Glennis Nagel
Director, Media Communications, 308.865.8454
Thirty-two UNK students will present research they conducted this summer during the Independent Research Seminar and Platte Studies Seminar Fall Symposium Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 13-14, in the Nebraskan Student Union Great Room.
“Summer research provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to develop, conduct, and present their own research projects,” said John Falconer, director of Sponsored Programs. “This allows students to experience research and scholarship at a high level, similar to what they might encounter in graduate school.
“The projects provide a mechanism for students to draw on their classroom knowledge and apply it in real world settings. It develops critical thinking skills, exposes them to the academic enterprise, and it gives them a forum for developing their writing and presentation skills.”
Students have two program options in which to pursue their summer research. Each student researcher receives $2,500 for the summer and has an operating budget of $250. The first program option is through the Platte Studies Seminar. Project topics are related to the Platte Valley, and research can be done for any discipline. Each project is done independently, but together the projects create a better understanding of the Platte Valley region.
The second option is the Independent Research Seminar. Projects in this program can be on any topic appropriate to the discipline. Participants in each group took field trips, and attended research methods seminars and weekly meetings throughout the summer. Students will now have the opportunity to present their findings at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research in Lexington, Va., March 15-17, 2005, and at UNK Student Research Day in April 2005.
The schedule of presentations for each day can be found at:http://www.unk.edu/acad/gradstudies/ssrp/fallsymposium.html
The students participating (listed alphabetically by hometown) and their faculty mentors are:
Ainsworth Kandra Johnson, Mechanism of Nucleophilic Aromatic Photo Substitution. Dr. Gene Wubbels,
chemistry
Alma Season Hoppe, Research Sentencing for Criminal Homicides in the State of
Nebraska. Dr. James Gilbert, criminal justice
Bertrand Nathan Harms, Analysis of Gene Expression in Switchgrass Tissues. Dr. Paul
Twigg, biology
Brainard Karynn Kucera, Effects of Exercise on the Repair Enzymes Proceeding a Heart
Attack. Dr. Janet Steele, biology
Brownville John Westbrook, Business Ethics within Nebraska. Drs. Leslie Korb and Thomas
Martin, management and philosophy, respectively
Elba Jessica Jurzenski, A Novel Investigation of Nebraska Ant Species and
Distribution. Dr. Wyatt Hoback, biology
Fairbury Mark Rhine, Impact of a Wal-Mart Opening on Business Climate of Platte Valley
Communities. Dr. Steve Hall, accounting/finance
Gibbon Monty Shultz, How Does the Serving of Alcohol at Sporting Events Effect the
Underage Athletes Participating in the Events? Dr. Sandra Cook-Fong, social work
Grand Island Adam Clemans, Analysis of the Gateway Drugs Theory, Dr. Scott Sasse, criminal justice
Justin Sevenker, Reading Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Dr. Michael Benzel, English
Phillip Ernstmeyer, On the Margin: New Jewish Writing. Dr. Kate Benzel,
English
Harvard Brett Chloupek, The Influence of Drains and Tributaries on the Groundwater
Aquifer along the Central Platte River (Part 2). Dr. Steele Becker, geography
Hastings Zach Nelson, Comparative Water Policy Lessons. Dr. Peter Longo, political
science
Holdrege Rick Sherman, Optimization and Application of Expression/Purification Protocol
for Sensory Rhodopsin II. Dr. Frank Kovacs, chemistry
Humphrey Sheila Preister, Utilization of Modern Costing Methods by Businesses. Dr. Steve
Hall, accounting/finance
Kearney Sara Manning, Nebraska’s Unmarked Human Burial Sites and Skeletal Remains
Protection Act: Implications for Native American Sovereignty and Self-determination.
Dr. John Anderson, political science
Chris McClemens, Platte Valley Crime & Criminals. Dr. Mark Ellis, history
Jay Powell, Utilizing Case-based Reasoning and Automatic Case Elicitation to Develop a Self-taught Knowledgeable Agent: Enhancing Knowledge Acquisition. Dr. John Hastings, computer science and
information systems
Ashley Scantling, Association Between Physical Activity and Adiposity in Preschool Aged Children.
Dr. Kate Heelan, health, physical education and recreation
Lexington Joel Martin, Farm Subsidies: Comparison and Analysis of Methodology and Impact of Freedom to
Farm and Farm Bill. Dr. Diane Duffin, political science
Lincoln Christie Coleman, Amphibian, Reptile, and Small Mammal Species Composition
in Woodland Versus Non-Woodland Habitat along the Central Platte River. Dr. Bruce Eichhorst, biology
Ravenna Cynthia Waskowiak, The Impact of the Drought on Voting Behavior: The Case of
the Platte River Valley Corridor. Dr. Peter Longo, political science
Sutherland Rebecca Bay, Testing for the Chivalry Hypothesis Within the Central Nebraska Drug Court System,
Dr. Scott Sasse, criminal justice
Omaha Jim Chezem, The Influence of Drains and Tributaries on the Groundwater
Aquifer along the Central Platte River (Part 1). Dr. Steele Becker, geography
O’Neill Tim Friedel, Jr., Small Mammal Population Diversity in a Wooded and Cleared
Platte River Habitat. Dr. Joseph Springer, biology
Wilcox Cyndy Scott, Reality Television in Rural Nebraska: The Effects on College-Age
Students. Dr. Nanette Hogg, communication
Wayne Heather Stauffer, From Boom to Bust. Dr. Mark Ellis, history
COLORADO
Littleton Justin Weller, Economic Analysis of the Dynamic Air Travel. Dr. Thomas
Eshleman, economics
KANSAS
Atwood Cole Spresser, Characterization of OTK18 in Transgenic Drosophila Melanogaster.
Dr. Kimberly Carlson, biology
Goodland Bryce Abbey, Effects of Liquid Glycogen Replacement on Performance During Repeated Maximal
Effort Exercises. Dr. Kate Heelan, health, physical education and recreation
Norton Andrea Martinez-Skinner, Modifying Carbon Electrodes using Electrochemistry.
Dr. James Kariuki, chemistry
INDIA
Hyderabad Siva Kommuri, Drought Monitoring using Decision Trees (AI).Dr. Sherri Harms,
computer science and information systems
