ACRoSS 2012

During the fifth summer of the ACRoSS seminar series we had 41 students from 11 departments and programs (Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Communication Arts, English, Environmental Science, Neuroscience, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Spanish) present their summer research projects to an audience of faculty, students, administrators, and campus visitors. The audience size averaged 85 for the nine weeks of ACRoSS presentations.

ACRoSS 2012 Schedule

Wed, June 13, 2012

Erin Nawrocki (Biology ’13), Austin Becker (Biology ’13) and Professor Tricia Humphreys (Biology) Biofilm formation in bacteria and antibiotic resistance mechanisms

Dylan McCreary (Neuroscience ’13), Kelly Smith (Neuroscience ’13), Jaclyn DeCoursey (Neuroscience, ’14), and Professor Lauren French (Biology and Neuroscience) Summer fun with ion channels

Stacia-Fe Gillen (Environmental Science ’13), Lauren Deem (Environmental Science ’13) and Professor Rich Bowden (Environmental Science) Penn’s Wood Project

Tues, June 19, 2012

Abby Dishler (Biochemistry ’13), Jessica Kent (Chemistry ’13), and Professor Marty Serra (Chemistry and Biochemistry) Determining the secondary structure of RNA using fluorescent probes.

Daisy Guzman (Psychology/Spanish ’14), Laurel McNish (Undecided ’14), and Professor Brian Saltsman (Psychology) Racial and ethnic identify formation and recognition. Collegiate roommate selection and preference at predominately white institutions.

Elliott Hasenkopf (Chemistry ’14), Matthew Uhlman (Chemistry ’14), and Professor Ryan Van Horn (Chemistry) Sequential Crystallization in Biocompatible Block Copolymer Films

Tues, June 26, 2012

Dana D’Amico (´13; Biology), Colleen Friel (’13; Biochemistry), and Professor Catharina Coenen (Biology and Biochemistry). Luciferase imaging of root auxin activity and Auxin control of root exudation

Allison Nettnin (English ’13), Professor Julie Wilson (Communication Arts), and Professor Emily Yochim (Communication Arts) Women’s work in the digital age

Jessica Giles (Biology ’13), Linnea Homa (Biochemistry ’13), and Professor Christy Donmoyer (Biology and Neuroscience) Genes and retinal degeneration

Tues, July 3, 2012

Sharon Zavala ’15, Alyssa Rooks ’15, and Professor Mark Neff (Environmental Science) Do universities and publishers constrain ecologists’ ability to do useful work?

Dan Marcus (History ’13) and Professor Ian Binnington (History) The Nationalist Quarter in your pocket

Sahar Arbab (Environmental Science ’13) and Wendy Kedzierski (Creek Connections Project Manager). Creek Connections Summer Programming and New EPA Grant

Tues, July 10, 2012

Tim Grabnic (Chemistry ’13) and Professor Mark Ams (Chemistry) Measuring the weakest intermolecular forces

Taylor Hinton (Environmental Studies ’14) and Professor Kate Darby (Environmental Science) Knowledge acquisition and transfer among low-income household gardeners in Meadville

Tues, July 17, 2012

Amanda Woodside (Neuroscience ’13) and Professor Caryl Waggett (Environmental Science) Getting a finger on the pulse of the region: Gathering data for the regional community health assessment

Caity Braham (Neuroscience ’13) and Professor Kristen Webb (Biology) Domestic dog mitochondrial control region haplotype frequencies in Alaska and Hawaii

Korey Bartolomeo (Biology ’13), Aaron Haag (Biology ’13), Max Hennessy (Biology ’13), and Professor Brad Hersh (Biology) Filling the gaps in insect immunity and evolution

Tues, July 24, 2012

Zach Silberman (Physics ’13), Jake Vingless (Physics ’13), and Professor Jamie Lombardi (Physics) Sellar mergers

Matt Kelly (Political Science ’14) and Professor Sharon Wesoky (Political Science) Need and desire: Marxist and Buddhist conceptions of the conditioned self

Tues, July 31, 2012

Rachel Stegeman (Biochemistry ’13), Ryan Kotecki (Biochemistry ’13), and Professor Alice Deckert (Chemistry and Biochemistry) How fast does it go?

Keiron Stoddart (Physics ’13), Vince Palmer (Physics ’14), and Professor Doros Petasis (Physics) 1) Electron spin transitions in Prussian blue analogues 2) Magnetic properties of rare earth metal compounds

Lauren Deem (Environmental Science ’13) and Professor Rich Bowden (Environmental Science) Soil carbon at Bousson

Tues, Aug 7, 2012

Michael Kastelic (Biochemistry ’13), Sean Carnahan (Biochemistry ’13), and Professor Ivy Garcia (Chemistry) Understanding the dynamic nature of proteins

Kevin Griffin (Communication Arts ’13) and Professor River Branch (Communication Arts) Media and democracy: Global narratives during economic crisis

Gabrielle Stitt (English,Creative Writing ’13) and Professor Ishita Sinha Roy (Communication Arts) Customer satisfaction: Artistic freedom and the mass effect 3 ending controversy