All 2018 Summer Research Projects

Turtles 101

Faculty Mentor Todd Rimkus
Academic Department Biology and Physical Sciences
Contact Information Email Dr Rimkus
Appropriate Majors/Programs Biology and Physical Sciences, Education, Math, Information Technology, Nursing, and any majors in the Social Sciences and the Humanities who wish to integrate science topics with their disciplines.
Position Availability Fall, spring, summer (ongoing)
Description Project 1 Turtles 101
Feeding, cleaning, care and maintenance of all kinds of turtles is explored. This is your first step in learning about all of the creatures in the Turtle Physiology Lab at MU.
Project 2 Turtle Physiology
Become part of the team of turtle researchers as we design and implement research projects together. Our experiments extend beyond the lab as turtle experimental units are housed across campus and even in elementary school classrooms.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Card Game Development in Organic Chemistry

Faculty Mentor Deanna Jaber
Academic Department Biology and Physical Sciences
Contact Information Email Dr Jaber
Appropriate Majors/Programs Biology and Physical Sciences
Position Availability Fall, spring, summer (ongoing)
Description Students can develop card games for organic chemistry topics. The first card game that was developed is called CHEMCompete-I: a chemistry card game for substitution and elimination reactions of alkyl halides. Understanding substitution and elimination reactions is a critically important concept to comprehending chemical reactions. Memorizing differences between these reactions is among the most commonly used strategies to learn this subject.

Card games have been used for teaching purposes and have yielded successful pedagogical results. There have been multiple card games developed for organic chemistry concepts, however, there are no published records of card games specifically designed to help students differentiate between substitution and elimination reactions. CHEMCompete-I is a new organic chemistry card game which helps students predict the products of substitution and elimination reactions of alkyl halides and classify the type of these reactions. Students enrolled in organic chemistry courses played the card game. The students completed pre and post surveys and quizzes for data analysis. Quiz scores on both the pre- and post-quizzes were analyzed. Data analysis identified statistically significant improvements both in students’ self-rated survey responses and quiz scores related to their understanding of elimination and substitution reactions of alkyl halides. We therefore believe that CHEMCompete-I is an effective study tool for learning substitution and elimination reactions of alkyl halides. This work was published in the Journal of Chemical Education in 2017.

Based on the success of this project, we are now working on developing other card games. These projects would be a perfect fit for a student looking to work on research where chemistry and education intersect.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Investigating Medieval Urban Legends.

Faculty Mentor Katie Peebles
Faculty Department Literature and Languages
Academic Department English
Contact Information Email Dr Peebles
Appropriate Majors/Programs Students from any major with a genuine interest in the projects are welcome. No previous knowledge of either project is required. Multiple students working as a group would be ideal.
Position Availability Summer
Description I’m starting a book to define and analyze medieval urban legends, which are stories from the Middle Ages that have the same kind of embarrassing/dangerous situations and bizarre consequences as modern urban legends. I need help tracking down references, finding more stories, and sorting them out.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Investigating the Influence of African American Performance on the Work of the American Film Maker/Actor, Orson Welles.

Faculty Mentor Marguerite Rippy
Faculty Department Literature and Languages
Academic Department Literature and Languages
Contact Information Email Dr Rippy
Appropriate Majors/Programs Students from any major with a genuine interest in the projects are welcome. No previous knowledge of either project is required. Multiple students working as a group would be ideal.
Position Availability Fall, spring, summer (ongoing)
Description Project 1 I am currently studying press accounts and archival materials of the road tour of the 1936 Macbeth, directed by Orson Welles with a cast of African and African American dancers, actors, and musicians, as it traveled through the segregated American South. This is part of a larger project on the influence of African American performance on the work of the American film maker/actor, Orson Welles. Students could work on posting archival materials for classroom and public use, reviewing potential primary and secondary materials for research, or working in the Library of Congress archives with photographs and newspapers, depending on their interests. Students could also help develop grant proposals for further archival study, and/or create teaching materials to find engaging ways to bring archival materials into the classroom.
Project 2 I am working to research the mission of D.C. area film festivals in order to better understand the evolving role of these events within the Washington, D.C. community. In particular, I am looking at festivals and community identity. For example, festivals focused on ethnic or cultural representations (Italian, Jewish, or German cinema festivals), political causes (D.C. Environmental Film Festival, or service orientations (Washington West festival). Student researchers would help compile a list and description of local festivals, along with festival mission statements and supporting materials. They would also reach out to festival organizers to interview them about community involvement, programming goals, economic success, and film selection processes.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Encoding Canonical Texts From the Enlightenment Period into TEI-Formatted XML.

Faculty Mentor Tonya Howe
Faculty Department Literature and Languages
Academic Department Literature and Languages
Contact Information Email Dr Howe
Appropriate Majors/Programs Humanities-related disciplines and the social sciences
Position Availability Summer
Description Encoding a small selection of canonical texts from the Enlightenment period into TEI-formatted XML, and annotating them in a machine-readable way. Part of an NEH-funded grant project.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Investigation of How Mental Health Clients Perceive the Impact of Social Media.

Faculty Mentor Michelle Wade
Faculty Department Counselling
Academic Department Counselling
Contact Information Email Dr Wade
Appropriate Majors/Programs Humanities-related disciplines and the social sciences
Position Availability Fall, spring, summer
Description Investigation of how mental health clients perceive the impact of social media, texting, and smartphone applications on the therapeutic relationship as well as therapeutic success.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Fashion Design incorporating 3-D design.

Faculty Mentor Julia Ravindran
Faculty Department Fashion Design
Academic Department Fashion Design and Merchandising
Contact Information Email Dr Ravindran
Appropriate Majors/Programs Business, Communication, Fashion Merchandising, any student interested in social media
Position Availability Summer
Description Project 1 Fashion Design incorporating 3-D design. Utilizing technology to create a wearable garment that allow the 3-D design a fabric palette.
Project 2 3-D printing to enhance costuming with fabric.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Turtle Trapping

Faculty Mentor Todd Rimkus
Academic Department Biology and Physical Sciences
Contact Information Email Dr Rimkus
Appropriate Majors/Programs Biology and Physical Sciences, Education, Math, Information Technology, Nursing, and any majors in the Social Sciences and the Humanities who wish to integrate science topics with their disciplines.
Position Availability Summer
Description Project 1 Turtle Trapping
Explore the natural habitat of turtles and learn how to trap and handle the largest turtles in Virginia. Compare trap types and work to build the best turtle trap for your favorite turtles.
Project 2 Reptile Egg Physiology
Turtle egg laying and incubation of eggs is explored in the seasonal events for several different species. Snake eggs may be available at different times of the year from several resident snake species.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

3-D Modelling and Printing

Faculty Mentor Eric Bubar
Academic Department Biology and Physical Sciences
Contact Information Email Dr Bubar
Appropriate Majors/Programs Biology and Physical Sciences, Education, Math, Information Technology, Nursing, Physical Therapy and any majors in the Social Sciences and the Humanities who wish to integrate science topics with their disciplines.
Position Availability Fall, spring, summer (ongoing)
Description Project 1 Learn 3D modeling, computer programming and hobby electronics/microcontrollers in order to invent tools to aid individuals with disabilities and/or mobility challenges.
Project 2 Create and test mechanical prosthetic hands/devices.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Creating Assistive Technologies For Individuals in Need

Faculty Mentor Eric Bubar
Academic Department Physics
Contact Information Email Dr Bubar
Appropriate Majors/Programs Biology and Physical Sciences, Education, Math, Information Technology, Nursing, Physical Therapy and any majors in the Social Sciences and the Humanities who wish to integrate science topics with their disciplines.
Position Availability Fall, spring, summer (ongoing)
Description Project 1 Assist with creating assistive technologies for individuals in need. There are a variety of projects available that will involve using 3D scanning, 3D design and 3D printing to create tools for completing any task imaginable. To date, students have worked in the printing lab to create molecule kits for the visually impaired, designed swimming fins, pompom holders, bike grips and full-fledged prosthetic hands for individuals with limb differences and design and print fashion accessories. In this lab you learn skills to accomplish any task that you can imagine for the purposes of helping other.
Project 2 We combine 3D scanning, design and printing with low-cost microcontroller computers (e.g. arduino and raspberry pi) to create bionic prosthetic devices. Projects involve creating robotic hands and arms, using bluetooth muscle sensors to create control schemes for prosthetic devices and even creating sensors to measure bite strength of small mammals.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Investigating Protein Interactions that Regulate Neural Development

Faculty Mentor Amanda Wright
Academic Department Biology and Physical Sciences
Contact Information Email Dr Wright
Appropriate Majors/Programs Biology and Physical Sciences, Education, Math, Information Technology, Nursing, Physical Therapy and any majors in the Social Sciences and the Humanities who wish to integrate science topics with their disciplines.
Position Availability Summer
Description Project 1 This project will involve investigating protein interactions that regulate neural development. Students will be working with mouse tissue to perform localization techniques or binding studies.
Project 2 This is the first phase of a multi-phase project that involves mammalian cell culture. Students will learn cell culture techniques and establish a stock of cells in which to perform localization studies.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Utilization of Tissue Culture, Protein Extraction and Western Blotting.

Faculty Mentor Susan Agolini
Academic Department Biology and Physical Sciences
Contact Information Email Dr Agolini
Appropriate Majors/Programs Biology and Physical Sciences, Education, Math, Information Technology, Nursing, Physical Therapy and any majors in the Social Sciences and the Humanities who wish to integrate science topics with their disciplines.
Position Availability Summer
Description Project 1 Utilization of tissue culture, protein extraction and Western Blotting to compare protein expression levels of SCAMPs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in PC12 cells.
Project 2 Utilization of tissue culture, mRNA extraction, cDNA synthesis and PCR to examine mRNA expression levels of SCAMPs 1,2,3,4, and 5 in PC12 cells.
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Analysis of the Efficacy of a Humane Education/Court Diversion Program for Youth Using Shelter Dogs

Faculty Mentor Holly Hargreaves-Cormany
Faculty Department Forensic and Legal Psychology
Academic Department Forensic and Legal Psychology
Contact Information Email Dr Hargreaves-Cormany
Appropriate Majors/Programs Humanities-related disciplines and the social sciences
Position Availability Fall, spring, summer
Description Project 1 Analysis of the Efficacy of a Humane Education/Court Diversion Program for Youth Using Shelter Dogs
Project 2 Research on the Link Between Animal Cruelty and Interpersonal Violence
Date Posted March 16, 2018

Creating Garments Using 3-D Printing

Faculty Mentor Julia Ravindran
Faculty Department Fashion Design
Academic Department Fashion Design and Merchandising
Contact Information Email Dr Ravindran
Appropriate Majors/Programs Business, Communication, Fashion Merchandising, any student interested in social media
Position Availability Summer
Description 3D printing is a relatively new concept in the fashion industry, yet it is one of the fastest growing technologies being integrated into companies. Whether 3D printing is being utilized in traditional mass-market productions or being scaled down to printing customized designs in the comfort of your home, the growing influence of 3D printing on fashion is increasing every year.

In order to keep up with new and innovative techniques I would like to utilize 3D software to create garments with 3D printed designs and embroideries.

I would like to research:
– The cost effectiveness of using 3D printed embroidery versus traditional embroidery methods
– Reduce the carbon footprint that is a major problem in the fashion industry today.
– Experiment with various types of materials used in 3D printers to determine the best materials to make garments in.

This research will assist me in incorporating the latest techniques into my courses and aid students in preparing for working in the fashion industry.
Date Posted March 16, 2018