Office of Student Scholarship Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR)

Collaboration with Children’s National Hospital aims to reduce child mortality rates caused by Sickle Cell kidney failure

Katarina Benson — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 22:12:42 +0000

Collaboration with Children’s National Hospital aims to reduce child mortality rates caused by Sickle Cell kidney failure  Katarina Benson Tue, 01/20/2026 - 17:12

Children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic disorder affecting red blood cells, experience terrible bouts of pain when the blood cells contort into a sickle shape and block small blood vessels, hindering oxygen delivery to critical organs. Whenever these bouts occur in the kidneys, the filtration system of the kidneys can be irreversibly damaged. Kidney failure is associated with a 30% death rate in SCD patients. 

In partnership with Children’s National Hospital, scientists at �鶹��Ƶ have discovered a new way to detect early signs of kidney damage in childhood patients with SCD. A recently awarded two-year $200,000 grant from the Commonwealth Health Research Board will support a team led by George �鶹��Ƶ systems biologist and research fellow Marissa Howard; Children’s National Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program Director Andrew Campbell, MD; and urinary biomarker expert Oliver John Semmes, of Old Dominion University.

Marissa Howard with collaborator Andrew Campbell, MD, at Children's National Hospital. Photo provided

The multi-institutional trial leverages unique proteomic expertise blended within the Children’s National SCD Program’s ongoing clinical study of the progress of SCD within pediatric patients over time and will transform kidney disease detection in these SCD patients.

According to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, SCD is a global health problem that affects an estimated 100,000 people in the United States, with about 2,000 babies annually being diagnosed with the disease at birth. With each SCD crisis, kidney damage accumulates, increasing the risk of total kidney failure mortality for SCD patients. Early detection of kidney damage, especially in childhood, allows for rapid treatment and prevention of long-term kidney damage-related effects.

“Our team will analyze the actual damaged mitochondria, the power houses of the cell, that are crippled by lack of oxygen that occurs during each sickle-cell crisis,” said Howard, who first reported this pathway and methodology to rescue mitochondrially damaged cells in her prior National Institutes of Health-supported and published research.  

“We measure these damaged mitochondria shed by the kidney in a few milliliters of urine so we can develop an early warning system for the onset of kidney damage,” said Howard, an expert in isolation of extracellular vesicles (EVs), small packages of cellular information shed into the urine, and the methods required to complete this analysis. “Our partners at Children’s National are known for identifying innovative approaches to treat SCD. This exciting collaboration is collectively motivated by our ultimate goal of reducing the high mortality rate caused by Sickle Cell kidney failure in children affected by this disease.”   

 Children’s National Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program, among the largest in the country, follows more than 1,500 patients from birth through age 21 and is one of the few centers offering gene therapy treatments for SCD. The program has amassed a large base of patient samples, some of which will be analyzed in this project.  

Campbell, a physician-scientist caring for SCD patients at Children’s National, will oversee the recruitment, consenting, and collection of biological samples throughout the study's duration, as well as coordinate the delivery of these samples to George �鶹��Ƶ’s CAP/CLIA certified laboratory facilities for analysis. 

While current screening methods rely on established urine tests for albumin, this groundbreaking research will use advanced proteomic analysis to detect kidney injury at its earliest stages—before conventional tests show abnormalities.

“We've watched as silent kidney damage progresses year after year, often going undetected until significant harm has occurred,” said Campbell. “By identifying kidney disease earlier, we can intervene sooner with more effective disease-modifying therapies and curative treatments, potentially preventing or slowing progression to kidney failure.”

According to Campbell, this grant is more than funding—it's a commitment to SCD patients and their families, a collaboration to build the next generation of diagnostics, which can fundamentally change how to manage SCD and protect the health of children and young adults living with this debilitating disease.

“This partnership leverages our collective strengths to address a compelling global challenge that might have a multitude of applications,” shared Lance Liotta, MD, codirector of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Center for Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM), who will certify that all work performed is under CAP/CLIA compliance for the data to be presented to the FDA for future clinical application.  

George �鶹��Ƶ is highly regarded for offering real world, hands-on learning experiences for its science students, and this medical research project is no exception. As part of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Student Creative Activities and Research Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, Honors College student Naureen Zahra, who had interned the previous summer at the National Institutes of Health on a project focused on curing SCD with bone marrow transplants, performed portions of this experimental study over the summer.  

 Naureen Zahra interned at the National Institutes of Health. Photo provided

“One of my educational goals was to become an expert in performing key molecular biology techniques such as western blots to analyze the presence of proteins like PINK1, which plays a key role in regulating mitochondrial health,” said Zahra, a neuroscience major. The team worked to isolate EVs from Children’s National patient urine samples and analyze protein data. “Working with these scientists on actual patient samples connected me to real-world outcomes, expanding my sense of empathy for what these children are going through.” 

In addition to its potential to improve the lives of those affected by SCD, this research effort may also have even wider impact.   

“These findings could also serve as a new marker for mitochondrial damage for a variety of diseases including Parkinson’s, heart disease, and diabetic kidney disease,” said Howard. “In addition, urinary biomarkers could offer a predictive tool to guide SCD therapy management and therapy effectiveness more holistically.”

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George �鶹��Ƶ and UVA researchers look into the future of hydrogen sensors

Katarina Benson — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:50:07 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ and UVA researchers look into the future of hydrogen sensors Katarina Benson Thu, 12/11/2025 - 09:50

As the use of underwater, aerial, and unmanned ground vehicles continues to grow, it is critical that the fuel cells necessary to power these systems operate safely, while providing durable and optimal performance. High-performance hydrogen sensors, which monitor leakage, energy efficiency, and durability under a wide range of operating conditions, are key to this function.

Pilgyu Kang. Photo provided

Currently, palladium-based electrochemical hydrogen sensors are primarily used; however, they often exhibit low sensitivity, a slow response rate, and mechanical instability. Hybrid materials are emerging as a better solution, but questions remain regarding their efficacy.

That was the crux of the request for 4-VA funding from �鶹��Ƶ’s Pilgyu Kang and Stephen Baek of the University of Virginia. Kang saw an opportunity to explore this new avenue in hydrogen sensing, but also saw the need to integrate Baek’s expertise in scientific machine learning to identify optimal design parameters—including nanoparticle size, distribution, surface coverage, and porosity—that govern the sensor’s sensitivity, response time, and long-term stability. 4-VA funding is designed to support these kinds of collaborations.

Kang, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is pleased with the results. After months of wide-ranging study, the team can now predict with the help of machine learning how changes in material design affect sensor performance. This helps the team quickly test many design possibilities and find the best combinations—something that would take much longer with experiments alone.

“Our research team has made exciting progress in developing advanced materials for next-generation gas sensors,” said Kang, who has a lab on George �鶹��Ƶ’s Science and Technology Campus. “We’ve created and tested nanocomposites made from laser-induced graphene and metal nanoparticles to improve how sensors respond to light and detect gases like hydrogen and methane. The materials we’ve developed show promising photo response behavior, which is a key step toward building compact, highly sensitive sensors for environmental and industrial use.”

Since the initial proposal, Kang has added outside collaborators NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and N5 Sensors, both providing important platforms to explore potential commercialization paths.

NASA GSFC researchers Peter Snapp and Mahmooda Sultana collaborated with the team on the development of a methane gas sensor. They provided expertise in space-relevant sensing technologies and contributed guidance on performance requirements, testing protocols, and potential integration pathways for aerospace applications.

Diego Enrique Colmenarez received the Outstanding Project Award at the College of Engineering and Computing Undergraduate Research Celebration for his work on the 4-VA project. Photo provided

“This collaboration strengthens the translational potential of the 4-VA-supported laser-induced graphene nanocomposite sensing platform for real-world and extreme environment use cases,” said Kang.

N5 Sensors offered industry insight into the commercialization potential of the laser-induced graphene-based sensor platform. Their involvement included feedback on sensor integration strategies, performance metrics relevant to the market, and potential pathways for transitioning the research from lab-scale prototypes to scalable, deployable systems.

Peter Cho of the Department of Mechanical Engineering also worked with the team, volunteering his time to evaluate the hydrogen sensing performance of the developed materials and providing advice on sensors relevant to fuel cell applications.

Kang said the 4-VA funding also helped create valuable hands-on research opportunities for undergraduates. He credits four mechanical engineering majors who made significant contributions to the project:

Philip Acatrinei shared key material and device integration techniques—particularly in the use of laser-induced graphene and nanocomposite fabrication for advanced sensor platforms.
Graham Harper studied laser-induced graphene and nanocomposite materials for optoelectronic sensing applications.
Noemi Lily Umanzor helped to validate the broader versatility and cross-disciplinary potential of the materials and manufacturing approaches developed in the project.
Diego Enrique Colmenarez performed experimental tasks involving the laser manufacturing and characterization of graphene-based nanocomposites. For his work, Colmenarez received the “Outstanding Project Award” at the College of Engineering and Computing Undergraduate Research Celebration. He also presented on the subject at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Undergraduate Research Symposium on Dynamics, Vibration and Acoustics.

The team has already had two published papers on the project in the Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Advanced Science, but Kang sees the 4-VA project as a launching pad for much more.

“The funding provided the essential support needed to launch a high-risk, high-reward interdisciplinary research project that might not have been possible through traditional funding channels alone,” he said. “Beyond advancing the technical goals, the support from 4-VA has helped position our team for larger external funding, fostered long-term partnerships, and demonstrated how collaborative, cross-institutional work can drive real innovation.”

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Student researchers show their work at OSCAR Celebration of Research and Impact

ckearney — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 18:44:28 +0000

Student researchers show their work at OSCAR Celebration of Research and Impact ckearney Mon, 09/15/2025 - 14:44

Foreign languages major Yamileth Hernandez-Becerra and community health major Melody Campos received a Best Poster award for their research, “Community Roots, Linguistic Equity: The Power of Outreach in Dual Language Immersion,” during the Summer 2025 Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR) Celebration of Student Research and Impact in August.

Yamileth Hernandez-Becerra with the award-winning poster she created with Melody Campos. Photo provided

Their research was conducted as part of a George �鶹��Ƶ Summer Team Impact Project (STIP) that was led by Ellen Serafini and Jihye Moon, associate professors in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS).

The symposium, held at Dewberry Hall in the Johnson Center, offered undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to showcase their research to �鶹��Ƶ community.

For the STIP program, faculty make a proposal to the Office of Undergraduate Education in the Provost’s Office. Projects are then selected for funding. Serafini and Moon’s summer project focused on language, educational access, and social equity in local bilingual schools.

The team observed teachers at dual language immersion programs at two Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) elementary schools—Laurel Ridge Elementary School (Spanish) and Colin Powell Elementary School (Korean)—and interviewed teachers, school administrators, parents, FCPS board members, and state administrators.

George �鶹��Ƶ students Sarah Choudary and Sukyoung Yoon presented their Summer Impact project research on language immersion programs at the OSCAR Celebration. Photo provided

“This is a student-led project,” Moon said. “The students started from scratch coming up with the research questions and designing the research. They identified who the major stakeholders were in this program and interviewed them.”

Graduate teaching assistant Teo Rogers Mendizabal, who is working on a degree in Cultural Studies, worked on the project with eight undergraduates: Campos, Hernandez-Becerra, English and foreign languages major Sarah Choudhary, global affairs Sukyoung Yoon, foreign languages major Chloe Davis, global affairs and foreign languages major Avery Rhoden, mathematics and foreign languages major Giselle Concepcion, and foreign languages major Roslyn Brown.

“It has been an eye-opening experience for me to learn about these programs.… I’ve learned a lot,” said Hernandez-Becerra, who attended nearby Robinson High School. “It feels great to give back to my community and see what I can do to help them.”

In addition to the STIP research, a handful of CHSS students also presented at the symposium as part of research conducted through the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) from OSCAR.

English major Amaiyah-monet Parker presented on “Multi-generational Experiences of Structural Racism and the Denial of Innocence in the Lives of Black Girls in Philadelphia.”
Psychology majors Mehmood Shajih and Minasi H. Kaluappuwa presented research titled “Parents’ Beliefs �鶹��Ƶ Child Development and Child Executive Functioning.”
Psychology major Keyanna Jackson presented a study on “Researching Self Actualization: How Queer POC Integrate their Intersectional Identities.”
Aileen Fezzie, a psychology and criminology, law, and society double major, researched “Differential Susceptibility to Social Influence Across Cultural Orientations.
Integrative studies major Alessaundra Shallal conducted an oral history study titled “Living Between Labels: An Oral History on Race, Religion, and Recognition Among MENA Students at GMU (1960 to 2025)."

“I’m so honored to have received this funding and this platform to share something that I believe deserves more visibility,” Shallal said. “The fact George �鶹��Ƶ offers this is incredibly telling of its values.”

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�鶹��Ƶ Korea students present research at top international conference

Katarina Benson — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:19:57 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ Korea students present research at top international conference Katarina Benson Tue, 08/12/2025 - 15:19

For �鶹��Ƶ Korea students Dayeon Shin and Taeyeong Kim, what started as a moment of curiosity in class turned into something much bigger—a chance to present their research on a global stage.

It began with a classroom discussion on urban flooding, which inspired a research project on “sponge cities,” or urban areas designed to absorb and reuse rainwater, and their potential in Seoul’s Gangnam district.

Shin, a junior majoring in global affairs, applied for and received funding through �鶹��Ƶ’s Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, part of the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR). She teamed up with Kim, a sophomore, and together, under the mentorship of �鶹��Ƶ Korea professor Dakota McCarty, they brought the project to life.

Shin and Kim present their research. Photo provided

Their research was accepted for presentation at the 2025 Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) annual congress in Istanbul, one of the largest and most competitive conferences in the field. Out of the thousands of participants and more than 1,000 presentations, they were one of the very few, if only, undergraduate participants and likely the only undergraduate presenters.

Their presentation, “Exploring the Feasibility of Sponge City Solutions for Flood Resilience in Gangnam, Seoul,” was well received by a room full of academics and planning professionals from around the world.

“Presenting my research and engaging in discussions with professionals from various countries was an incredible experience,” said Shin. “Attending different sessions allowed me to think about my specific interests and motivated me to keep going—it felt like the first real step in my academic journey.”

But the experience wasn’t just about showcasing a project—it was about stepping confidently into the world of research and seeing themselves not just as students, but as emerging scholars.

“I’ve always wanted to make a difference through academic research, and this experience helped me find my ‘why,’” said Kim. “I learned so much about urban planning and really valued the chance to connect with researchers from all over the world.”

For McCarty, the journey was just as rewarding to witness. “It all started with a great question after class,” he said. “That moment of curiosity turned into a research journey that brought Dayeon and Taeyeong to one of the top planning conferences in the world.”

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Students present research at Inaugural Undergraduate Research Showcase in Richmond

Katarina Benson — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:27:27 +0000

Students present research at Inaugural Undergraduate Research Showcase in Richmond Katarina Benson Thu, 03/27/2025 - 10:27

In February, �鶹��Ƶ students attended the first Undergraduate Research Showcase held by the Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia (NURVa) in Richmond. The event was an opportunity for students to present their research as well as share their work with state legislators.

Undergraduates Luciano Byrd, Angela Rojas, and Fatima Majid, all researchers working with faculty through George �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR), were selected for the event.

“The showcase was monumental for me as a student. It was exhilarating to engage in real intellectual sparring with professionals in my field,” said Majid, a senior cyber security engineering major.

Majid worked on her project in a George �鶹��Ƶ Summer Impact research group, “Addressing the International Artificial Intelligence Cyber Question with the United States Cyber Command,” led by Professors Brian Ngac and Nirup Menon of Costello College of Business. This was her first time presenting research.

Majid (left), Byrd (center), and Rojas Rivera (right) at the showcase. Photo provided

Working with fellow students Brian Lemus, Bella Nguyen, and MinhQuan Vo, Majid studies how countries are using artificial intelligence (AI) for national cybersecurity. “The incorporation of AI into cybersecurity is not only revolutionizing the way these countries defend against cyber threats but also serves as a catalyst for strengthening their strategic alliances with the United States,” she said.

Sophomore government and international politics major Luciano Byrd’s research focuses on presidents’ use of executive power and executive orders. His project, “The Evolution of U.S. Presidential Executive Orders from 1936 to 2024: Historical Trends and New, Modern Changes,” could have important implications for the political science field.

He credits his mentor, psychology professor Adam Winsler, for encouraging him to pursue his research. “Without him, I would not have gotten as far as I have. [This] project started off as a simple literature review for my Honors 110 [Principles of Research and Inquiry] class and has turned into a multi-year research project.”

Angela Victoria Rojas Rivera, a junior majoring in medical laboratory science, has been working on her research since she was a freshman. Her research, “Primary Breast Cancer Communication with the Sentinel Lymph Node via Extracellular Vesicles Regulates Distant Metastasis,” addresses triple-negative breast cancer. Her work with Lance Liotta, Marissa Howard, and PhD student Purva Gade in the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine could lead to new approaches to combat the disease.

For Rivera, the most meaningful part of the showcase was the confirmation that her research could help people in the future. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in proteomics or cancer biology.

During the 2023-24 academic year, 428 undergraduates were funded by several OSCAR programs, including the OSCAR Federal Work Study Research Assistant Program, the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, and the Summer Team Impact Projects.

“The importance of events like the Inaugural Showcase at the Capitol is twofold: first, for students, sharing the results of research or creative projects is part of the whole experience. Second, this particular event allowed students to show what amazing work they have done to members of the General Assembly and their staff, who might not have any other opportunity to see what undergraduates can accomplish,” said Karen T. Lee, associate director of OSCAR.

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�鶹��Ƶ research takes a SMART approach to tactical athlete fitness

Sarah Holland — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 20:31:59 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ research takes a SMART approach to tactical athlete fitness Sarah Holland Tue, 04/09/2024 - 16:31

From dietitians to personal trainers, it takes a team of experts and specialists to keep professional athletes strong and healthy throughout their careers. But Joel Martin, associate professor of kinesiology in �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Education and Human Development, thinks there’s one group of athletes missing that same level of support: tactical athletes.

Joel Martin, right, tests ROTC cadet grip strength. Photo provided.

“Tactical athletes are those in professions where physical fitness is a critical component, but who aren’t sport athletes,” Martin explained. This includes military, law enforcement, and first responders. Through the Fit2Serve program, Martin hopes to give tactical athletes the support and resources they’re missing.

Fit2Serve began through an Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR) summer impact grant. Martin works with student researchers in �鶹��Ƶ’s Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing (SMART) Lab on the SciTech Campus to provide fitness testing and wellness resources for tactical athletes and looks for solutions for their specific challenges.

“I think a lot of us know someone involved in military or emergency response,” Martin said, “and we don’t always appreciate the challenges those professions experience, both day-to-day and long term.”

Fitness, Martin said, is more than exercise—sleep, diet, mental wellness, and everyday physical activity all play a role. By improving overall fitness, Martin hopes to improve tactical athletes’ ability to complete occupational tasks and their health and longevity, as well as prevent injuries. For firefighters especially, there is a critical need for better resources, education, and research in these areas.

“Post-retirement mortality rates for firefighters are, on average, much higher than the rest of the population, due to the high physical demands of their jobs, high potential for injury, and consequences of poor sleep and wellness while on active duty,” Martin said. “We want to improve that statistic.”

His research team uses tools such as sleep surveys and real-time fitness monitoring during training exercises to make holistic recommendations for first responder wellness strategies.

“It’s useful for them to understand the physical demands of what they’re doing in order to make more informed decisions that will hopefully prevent extreme fatigue and injury in the long run,” Martin explained.

Their work is already making an impact. After a controlled burn training with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, for example—where Martin and his team examined the extreme physical load placed on the individuals setting up the burn using wearable biosensors—they were able to provide objective data to support a command decision by the fire department to reduce the length of the training from full days to half days. Martin hopes that an upcoming load monitoring study will lead to firefighter schedule adjustments to prevent extended sleep deprivation; many work 24-hour shifts, which leads to disrupted sleep cycles and degraded fitness. This study will be the dissertation for PhD student Mike Toczko.

Another arm of Martin’s work is closer to home—right on the Fairfax Campus, in fact: �鶹��Ƶ’s Army ROTC program. He credits current PhD student Megan Sax van der Weyden for rebuilding the bridge between the SMART Lab and ROTC through their incorporation into the Fit2Serve program.

Sax van der Weyden applied for �鶹��Ƶ’s PhD in Education with a specialization in kinesiology because of the department’s established research with tactical athletes. As both a former student-athlete and ROTC cadet, she hopes to reduce the disparities between the available resources for these groups.

“[As a student-athlete] I had dietitians, sports doctors, mental health counselors, and specialists creating our fitness plans and giving us pre- and post-workout routines,” she said. “For ROTC, you only had the upper-level cadets giving out whatever advice they had gotten from their upper-level cadets.” More formal education backed by research would help to prolong cadets’ military careers and reduce risk of injury, she said.

Megan Sax van der Weyden, seated on the bleachers, measures ROTC cadets' jump ability. Photo provided.

After graduating, Sax van der Weyden will serve in the Army, where she hopes to put this experience to use.

“It’s been a really good learning experience figuring out how to work with large groups of research subjects and even larger data sets. And it’s good practice for distilling complicated theories and information into digestible components for an uninformed audience,” said Sax van der Weyden.

Along with providing fitness testing and health surveys for the battalion each semester, Sax van der Weyden delivers presentations on the importance of diet, fitness, and sleep, and is currently working on an online learning database for tactical athletes that she hopes will last long beyond her time at �鶹��Ƶ.

Martin said many students find the Fit2Serve program provides them with a new outlook on how they can make an impact.

“I see a lot of students come into the kinesiology program thinking they want to do sports medicine, and then transition to tactical athlete research after working with emergency responders,” Martin said.

“It makes me smile watching them learn that they can make a difference in this field.”

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�鶹��Ƶ anthropology professor receives NSF grant to excavate Israeli cave site

Shayla Brown — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 19:31:19 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ anthropology professor receives NSF grant to excavate Israeli cave site Shayla Brown Wed, 10/04/2023 - 15:31

�鶹��Ƶ anthropologist Jamie Clark and two undergraduate students spent part of the summer on an archaeological expedition in Sefunim Cave, Israel.

Clark, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, received a grant of $44,745 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct research at the site. The grant goes through early 2025.

The research team in the Sefunim Caves. Photo provided.

“Getting this grant to focus on the analysis was important, and it's so exciting to have three years of funding,” said Clark. “We've had several excavation seasons since 2013, and with archeology you oftentimes spend more time doing analysis in the lab than you do in the field."

The research for this expedition focuses on the transition from the Neanderthals, which is associated with the Middle Paleolithic period, to modern humans, which is associated with the Upper Paleolithic, and the role of climate change throughout, she said.

Clark's NSF funded research is in collaboration with Gideon Hartman at the University of Connecticut. The excavations were led by Andrew Kandel of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, University of Tübingen and Ron Shimelmitz of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa.

The site they are excavating has deposits going back about 70,000-21,000 years ago, essentially the height of the very last ice age when glaciers were at their greatest extent, Clark said.

“During the last glacial maximum, there's also extreme variability in climate, which is something else we're seeing today with climate change,” said Clark.

Two undergraduate anthropology students who work alongside Clark in the zoo archeology lab in David King Hall were also able to work on the dig.

Jamie Clark (left) and Jett Liska doing field work. Photo provided.

“One of the things that is most important to me is giving undergraduates paid research opportunities, so the grant also pays for the work that I'm having students do,” said Clark.

She said there is a potential barrier to entering the archaeology field for students of limited means. The jobs on digs are often volunteer or unpaid, which isn’t possible for many students.

“It's very hands-on, which is especially cool if you're still an undergrad. Not a lot of students can say that they have that kind of experience,” said Kelly Wilkerson, a senior anthropology major and one of Clark’s lab assistants. “We would be up early to hike one or two kilometers to get to the site around 7 a.m. We dug through the sediment that we uncovered and carried it down [to the lab] at the end of the day.”

Jett Liska, another one of Clark’s lab assistants, received an Undergraduate Research Scholars program grant from �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR) program, which helped him participate in the expedition.

“The best part to me was really taking pride in my work and realizing that I was knowledgeable enough about the site to help incredibly smart people,” Liska said.

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^{“One of the things that is most important to me is giving undergraduates paid research opportunities, so the grant also pays for the work that I'm having students do.”}

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Undergraduate research conference energizes attendees

ckearney — Wed, 10 May 2023 17:22:17 +0000

Undergraduate research conference energizes attendees ckearney Wed, 05/10/2023 - 13:22

There was something different about this year’s National Conference on Undergraduate Research, and it had nothing to do with the quality of the presentations, which, as always, was high.

Forensic science major Haruka Mori presenting her research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Photo provided

It was, though, the first time since 2019 that the conference was held in person, after its cancellation in 2020 because of the pandemic and two subsequent years as a virtual event.

“The energy at the conference was pretty high,” said Karen T. Lee, assistant director of �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR). “The students seemed really enthusiastic.”

Thirty-nine �鶹��Ƶ students attended the April conference at University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where they made new friends, networked, and gained experiences that will help them in their studies and careers.

The annual conference is a valuable addition to the rich research environment at �鶹��Ƶ that allows students to follow their life ambitions.

“It was pretty great,” said senior biology major Gwendolyne Fields, a member of �鶹��Ƶ's Honors College who presented her research into the growth rates of Namibian and Somaliland cheetah cubs. “Definitely a lot going on, and so many people. It was cool to see all these other incredible projects that people were doing.”

The word “great” was used by several �鶹��Ƶ students to describe the event, including Kayleigh Newman, a junior kinesiology major, and Haruka Mori, a senior forensic science major.

“The conference is interdisciplinary, and I was able to see a lot of different presentations in a lot of different fields,” Mori said. “I feel like if I know a lot of different information from different fields, I can also use that for my research. It makes it possible to see it from a different perspective.”

Added Newman: “I was surprised how much I liked looking at the posters outside my major. It also was interesting to hear the keynote speakers and hear what they were talking about in terms of their research and professional experience.”

Mori’s research, turning centrosymmetric compounds into non-centrosymmetric compounds, was extraordinary, said �鶹��Ƶ chemistry professor Xiaoyan Tan.

Non-centrosymmetric materials are crucial for non-linear optics and spintronics, but are much less prevalent than centrosymmetric materials. So when Mori changed a centrosymmetric barium-iridium-oxide compound to non-centrosymmetric by replacing half of the iridium with titanium, it was worth lauding.

“She did more than great,” said Tan, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “Most undergraduates cannot make this. She has very high standards. She was very careful and a good scientist.”

Kinesiology major Kayleigh Newman with her poster. Photo provided

Mori said she enjoyed the give-and-take with her audience during her presentation.

“The audience was specifically from the chemistry field, so the questions they asked were specific to the field,” she said. “It wasn’t general questions. It was why did you use this method instead of this? I was able to see where those questions were coming from and use that for future research.”

Newman’s research was to analyze data from a recent three-year period in which fire department personnel engaged in a mandatory fitness program. The result: personnel made gains in pushups, pull-ups, and curl-ups, but did not gain much in cardiovascular fitness.

“We recommended that cardiovascular fitness be focused on more, and then we let the fire department look at the data and interpret that to maybe make some changes,” Newman said.

Add Fields’ research that showed Namibian cheetah cubs have a higher growth rate than Somaliland cheetah cubs, and you have an idea of the breadth of research at the conference and at �鶹��Ƶ, Virginia’s largest and most innovative public university.

“It’s a chance to see what other students are doing at other places, the sense of community,” Lee said of the conference. “Even if it’s different subjects, they’re all doing the same thing you’re doing.”

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Graduate can’t deny an animal attraction

ckearney — Mon, 08 May 2023 18:40:52 +0000

Graduate can’t deny an animal attraction ckearney Mon, 05/08/2023 - 14:40

Gwendolyne Fields will have many career options once she graduates from �鶹��Ƶ.

During the summer of 2022, Gwendolyne Fields interned at the Cheetah Conservation Fund outside the town of Otjiwarongo in Namibia. Photo provided

Should she go for her master’s degree and PhD? Should she go to veterinary school and work with endangered species? Should she work with wildlife at a zoo?

“I don’t know, I’m still figuring it out,” said Fields, a senior biology major and member of �鶹��Ƶ’s Honors College who is set to graduate this month. “But I do know I want to work with animals, and specifically conservation.”

Fields has a great head start, having just finished an internship at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where she did behavioral analysis of two Asian elephants. She has also lined up a summer internship at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom as a conservation education presenter.

But closest to Fields’ heart was her internship during the summer of 2022 at the Cheetah Conservation Fund outside the town of Otjiwarongo in Namibia. That’s where she worked with the animal that has been her favorite since age 5, comparing the growth rates of Namibian and Somaliland cheetah cubs.

Fields recently presented her data from that internship at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. It was the cap to a �鶹��Ƶ experience that not only fed her interests but gave her the hands-on experiences she needs to take her next steps.

�鶹��Ƶ was there with funding for her internships through the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research. Fields also attended the Endangered Species Conservation program at the Smithsonian-�鶹��Ƶ School of Conservation in Front Royal, Virginia.

“I’m so grateful I came here,” Fields said of �鶹��Ƶ. “I learned so much and made so many connections with people; great friends and memories.”

“She’s motivated, she’s self-reliant, she is naturally curious, and interested in exploring the world around her, in every sense of it,” said David Luther, assistant professor in �鶹��Ƶ’s Biology Department and Fields’ mentor. “And she actually knows when to ask the right questions. That’s important for not stopping progress in whatever she is trying to achieve.”

Fields is from Arlington, Virginia, but with her dad constantly on the move at the State Department, the family also lived in Ethiopia, Argentina, Nepal, Luxembourg, and Germany. Fields speaks fluent French, is conversational in German, and can speak some Spanish.

Her love of cheetahs began when a wildlife veterinarian with whom her father worked in Ethiopia showed her some rescued animals. Fields called the Cheetah Conservation Fund herself to set up her internship. Though her research focused on monitoring and analyzing the growth rate of cubs up to 6 months old, Fields also worked with cheetahs throughout the facility, feeding them, cleaning their enclosures, and giving talks to tourists.

The baseline result that Namibian cheetah cubs had better growth rates than Somaliland cubs is important, Fields said, because “some cubs don’t have their mothers or the skills to survive in the world. So it’s important for zoos and other places that have cheetahs to really take care of them as best as possible. How much food should we give them at a certain age or weight? And if they are at a certain weight, we can estimate their age.”

Fields said she worked with about 30 cheetahs and learned they have personalities much like people.

“Some might seem a little grumpy,” she said. “Others are all lovey-dovey and want to come up to you to get your attention. Every day I was reminded how beautiful and majestic they are. I’d love to go back eventually and finish the research.”

Count it as another of her career options.

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Learn about the Biology program

Graduate’s best advice: ‘Take advantage of as many opportunities as you can’

ckearney — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 16:09:07 +0000

Graduate’s best advice: ‘Take advantage of as many opportunities as you can’ ckearney Mon, 12/12/2022 - 11:09

Emily Synoski has had an interest in the medical field since high school. She said she chose to be part of a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program, and now works in a rehabilitation center, where she also has the opportunity to shadow doctors.

Emily Synoski. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

The Honors College student from Dover, Delaware, who graduates this month from �鶹��Ƶ with a biology degree, has also participated in Georgetown University’s competitive CORE pre-med program, where she and her team pitched an idea to deliver opioid overdose treatment to houseless populations via drones.

At �鶹��Ƶ, she participated in Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research’s Undergraduate Research Scholars Program and Associate Professor Ramin Hakami’s Biomedical Research Lab to research Yersinia pestis, the pathogen that causes the plague. Synoski has also been a College of Science learning assistant for Calculus II.

What is your best memory from your time at �鶹��Ƶ? It was a culmination of things. I’ve met so many good people and have so many friends and fond memories here. I’m so happy that I applied for the Honors College. They’re just really interesting classes and you get a whole other layer of support with your advisor, and with the opportunity to live in the Honors College learning community.

How have you grown while at �鶹��Ƶ? �鶹��Ƶ has helped me grow a lot. Career-wise, I feel like I'm actually really prepared to go into the real world. Even though I’m going to leave �鶹��Ƶ, I know I can still connect with the [University Career Services], and with faculty. It almost feels like you have lifelong support if you need it, and you make connections that really help you. Not a lot of schools would you be able to reach out to a professor and ask to do research in their lab and they’ll actually respond. That’s one of the things I liked about �鶹��Ƶ so much.

What is your best piece of advice for incoming students? Take advantage of as many opportunities as you can. Of course, going into it you can't do everything. You could do a little bit at a time, a semester at a time, but just take advantage whether it’s trying your hand at research, student organizations.

What's next for you? I’m going to keep working as a CNA to get clinic hours for my application to medical school. I want to keep shadowing doctors and retake the MCAT. I’ve been studying for that every single day.

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