Spotlights

Natalie Curtiss

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Social Work
Research Mentor: 
Dr. Julie Ward
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

I studied the Argentine film XXY through a variety of feminist lenses in order to understand how the visual format expands on the themes of gender, sexuality, and safety in the movie.

Explain what you learned or give advice to fellow students:

I learned how to truly synthesize information from multiple sources into a more comprehensive understanding of an artistic project. My advice to other students starting similar projects is to get all of the information you can, and then see where that leads you.

Published Work:

n/a

Paul Delgado

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Biology
Research Mentor: 
Dr. Sara Mata and Dr. Robert Con Davis-Undiano
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

The growing Latino population is often plagued with a great deal of economic, social, and health needs unique to this community. Latinos have become the largest minority group in the U.S. They also bear a burden of social inequality in the U.S. suggesting that they might expect higher rates of illnesses and overall health problems. My research explores the perspectives and knowledge of type 2 diabetic patients in the urban community of Oklahoma City. The project began with a pre-survey allowing participants to self-report their attitudes and knowledge regarding diabetes. The purpose of the study was to test whether medical information provided in a populations’ native language can alter outlooks and behaviors to prevent diabetes progression and improve health. Although not generalizable, the findings provide unique insight into the knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives about diabetes self-management and the coping of the illness in the Latino community of Oklahoma City.

Explain what you learned or give advice to fellow students:

Something that helped me through my research was thinking on all the people in my community that could be benefited from this project. Although it started as a small scale project, the impact it has had on the participants is a greater recompense. Therefore, I would say to see research as a bigger purpose than yourself.

Awards and/or presentations:

Delgado P. A., Mata, S, Undiano, R. (April 2017). A Perspective on Diabetes in the Oklahoma City Latino Community. Presented at the 2017 Health Disparities, Social Science and Humanities of Health Symposium at University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK.Delgado P. A., Mata, S, Undiano, R. (September 2017). A Perspective on Diabetes in the Oklahoma City Latino Community. Presented at the MKN McNair Heartland Research Conference, Kansas City, MODelgado P. A., Mata, S, Undiano, R. (March 2018). A Perspective on Diabetes in the Oklahoma City Latino Community. Accepted for presentation at the 23rd Annual Research Day at the Capitol, Oklahoma City, OK.

Published Work:

n/a

Elijah Robertson

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Engineering Physics
Research Mentor: 
Dr. Liangzhong Xiang
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

I have had the incredible privilege of working on an entirely new biomedical imaging technique founded by my mentor: X-ray-induced Acoustic Computed Tomography (XACT). XACT runs off a groundbreaking new physics discovery, that X-rays can generate ultrasound waves within tissue. In conventional X-ray imaging methods, such as mammography, X-rays are used to generate two-dimensional images of tissue while effecting some radiation upon patients. XACT, in contrast, can generate a three-dimensional image using a single X-ray projection, providing vastly more information at an even lower radiation dose. As a pre-med student, being a part of this project has allowed me to combine my interest in medicine and engineering, two fields that are significantly interdependent in modern medical practice. I’m very excited to see the future applications of this new technology in medicine.

Explain what you learned or give advice to fellow students:

When undecided students are advised about career paths, they are most often told: “do what you love.” I would say exactly the same about research. Research, simply put, is difficult; if done in a field that a student has little interest, the most likely result is ongoing exasperation. If done in a field the student can enjoyably relate with, the experience itself will be rewarding. My advice to all students interested in research is to do it in a field that can be related with, and if a certain lab does not seem to inspire them, they should not be afraid to switch projects. Research is most effective when there is heart in it.

Awards and/or presentations:

Curiosity to Creativity Symposium: My poster for XACT was awarded the Broader Impact Award. 2017 OUHSC Biomedical Engineering Symposium Poster Finalist: My poster/abstract for XACT was named in the top-10 of all participants. I have also received funding from the Mentored Research Fellowship program.

Published Work:

Submissions under review

Kathryn Jerome

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Anthropology & Linguistics
Research Mentor: 
Samuel Duwe
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

During the 1200s and 1300s CE, drought and unrest catalyzed dramatic cultural upheaval in the Southwest and led to the reorganization of ancestral Puebloan society, with disparate groups coming together to form new ways of life—sometimes immigrating long distances to do so. Ancestral Tewa Pueblos eventually formed large, culturally unique settlements in the northern Rio Grande. But how did these groups initially interact and coalesce? How were identities drawn and changed? Ceramic analysis can help us understand identity and interaction over landscapes. Comparing different pottery-making techniques, materials, and styles can illuminate possible social networks. I’m currently working on describing and comparing the ceramics from two ancestral Tewa Pueblo sites: Palisade Ruin (LA3505), a smaller site occupied for only a little over a single generation in the early 1300s, and Tsiping’owinge (LA 301), a much larger, longer-occupied site.

Explain what you learned or give advice to fellow students:

One thing I wish I had known at the start of my research is to embrace the feeling of almost helpless ignorance that comes with a new project. When beginning a project, it can be easy to feel like you know nothing and you’re supposed to know everything. But the beauty of undergraduate research is that you aren’t expected to know everything. Instead of being overwhelmed by what you don’t know, be curious. Ask lots and lots of questions, and learn to use the resources available to you to get answers. This means using the library, but also making connections with the people around you: your lab partners, for instance, or people your advisor knows. This will not only help your understanding of your research subject, it will also give you a fair amount of exposure to your chosen research field and the other people that work in it. And that, barring any discoveries, is what undergraduate research is really all about.

Awards and/or presentations:

Awards: Mentored Research Fellowship 2016-2017; Presentations: Coalescence and Transition: The Black-on-White Pottery at Palisade Ruin (Poster at C2C Symposium, Spring 2017)

Published Work:

n/a

Tamiko Murphy

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Biomedical Engineering, Pre-med
Research Mentor: 
Dr. Christina Bourne, Dr. Meena Muthuramalingam
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

Toxin-Antitoxin systems are components found on bacterial plasmids and chromosomes that code for protein pairs. The toxins interact with cellular machinery and send the cell into a dormant growth state. This dormant state allows the cell to survive harsh conditions, such as antibiotic treatment, and can be reversed by interaction of the antitoxin with the toxin. My project examines the binding interaction between the ParD antitoxin and the ParE toxin using site-directed mutagenesis. I performed several point mutations on hydrophobic amino acids that were thought to be important to protein function, and examined the effect of these mutations on binding affinity. The goal is to determine which portion of antitoxin is critical to function because interrupting binding interaction would allow ParE to degrade the bacteria’s genomic DNA, eventually causing the cell to self-destruct. In conjunction with antibiotics, blocking the antitoxin would improve treatments for bacterial infections.

Explain what you learned or give advice to fellow students:

Through my research experience, not only have I learned valuable lab techniques, I have also developed more general scientific skills, such as troubleshooting, and learning how to ask the right question. I want to help other undergraduates get involved in research because it will open so many doors for them. It’s a great way to figure out if academia is the right path, and it’s important to have research experience if you want to go into any sort of STEM field. I want other students to know how valuable an undergraduate research experience can be, and I want everyone to know that they should go for any lab position they are offered, even if it’s a little intimidating at first.

Awards and/or presentations:

Presentations:Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the ParDE Antitoxin to Examine Binding Interaction with ParE Toxin (presented at Great Plains Infectious Disease Meeting, 2017, and scheduled to present at NCUR 2018); Purification of Functional DNA Gyrase (FYRE poster session, 2016)Prototype of a Tourism App for the City of Arezzo, Italy (Mayor's office, Arezzo, 2017); Awards: Mentored Research Fellowship Scholar (2017), Dean’s Honor Roll for OU Gallogly College of Engineering (2016, 2017), National Merit Scholar (2015)

Published Work:

n/a

Sonia Merkel

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Environmental Sustainability
Research Mentor: 
Dr. Angela Person
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

My research seeks to understand the social and cognitive barriers which impede effective climate change risk communication in our country. I conducted a series of focus groups comprised of University of Oklahoma students and Oklahoma residents in which participants were asked to view a series of 10 evocative images and engage in a discussion on each image. During analysis of the transcriptions, three themes emerged. First, participants express a greater sense of urgency when events are perceived as both new and local. Conversely, participants were less concerned when events were perceived as local and normal. Second, a sentiment of “tacit blame” was commonly expressed by participants when a technological solution was cognitively accessible, but the participant was unsure of how to help. Third, fear based messaging appears to be less effective in motivating participants toward pro-environmental behavior than a hopeful, solution based message.

Explain what you learned or give advice to fellow students:

Over the course of my nearly year-long research, I have learned the importance of scheduling your day around your research. Finding a routine which supports your most creative and a productive time is very helpful with keeping from falling behind. Additionally, finding a rhythm in reading papers related to your topic, while also maintaining focus on the central them can be challenging. It is easy to become overwhelmed with information, my project alone could have been taken in three or four directions. When I became distracted by something interesting or a new tangential topic, I tried to step back from my work, and just jot down the thought to get it out, re-read some of my earlier papers related to my topic, and then come back to my current project. Finally, make sure whatever you are researching is something that genuinely reflects your interest. It is easier to work on your project when it is something you enjoy.

Awards and/or presentations:

My research was presented at the Spring 2017 Curiosity Symposium. I have received two financial awards which helped support my research. First, I received a position as one of the University of Oklahoma Undergraduate Research Scholars for the spring semester. Second, my research project was accepted as part of the Oklahoma NASA Workforce Development Research Assistant program, which provided me the opportunity to continue my research over the summer of 2017.

Published Work:

The Role of Inter-generational Relationships in Climate Change Communication

Environmental Justice and Environmentalism - Life Versus Leisure

Academic Writing and Vulnerability

 

Kaitlyn Streight

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Biology/Pre-Medicine
Research Mentor: 
Dr. David Durica
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

Ecdysteroids control growth, reproduction, limb regeneration, and molting in crustaceans through a signaling process mediated by transcription factors that facilitate honnonally triggered control of downstream gene expression. The Durica laboratory is currently exploring downstream gene action in response to hormonal regulation by ecdysteroids, specifically during limb regeneration relative to the molt cycle. Current methods to identify these genes in crustaceans involve blocking of hormone receptor translation (using double stranded RNA) followed by 1) observation of physiological consequences and 2) transcriptome comparisons between the disrupted and control states. While current research can depict a baseline of gene expression in crustaceans, the methods used to disrupt gene expression are limited A new model organism would facilitate the study of downstream gene action in response to hormone signaling and potentially open the door to new approaches to genetic manipulation. The objective of my research this semester is to perform experiments that assess the ability of the cherry shrimp, N denticulata, to serve as a new model organism for future decapod research. By testing the cherry shrimp's candidacy as a new model, I will potentially pave the way for the development of new transgenic techniques to study mechanisms of steroid hormonal regulation in crustaceans.

Awards and/or presentations:

Streight, K. (2016, April). Assessing the Candidacy of Cherry Shrimp as a New Model Organism. Poster session presented at the University of Oklahoma's Undergraduate Research Day, Norman, OK.

Published Work:

n/a

Hayley Severson

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Biology
Research Mentor: 
Dr. Lawrence Weider
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

Climate change has left many biologists curious as to how species are adapting to changing environments, as well as the impact these changes have had on species' survivorship. Specifically, many lakes have experienced increased algal growth due to the run off of nutrients (i.e., eutrophication) from anthropogenic sources (e.g., fertilizers), which has resulted in decreased oxygen (02) levels via increased decomposition rates. This can have a profound impact on the species in these habitats; therefore, their survival depends on their ability to adapt. In our research project, we will be focusing on the "water flea", Daphnia pulicaria, which will serve as our model organism. We will be investigating several clones' responses and adaptations to 02 stress brought on by lake eutrophication.

Awards and/or presentations:

Severson, H. (2016, April). Differential Adaptation of Daphnia Clones to Oxygen Stress. Poster session presented at the University of Oklahoma's Undergraduate Research Day, Norman, OK.

Published Work:

n/a

Emily Sarbacker

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Research Mentor: 
Samuel Workman
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

This project maps the rise of food system security as a boundary spanning policy problem and its prospects as an integrative component of food and agricultural policy in the United States. With the rise of terrorism as a national concern in the United States, there is increasing attention to issues that span the boundary of traditional policy areas such as food system security. Food system security has encroached on traditional conceptions of what constitutes national food and agricultural policy, both broadening and disrupting existing policy agendas. This project investigates the incorporation ofvarious elements of food system security (e.g., climate change, terrorism, critical infrastructure, agriculture, etc) into a coherent regime for public policy. The empirical foundation of this project is an original data set of 46,000 reports of the Government Accountability Office (GAO). This data is coded by topic and agency according to the substantive dimensions of the food system security issue, the relevant set of players involved at the federal level, and the types of information generated in the policy area. Under each article, recommendations and matters of discussions are listed, as well as whether or not the subject has been closed and implemented, along with any additional comments. Using this detailed coding, the project assesses information processing in the area of food system security across time and institutions.

Awards and/or presentations:

Sarbacker, E. (2016, April). Food System Security in the U.S. Poster session presented at the University of Oklahoma's Undergraduate Research Day, Norman, OK.

Published Work:

n/a

Christen O'Neal

Undergraduate Spotlight

OU Major: 
Biochemistry
Research Mentor: 
Dr. Anthony Burgett
Describe your undergraduate research or creative project:

Praxis, the ability to plan a skilled or learned movement, is a function of great concern to neurosurgeons due to the postsurgical consequences of disrupting a pathway utilized for praxis, as well as the uncertainty associated with the definition of specific praxis pathways. While extensive research has been conducted for the purpose of determining the anatomical correlates of praxis, far less has been done to connect these regions via the white matter tracts. Recent advances in technology have allowed the study of neuroanatomy to expand to include a more in depth look at the white matter tracts. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an imaging method which utilizes anisotropic diffusion patterns near white matter tracts to create a visual representation of the connectivity of the tracts. A network model for the anatomical basis of praxis can be constructed by applying information about the connectivity of the white matter tracts from DTI to the data gathered from established literature that relate praxis to specific anatomical regions of the cerebral cortex. This literature review will consist of all relevant papers obtained through the PubMed database. Relevant papers will be defined as papers involving imaging studies with specific anatomical regions of the cerebral cortex that relate to a function associated with praxis or a dysfunction associated with an apraxia, a disorder involving praxis.

Awards and/or presentations:

O'Neal, C. (2016, April). Constructing a Network Model for Praxis. Poster session presented at the University of Oklahoma's Undergraduate Research Day, Norman, OK.

Published Work:

n/a

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