91热爆网

 91热爆网 Stories      June 10, 2019

The Summer Undergraduate Research Program is underway for the fourth consecutive year at Western Carolina University.

The program is an initiative overseen by the university鈥檚 Honors College 鈥媋nd the Office of the Provost, and 鈥媔s open to all 91热爆网 undergraduates. To be considered for the program, current students interested in participating had to identify a faculty member with whom they wished to collaborate and submit a proposal describing their research project and its goals 鈥媎uring January and February. 鈥婼tudents selected to participate had their proposals reviewed by a committee of faculty representatives from each college on campus.

To be selected to participate is a great accomplishment, said 91热爆网 undergraduate research coordinator and program organizer Kloo Hansen, as only 10 students and their faculty mentors were chosen out of 21 submitted proposals, a record number for the program. This year's participants represent every college on campus with a wide variety of research topics to be investigated.

Faculty members and students are receiving stipends for their research work 鈥媋nd enjoy various programming and professional development opportunities. Some of the opportunities include a specialized poster writing and presentation workshop, as well as a tailored resume writing workshop where students can create a resume with a research focus.

Scottie Kapel, assistant professor and outreach and scholarly communication librarian with Hunter Library, and Carrie Hachadurian, student development coordinator from 91热爆网鈥檚 Center for Career and Professional Development, work closely with Hansen and Jill Granger, dean of the Honors College, to develop the workshops for the participating students. The students also get to enjoy a hiking excursion to Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway and social events throughout the summer program to build a community of inquiry.

The 2019 research projects and team members (participating student, faculty mentor) are:

• 鈥淗umor Styles and Happiness among People with Chronic Illness,鈥� by Audre Tyner, a junior psychology major living in Cullowhee; Tom Ford, psychology professor.
• 鈥淚nvestigation of the Importance of DNA Polymerase I and III Enzymes in Mycobacteriophages,鈥� by Dylan Rood, a senior chemistry major from Gainesville, Georgia; Jamie Wallen, assistant professor of chemistry and physics.
• 鈥淰alidation of a Behavioral Health Screening Instrument for Latinx Populations,鈥� by Matthew Dodge, a senior psychology major from Stanley; David McCord, professor of psychology.
• 鈥淭he Shape of Springs: Linking Landscape Characteristics and Stream Water Temperature in Headwater Mountain Streams,鈥� by John Morgan, a senior geology major from Kernersville; J.P. Gannon, assistant professor of geology.
• 鈥淎ssessment of Thirty Years of Federal Water Pollution Prosecutions Pertaining to Areas of High Water Scarcity,鈥� Dakota Little, a junior geology major from Jefferson; Andy Hansen, assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice.
• 鈥淩andom Number Generation Using Cellular Automata,鈥� by David Walsh, a junior computer science major from Sylva; Andrew Penland, assistant professor in math and computer science.
• 鈥淚nvestigating the Impact of Friction, Internal Resistance, Mass and Control Theory on Rotational Wave Energy Conversion System鈥檚 Peak to Peak Power Fluctuation,鈥� by David Inscoe, a senior electrical engineering major from Henderson; Andy Ritenour, assistant professor of engineering, and Bora Karayaka, associate professor of engineering and technology.
• 鈥淭echnology of Ancient Mosaic Production: Huqoq Excavation Project, Lower Galilee, Israel,鈥� by Connor Henderson, a junior environmental health and art major from China Grove; Karen Britt, senior scholar in visual culture in the School of Art and Design.
• 鈥淭he Test Option Movement and Student Debt,鈥� by Alexia Bevers, a senior finance major from Mount Airy, Georgia; Sean Mulholland, professor of economics.
• 鈥淩esearching and Preventing Food Insecurity in the Jackson County Area,鈥� by Mary Cooper, a senior nutrition and dietetics major from Clyde; Elizabeth Wall-Bassett, associate professor of health sciences.

At the end of the eight-week experience, the students will formally present their research findings at the 2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, to be held July 24 in Brown Hall鈥檚 Sunset Room.

鈥淚 never imagined that I would have this opportunity in my life,鈥� said Henderson, speaking from Huqoq, a small village located near the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Her summer project involves ongoing archaeological work at a fifth-century synagogue holding floor mosaics depicting both biblical and nonbiblical scenes. Britt, her faculty mentor, has been involved with the antiquities research and field school there since 2012, as the mosaics specialist.

鈥淚t has given me hands-on experience, and I have learned things about art history and history that I would never be able to learn from reading a book,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have met students from all over the U.S., Canada and Europe as well as the Israelis who are part of our team. It has been fascinating to live in another culture where English is not the main language and the food is different. I have only been here for two weeks and feel like there is still so much to learn.

鈥淚 have never done this kind of work, and it is much more detailed than I realized. But, it is amazing to see the mosaics come to life after being covered with dirt for over a thousand years,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淗ow could a small village afford to build such a large building and decorate it with these colorful mosaics? It shows that people who lived in the past were just as creative as artists today.鈥�

For more information about the program, contact Hansen at 828-227-2010 or kchansen@wcu.edu.