Ten students were selected to participate in the 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program at Marshall University. The objective of the SURE program is to enhance the intellectual infrastructure of the state by supporting undergraduates who are interested in performing research in any STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). This program has been conducted at Marshall since 2005.
SURE awards are determined through a competitive process in which proposals are evaluated by a committee of STEM experts and managed by Dr. Quiñones, a faculty member from the Chemistry Department. Students will receive a stipend totaling $4,800 each for their research for a period of ten weeks uninterrupted by classes during the summer. The SURE Fellowship stipend was funded through the West Virginia Challenge Fund, which is administered by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Science, Technology, and Research Division.
The names of the students, the titles of their projects, the names of their mentors, and their departments are listed below:
- Teaghan Beasley, Utilizing Lewis Acids in Polyfluorinated Carboxylic Acid Activation, Dr. Wade Wolfe, Chemistry.
- José A. Buxó, Investigating the Binding Interaction Between Carnosine and Serum Proteins, Dr. Frost, Chemistry.
- Braxten Green, Structural Analysis of KaiA, a Component of the Circadian Clock, Dr. Kim, Chemistry.
- Aaron Grimmett, Identification of Reactive-Oxygen Species Production Sites Essential to Osmobiosis, Dr. Kolling, Chemistry.
- Jessi Lin, Valence-determining olfactory neurons and glomeruli Rhagoletis, Dr. Tait, Biological Sciences.
- Aslynn Mills, Sourcing Trifluoromethoxide and Fluorophosgene from Perfluoroalkyl Ether Carboxylic Acids, Dr. Wade Wolfe, Chemistry.
- Raghav Puri, Study to regulate the chemokine binding protein to restrain inflammation, Dr.Rahman, Biomedical engineering.
- Abigail Roberts, Development of a Generalized Coupling Reaction to Synthesize Oligorylenes, Dr. Markiewicz, Chemistry.
- Victorino Santillan, Disruption of the UNC-44/UNC-119/UNC-33 Complex by AgNP in C. elegans, Dr. Spitzer, Biological Sciences.
- Elise Shamblen, Analysis of the Chemical Composition and Ecological Role of Preen Oils in Local Bird Species, Dr. Kolling, Chemistry.
More details about the program and the competition, which opens annually in March, can be found on the SURE Research Fellowship website.