With the latest round of funding, Odyssey Program has provided more than $2 million in competitive grants to faculty and students to support projects around the world. The Committee on Engaged Learning (CEL) awarded $155,049.60 in Odyssey grants to 55 projects proposed by faculty and students in the February 2012 cycle. The grand total for funding since the Odyssey Program’s inception in 2005 is $2,046.826.75. The CEL gratefully acknowledges the support of the Project Pericles and the Crain-Mailing Center of Jewish Culture in this funding cycle.
Students will learn more about themselves and the world around them, traveling to several countries including Turkey, New Zealand, Spain, and Belize. Their projects range from photochemistry research to the arts, insects to racehorses.
The grant recipients include:
Asli Ahmed and Zach Hausle
The Rising Crescent! Turkish International Development Policy and Organizations
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Daniel Whelan
Turkey is an emerging player in international development. “Key to this role is Turkey’s increasing stature as a donor of development and humanitarian assistance,” said Asli Ahmed and Zach Hausle. To learn more about the country’s role, they will meet with Turkish public development agencies, development NGOs, and other sectors of the government related to foreign policy in Istanbul and Ankara. This project is underwritten by the generosity of Dr. Daniel Whelan’s Odyssey Professorship.
David Allan
Musical Education and Job Creation in Johannesburg
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Bill Gorvine
This summer David Allan will volunteer with the service organization Rays of Hope in the impoverished township of Alexandra in South Africa. “In my time there I will focus on two projects: a music education program and a jobs training program for the unemployed,” he said. Allan is a musician who will use his unique skills to teach children in an orphanage how music is made and how to improvise together. He will also work with those in the area on an inexpensive means to light homes with solar energy.
Isabel Anderson and Courtney Bass
Racing Home: Exploring Healing Through Horses
Category: SW
Sponsor: Dr. Jennifer Peszka
Isabel Anderson and Courtney Bass will intern with the Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER). The organization provides retiring racehorses with opportunities for new careers. They will work to develop a flagship program to connect soldiers affected by post-traumatic-stress-disorder with CANTER horses traumatized by their racing careers. Equine therapy can be useful because the horses mirror emotions and can provide clear, non-verbal feedback. “Development of this kind of program will serve a dual purpose: helping veterans and giving a career to horses that are too traumatized or injured to be valuable sport horses,” they said.
Maiya Block
Bushcraft
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Joyce Hardin
“Bushcraft is the skill of surviving in the wilderness with limited, or no, resources,” said Maiya Block. She will participate in a summer session at the Boulder Outdoor Survival School. Dealing with physical stress, learning how to make a fire without matches, locating and purifying water, and identifying basic edible and medicinal plants are among the topics covered at the school. She will also delve into almost-lost skills like storytelling and tracking.
Cara Brazeal
Beyond the Home Lines: A Field Experience
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dawn Hearne
Cara Brazeal plans to own her own pastry shop as a career, building on a long-term interest in baking with an emphasis in original breads and desserts. She will work with Hendrix Dining Services as a baker this summer. “The knowledge I will be able to gain is limitless as I am not only looking to gain skills in baking but also the business/management portion of the food service industry,” Brazeal said. She is particularly interested in employee relations and aspects of timing and inventory turnover, which will be useful information for her future business.
Mary Beth Breshears
Walking the Camino de Santiago
Category: SP
Sponsor: Prof. Maxine Payne
Mary Beth Breshears will bring together her interviewing, photography, sketching, and Spanish language skills as she discovers what motivates pilgrims to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The Camino is the pilgrimage road to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a spiritual and physical journey for those who undertake it. “Instead of just walking the Camino, I am in search for reasons why people still walk it today,” Breshears said. She notes that people from all religious and cultural backgrounds will be on the path.
Sheryl Burt and Kelly Rappé
Literacy in New Zealand
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Dionne Jackson
“Balanced literacy is an approach executed in New Zealand embracing the idea that every single child can read and write,” said Sheryl Burt and Kelly Rappé. New Zealand is noted as a world leader in successful literacy instruction. They will observe literacy methods in two different elementary schools in the country, including one that is structured to provide a cultural basis for aboriginal children. They will make a presentation on what they have learned to Arkansas teachers and administrators at a literacy conference in Little Rock this fall.
Emily Canon
Growing with Clinical Treatment and Farming: Professional Field Experience with a Therapeutic Healing Community
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Tim Maxwell
CooperRiis is an in-patient therapeutic healing community in the Appalachian Mountains that works to treat mental illness and emotional distress through a clinical and holistic commitment to the whole person. Emily Canon will work there as an intern this summer. “By working closely with psychiatrists, psychologists, and licensed counselors I will gain insight into the differences their job descriptions entail, and I will learn in-depth they varying methods they each use,” Canon said.
Cece Collins
Medical Care for the Deprived: Volunteering and Translation in Nicaragua
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Jon Arms
The non-profit Nicaragua Resource Network (NRN) provides medical care, education, and basic life skills to the impoverished people of that country, encouraging sustainable lifestyles that give back to the community. Cece Collins will work with NRN’s local doctor assisting her in teaching the mothers and children of the community about nutrition and healthy living habits. “Families lack basic education in nutrition and wellness as well as suffer from a wide variety of untreated medical diseases,” Collins said. She will use her Spanish language skills translating, observing and assisting in the medical care of the people served by NRN along with creating a video to publicize the organization’s work.
Caroline Craig
Volunteering Abroad--An Educational & Cultural Adventure
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Dionne Jackson
“The opportunity to work overseas in Cape Town, South Africa will broaden my perspectives on teaching through my interactions with students with different cultural backgrounds,” said Caroline Craig. She will be participating in a teaching/childcare program that offers volunteer education experiences with local children through Cross Cultural Solutions. She will assist teachers in classrooms, take care of orphaned children, help with recreational activities and work with students as they do homework.
Nathan Crockett
An Environment in Decline: A Photographic Tale of the Vanishing Glaciers
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Jeff Kosiorek
Nathan Crockett will join two friends in Glacier National Park in Montana to conduct field research by doing a photographic survey of the remaining glaciers in the park. They will use rephotography, the process of repeat photography of the same site with a significant lapse of time between the older and new images to show changes in the location. “Great care will be taken to guarantee the vantage point of the contemporary photos is the same as that of the original historical works,” Crockett said. The goal is to measure the amount of transformation in the landscape, from the glaciers to the surrounding area.
Tia Crook
Appalachian Folk Art
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Rod Miller
“Folk art has deep roots in the culture of the area where it is created. In the case of Appalachian folk art, the art reflects the beauty of the mountain life and uses materials that can be readily found throughout history,” Tia Crook said. This summer she will study this unique art form at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tenn. She will learn more about Appalachian folk art, how it has changed over the centuries, and why artists continue to keep the art form alive.
Stephanie Davenport
Searching for Chemical Signals among Mammals
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr.Tom Goodwin
Stephanie Davenport and Dr. Tom Goodwin will study urine samples from African elephants to search for specific organic compounds related to hormonal changes. In addition, she will study excretions from other mammals including polar bears, maned wolves and meerkats. “Most of our study subjects are endangers or highly threatened in the wild, thus our research may provide information that could enhance their chances for survival,” Davenport said.
Michael Ehrenburg
Service Trip to Haiti
Category: SW
Sponsor: Dr. Lilian Contreras-Silva
An earthquake devastated Haiti a little over a year, with many casualties and the destruction of much of the country’s infrastructure. “The need for able-bodied volunteers and funding cannot be overstated in a country that is still struggling to get on its feet after such an incredible tragedy,” Michael Ehrenburg said. He will volunteer in Haiti with Foundation For Peace. He will do construction work on a school, help in a free medical clinic and lead Bible study programs for at-risk youth.
Rachel English
Preserving the Past: A Summer Archives Internship
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Allison Shutt
Rachel English is interested in the field of archives and museum studies. She will learn about curation during an internship this summer with a museum in Jamestown, Va. “Having previous experience in the field, I hope this internship will further my knowledge of the workings of an archive and help me achieve my academic goal of attending graduate school in the UK for museum studies and my career goal of becoming an archivist or curator,” English said.
Patrick Fields
Exporting Arkansas
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Karen Oxner
A branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Commercial Services helps businesses move their goods and services into the international markets. It has a vital role in strengthening American involvement in global business. Patrick Fields will get an insider’s view of the Export Assistance Center as an intern this summer. “This internship will provide me the means of exploring the inner working of a government organization while vastly improving my understanding of international trade and the overall interconnectedness of business throughout the world,” Fields said.
Lacey Freeman
Progressing Toward Tradition: A Search for Relevancy in Religion at the Conservative Yeshiva and Jerusalem Open House
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Marianne Tettlebaum
In Jerusalem, Lacey Freeman will participate in the Conservative Yeshiva’s summer learning program to study the Babylonian Talmud. This document, created in 5 C.E. has become the authoritative text on Jewish civil and ceremonial law. She will explore the ways that Jewish tradition, culture and religion impact social justice projects. “Through studying Judaism at the Conservative Yeshiva, a yeshiva committed to conserving both Jewish tradition, but also the Jewish people as a living – and consequently growing and changing – people, I hope to reflect on the ways that religion, when rightly considered, can serve as inspiration for positive social change and progression toward a more inclusive society for all,” Freeman said. This project is underwritten by the Crain-Maling Center of Jewish Culture.
Udai Garimella and Sam Crocker
Infective Diseases Eradication in Amazonian and Highland Ecuador
Category: GA
Sponsor: Dr. Mark Sutherland
Udai Garimella and Sam Crocker will spend a month in Ecuador participating in the “Infectious Disease Eradication in Amazonian and Highland Program” sponsored by Child Family Health. The program involves physician shadowing and Spanish language instruction in the capital city of Quito and in Puyo, a small highland village. “We will become better acquainted with the practice of medicine as a whole and with the treatment and prevention of tropical, infectious diseases in particular,” they said. Project Pericles is generously co-sponsoring their grant.
Kelvin Gibson
Cancer Epidemiology Internship at Arkansas Department of Health
Category: PL
Sponsor: Prof. Victoria Evans
As the only intern in the Analytical Epidemiology Branch of the Arkansas Department of Health, Kelvin Gibson is looking forward to substantial personal guidance as he observes the day-to-day tasks of an epidemiologist. “My ultimate goal is to be an epidemiologist so that I can study the occurrence, distribution, and patterns of diseases, such as cancer, within groups in a population,” Gibson said.
Jenna Gottshalk
The Language of Service: An Analysis of Communication at the Border
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Anne Goldberg
Jenna Gottshalk will study the mix of Spanish and English at the US-Mexico border. She will volunteer at a community health center to examine bilingual communication within a service organization and the community it serves. “This first-hand experience of language use at the border will allow me to analyze whether language assists or deters social services and whether language creates equal or unequal access to these services,” Gottshalk said.
Ira Grace
Producing Local Theater in Little Rock
Category: AC
Sponsor: Prof. Danny Grace
Ira Grace will produce, direct and write for a one-act showcase of three local plays in Little Rock. The plays will all explore the theme of art, and they will be free of admission to make them accessible to a wider audience. “I think free, local theatre is very important to the health of the theater community as a whole,” Grace said. He intends to work professionally as a producer, director and playwright in the future.
Philip Green
Archaeology Field School at Blue Creek, Belize
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Brett Hill
Philip Green will dig deeply into Mayan history at an archaeology field school through the Maya Research Program in Belize. He will help excavate a Classic Maya city, focusing on how the Maya altered their landscape by observing changes in the ancient environment. “I will be directly involved with field excavations and laboratory work that will give me the necessary skills and experience for a career in archaeology,” Green said.
Anthony Hollingsworth
A Professional Field Experience in Music Business/Arts Management
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Stephen Kerr
“At Hendrix College, I have developed my passion for music, particularly how it shapes a culture and can improve the lives of those who make music and listen to music,” said Anthony Hollingsworth. This summer he will work with WGDY, an oldies radio station, to get a behind the scenes look at the music industry. He will be involved in running a small AM radio station, such as producing commercials, making sales, and going out on remotes for WDGY.
Jennifer Imber and Nicholas Drake
In Search of Turkey: A Nation Between Two Worlds
Category: GA
Sponsor: Dr. Rod Miller
Turkey has a unique dual identity because it straddles the boundary of East and West with significant power in both regions. Jennifer Imber and Nicholas Drake will spend 21 days visiting nine cities in Turkey to understand the two cultural worlds in the country and what they may mean for its future as a world power. “The unique mix of cultures that gave rise to modern Turkey serve not only to define what it has been, but also to lend insight into where it is going and how it will affect the international community as a whole in the coming years,” they said.
Thomas Koen
Uganda Missions: A Visual Experience
Category: SP
Sponsor: Prof. Maxine Payne
This summer Thomas Koen will travel with a mission trip to Uganda to document the work of two organizations that offer sponsorships to support education of Ugandan children and provide medical care. “This project will provide a chance to explore the boundary between ‘fine art’ photography and photojournalism as well as real world experience that will greatly benefit my growth as a photographer,” Koen said. In addition to documenting the mission trip and its accomplishments, he will photograph children who do not currently have sponsors to aid in seeking support for them.
Meredith McKinney
The Scalenus and Diaphragm Muscles' Contributions to Inspiration in the Bottlenose Dolphin
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Jenn Dearolf
“Unlike most mammals, dolphins have a unique ventilator system that allows them to have an explosive intake of air,” said Meredith McKinney. The diaphragm in land mammals is the main muscle of air intake, but the diaphragm in bottlenose dolphins is made of different fibers. McKinney will focus on comparing the dolphins’ more similar scalenus muscle to the diaphragm muscle to explore a hypothesis that the two muscles do not work together in ventilation.
Maria Mendez
El Salvador: Los niños de la calle, los retirados y los sobrevivientes de la guerra
Category: SW
Sponsor: Dr. Lilian Contreras-Silva
A native of El Salvador, Maria Mendez will return to fulfill a promise to come back to help her country. One major problem is the tendency of orphaned street children to become members of gangs. Mendez will provide supplies and teach in a local church’s outdoor classroom for homeless children. “Each of them will receive the school supplies, art supplies, and sport equipment from me. I hope that it will be something that will stay with them as they grow up and reminds them that there are alternatives in life rather than becoming a criminal,” Mendez said.
Katie Michaud
Understanding Tanzania and HIV/AIDS Through Service and Immersion
Category: GA
Sponsor: Dr. Allison Shutt
Katie Michaud will spend five weeks in Tanzania as a volunteer with Global Service Corps’ HIV/AIDS Prevention and Nutrition Education Program. She will help lead workshops aimed at educating local communities about HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, living with the condition and basic nutritional information. “As an outsider aware that Tanzania is more than just a country with a high rate of HIV/AIDS, during my time there I will listen to Tanzanians in order to learn about Tanzania, both inside and outside the context of HIV/AIDS,” Michaud said.
Hope Montgomery
An Odyssey to Morocco: a Culture Through the Eyes of Youth and Education
Category: GA
Sponsor: Dr. Bobby Williamson
Hope Montgomery will spend two weeks in Morocco focusing on the Muslim youth in the country. “I am particularly interested in how young people reflect on the role of Islam in their lives, as well as their views on education since, this is something we have in common,” Montgomery said. She will travel with a Peace Corp volunteer, which will help her cross the language barrier and experience the country in more intimate settings such as home visits. She will also talk with youth development officials and teachers to get a broader understanding of the lives of youth in a Muslim context.
Sung Oh
Perishable Goods: Korean American Grocers in New York City
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Michael Sprunger
In the 1960s, a wave of Korean immigrants arrived in the United States. Many of these new arrivals opened grocery stores, often buying them from retiring Italian and Jewish owners in declining neighborhoods. There was conflict and harmony between the neighborhood’s longtime residents and the newcomers in New York City. And as many of the original grocers age, their children are not continuing the tradition—which can change Korean-American society. Sung Oh will study the current social and economic status of the Koreans and their grocery stores. “It is a study of old and new; new people coming into old neighborhoods, and a new generation creating their own path away from the first generation,” Oh said.
Bailey Ott and Elizabeth Krug
Exploring the Holocaust Beyond the Classroom
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Dorian Stuber
Bailey Ott and Elizabeth Krug will explore the modern remembrances of the Holocaust in several locations around the world. “Our goal is to get a well-rounded experience of how our world is remembering such a tragic event in history, not just from one culture, but from several,” they said. They will visit a museum in Washington, D.C., a concentration camp in Krakow, Poland, a memorial and a Jewish museum in Berlin, Germany, and a memorial in Vienna, Austria. This project is underwritten by the Crain-Maling Center of Jewish Culture.
Kelly Owen
Omar and the Owens
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Jeff Kosiorek
Kelly Owen has been inspired to take a journey through part of her family’s history to explore the connection between her ancestors and Omar Ibn Sayyid, who is regarded to have been the most educated slave in North Carolina during his lifetime. “He is renowned for authoring the only known slave autobiography written in a native language, and is considered to be the best-documented example of a practicing Muslim slave,” Owen said. Sayyid was purchased by James Owen, a plantation owner and future governor of North Carolina, in 1810. Owen is interested in researching the relationship between Sayyid and the Owen family through rare books and archival materials.
Ania Payne
Internship at Write Bloody Publishing
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Rod Miller
Write Bloody Publishing is a small press located in Long Beach, Calif., that promotes and publishes books of poetry, short fiction, and humor. Ania Payne will work as an intern for the company, reading a variety of manuscripts and sharpening her editing skills. “After my internship is over, I will have a much better understanding of the publishing industry and what I would be able to contribute to the industry if I choose to pursue a career in that direction,” Payne said.
Sarah Poulton
Summer Internship
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Tyrone Jaeger
Located in Conway, Ark., the Oxford American in an acclaimed quarterly magazine that focuses on Southern culture, life, and literature. “For an English student, interested in literary writing and publications, a summer internship with the Oxford American provides the experience, connections, and education necessary to begin collecting a portfolio of work and experience that becomes invaluable in later pursuits,” Sara Poulton said. As an intern with the publication, Poulton hopes to learn the ropes of the editorial and magazine world.
Josephine Reece
Intern: Non-Profit Publishing
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Chris Campolo
This summer, Josephine Reese will intern at one of three nationally renowned non-profit publishing houses in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Each house is committed to publishing diverse and dynamic authors in literary criticism, essays, novels, poems, and short stories. . “I will practice reading and evaluating literature, dealing with manuscripts, proofing, administration, and proactively searching for new authors by working alongside established editors,” Reece said.
Carly Roark
Testing for the Presence of Pathogenic Bacteria and Viruses in Ducks
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Mark Sutherland
“There is a preconceived notion that ducks harbor bacteria and viruses that could be harmful to humans and therefore one should not keep ducks as pets,” said Carly Roark. She will test this concept and see if there is any truth to it. She will raise four Pekin ducks from the first days of their life into adulthood, regularly testing for the presence of bacteria and viruses throughout their growth.
Tao Rui and Vivian Dong
Exploring the Evenki Culture--A Northern Hunting Minority Group in China
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Jay McDaniel
The Evenki are members of a minority group who live on the boundary of Russian and China. The word Evenki means “people who live in the forest.” Their numbers have dwindled to only 200 in China, where they are known for their reindeer culture, hunting customs and shamanic religion as they keep their own ancient traditions and lifestyles. “Our research will focus on the protection of their traditions, the ways in which their traditions are now interrupted by the forces of modernity and their prospects for the future,” said Tao Rui and Vivian Dong, who will spend several weeks with the Evenki in China learning about this threatened minority.
Marissa Stubbe
Learning the Language
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Nancy Fleming
Marissa Stubbe will spend four weeks in Italy, studying the Italian language, both in spoken and in operatic style. “I will be taking classes at the Istituto Italiano in Florence, both on the Italian language itself and on opera history and libretti,” said Stubbe. In addition, she will take diction and singing lessons and present a recital at the end of her month there. She also plans to immerse herself in Italian culture to gain more exposure to the language.
Kevin Theall
Development and Education in Bangalore
Category: GA
Sponsor: Dr. Bill Gorvine
In Bangalore, Kevin Theall will study development and education from the perspective of the recipient of development assistance. He will sit in on classes and conduct interviews with teachers, organization representative and development officials. “This experience is an opportunity for me to hear and observe some of the challenges of implementing development at a local level ad to gain an understanding of the concerns and reasoning of teachers and local development practitioners,” Theall said.
Jennifer Vos
Remembering the Walls of Roman Britain
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Rebecca Resinski
Jennifer Vos will study the ways in which walls built by the Roman Empire during its occupation of Britain have been incorporated into modern communities. “Through this project I hope to gain a better understanding of how walls, and more specifically Roman walls, impact the communities they were once meant to protect,” Vos said. She will visit the city walls of London and Colchester along with the territorial Antonine and Hadrianic Walls. In addition, she will work on an archaeological dig of a Roman fort wall.
Alexandria Wilson
Irish Culture and Language
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Rod Miller
Alexandria Wilson will participate in an international summer school program teaching beginner Irish Gaelic classes in Galway, Ireland. In the course of a month, she will gain a basic knowledge of the Irish language and the country’s linguistic culture. “I will also be taking classes on Irish culture and history, Irish singing and dance and lectures on Irish folklore and society,” Wilson said. The program includes living and interacting with an Irish-speaking family, increasing her exposure to Ireland’s language and culture.
Dr. Andres Caro
CYP2E1-dependent oxidation of mitochondrial DNA
Category: UR
Johnny Tran, Grant Chandler, Logan Rice, Etienne Nzabarushimana, Spencer Sanson and Matthew Bell will work with Dr. Andres Caro to research the chemical reactions leading to damage on mitochondrial DNA in the liver when exposed to ethanol.
Prof. Hope Coulter
Short Story Conference: Universal Themes, Local Setting
Category: SP
The 12th International Conference on the Short Story in English will be held in North Little Rock this June. It will feature established and emerging writers of fiction in English from around the world along with writers whose work has been translated from their native languages. This year’s theme is “Short Story Traditions: Bridges to Modernity and Beyond.”
Dr. Michael Dequeant
Dirhenium Paddlewheel Compounds: From Molecule to Coordination Polymer
Category: UR
Michael Tarne and Dr. Michael Dequeant will work to synthesize several new dihenium paddlewheel compounds. These compounds will then be studied for their electrochemical behavior to test their ability to transfer electrons.
Dr. Matthew Dugas
Swimming against the current: flow rate and the expression of naturally and sexually selected traits of two minnow species
Category: UR
Dr. Matthew Dugas and Maya Bastille will participate in original research in evolutionary biology. They will examine how the environment shapes the expression of traits that increase reproductive success but decrease survival in two fish species native to Arkansas.
Dr. Liz Gron
Summer Analytical Research Experiences: 1) Environmental Analysis: A Cure for Nervous Drinking 2) Designing a Green Shoe String to Support Science Education
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Liz Gron
Dr. Liz Gron will supervise a summer research student working on two projects. First project involves the creation of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry method to survey water samples for the presence of fracking fluids or natural gas. Woven into the spaces of this project will be work on developing science education materials that are scientifically worth and educationally challenging for low resource schools. Inexpensive and safe materials such as use low cost diaper materials or sidewalk de-icing salts would be used.
Prof. Danny Henderson
Feedforward regulation of the exercise ventilatory response under conditions of normocapnia and hypocapnia
Category: UR
Prof. Danny Henderson will lead a research project to examine the arterial levels of carbon dioxide during exercise after hyperventilation of 10 rapid, deep breaths. Research subjects will perform mild to moderate exercise on a treadmill and have their metabolic measurements taken.
Dr. Sarah Lee
Agriculture, Sustainability and Food Security: New Zealand's Cultural Heritage
Category: GA
Dr. Sarah Lee will take four students to the island nation of New Zealand to examine how the country manages land effectively for both conservation and agriculture while balancing the needs of the indigenous Maori. They will also explore the concept of food security among the Maori population, which struggles with obesity and diabetes.
Dr. Chris Marvin
Synthetic Photochemistry Using Visible Light: Development of an Oxidative Mannich Cyclization and 1,4-Addition to Alkenes
Category: UR
Katie Midkiff will work with Dr. Chris Marvin on three research projects involving synthetic photochemistry. They hope to develop new reactions that use visible light to form carbon-carbon bonds.
Prof. Maureen McClung
Adventures in Insect Taxonomy
Category: SP
To update and expand the Biology Department’s insect collection, Prof. Maureen McClung will direct a group of project members as they study insect taxonomy, which includes the collection, curation, and classification of insect specimens. The students will gain professional skills in entomology.
Dr. Rick Murray
Molecular Regulation of Neuron Generation During Mouse Embryonic Development
Category: UR
The development of the mammalian nervous system requires precise regulation of neuron generation to produce enough of the right cells for a properly functioning brain, spinal cord and nervous system. Dr. Rick Murray, Robin Brown, Saranya Prathibha, Brittany Ross, Jeremy Rowe, and Chelsea Woods will conduct research on the development of sensory neurons alongside the spinal cord to better understand the molecules that regulate developmental decisions in neuron generation.
Dr. Andrew Schurko
The secret to celibacy: Are bdelloid rotifers using DNA damage repair as a substitute for sexual reproduction?
Category: UR
Bdelloid rotifers are aquatic invertebrates that have survived for millions of years without sexual reproduction, yet they maintain the genes for sex. Dr. Andrew Schurko will work with Emily Cariker, Youmna Moufarrej and Lizzie Goodwin-Horn to test the hypothesis that these genes have evolved a new function in repairing extensive DNA damage.
Dr. Stacey Schwartzkopf
Maya Culture and History in Guatemala
Category: GA
Dr. Stacey Schwartzkopf will take four Hendrix students to Guatemala to explore modern Maya culture and history. They will meet with weavers, activists, bilingual teachers, spiritual leaders and others in the Mayan communities of the country.
Dr. Ann Willyard
Solving a hard pine puzzle: how many species of ponderosa pine are real?
Category: UR
Ponderosa pine is currently treated as a single species of tree, but the name may actually be an umbrella term for as many as 13 unique species. Dr. Ann Willyard will lead student researchers on a six-state journey to collect pine samples. They will use genetic markers to see if they can identify different species.