Hendrix Odyssey
Program
Project Funding
February 2017
As of February 2017, the Committee on Engaged Learning has
awarded $3,657.974.57 in Odyssey grants to Hendrix students and faculty since
the Odyssey Program’s inception in 2005. In this cycle, 40 projects were
awarded $134.062.66. This summer, you can find Hendrix students around the
globe—in labs, at service agencies, and challenging internships.
Lyle
Alford
A
Journey of Faith and Service in Lourdes
Category: SP
Sponsor: Rev. JJ Whitney, Chaplain's Office
Millions of people travel to Lourdes in France, where the
faithful seek healing from the waters of its revered spring. Lyle Alford will work
with Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers to assist pilgrims
at the site. He will give out meals and feed the ill, help those in wheelchairs
negotiate the grounds and provide companionship to those who traveled alone. Along
with his volunteerism, Alford will discern whether a life in the priesthood calls
to him as he explores the differences between French and American Catholicism.
Iad
Alhallak and Alexis Krone
A
Kinetic Analysis of the Formation of Supported Lipid Bilayers through Variation
in Salt and Lipid Concentration
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Peter Kett, Chemistry
Iad Alhallak and Alexis Krone will work on a
collaborative research project looking at the formation of a model biological
membrane. They will investigate the effects that experimental conditions have
on whether and how fast a phospholipid bilayer forms on a silicon dioxide (SiO2)
surface from a vesicle solution. Alhallak will examine the role of lipid
concentration while Krone will focus on the effects of salt concentration."
Roshaneh
Ali
New
Beginnings: Working with the International Rescue Committee
Category: SW
Sponsor: Rev. JJ Whitney, Chaplain's Office
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) once worked with
individuals seeking refuge from Hitler. Currently, the organization is giving aid
to Syrian refugees, victims of human trafficking, and others seeking asylum after
persecution and abuse in their native lands. Roshaneh Ali will volunteer at the
Baltimore location, helping those in need regain control of their lives in a new
environment where they will need to find employment and housing. Ali also plans
to continue organizing campus drives, gathering donations of basic necessities like
warm clothing for the IRC to distribute.
Braxton
Anderson
Characterizing
the Tumor Microenvironment of Thyroid Cancer Using DropSeq
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Laura MacDonald, Biology
Thyroid cancer is the 8th most common type of cancer
in the United States, and it is predicted to increase dramatically in the next decade.
Typically, the cancerous thyroid is removed, followed by a radioactive iodine therapy
to kill any remaining cancer cells. Braxton Anderson will research the mechanisms
of thyroid cancer as a way to identify new therapies. Anderson will use DropSeq,
a new technique to identify cell types within a tumor based on their genomic output.
Kathryn
Bolt
Dance
Therapy at Eastern State Hospital
Category: PL
Sponsor: Prof. Brigitte Rogers, Theatre Arts and Dance
Eastern State Hospital in Kentucky treats patients with psychiatric
disabilities and brain injuries. Kathryn Bolt will combine her interests in psychology
and dance during her summer internship at the hospital. Bolt will instruct Dance
Therapy classes using curriculum from DanceAbility International to establish a
safe and creative environment where participants can learn the dance techniques.
She is interested in seeing the impact dance therapy has on the patients’ mental
and bodily states.
Leah
Crenshaw
College
Staffer at Ozark Mission Project
Category: SW
Sponsor: Rev. JJ Whitney, Chaplain's Office
After five years as a camper at the Ozark Mission Project,
Leah Crenshaw will serve as a college staffer with supervisory duties over volunteers.
The non-profit Methodist organization brings together youth from around the state
to provide manual labor assistance to high-need Arkansans. Crenshaw will plan the
aid projects, teach the needed construction and technical skills to a 25-30 person
group of volunteers, and lead worship services.
Grace
Featherston
Understanding
Our Planet One Aerosol at a Time: Quantification of Biomass Burning Aerosols
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Courtney Hatch, Chemistry
Organic material, known as biomass, releases aerosols when
it is burned. These aerosols pose a variety of human health and environmental concerns,
including long-term effects on the Earth’s climate. Grace Featherston will collect
atmospheric aerosols and quantify levoglucosan, an effective biomass burning tracer,
within the collected particles. As such, the extent of biomass burning on local
air quality in Conway can be assessed. She will gain a better understanding of organic
aerosol physical and chemical characteristics and their diverse environmental effects.
Jessica
Frazier-Emerson
Jessica
Frazier-Emerson at Ozark Mission Project
Category: SW
Sponsor: Rev. JJ Whitney, Chaplain's Office
After many years as a camper with Ozark Mission Project, Jessica
Frazier-Emerson learned the value of the organization’s goal of assisting disadvantaged
Arkansas residents with repair projects for their homes. This year she is serving
as a college staff member, supervising young volunteers. Frazier-Emerson will interact
with the homeowners, draw up blueprints for projects like wheelchair ramps, order
lumber and keep an eye on the budget while ensuring that all participants have a
safe and rewarding experience.
Logan
French
Investigating
the Genomes of Two Oral Disease Causing Viruses: Human Herpesvirus and Coxcackievirus
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. George Harper, Biology
The human herpesvirus and the coxsakievirus are linked to
some of the most common oral diseases. With an interest in pursuing a career in
dentistry, Logan French will compare the genomes between these two virus types.
Using genome sequences from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, French
will align the genomes to spot similarities and differences that might be tied to
the oral diseases.
Emma
Gaither
Don't
stop the Bee-at: The Effect of Noise Interference on Waggle Dance Communication
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Maureen McClung, Biology
When bees find a source of food, they return to the hive and
relay the information about its location through a specialized dance. This waggle
dance is dependent on the other bees sensing body vibrations. Emma Gaither will
investigate whether man-made sounds interfere with the ability of the bees to correctly
interpret the location of the food. It is possible that increased anthropogenic
noise through transportation and industry are contributing to the decline of these
important pollinators by interfering with foraging efficiency.
Hagan
Griffith
The
Experience of a Lifetime: Costa Rica Style
Category: SP
Sponsor: Jeff Trimble, Intercollegiate Athletics
Through the Beyond Sports program, Hagan Griffith will travel
to Costa Rica to share a cross-cultural experience with other soccer players from
around the world. In addition to training with the coaches of the Costa Rica national
team, Griffith will help host service-learning clinics for the Special Olympics
program in San Jose to teach local youth about the sport. Griffin will be in charge
of her own group of Special Olympics athletes as she instructs them about the fundamentals
of soccer through games and other interactive learning experiences.
Geneva
Hill
Volunteering
for Italy's Sex Trafficked and Homeless
Category: SW
Sponsor: Prof. Matthew Lopas, Art
In Arezzo, Italy, Geneva Hill will volunteer at two different
agencies to learn more about pressing humanitarian issues. Hill will work with a
women’s shelter to help mistreated and exploited victims of the sex trafficking
industry as they prepare for their new lives away from their abusers. In addition,
she will learn about the impact of poverty and the need for aid as she assists the
residents at the only homeless shelter in the city.
Callahan
Hirrel
Development
and Implementation of a Functional Programming Language for Teaching Discrete Mathematics
Courses
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Brent Yorgey, Math and Computer Science
This summer, Callahan Hirrel will work with Dr. Brent Yorgey
to develop and implement a functional programming language to aid in the teaching
of Discrete Mathematics at Hendrix. Hirrel will examine the relationship between
math and computer science as he gains an understanding of functional programming
and language development. His culminating presentation will be to faculty responsible
for teaching the course.
Anna
Holmes
Development
of CARDSTOCK, a Card Game Simulation Engine
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Mark Goadrich, Math and Computer Science
Anna Holmes will work on CARDSTOCK, an automated game design
engine that allows users to create, change, and playtest different types of card
games. Holmes will focus on increasing the efficiency and speed of the engine’s
artificial intelligence through parallelization. This will allow the engine to run
on multiple processors at the same time, allowing the computer to run many simulations
of a card game’s variables more quickly.
Jessica
Hunter
Analysis
of Contortrostatin in Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) venom
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. George Harper, Biology
Copperhead venom is a complex cocktail of components that
have different effects on prey. Contortrostatin is part of this blend, and, as a
disintegrin, it blocks the action of certain compounds in the prey's body to subdue
it. Medically, this blocking effect can help prevent the growth and spread of cancerous
tumors. Jessica Hunter will analyze variation in the contortrostatin gene of the
five species of copperhead snakes to gain a more in-depth understanding of this
gene and its evolution.
Jacob
Idec
Computational
Myrmecology: Using Agent-Based Modeling and Custom Video Analysis to Investigate
Division of Labor in the Ant Pheidole dentata
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Mario Muscedere, Biology
Jacob Idec will draw on his interests in animal behavior,
entomology and computer science in two interrelated research goals this summer.
He will create a computer simulation of an ant colony with
artificial intelligence ants and demonstrate how changing behavioral and
environmental variables effects the success or failure of colony tasks. He
will also design and write a computer program to analyze a large volume of
video data taken of ants with injured antennae following a pheromone trail and
examine the data to learn about how they compensate for the injury over
time.
Ian
Jenkins
Investigating
Molecular Mechanism of Thyroid Cancer Using Novel Cellular Models
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Laura MacDonald, Biology
This summer Ian Jenkins will conduct research on thyroid cancer,
focusing specifically on how the disease progresses through uncontrolled cellular
division and motility. He will characterize the role of the protein focal adhesion
kinase (FAK) has on the spread of thyroid cancer cells.
Jonathan
Jenkins
Oh,
The Places You'll Go with Science! Education at the Burn Camp
Category: SP/SW
Sponsor: Dr. Julie Gunderson, Physics
The Oklahoma Firefighters’ Burn Camp in Adair, Okla., is a
week-long summer experience for children aged 6-16 who are burn survivors. With
a Dr. Seuss theme this year, the camp will offer an additional and innovative component
for the campers—fun, interactive, and educational science experiments. Jonathan
Jenkins is an alumnus of the program, and he will bring 18 of his fellow students
and three Hendrix professors with him to share their passion for biology, chemistry
and physics at the camp. The experiments range from Jello Brain Surgery to Egg Drop
Engineering and will be specially designed to accommodate any physical limitations
of the campers, allowing the experience to be accessible to everyone.
Michael
Kramer
Nano-Engineering:
Design and Synthesis of an Effective Molecular Receptor for Fullerenes
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Michael Yanney, Chemistry
Fullerenes
are molecules of carbon that form hollow spheres that resemble geodesic domes,
egg shapes or tubes. Michael Kramer will work on theoretical studies
and synthesis of a molecular receptor that forms a “ball and socket” type
joint with fullerenes. This could have potential applications in separation
science and in organic polymer devices that convert solar power to energy.
Erika
Levy
Behavioral
Compensation, Long-term Behavioral Plasticity, and Neuroanatomical Remodeling in
Majors of the Ant Pheidole dentata
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Mario Muscedere, Biology
Certain ants come in two sizes, small and large. The large
ones are known as majors, and they principally handle food storage and defense.
The small ones, the minors, outnumber the majors 9 to 1. They care for the young,
forage for food and take care of the nest. Erika Levy is interested in what happens
when the minors aren’t around to do their usual duties. Do the majors change their
game plan to keep the nest thriving? How long does it take? Once the nest recovers,
do they remember the jobs they did filling in for the minors?
Justin
Lockhart
All
Tangled Up: Alzheimer's Research with the University of Texas
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Jennifer Peszka, Psychology
The Center for Vital Longevity at the University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center is a leader in Alzheimer’s Disease research and treatment.
Justin Lockhart will work on a research team that is comparing older PET scans of
the brains of Alzheimer patients with newer scans, examining how beta amyloid plaques
and neurofibrillary tangles change and grow over time. Lockhart plans to continue
his interest in researching dementia as he pursues his doctorate in Clinical Psychology,
building on the techniques and skills he develops. His work this summer will help
him learn about more than the research by exposing him to the work environment he
hopes to join.
Amber
Melcher and Ploy Freebairn
Behavioral
Studies in the Locomotion of Caenorhabditis elegans
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Brenda Houck, Biology
Amber Melcher and Ploy Freebairn will conduct independent
research projects on the nematode, Caenorhabditits
elegans. Melcher will test the role of electrical connections between cells
in and how it contributes to movement essential for the nematode’s survival. Freebairn
will perform experiments to test how specialized neurons in the nematode aid in
geomagnetic orientation, which could provide insight into the cellular mechanisms
underlying migration across species.
Kathleen
Mowery and Delaney Wells
Understanding
Rwanda: Culture, Education, Development
Category: GA
Sponsor: Dr. Carol West, English
Kathleen Mowery and Delaney Wells will join twelve K-12 teachers
on a trip to Rwanda through Dr. Carol West’s Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad
grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Mowery and Wells are working toward
certification to teach at the high-school and elementary levels respectively. The
group will visit Rwandan schools and universities, meet with government officials,
experience the culture and history of the country and meet with Hendrix alumni now
working in Rwanda. Mowery and Wells will help develop curriculum units on Rwanda
that can be implemented in American schools in 2018.
Bosco
Ndemeye
A
Bidirectional Programming Environment for Creating and Editing Vector Graphics
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Brent Yorgey, Math and Computer Science
Unlike any popular image formats like JPEGs are made of a
grid of pixels, Vector graphics are made of paths with start and end points-they
can follow curves or become shapes that create images ranging from simple drawings
to complex diagrams. Vector graphics are made by either using editing software or
programming code to draw the image. Bosco Ndemeye is working to create a Graphical
User Interface that combines these two methods, so a user can directly manipulate
the image as the programming code automatically updates itself in real time.
Alexis
Pace
Dominican
Republic
Category: GA
Sponsor: Dr. Duff Campbell, Math and Computer Science
Alexis Pace will experience the culture of the Dominican Republic
as she participates in a multi-faceted service trip to the country through Momentum
Ministries. First, she will use her Spanish language skills to interact with local
children, learning their preferences for music and stories. Next, as part of a carpentry
team, she will help repair homes damaged by a hurricane last fall. Finally, with
a medical team she will assist with hygiene education and seeing the differences
in how those in the Dominican Republic perceive medicine.
Eugene
Pegues
Development
of a Reusable Colorimetric Surface Tethered Polydiacetylene
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Peter Kett, Chemistry
One major problem with biosensors like glucose test strips
used by diabetics is that they typically are for one-time testing, leading to increased
health care costs and environmental impact to dispose of the waste. Eugene Pegues
will work to develop an inexpensive and reusable biosensor based on a glass slide
that reveals the presence of the streptavidin protein through a color change.
Lauren
Petrisin
Cape
Town: Leadership, Service and Culture
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Leslie Templeton, Psychology
Lauren Petrisin was selected to participate in a trip to Cape
Town, South Africa, this summer through LeadAbroad. The organization’s goals are
to develop the student’s leadership skills through educational seminars, provide
community service outreach in the host country, and increase the understanding of
a foreign culture. Petrisin plans to use her enhanced leadership knowledge and ability
to create connections between diverse groups as she pursues a career in physical
therapy.
Heather
Prowse
A
Unique Perspective: How CDC Controls Tuberculosis
Category: SP
Sponsor: Dr. Mark Sutherland, Biology
This summer, Heather Prowse will work at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Ga. The CDC is the nation’s leading public
health protection agency. Focusing on tuberculosis, Prowse will take a multi-faceted
look at how the CDC works to control a single disease at the local, national and
international levels. She will see how medical scientists, doctors, epidemiologists
and public health leaders from a variety of disciplines and areas of interest come
together to address all aspects of an infectious disease, ranging from prevention
to testing and control. This interdisciplinary approach will give her a unique insight
into the way the CDC functions.
Lexus
Raney
Foraging
for Drugs: A Novel Model of Drug Addiction in Animals
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Sara Taylor, Psychology
Researchers have created many theories about drug and
alcohol addiction to identify and explain patterns of abuse. Animal models are
often used in an attempt to understand human behavioral and neural connections
to addiction, with operant conditioning being the most common—an animal
receives a reward for pressing a lever. However, this doesn’t accurately
reflect natural conditions or responses in the real world. Lexus Raney will
spend her summer developing and characterizing a new animal model of addiction,
based on innate food-seeking behaviors of rodents.
Reynol
Rodriquez and Sierra Hubbard
Insect
Biodiversity in Sky Islands of Arkansas
Category: UR
Sponsor: Dr. Matt Moran, Biology
Sky Islands are mountaintops isolated from their significantly
different lowland environments, often with unique insect species found nowhere else.
Reynol Rodriquez and Sierra Hubbard will examine the insect biodiversity at four
sky islands in Arkansas: Mount Magazine, Petit Jean Mountain, Poteau Mountain and
Rich Mountain. They hope to raise awareness of the number of insect species found
only in the state along with the genetic diversity at these mountain peaks.
Mary
Rose Siebenmorgen
Rediscovering
My Family's European Roots
Category: GA
Sponsor: Dr. Carol West, English
With a surname that is familiar to Conway residents, Mary
Rose Siebenmorgen is interested in visiting the area in Germany that her father’s
family originally called home. In addition, she will see the town of Niederbuchsiten,
Switzerland, where her maternal side originated. She will immerse herself in the
culture and history of both countries as she learns about her own roots and the
daily lives of the German and Swiss people. This cross-cultural exploration will
give her a new perspective on her ancestors, their motivations to emigrate, and
the history of the city they helped to create in America.
Bridget
Umble
Team
Eire and the Women's Lacrosse World Games
Category: SP
Sponsor: Liz Daly, Intercollegiate Athletics
With dual Irish/American citizenship and a love of lacrosse,
Bridget Umble is honored to be a member of Team Eire, the Irish Developmental Team
for the Women’s Lacrosse World Cup event in England this summer. This secondary
team for the Irish National Team will be included in various tournaments and games
both at the World Cup and during the next four years. Umble hopes to increase her
skills to win a spot on the national team during the next tryouts.
Garrett
Wolf
Internship
at Faulkner County Juvenile Court System
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Lindsay Kennedy, Psychology
Building on his desire to work with children, Garrett Wolf
will intern with legal professionals and juveniles this summer at the Faulkner County
Juvenile Court. He will receive special training to help with drug screenings and
assessments of those involved in the legal proceedings. During this process, he
will serve as a mentor and role model for troubled youth. This behind the scenes
look at the legal world will help Wolf prepare for future career opportunities tied
to his psychology major.
Margaret
Young
Identity
and Gender in the Scottish Highland Games
Category: GA
Sponsor: Dr. Leslie Zorwick, Psychology
Since the 11th century, the Scottish Highland games
have been a well-known part of the culture of Scotland. The festivals feature sporting
games of strength, like the caber toss, shot put and hammer throw along with music
and dancing competitions. The games were exclusively male for centuries, but increasing
numbers of women are participating. Margaret Young is interested in discovering
how gender and identity plays a part in the events by interviewing male and female
participants at six different Highland games across the country, seeing how this
new gender blend affects the perception of this traditional cultural event.
Benjamin
Zamzow and Sarah Nieman
Internship:
Children's Eternal Rainforest
Category: PL
Sponsor: Dr. Matt Moran, Biology
The Children’s Eternal Rainforest is the largest private reserve
in Costa Rica, and it was created with donations from children, schools, and other
organizations in 44 countries. Benjamin Zamzow and Sarah Nieman will intern at the
rainforest this summer. They will use cameras to help determine the biodiversity
of animal life in the reserve, and the information they collect can help with conservation
efforts. In addition, they will create educational presentations for visitors to
the park.
Dr.
Julie Gunderson
Design
and Construction of a Fluorescence Microscope
Category: UR
Due to the high costs, you can find single-molecule fluorescence
microscopes only at large, well-funded research institutions. Dr. Julie Gunderson
will work with one student researcher to design, construct, and conduct experiments
with a home-built single-molecule capable fluorescence microscope. Her goal is to
create a low-cost piece of equipment that can be built by scientists at smaller
institutions.
Dr.
David Hales
Proline
Under the Influence: The Effect of Neighboring Amino Acids on the Conformational
Flexibility of Proline
Category: UR
Dr. David Hales will take two Hendrix students for a week
of chemistry laboratory work with Dr. David Clemmer at Indiana University. The students
will measure the three-dimensional shapes of peptides in various stages of unfolding.
They will spend the rest of the summer at Hendrix modeling, fitting, and processing
the data.
Dr.
Michael Miyawaki
What
is Your Race? Examining Part-Latino Racial Identity
Category: UR
According
to Census data, Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States,
and they also have one of the highest rates of intermarriage, with more than
25% of Latino newlyweds having a non-Latino spouse. Dr. Michael Miyawaki and
Samantha Lewis will research the children of such marriages to get a
demographic picture of the part-Latino population and their racial identity.
Dr.
Damon Spayde
Experimental
Nuclear Physics at Hendrix College
Category: UR
One Hendrix student will perform computer simulations and
data analysis for the MOLLER experiment at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator
Facility in Virginia. The high precision measurements could reveal previously unknown
physical processes.