Friday, Jan. 24, 2014
[social_share/]HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Fifteen students from Marshall University will be among approximately 80 student researchers from across West Virginia who will present their discoveries at the 11th Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Charleston next Thursday, Jan. 30.
The event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to noon in the rotunda of the State Capitol, is intended to showcase the importance of student research by giving policymakers and capitol visitors the opportunity to talk directly with the students who conducted the research projects, which range from modeling influenza pandemics to developing a weather reporting app to predicting population growth. The students’ projects are original research and they will be sharing posters they have prepared to help illustrate their work.
“This is a fun event for our students and for the members of the state legislature,” said Dr. Charles Somerville, dean of Marshall’s College of Science and a member of the event’s organizing committee. “Students work on these original research projects for as long as four years and this event provides them an opportunity to share their work with the senators and delegates.”
The research projects Marshall students will be highlighting are in the disciplines of biology, anatomy/pathology, engineering, chemistry, computer science/information technology and psychology.
Dr. John Maher, Marshall vice president for research, said, “The work these students are doing is on par with that done at the best universities in the country. This event provides a unique opportunity for members of the legislature to see an aspect of higher education normally hidden from public view, but that is one of the most important tools for developing students for entry into the workplace or postgraduate education.”
The following is a list of Marshall University’s participants, along with their hometowns, disciplines, project titles and advisers:
Laura Arnold, Charleston, biology, “Using Acanthamoeba to determine the effect of environmental stressors on growing and dividing cells” (Dr. Wendy Trzyna, advisor)
Matthew Baird, Gallipollis, Ohio, computer science/information technology, “Cancer Research Performance Analysis” (Dr. Hyoil Han, advisor)
Shawn Cheeks, War, computer science/information technology, “Storm Information Reporter Emergency Network (SIREN)” (Dr. Paulus Wahjudi, advisor)
Robert Denzie, Saint Albans, engineering, “Geo-Spatial Analysis of Police Reported Collision Location Information Accuracy to Facilitate Identification of Hot Spots” (Dr. Andrew Nichols, advisor)
Roger Estep, Huntington, mathematical biology, “Agent-Based Modeling of Pandemic Influenza” (Dr. Anna Mummert, advisor)
Miles Gray, Bloomfield, N.J., chemistry, “Surface Modifications of Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles Under Ambient Conditions” (Dr. Rosalynn Quinones-Fernandez, advisor)
Jonathan McQuerrey, South Charleston, computer science/information technology, “Application to Evaluate the Performance of Vehicle Detection Systems at Signalized Intersections” (Dr. Paulus Wahjudi, advisor)
Matt Nelson, Cross Lanes, computer science/information technology, “US Population Shifting and Growth Over Time” (Dr. Hyoil Han, advisor)
Derrick Paris, Scott Depot, computer science/information technology, “Recommendation Software via Data Mining” (Dr. Hyoil Han, advisor)
Keyur Patel, Catlettsburg, Ky., computer science/information technology, “PinPoint: Indoor Positioning System” (Dr. Paulus Wahjudi, advisor)
Jessica Smith, Point Pleasant, psychology, “Borderline Personality Disorder and Attachment” (Dr. Marc Lindberg, advisor)
Jenna Vance, Chapmanville, anatomy/pathology, “Validation of a Unilateral Heating Model to Increase Extremity Length in Mice” (Dr. Maria Serrat, advisor)
Claire Virgin, Kitts Hill, Ohio, psychology, “An Analysis of Criminal Behavior in College Students” (Dr. Marc Lindberg, advisor)
Dylan Watson, East Lynn, computer science/information technology, “WIT: A Wearable Integrated Translator to Break Down Communication Barriers” (Dr. Paulus Wahjudi, advisor)
Andrey Yanev, Cross Lanes, computer science/information technology, “Hot Spots for Deer Vehicle Collisions in West Virginia” (Dr. Paulus Wahjudi, advisor)
In addition to Marshall, 12 other universities and colleges will be represented at the event, including Alderson Broaddus College, Bluefield State College, Concord University, Davis and Elkins College, Fairmont State University, Glenville State College, Shepherd University, West Liberty University, West Virginia State University, West Virginia University, Wheeling Jesuit University and WVU Institute of Technology.
Contact: Ginny Painter, Communications Director, Marshall University Research Corporation, 304.746.1964