2009 UTRA Virtual Symposium
This virtual symposium showcases some of the projects undertaken by students during the summer. Projects funded by UTRA included Research Collaborations that resulted in poster presentations, publications, or enhanced web resources; and Teaching Collaborations that led to course development.
Poster Presentations
Over 100 undergraduate summer researchers participated in the 2009 Summer Research Symposium at Brown University on August 6. The following is a sampling of student posters.
Identification of Light Sensing Receptors from Skin
Matthew Balatbat (undergraduate student)
Subha Subramanian (undergraduate student)
Nadine Wicks (graduate student)
Professor Elena Oancea, Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology & Biotechnology
Fragile X Granule Expression in Developing Mouse Brain
Eunice Chyung (undergraduate student)
Professor Justin Fallon, Neuroscience
Why Does the Rabbit Escape the Fox in a Zig-zag Path?
Charles Z. Firestone (undergraduate student)
Professor William Warren, Cognitive & Linguistic Sciences
Understanding UV Protective Mechanisms Using Hybrid Nanoarchitectures
Angella Ford (undergraduate student)
Kenneth Morabito (graduate student)
Professor Anubhav Tripathi, Biochemical Engineering
Comparative Analysis of RNA Localization Signals in Xenopus Oocytes
Putzer Hung (undergraduate student)
James A. Gagnon (graduate student)
Professor Kimberly Mowry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry
Investigation of Visual Neurons Through Computer Science
Jung Uk Kang (undergraduate student)
Professor David L. Sheinberg, Computer Science
Prefrontal Cortex Representations of Task-Relevant Stimulus Information
David Pagliaccio (undergraduate student)
Professor David Badre, Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences
Does Size Matter? Why Traditional Scaling Does not Apply to Beetles
Miguel A. Quintanilla Jr. (undergraduate student)
Professors Sharon Swartz and Daniel K. Riskin, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Chemical and Topographical Cues In.uence Cell Morphology and Behavior
Talisha Ramchal (undergraduate student)
Jennifer Mitchel (graduate student)
Professor Diane Ho.man-Kim, Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology
Biomimetic Topography Promotes Schwann Cell Migration and Alignment
Cameron Rementer (undergraduate student)
Julie Richardson (graduate student)
Professor Diane Hoffman-Kim, Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology
Research in String Theory: The AdS/CFT correspondence
Laurentiu Rodina (undergraduate student)
Professor Anastasia Volovich, Physics
Visual Discrimination in Rats: Horizontal Versus Vertical Presentation
Samantha Scudder (undergraduate student)
Elizabeth Phillips (undergraduate student)
Professor Rebecca Burwell, Psychology
Recent Publications
Jackson Travis del Bonis-O’Donnell ‘09, “Pressure-driven DNA transport across an artificial nanotopography,” J. T. Del Bonis-O’Donnell, W. Reisner and D. Stein New Journal of Physics 11 (2009) (24 pp)
“Blood or body fluid exposures and HIV postexposure prophylaxis utilization among first responders,” R.C. Merchant, J.E. Nettleton, K.H. Mayer and B M Becker
Prehospital Emergency Care (2009) 13:6-13
Website Development
Shadows At Dawn: A Borderlands Massacre and the Violence Of History
Professor Karl Jacoby
Louis Campos and Brian Miller
Course Development
The UTRA program funds collaborative course development projects. Courses revised or created with 2009 UTRA funds are listed below.
Artemis Project Summer Program, 8th grade
Department of Computer Science and Swearer Center for Public Service
Professors Anna Lysyanskaya and Amy Greenwald
Therese Avitabile, Adrienne Cohen
Contemplative Social Activism (UC 0560)
Department of Religious Studies
Professor Harold Roth
Masumi Hayashi-Smith
American Heritage: Democracy, Inequality and Public Policy (SOC 0130)
Department of Sociology
Professor Michael White
Dahlia Sofia Almanza
Gritty Cities (AMCV 0150)
Department of Urban Studies
Professor Patrick Malone
Gregory Anderson
The Idea of Self (CLAS 1120)
Department of Classics
Professor Joseph Pucci
Zohar Adkins
Western Medicine from Antiquity to the Enlightenment (TBD)
Department of History
Professor Tara Nummedal
Alexandra Bachorik
Contemporary Mande Performance (TSDA 1280T)
Department of Theatre, Speech and Dance
Professor Michelle Bach-Coulibaly
Michele Baer
Introduction to Islamic Archaeology (ARCH 0600)
Department of Archaeology and the Ancient World
Professor Ian Straughn
Megan Boomer
Archaeology and the Ancient World (CZCH 410D)
Department of Slavic Languages
Professor Masako Fidler
Emanuel Buzek
Bioethics and Culture (ANTH 1242)
Department of Anthropology
Professor Sherine Hamdy
Mark Caine
Programming with Data Structures and Algorithms (CSCI 0190)
Department of Computer Science
Professor Shiram Krishnamurthi
Jacob Eakle
New Works/World Traditions: Innovation and Tradition (TSDA1280O)
Department of Theatre, Speech and Dance
Professor Michelle Bach-Coulibaly
Remy Fernandez-O’Brien
Applied Computer Science for the Social Sciences and Humanities(CSCI 0931)
Department of Computer Science
Professor Thomas Doeppner
Lyla Fujiwara
Mande Dance, Music, and Cultures (TSDA 0330)
Department of Theatre, Speech and Dance
Professor Michelle Bach-Coulibaly
Matthew Garza
Politics of Aviation (POLS (0820F)
Department of Political Science
Professor Roger Cobb
Ethan Levine
Introduction to Political Cinema: Films as Sources for Social and Cultural History (HIST 1971H)
Department of History
Professor Konstantinos Kornetis
Zachary McCune
Database Management Systems (CSCI 1270)
Department of Computer Science
Professor Stanley Zdonik
Paul Meier
Topics in Economic Development and Environmental Studies (TBD)
Department of Economics
Professor Sriniketh Nagavarapu
Lindsay Mollineaux
Eating Cultures: Food and Society (AMCV XX02)
Department of American Civilization
Professor Matthew Garcia
Margiana Petersen-Rockney
The Making of Pedro Almodóvar (HISP 0750)
Department of Hispanic Studies
Professor Enric Bou
Daniela Postigo
Feminist Theory/Feminist Activism (GNSS 1960D)
Department of Hispanic Studies
Professor Gail Cohee
Caroline Rieser
Feminist Theory/Feminist Activism (GNSS 1960)
Department of Hispanic Studies
Professor Gail Cohee
Daniela Rodriguez Da Silva
Programming with Data Structures and Algorithms (CSCI 0190)
Department of Computer Science
Professor Shriram Krishnamurthi
Jonathan Sailor
Graduate Practicum (HIAA 2930)
Department of History of Art and Architecture
Professor Evelyn Lincoln
Emily Toner
Introduction to Database Management Systems (CSCI 1270)
Department of Computer Science
Professor Stanley Zdonik
Saurya Velagapudi
Eating Cultures: Food and Society (AMCV XX02)
Department of American Civilization
Professor Matthew Garcia
George Warner
Department of History
Professor Naoko Shibusawa
Justin Williams
Computers and Music (MUSC 0200)
Department of Music
Professor Todd Winkler
Aaron Zick