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Office of Student Research

FIREBIRD Summer 2022 Research Grant Winners

Key: Student Name/ “Title of Project”/ School or Department/ Faculty Mentor

  • Jake Brasen  “Monitoring Invasive Species Dieback in Response to an Introduced Predator” GEO/Johnathan Thayn 
  • Cesiley Barnes  “A construction of vertex algebroids associated with 3 dimensional nilpotent Leibniz algebras that are non-cyclic” MAT/Gaywalee Yamskulna
  • Minani Alexis and Dylan Qualls “Excitation of Non radiating States in High-index Materials” PHY/Uttam Manna
  • Mehdi Bennis “Characterizing the role of a novel bleach defense system in uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC)” BIO/Jan-Ulrik Dahl
  • Alex Furcoiu“The Application of Symbolic Regression in Complex Model Formation” PHY/Rainer Grobe and Q Charles Su
  • Sidney McClure “The Accuracy of Metabolic Equivalents (METs) in Estimating Exercise Intensity of Select Aerobic Activites in Pregnant Women: Is a New Compendium of Physical Activities Needed?” KNR/Samantha McDonald
  • Rudy Morr and Wyatt Frere“The Effects of the Payment Protection Program on the Banking Industry and Local Economies” FIL/Vladimir Kotomin
  • Chris Achammer“Nanometer Dimension Aluminum Oxide Material Fabrication for Memory Devices” PHY/Mahua Biswas
  • Josalyn Service“Classifying vertex algebroids associated with 4 dimensional nilpotent Leibniz algebras” MAT/Gaywalee Yamskulna
  • Alyssa Virola-Iarussi““Interactions between YARS and p38Kb and the CASA complex in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease” BIO/Alysia Vrailas-Mortimer
  • Megan Grant“The genetic dissection of reproductive manipulation by nuptial gift proteins in decorated crickets” BIO/Benjamin Sadd
  • Abby Zissman“Proposal for the Research of Knowledge and Skill Retention in TEC 151” TEC/Stephen Mujeye
  • Emma Martin“A construction of vertex algebroids associated with solvable 2-3 dimensional Leibniz algebras that are non-cyclic” MAT/Gaywalee Yamskulna
  • Gracie Stevens“Bighorn Mountains Geologic Mapping Project” GEO/David Malone
  • Noah Virklan“Sitting Still but Always Changing: How Buddhism is Diversified in America”SOA/Nobuko Adachi
  • Rachel Meister “Evaluating a Collaborative, Community-Based Mural Program for At-Risk Youth” PSY/Laura Finan
  • Isaac Galewsky “Identification of Influencing Factors of Aging in Place Lifestyles” FCS and TEC/Sally Xie

FIREBIRD Grant co-Sponsored by the Center for a Sustainable Water Future Summer 2022 Grant

  • Lacey Fever “Do Animals Use Streams As Corridors?” GEO/ Catherine O’Reilly

Academic Year 2021-2022 Undergraduate Research Support Winners

  • Kaitlyn Blake, English, Reading the Readers of Young Adult Literature, Dr. Danielle Lillge
  • Connor Chambers, Geography, Geology and the Environment, Erosional Ages of The Grand Tetons, Dr. Tenley Banik
  • Ryan Gearman, Construction Management, Transforming Low-income Old Homes into Sustainable Homes through Minimal Investment, Dr. Sundeep Inti
  • Jacob Giles, Biological Sciences, Mechanism of Psilocybin Action in the Brain, Dr. Paul Garris
  • Gabrielle Goytia, Kinesiology and Recreation, Improving the Health Trajectories of Future Generations, Dr. Dale Brown
  • Audrey Harrod, Biological Sciences, Exposure to Pesticide and Pathogen Multiple Stressors and Between-host Transmission in Bumble Bees, Dr. Benjamin Sadd
  • William Kuna, Biological Sciences, Effects of Varying Sexual Selection through Operational Sex Ratio on Investment of Gryllodes sigillatus Males into Nuptial Food Gifts, Dr. Benjamin Sadd.
  • Alexander Olson, Geography, Geology and the Environment, Proposal for Analysis of Greenspace Land Use in Philadelphia, Dr. Alec Foster
  • Jordon Osborne, Alex Diffor, and Jake Weihe, Technology, The Next Generation of Hands-On Learning, Dr. Isaac Chang
  • Megan Parks, Biological Sciences, The Effect of Maternal Progesterone on Steroid Metabolism during Embryonic Development, Dr. Ryan Paitz
  • Christopher Turner, Theater, Arts Integration: Theatre and Mathematics, Dr. Jimmy Chrismon

Summer 2021 Undergraduate Research Support Winners

The Undergraduate Research Support Program provides up to $5000 to support undergraduate student(s) engaged in an intensive, faculty-mentored research experience over the Summer. Congratulations to summer 2021 grantees:

  • Riley Cox, Geology, “Investigation of Oxygen Isotopes in Icelandic Rocks to Uncover Continent-Forming Processes,” mentored by Dr. Tenley Banik
  • Cameron Essex, Geology, “Understanding Magma Formation at Þingmúli volcano, Iceland,” mentored by Dr. Tenley Banik
  • Ian Freeman, Physics, “Simulated Multifragmentation of Nuclear Collisions” mentored by Dr. Matt Caplan
  • Arthur Harris, Chemistry, “Expanding the Organometallic Chemistry of Molybdenum-Based Clusters,” mentored by Dr. Lisa Szczpura
  • Evan Hazzard, Information Technology, “Predicting, Preventing and Visualizing Vaccination Deficiency in Illinois with AI,” mentored by Dr. Shaoen Wu
  • Catalina Hernandes-Ramos, Creative Technologies, “Sharing Darien: Digital tools for communication and engagement of cultural and historical artifacts,” mentored by Krisin Carlson. Jointly sponsored by Illinois State University’s  Center for Civic Engagement
  • Joseph Hoberg, Geology, “ Utilizing a TRAC and a tracer test to better quantify the dynamic movement of shallow groundwater,” mentored by Dr. Eric Peterson. Jointly sponsored by Illinois State University’s Center for a Sustainable Water Future
  • Christopher Hota (Biochemistry) and Miles Howley (Creative Technologies), “Chemistry of Biology: A Holographic Learning Initiative,” mentored by Dr. Kevin Edwards
  • Caleb Hudspath, Biology, “Determining the molecular underpinnings for modulation of escape responses” mentored by Dr. Wolfgang Stein
  • Amelia Korveziroska and Marco Perez (Physics) “Silicon Nitride and Silicon Dioxide Materials Deposition in Nanopatterned Polymeric Films,” mentored by Dr. Mahua Biswas.
  • Jennifer Miller, Biology, “Determining the relative contribution of electrical synapse subunits to the tail flip escape of the Marbled Crayfish” mentored by Dr. Wolfgang Stein
  • Emerson Roden, Biology, “Could invasive species reduce the risk of parasitism for native species? Testing the dilution effect on Aedes triseriatus and Aedes albopictus” mentored by Dr. Steven Juliano
  • Brendan Roseberry, Biology, “Analyzing Effects of Neutorphil Produced Oxidants on UPEC Strains In Vivo,” mentored by Dr. Jan Dahl
  • Evan Talbott-Swain, Biology, “The effect of food limitation on family size in the strawberry poison frog,” mentored by Dr. Mattew Dugas
  • Faeq Zaman, Chemistry, “Cloning and Characterization of Sulfolobus islandicus Cytidylyltransferase,” mentored by Dr. Jon Friesen
  • Shariq Zaman, Chemistry, “Testing Unique Class of Organic Molecules for Their Effect on Leishmania Parasites,” mentored by Dr. Marjorie Jones