided support for Posters in the Rotunda:
• Roe Grubbs, Director of the Office of Capitol Facilities, and Chuck McIntosh, Communications Director for the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, for
consultation about on-site arrangements
• Kim Gallaspy, Director of Legislative Services, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning
for coordinating efforts with the IHL
• Mississippi INBRE for providing poster easels and boards and the printing of the program;
Mississippi INBRE is funded by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the
National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under
grant number P20GM103476
• Office of the Vice-President for Research, University of Southern Mississippi, for event
funding
• Tyler Covert and Valerie Craig, iTech, University of Southern Mississippi, for website
implementation and maintenance
• Jo Ann Johnson, administrative support for the Center for Undergraduate Research,
University of Southern Mississippi, for coordinating arrangements
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NOTES
51
NOTES
52
Mission:
Train students in biomedical research & public
health
Build
biomedical
infrastructure
Mississippi
INBRE offers
opportunities for
undergraduate students to get involved in the
Improve
health in Mississippi
fields of biomedical research and public health
through two summer internships and academic
Mississippi INBRE provides awards to faculty at
year research opportunities.
primarily undergraduate institutions throughout
Mississippi to support research and curriculum
development.
Mississippi INBRE funds core research facilities
accessible to researchers and students across the
state. These facilities are located at the University
of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State
University and the University of Mississippi
Medical Center.
Mississippi INBRE’s
For more information:
msinbre.org
State-Wide Reach
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