UMass Dartmouth's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) recently announced the winners of its 2014 summer stipend awards
UMass Dartmouth's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) recently announced the winners of its 2014 summer stipend awards.
"The overall quality of all the applications demonstrated the high level of undergraduate research being done on our campus," said OUR Director Catherine Villanueva Gardner. "We would also like to thank our faculty colleagues for their support as mentors."
The following students were awarded 2014 stipends:
Monica Barko (Chemistry/Biochemistry); Advisor; Professor Maolin Guo
"Benefiting Cardiovascular Health by Cranberry: Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Modulating Nitric Oxide Bioactivity"
Monica Barko, of Dartmouth, MA, will study the impact of cranberry compounds on cardiovascular health; specifically, she will investigate the possible antioxidant mechanism for cranberry polyphenol in living vascular endothelial cells.
Jillian Bolinger (Physics); Advisor: Professor Robert Fisher
"The Signature of Thermonuclear Supernovae Resulting from Merging White Dwarf Stars"
Jillian Bolinger, of Fairhaven, MA, will explore a specific scenario - the double white dwarf model - as the origin of thermonuclear supernovae. Thermonuclear supernovae offer the best way to an insight into dark energy.
David Burr (Fine Arts); Advisor: Professor Elena Peteva
"Algorithmic Vision: A Study in Visual Deconstruction and the Impact of the Fragment"
Using various dry media, grounds and formats, David Burr, of Medway, MA, will work with different modes of observation and drawing to represent identity through the interpretation of fragmented reality to produce a series of drawings to be exhibited in the upcoming academic year.
Christopher Crogan (Philosophy/Computer Science); Advisor: Professor Maureen Eckert
"Minds, Brains, and Robots: Towards a Computational Theory of Semantics"
Christopher Crogan, of Hampden, MA, will develop a counterargument to John Searle's "Chinese Room" thought experiment using experimental philosophy ("ex phi"), a burgeoning methodology that bridges theory and experimental research.
Matthew Crossman (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Advisor: Professor Hong Liu
"Testbed Design for Internet of Things"
Matthew Crossman, of Taunton, MA, will determine how much information end users need to know in order to securely and efficiently make use of a school network, specifically, in a Vocational High School environment.
John Derby (Graphic Design/Digital Media); Advisor: Professor Pamela Karimi
"Art as Activism: Creation and Community"
John Derby, of New Bedford, MA, will create a virtual activist environment to give a "voice" to artists, activists, and community members. The website he will create will allow for the contributions of activist artists to be archived, as well as for artists and their communities to interact.
Wec Jeanne Emmanuel (Psychology); Advisor: Professor Jennifer Fugate
"Perceptional Decision of Emotion Words"
Wec Jeanne Emmanuel, of Brockton, MA, will investigate her hypothesis that emotion words aid in the perception of emotions, even if the subjects are not directly aware of these words.
Jerelle Jesse (Biology); Advisor: Professor Nancy O'Connor
"Behavior of Mud Crab Larvae in Response to Chemical Cues from Mummichog."
Jerelle Jesse, of Marion, MA, will compare the behaviors of native crabs to those of an invasive crab species in their responses to chemical cues from native fish with the objective of identifying why the particular invasive species being studied is more successful than the native species.
Katie Pellend (Nursing); Advisor: Professor Elizabeth Chin
"Factors Leading to Adherence or Non-Adherence to Hemodialysis"
Katie Pellend, of East Freetown, MA, will study the factors that contribute to adherence and non-adherence of dialysis in patients living in the Southcoast area. Identifying facilitators and barriers to dialysis adherence may lead to new understanding and subsequent development of strategies that will increase compliance with the complex dialysis regimen.
Nicholas Phillips (Bioengineering); Advisor: Professor Christopher Brigham
"Biosynthesis of Value-Added Product Using the Breakdown of Seafood Waste by R. Eutropha"
Nicholas Phillips, of Somerset, MA, will investigate the reduction of the biosynthesis cost of value-added products by R. eutropha by using seafood waste. This use of seafood waste would not only reduce production cost, but it would eliminate the need to dispose of the waste in landfills.
Colin Ryan (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Advisor: Professor John Buck
"Angle Estimation from Frequency Dependent Beam Patterns"
Colin Ryan, of Harwich, MA, will create a model to show that bats are able to distinguish between echoes that come directly at them and those that come at an angle. The results of this research will provide further insight into echolocation.
Xiaoyu Wang (Physics); Advisor: Professor Guarav Khanna
"Harvesting Mechanical Energy from Human Motion to Generate Electricity to Charge Mobile Devices"
Current battery technology is unable to meet the need for increased portable computing power. Xiaoyu Wang, of Dartmouth, MA, will explore an alternative power source: human motion.
Matthew Wise (Physics); Advisor: Professor Robert Fisher
"Modal Analysis of Spiral Density Waves Arising in the Double-Degenerate Channel of Type Ia Supernovae"
Matthew Wise, of Georgetown, MA, research will employ mathematical and computational methods to produce an updated model of mass accretion in doubly-degenerate binary systems leading to a Type Ia supernova. This model will improve understanding of the circumstances and mechanisms of mass accretion and detonation in such systems.
UMass Dartmouth's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) promotes undergraduate research, supports student-researchers, and disseminates the products of student research. The drive for seeking knowledge, embodied in all members of the UMass Dartmouth community, is a signature component of the university's educational experience and research is the expression of this search. OUR offers awards for the fall and spring semester to help support student research projects. Undergraduate students in any department at UMass Dartmouth, who are engaged in original research under the guidance of a faculty member, are eligible.