Hendrix Odyssey Program
Project Funding
February 2007
The Committee on Experiential Learning has awarded Odyssey Grants totaling $136,391.35 to 35 projects, 26 proposed by students and 9 by faculty members, in the February 2007 cycle for summer projects. Since the Odyssey Office opened in August of 2005, approximately $470,000 in competitive grants has been awarded.
Several of these projects involve educational outreach to children. Others will require students to travel around the globe, from England to Ecuador to Estonia. Hendrix students will serve those in need, perform cutting-edge research in labs, gain valuable experience for future careers and learn more about themselves and the world around them.
The Odyssey Grant recipients include:
Paul Anderson, Patrick Huddleston, Travis Kaufmann and Erica Siebrasse
Project: Ridin' Dirty with Science
Category: Special Projects
Sponsor: Dr. Liz Gron
Faulkner County students in the 7th and 8th grades will get “down and dirty” with science this summer. Hendrix students have organized a project to foster an interest in science through educational, fun, and interactive science experiments in the College’s state-of-the-arts facilities. In collaboration with the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Faulkner County, Ridin’ Dirty with Science will be offered in two sessions, June 4-5 and June 7-8, with 30 participants in each. The group will focus on three experiments. For “Bacteria in the Environment,” the students will collect and culture environmental swabs from a variety of source, forming a hypothesis about which ones will show the most bacteria under a microscope in the lab. “Caught Dirty Handed” will reinforce the concept of bacteria as students touch a Tootsie Roll and then determine whether hot water, cold water, soap or a paper barrier affects the transfer of bacteria. The chemistry experiment “Limonene from Orange Peel” will show the students how to create a citrus-based solvent and will include a discussion of how soap and grease interact. The participants will receive a pair of laboratory goggles and a t-shirt to keep as a souvenir from the science sessions.
Mallory Bader
Project: Cross-Cultural Differences in Archaeology and Historic Preservation
Category: Special Projects
Sponsor: Dr. Brett Hill
Mallory Bader will experience archeology on two continents this summer, giving her the opportunity to study the cultural difference in the treatment of sites in America and in Europe. Her Odyssey will begin with a week at the Arkansas Archaeological Society’s Training Dig in the Ouachita Mountains. Bader will receive training on methodology in the field as she investigates stone tool production and use by the area’s hunter-gatherers. Later this summer, she will travel to England to attend the Archaeology Field School through the University of Sheffield’s research program, where she will be trained in Environmental Archaeology. The fieldwork includes an introduction to modern scientific techniques regarding ancient botanical, animal and human remains.
Nicholas Balée
Project: A Survey of Current Economic and Political Trends among the Sirionó Indians, Eastern Bolivia
Category: Global Awareness
Sponsor: Dr. Anne Goldberg
This summer, Nicholas Balée will travel to Bolivia to visit the Sirionó Indians, an indigenous tribe dealing with economic and political changes. He’ll take a look at how this ancient society is coping with the modern world and globalization. They have moved from a barter economy to establishing an industry based on honey production for profit. An interest in ethno-tourism has also increased their contact with the outside world. In addition, previously the Sirionó Indians were led by chiefs in a hierarchical power structure; now they have organized themselves into a corporate structure called the Sirionó Indigenous Council with elected officials. Balée will carry out his research with his father, Dr. William Balée, a professor of anthropology at Tulane University and an expert on Bolivia’s indigenous groups.
AJ Berna
Project: Summer Internship
Category: Professional and Leadership Development
Sponsor: Dr. Jay Barth
“The true value of an internship is both making connections and getting the experience of being in an office where national policy is formed,” says politics major AJ Berna. After interning this year at the Arkansas state capital, he’s moving up to the national scene. He’ll be in Washington this summer, working as an intern for Senator Blanche Lincoln. Acknowledged as one of the most prominent women in the country and a powerful politician in Arkansas, Sen. Lincoln represents 2.6 million constituents. Berna will help with the daily functioning of her office.
Samantha Bode
Project: Wildlife Conservation in Ecuador
Category: Global Awareness
Sponsor: Dr. Matt Moran
“Ecuador, despite its small size, is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth,” says Samantha Bode. She’ll visit the country to learn more about tropical ecology, conservation and wildlife. Bode will volunteer with the Rescue Center of Guayaquil, which rehabilitates parrots, macaws and other tropical birds. She’ll care for the birds and study their behavior. She’ll also take research excursions to the Guayas River, the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands. Another aspect of her project is making presentations about conservation at museums in Quito and Guyaquil. By staying with a local Ecuadorian family, Bode will also improve her Spanish skills. She will share her experience in Ecuador at a campus presentation this fall.
Julie Champlin and Katie Armstrong
Project: Photos, History, and Culture: The United States Naval Academy from a Liberal Arts Perspective
Category: Special Projects
Sponsor: Dr. Rod Miller
Photographer Julie Champlin and art historian Katie Armstrong will join forces to capture the spirit, architecture and traditions of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Their visit is planned in the days before Commissioning Week, when diplomas are granted and the newest naval officers are commissioned. At this time, some of the Academy’s most interesting, entertaining and enduring traditions are observed to celebrate this exciting event. Champlin will record the spirit and architecture of the Academy, while Armstrong will research the historical context of the images. At the end of the project, Champlin and Armstrong will provide the Academy’s Public Relations office with access to their images and writings.
Casey Coman
Project: Process Summer Academy in Yantai, China
Category: Global Awareness
Sponsor: Dr. Jay McDaniel
English major Casey Coman will lend her expertise to the Process Summer Academy hosted by Lu Dong University in Yantai, China. As a teaching assistant to Dr. Jay McDaniel, Coman will serve as a writing resource for the Chinese participants who need assistance with grammar and syntax. The academy is centered on the principles of Process Philosophy, which evolved from the writings and teachings of Alfred North Whitehead. Participants will focus on education and ways to improve educational systems, particularly in China. Coman will gain a deeper understanding of Chinese attitudes toward education as she also develops a video documentary of the three-week conference that will be distributed to the libraries of 17 research centers in China, which are affiliated with 14 of the country’s universities and colleges.
Sally Cunningham
Project: Tanzania Study Abroad: East African Culture, History and Environment
Category: Global Awareness
Sponsor: Dr. Anne Goldberg
For three weeks this summer, Sally Cunningham will immerse herself in the language, culture, history and ecology of Tanzania. Her itinerary includes the University of Dar es Salaam, the International Criminal Tribunal in Arusha, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Bagamoyo historical slave trading site. Cunningham will participate in literature-based roundtable discussions at each location. As an aspiring anthropologist, she will also observe and record her social and cultural interactions with the Tanzanian community. “It is my hope that this trip will not only strengthen my love of anthropology but also provide me with plenty of first-hand experience for future career opportunities,” Cunningham says.
Jeffrey DeWitt
Project: Cambodian Field School Project
Category: Special Projects
Sponsor: Dr. Anne Goldberg
Jeffrey DeWitt is combining his interests in anthropology, religion and history at a field school in Cambodia that’s a joint program of Northern Illinois University and the Royal University of Fine Arts department of archaeology in Phnom Penh. DeWitt will study the growth of Buddhism after the religion’s systematic destruction by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Teaming up with two Cambodian students, DeWitt will use ethnographic techniques to gather life stories of monks, nuns and laity to piece together the meaning and significance of Buddhism’s resurgence. He will also record the history of their temple, from its construction through its more recent turmoil. “The direct anthropological study of religion, combined with the focus on Buddhism in its actual practice, is an excellent opportunity for me to achieve exactly what I hoped to gain from my undergraduate career.
Tommy Dornhoffer
Project: Creating a Coral Reef in DW Reynolds: Phase Two
Category: Special Projects
Sponsor: Dr. Jennifer Dearolf
Tommy Dornhoffer’s existing (and thriving) coral reef aquarium tank in D.W. Reynolds will soon have two neighbors, each with a different environment. The second aquarium will feature clownfish, anemones, and jawfish. This aquarium will allow observation of social dynamics, breeding rituals and intra- and inter-species interactions. The third tank will be a soft-coral system that emulates the Gulf of Mexico. Native corals are highly protected in the wild, so Dornhoffer will rely on his own captive-raised specimens to populate this rarely seen biotope. The tank will also feature crustaceans (shrimp and crabs) and echinoderms (starfish and sea urchins). Together, these three tanks will continue to be an educational resource for students and a highlight of the building.
Stephen Dyle
Project: In Search of Neanderthal Occupation and Utilization of a Spanish Cave
Category: Special Projects
Sponsor: Dr. Anne Goldberg
With last summer’s experience at an archeological dig in Belize, Stephen Dyle won’t be your average volunteer at a site in Spain this year. An inexperienced excavator could damage ancient artifacts, but Dyle’s training will allow him to identify and properly handle his discoveries. He will volunteer with professors from the Universitat de Barcelona who are conducting an excavation of Cova Gran, a remote cave in the Pyrenees of Spain. This site has shown evidence of Neanderthal occupation and utilization, and it may help answer lingering questions about what made prompted migrations from south of the Pyrenees into the Iberian Peninsula. In addition, Dyle is a Spanish language minor. “I will be able to serve as a translator between English-speaking volunteers and the Spanish project directors to ensure that the scientific goals of this project are carried out,” Dyle explains.
T.C. Elliott
Project: Uganda: A Medical Odyssey and Immersion
Category: Service to the World
Sponsor: Dr. Jennifer Dearolf
Break-bone fever. Sleeping sickness. River blindness caused by parasitic worms. These are all diseases that aren’t common in the United States, but they are prevalent in Africa. Aspiring physician, T.C. Elliott would like to focus on missionary medicine, but America’s medical schools don’t cover tropical diseases. To get the experience with tropical diseases and their treatments, he will head to Uganda to work as a medical volunteer with the African Child Foundation. Working with Ugandan doctors, he will make rounds in a government hospital and learn the practice of tropical medicine. A licensed EMT, Elliott will conduct medical clinics in villages and work at an HIV/AIDS clinic. He will live with a host family during his stay. “I can think of no other opportunity that offers such magnificent insight into the realms of medicine, humanity and the needs of the impoverished,” Elliott says.
Jordan Frazin
Project: Unpaid Internship with the University of Tartu in Tallinn, Estonia
Category: Global Awareness
Sponsor: Dr. Kim Maslin-Wicks
Jordan Frazin will travel to Tallinn, Estonia, for an internship with the University of Tartu supervised by Mr. Mart Susi, director of the university’s international program and a professor of law. His main responsibility will be planning, coordinating and escorting students from across Europe on immersion experiences that complement classes they've taken as part of the university’s summer program. “I will be accompanying the students on these academic excursions and making sure everything goes as planned,” Frazin says. He will also work with university employees who specialize in financial accounting, marketing, and business planning. In addition, Frazin will conduct research relevant to his Senior Capstone Experience as an Economics major, assessing the degree to which globalization, Flat tax reform, and the adoption of libertarian policies have contributed to Estonia’s exemplary economic transformation and advancement of human rights and freedoms.
Lacey Gebhart
Project: Lacey’s Service to the World: Uganda Edition
Category: Service to the World
Sponsor: Dr. Susan Perry
After graduation, Lacey Gebhart hopes to move to Africa as a long-term volunteer. She has a special interest in the victims of famine, war, disease and poverty. She will be working with Africa Greater Life Mission (AGLM) to help make a difference in the lives of the people in Kampala, Uganda, this summer. AGLM’s primary goal is to reach out to women and children through community-sustainable projects and programs aimed at poverty reduction. Gebhart will participate in AGLM’s program to teach English in orphanages and primary schools. She will also work with HIV/AIDS victims at counseling centers and at their homes. There is one AGLM program that has attracted Gebhart’s interest. The Women Empowerment Program/Poverty Eradication Program involves constructing livestock shelters for widows who raise pigs and helping the women market their handcrafts. “This project exposes me to a wide array of volunteer work that I could do in the future,” Gebhart says.
Alberto Gomez
Project: Service to El Teul de Gonzalez Ortega
Category: Service to the World
Sponsor: Dr. Mark Sutherland
Alberto Gomez isn’t a physician yet, but he has enlisted the aid of many doctors from his hometown in Arkansas for his project. The doctors donated thousands of dollars worth of medical supplies, ranging from the most basic gauze bandages and gloves to syringes and glucometers. One of the doctors taking an interest in the project is Rafael Gomez, MD. His dual licensure in the United States and Mexico will allow him to transport this large amount of medical supplies across the border to El Teul De Ortega in Zacatecas, Mexico. Gomez’s project has three components. A local physician in the area has agreed to bring Gomez with him on his nightly rounds to houses in the area for the first week. Next, Gomez will volunteer in the local hospital where he will serve the people of the community and have a chance to observe the difference between the hospitals in Mexico and the United States. Finally, Gomez and a licensed medical physician from Arkansas will establish an independent health service clinic for the community. “We will provide some much needed medical service that lacks in this part of the country,” Gomez says.
Lovemore Gororo
Project: Summer Internship with Heifer International
Category: Professional and Leadership Development
Sponsor: Jessica Cates
Lovemore Gororo's interest in international development brought him from his native Zimbabwe to Hendrix College. This summer, it will take him to an internship with Heifer International. This organization is admired worldwide for its emphasis on developing economic self-sustainability and social change, especially in improving the economic role played by women in developing countries. Policy decisions are made in at the upper levels at the organization’s headquarters affect its programs internationally. “Hendrix College has a reputation of producing graduates that go into the world and make a change,” Gororo says. His internship will help him achieve that goal.
Devon Holder
Project: An Unforgettable Experience: A Summer Trip to India
Category: Global Awareness
Sponsor: Dr. Anne Goldberg
This summer, Devon Holder will be part of an eight-person team traveling to India with Student Mobilization, a non-denominational Christian organization. He will work with the International Cultural Exchange to share his faith and interact with college students in India. An anthropology major, he’ll be able to make cross-cultural comparisons and build his cultural relativism perspective and holistic approach. “I hope to see things from an anthropological viewpoint, observing not just the spiritual and cultural issues, but environmental, economic and social issues as well,” Holder says. He is also deeply interested in religion, and this experience may help him decide between attending seminary followed by missionary work or pursuing an advanced degree in anthropology.
Lawrence Laman and Shlok Vaidya
Project: An Odyssey to India: A Look at Murder on the Railway
Category: Special Projects
Sponsor: Dr. Todd Berryman and Dr. Jay McDaniel
Commuter railways around the world have been targeted by terrorist attacks. On July 11, 2006, seven bombs on the morning commuter trains in Mumbai, India, resulted in 209 fatalities. India has the second largest railway system in the world, and it has become a political target. Lawrence Laman and Shlok Vaidya will travel to India to analyze the politics surrounding railway violence by looking at its history and its recent manifestations in the country. The students will interview members of the railway administration board, journalists, security professionals and government officials in New Delhi. India isn’t alone in dealing with railway violence; terrorists have attacked trains in England, Spain and Japan. This makes the relationship between transportation and security of prime interest to travelers around the world.
Christopher Reiss
Project: NYSS Figure Painting Path
Category: Artistic Creativity
Sponsor: Dr. Rod Miller
Artist Christopher Reiss will be headed to the New York Studio School for a seven-week program this summer. He will take the Figure Painting Path, a program focused on representing the live model as specifically as possible in a series of complicated still-life and spatial set-ups. He will delve into realistic representations, spatial relationships and the complexities of color as he gets instruction in a Drawing Marathon and a Figure Painting Atelier. “This program promises to be the most intense endeavor of my life, artistic or otherwise,” Reiss adds.
Sarah Rigg
Project: Studying the Improvement of South Africa's Environment and Economy
Category: Global Awareness
Sponsor: Dr. Allison Shutt
This summer, Sarah Rigg will have an internship with Bazisa-Technical Waste Solutions, located in Pretoria, South Africa. Her work will focus on helping the company with environmental projects in two municipalities to implement effective waste management systems such as recycling and composting. These would be linked to improved food production and small business development. While there, Rigg will also have the opportunity to study the role of tribal authorities in local economic development. “I will have a chance to work with some of the local youth to conduct a household survey that will provide data upon which to create the development strategy,” Rigg says.
Katherine Robinson
Project: Exploring Applied Process Theology through Church Internship, Intentional Living, and Summer Institute
Category: Professional and Leadership Development
Sponsor: Dr. Jane Harris and Dr. Jay McDaniel
Process theology is based on the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead; it’s an eco-justice school of thought that views God in impressionable dialogue with the world. This summer, Katherine Robinson will study process theology in three unique ways to gain a broader view of it. First, she will live in Myra House, an intentional Christian holistic living center that focuses on harmony with the environment. Next, she will be a pastoral intern at Claremont United Methodist Church, which is socially active and progressive. Here, she will see how process theology works in a congregational setting. The third part of her project is an internship at the Center for Process Studies, which has a goal of promoting the common good through process thought’s relational approach. The Center will also pay for her to attend the Process and Faith Summer Institute, a week-long seminar with informative workshops for its international participants. “As part of the next generation of clergy in the United Methodist Church, process theology will shape my ministry,” Robinson says.
Trang Van
Project: Moderation of Peanut Allergic Reactions using Activated Charcoal
Category: Undergraduate Research
Sponsor: Dr. Randall Kopper
An allergy to peanuts affects more than 1.5 million Americans. Food is the single most common cause of anaphylactic shock treated in hospital emergency rooms, with 30,000 cases a year. Of these, 200 are fatal. At this time, the only treatment for a severe allergic reaction is the immediate injection of epinephrine. This summer, Trang Van will research the possibility of using activated charcoal, commonly used to treat the ingestion of toxic substances. It has not been used to treat allergic reactions to foods, but the possibility exists that charcoal could adsorb the allergens, allowing them to traverse the gastrointestinal tract without triggering a reaction. If that’s the case, activated charcoal could be used as a supplemental medical treatment. Although the focus of this project is peanut allergens, this same concept could apply to other food allergens.
Emily Williams
Project: American Meets Cuisine: A Vocational Calling
Category: Special Projects
Sponsor: Dr. Stella Capek
One day, Emily Williams would like to open a restaurant. A life-long interest in culinary arts will lead her to Thailand this summer to train in some of the nation’s finest cooking schools. “The true study of cooking cannot be found in a book and must be learned in a kitchen,” she says. Williams is attracted to the cooking style of Asian countries, which she says is more cutting edge than European. The liberal use of spices is becoming more familiar to American palates. As Williams notes, she will need to learn to control the heat of the spices in authentic Asian foods, and she’ll be taught by the best in the field.
Student Undergraduate Research projects supervised by Dr. Liz Gron
Michelle Drilling “Kinetics of Diels-Alder Reactions”
Rachel Stevens “Diels-Alder Reactions: Synthesis in High Temperature Water”
Ryan Wible “Project: Synthesis and Characterization of Diels-Alder Reactions in High Temperature Water”
Michelle Drilling, Rachel Stevens and Ryan Wible will work with Dr. Liz Gron this summer as they explore green chemistry--specifically in the area of organic reactions in extremely hot water. The goal of these green chemistry projects is to investigate super-heated water as an effective, environmentally friendly alternative to non-renewable petrochemical solvents. The students will explore the interaction between organic reactants in the Diels-Alder coupling reaction and superheated water, which is at temperatures greater than 100 oC and pressures more than 200 times regular atmospheric pressure. Drilling brings calculus expertise to the kinetic investigation and data analysis. Stevens will investigate the reactants possible for Diels-Alder reactions, while Wible will become an instrumentation specialist in gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy.
Dr. Robert Dunn
Project: Earthquake Analysis Using a Ring Laser
Category: Undergraduate Research
Abram Harder, Neil Kopper and Adam Jacobs will be on the leading edge of seismological research this summer. Using ring lasers, they will investigate seismic waves produced during earthquakes. Conventional seismographs measure horizontal and vertical ground motion, but a ring laser can show how the earthquake causes the ground to rotate. For example, scientists in Japan reported that tombstones were rotated after large earthquakes. On a larger scale, some buildings are particularly vulnerable to the torque and twisting motion that stems from a seismic event. The ring laser’s responses to the frequent earthquakes from the nearby New Madrid fault will be analyzed and compared to conventional seismographs to investigate the rotational effects of seismic waves.
Dr. Tom Goodwin
Project: Searching for African Elephant Chemical Signals
Category: Undergraduate Research
Minority students, particularly minority females, are underrepresented in the sciences nationally. Mindful of that,Dr. Tom Goodwin will initiate an innovative outreach project that involves collaborative research between college chemistry students and high school students plus their chemistry teacher from Parkview Arts and Sciences Magnet High School in Little Rock. Stephen Jackson, a Hendrix chemistry major, will assist Dr. Goodwin and the high school contingent on a study of elephant chemical communication. In the four-week session, they’ll work side-by-side in the lab, in the classroom and in the field at Riddle’s Elephant Sanctuary. Jackson will continue to work on this project throughout the summer and during the next academic year.
Dr. David Hales
Project: Investigation of sulfur compounds for the reduction of global warming by increasing Earth's reflectivity
Category: Undergraduate Research
Global warming is a hot topic for Luke Erickson, who will examine a worst-case scenario. If drastic, short-term action is needed to slow global warming, what could we do? Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen has suggested increasing the reflectivity of the earth by injecting large quantities of sulfur into the stratosphere. This is the same process that causes temporary global cooling after major volcanic eruptions. The sulfur forms reflective sulfate aerosol particles that block sunlight. Hales and Erickson will investigate sulfur compounds to see if a combination of oxygen or water and ultraviolet light can lead to the production of reflective particles.
Dr. James Jennings
Project: Above the Line Project: A Summer Enrichment Project in the Arkansas Delta (Phases Two and Three)
Category: Service to the World
After in-depth planning sessions this spring, Dr. James Jennings’ “Above the Line Project” is set to launch. Targeting 30-50 low income 3rd grade students in the Forrest City School district, Jennings and his students will focus on providing three weeks of intensive remediation and enrichment in literacy, grammar, mathematics, science and higher order thinking skills. In addition to academics, the students will learn work habits and social skills necessary for success. Hendrix students Kristy Chambers, Adrienne Dawson, Rachel Johnson, Nathan Thomas, and Terricka Thomas have worked with Jennings to create the curriculum. They will lead the classes and analyze assessment data about the project. “One of the strengths of this project is the ability to replicate it in other low-income areas in the Delta,” says Jennings.
Dr. Richard Murray
Project: Molecular Regulation of Neurogenesis
Category: Undergraduate Research
Sam Freyaldenhoven, Cary Small and Maxwell Nguyen will join Ariane Christie, Brian Koss and Matthew Reid in Dr. Richard Murray’s lab this summer for a cutting-edge research project in molecular and developmental biology. They will study the genes that are involved in the generation of neurons that form the mammalian nervous system. Their goal is to understand the cascade of gene expression that occurs when stem cells and progenitor cells become specialized types of neurons. Their work could provide insight into nerve regeneration following disease or injury, and possible ways to relieve chronic pain.
Prof. Maxine Payne and Dr. Anne Goldberg
Project: The Women of San Luis: Sharing Life Experiences through Oral History and Photography
Category: Special Projects
Art and anthropology will combine to document the lives of women in San Luis, Costa Rica. Photographer Prof. Maxine Payne and anthropologist Dr. Anne Goldberg will guide Amy Elkins, Shelby Harrell, Sara Hunter, and Lara Morrow as they use photography and life history interviews for this collaborative project. The Costa Rican women have shown an interest in creating a website about the community, a book and an exhibit. The work by the Hendrix group will provide the material for all of those options. “We aim to show how anthropology is enriched by the visual and how photography can benefit from in-depth participant observation,” Payne and Goldberg say.
Dr. Jennifer Penner
Project: Summer Field Research in the American Southwest
Category: Undergraduate Research
It’s hard to be a small mammal in the Southwest. You’ve got to hoard your own food and try to find everyone else’s hiding places—while keeping them from finding yours. Eileen Quinn and Dr. Jennifer Penner will travel to Canyonlands Needles Outpost in Utah. Their research project will focus on the role of competition for and robbery of* stored food in chipmunk and ground squirrel communities. The animals will be marked and trapped, and then they will be observed to determine where and how their food is stored—or raided.
Dr. Susan Perry
Project: H.E.L.P. Hendrix Early Literacy Program
Category: Undergraduate Research
The Hendrix Early Literacy Program was designed in partnership with the Conway School District and Sallie Cone Elementary to give small group instruction to children who have difficulties with language, reading and writing development. The students participating in the program hear award-winning children’s literature and are encouraged to create their own pieces, reinforcing their own reading and writing skills. This summer, Jake Fluharty and Alissan Jones will assess instructional material (specifically Shared Reading materials) for its proper use in instruction. This information will be shared with local schools to better implement Shared Reading lessons.
Dr. Jennifer Peszka
Project: Does N350 reflect cognitive processing during sleep
Category: Undergraduate Research
“I’m so tired that I can’t think straight!” is a common complaint among sleep-deprived Americans. In the workplace, it can lead to decreased performance, mistakes, and accidents. Michael McAllister will conduct sleep research experiments to see if there are ways to measure the cognitive changes that occur with sleep and sleepiness. His research might help in understanding the point in sleepiness that affects cognitive processing and the ability to perform a task. McAllister will help design the project, set-up laboratory equipment, analyze data and eventually submit the findings for presentation at an international sleep research meeting.