CONWAY, Ark. (February 27,
2018) – Five Hendrix College students on February 14 participated in the annual
event Undergraduate Research Posters at the Arkansas State Capitol. More than
120 students from colleges and universities statewide converged in Little Rock
to present their work and interact with public officials.
The Hendrix students presenting
research were:
- Lindsey
Barrett ’19 of Batesville, Arkansas; mentored by Dr. Jennifer Dearolf; Poster
Title: Fiber-type composition of bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) locomotor
muscle
- Anna
Sharabura ’18 of Little Rock, Arkansas; mentored by Dr. Laura MacDonald; Poster
Title: Collagen Increases Proliferation and Drug Resistance of Papillary
Thyroid Cancer Cells Harboring BRAFV600E Mutations
- Heather
Prowse ’18 of Vilonia, Arkansas; mentored by Dr. Andrea Duina; Poster Title:
The Role of DNA Sequences in Controlling Interaction Between a Transcription
Factor and Genes in Budding Yeast
- Emma
Sward ’20 of St. Louis, Missouri; mentored by Dr. David Hales; Poster Title:
Measurement of the activation parameters for fragmentation at penultimate
proline in three tetrapeptides
- Graham
Harris ’18 of Portland, Oregon; mentored by Dr. Andrea Duina; Poster Title:
Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the dissociation of FACT from genes
following transcription
Both of the students that
biology professor Dr. Andrea Duina mentored for the research presented at the
Capitol used budding yeast cells in their studies.
“Because yeast cells are in
many ways similar to human cells, results stemming from their work will have
implications on human biology as well,” he said. He noted that the students
took care to explain their research in ways that those without extensive
backgrounds in molecular biology and genetics could appreciate. “After speaking
to Graham and Heather following the event, it was apparent that they both very
much enjoyed their experience and were grateful to have had the opportunity to
share their excitement for science with others.”
In addition to serving as a
mentor to one of the students who presented, chemistry professor Dr. David
Hales contacted Conway-area legislators via Twitter to remind them to stop by
the event. They did visit, and later tweeted compliments to the participants
for their work.
“We want our legislators to
recognize the importance of higher education to the future prosperity of
Arkansas,” Hales said. “For me, that concern goes well beyond just STEM fields:
the arts, humanities, and social science fields are also vital to our
competitiveness on the national stage. When government officials meet our
students face-to-face and hear them talk about their work, it makes a huge
impression. I believe this helps to keep higher education on their minds while
they make funding decisions.”
About
Hendrix College
A private liberal arts
college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as
one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That
Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and
rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous
college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been
affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.