Undergraduate Researchers Pack for NCUR at Memphis

The University of Kentucky will send 59 undergraduate student-researchers to the 31st annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) at the University of Memphis April 6-8.

The UK group joins young researchers from around the world to showcase their research findings through poster and oral presentations. Each student will be given the opportunity to discuss their display and share their research results, illuminating how their work will have an impact on future research development. UK has been an active NCUR participant since the mid ’90s.

One of the first things these young researchers learn is that most research is not conducted in the traditional laboratory with bubbling beakers and flaming Bunsen burners. But modern research spans all disciplines and majors, and includes a wide variety of activities.

“For some students, this will be their first exposure to research displayed on a national stage. An experience such as this gives UK’s young researchers the opportunity to professionally present the results of their research projects and to talk with others who share their interests. They will come home with a much wider view of the world and their own intellectual potential. It will greatly expand their idea about what’s possible,” said Evie Russell, assistant director of the UK Office of Undergraduate Research, Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence.

“These students represent the best of our best, and UK should be proud of each one of them.”

The UK students will present their research on a wide range of topics and fields of study. The following is an alphabetical list of the 59 UK students traveling to Memphis with their name, grade, college, major and title of abstract.

• Sara Assef, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, “An examination of the differences in the level of dependency between dual and conventional tobacco users throughout each trimester of pregnancy”
• Alexis Axtell, freshman, College of Health Sciences, human health sciences, “Correlating Knee Flexion Angles and Shoulder Range of Motion During the Tennis Serve”
• Tiwaladeoluwa Adekunle, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, international studies, “Afropolitanism: Unraveling the 'Pre' and 'Post' Dynamics of Decolonization”
• Ibrahim Khalil Appleton, junior, College of Engineering, electrical engineering, “Quantification of Factors Contributing to Cross-Programming in Radio Frequency Identification Applications”
• Elizabeth Barajas, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, “A Drosophila Puparial Skin Protein That Is Regulated Through the Ligand Binding Pocket of Drosophila USP (RXR)”
• Christopher Barrow, senior, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering, “Physics Based Modeling of Fibrous Insulation Using Comparative Cut-bar Experimentation”
• Esias Bedingar, junior, College of Public Health, public health/neuroscience, “Brainwave Signatures for Detecting Malingered Neurocognitive Deficit (MNCD)”
• Alyssa Bertoni, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, political science and international studies, “Syrian Refugees and the Difficulties of Seeking Asylum in Spain”
• Nikita Birbasov, senior, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering, “Accurate Prediction of the Colloidal Nanoparticles Aggregation in an Implicit Solvent with Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics”
• Evan Blanford, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, “Trade-off Between Survival and Reproduction for Female Beetles: How Is Death-feigning and Mate Search Mediated by the Number of Previous Mates?”
• Shelby Brown, sophomore, College of Social Work, social work, “Ahlan wa Sahlan: Examining the Difficulties and Success of Resettled Syrian Refugee Women in Lexington, Kentucky”
• Tori Buckley, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, "Single Cardiac Myocytes From the Left and Right Ventricles Respond Similarly to Isoproterenol and Omecamtiv Mecarbil”
• Madison Calhoun, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, political science and sociology, “Roll-call Voting in the State Legislature: A Study of Kentucky and Louisiana”
• Yujie Ding, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, “Effects of PCN on Cognition and Motor Function in hAPP-Overexpressing Mice”
• DeAnna Duffy, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology, “The Effects of Academic Discrimination on Adolescent Women on Academic Performance and Attitudes in the STEM Fields”
• Ted Ferguson, junior, College of Engineering, computer engineering, “Hardware Implementation of Synapse Using Memristors”
• Allison French, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology, “The Association of Symptomatology and Engagement with Learning in a Narrative Comprehension Intervention for Third Graders At-risk for ADHD”
• Vince Gouge, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, “Hairy-related 9 (Her9) and Vasculogenesis in the Vertebrate Retina”
• Cannon Hanebuth, junior, College of Health Sciences, pre-physical therapy, “Comparison of Academic Performance Between Rural and Urban Physical Therapy Students”
• Kaylee Hicks, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, international studies, “Racial Bias in Epidemic Control in Modern Peru”
• Hannah Himmelmann, senior, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, animal science, “Effects of Electrolyte Water on Digital Dermatitis”
• Katherine Huffman, senior, College of Communication and Information and College of Arts and Sciences, business communication and political science, “Understanding Political Trauma and How It Can Shape Terrorism”
• Marcus Irvan, junior, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering, “Physics Based Modeling of Fibrous Insulation Using Comparative Cut-Bar Experimentation”
• Joslyn Isaac, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, “Differential Effects of Isoproterenol and Omecamtiv Mecarbil on the Contractile Properties of Unloaded Myocytes”
• Hayden Jinright, senior, College of Health Sciences, human health sciences, “Complementary and Alternative Medicine Uses in Physical Therapy”
• Zachary Jones, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, international studies/anthropology, “Racism in Japan and its Effects on Japanese Society”
• Garcia Jordan, junior, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering, “Integrated Computational Design of Tunable 3D CNT/Graphene Hybrid Nanomaterials”
• Ned Katz, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology, “Social Media and Depressive Symptomatology”
• Ashley Keen, senior, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering, “Physics Based Modeling of Fibrous Insulation Using Comparative Cut-Bar Experimentation”
• Josephine Kim, senior, College of Health Sciences, human health sciences, “Combining Natural Compound ß-glucan with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy to Promote Antitumor Immunity”
• Justin King, junior, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering, “Computational Simulation of Ionic Liquids at Mesoscale with Accurate Prediction of Dynamics Using Coarse-Graining Approach”
• Taylor Lewis, senior, College of Nursing, nursing, “Relationship Between Psychosocial Factors and Their Influence on the Intention to Breastfeed During Pregnancy”
• Daniel Ma, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences, biology/neuroscience, “Ganging Enzyme-Coated Microelectrode Sites Produces Greater Sensitivity to an Analyte in a Biosensor”
• Ashley McGar, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology, “Stressful or Traumatic Events and Self-Concept Among College Women”
• Hillary McLean, junior, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, dietetics, “Higher Unsaturated Fatty Acid Intake and Aerobic Training Are Related to Lower Intramyocellular Lipid in Older Adults”
• Timothy Melton, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences, political science, “Foreign Direct Investment's Effect on Political Stability in Developing Countries: Solving the Endogeneity Problem”
• Gregory Milburn, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences, chemistry/biology, “Effects of Ethynylestradiol on Carotenoid Allocation”
• Samuel Northrup, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, political science, “The Political Role of Humanitarian Aid in Conflict Zones”
• Stephanie Obieroma, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, political science, “Republicans and the Art of Gerrymandering: A Match Made in Political Heaven?”
• Alexander Parmley, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, English/philosophy, “The Impact of Vlogging on Modern Web Based Media”
• Joshua Preston, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, “Maternal Nicotine Exposure Prior to and During Pregnancy and Nursing Increases Offspring Obesity Risk”
• Haley Reichenbach, senior, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, equine science, “Comparison of DX613 Copper Sulfate Acidifier Footbath to a 5 Percent Copper Sulfate Footbath for Prevention of Digital Dermatitis Lesions in Dairy Cattle”
• Alberto Rondon, sophomore, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, agricultural biotechnology, “Protein Engineering to Efficiently Degrade Carbohydrates for Biofuel Production”
• Kevin Royal, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, physics, “Hybrid Shielding for Magnetic Fields”
• Abby Schroering, senior, College of Fine Arts, theatre and English, “Moments of Being: Escaping Performativity in Virginia Woolf”
• Samantha Scott, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology/biology, “Triboelectric Potentiation of Beta Amyloid Plaque Formation in Alzheimer’s Disease”
• Brock Sigler, senior, College of Health Sciences, human health sciences, “Trends for Success”
• DaHee Son, senior, College of Fine Arts, art studio and arts administration, “Reference Points for Intimacy”
• Sarah Stewart, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology, “The Effects of Perceived Peer Support on Depressive Symptoms in Victims of Bullying”
• Tyler Stoffel, junior, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering, “Effects of Interlayers on Effective Moduli and Interfacial Stress Transfers of Graphene-polymer Nanocomposites”
• Stephanie Strothkamp, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences, neuroscience, “Brainwave Signatures for Detecting Malingered Neurocognitive Deficit (MNCD)”
• Michelle Tam, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology, “Inequality in Early Social Development: The Effects of Income on Infants’ Processing of Emotion in Bodies”
• Ravyn Tanner, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology, “The Effects of Family Characteristics on Coping Strategies with Sexual Harassment in Adolescent Females”
• Martha Tillson, senior, College of Social Work, social work/psychology, “Early Risk Behaviors as Indicators of Rural Women’s High-Risk Drug Use”
• Benjamin Troupe, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, philosophy with minor in political science, “An Earth Ethic for the New Millennium: Investigating the Moral Status of the Natural World”
• Olivia Utley, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, “Hungry House Sparrows: Communicating Need in Passer Domesticus”
• Madeline Weltzer, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, biology, “Maternal Exercise Alters Lipid Accumulation in Offspring”
• David Willis, senior, College of Communication and Information Science, information communication technology, “Behavior Based Wireless Surveillance”
• Sai Charaan Yalla, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, biology and neuroscience, “Cocaine Choice: Dissociating Preference From Intake”