EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Eastern Michigan University undergraduate students will be able to hone their research skills in collaboration with faculty mentor support through the 2023 Undergraduate Research Stimulus Program Awards. Students and faculty will explore topics from comparing groundwater nutrient levels in a gog and kettles to helping pedestrians with special needs. The Board of Regents approved the awards at its regular meeting on June 22.

The Undergraduate Research Stimulus Program Awards facilitate partnerships between undergraduate students and Eastern Michigan University faculty. Student awardees will receive a $2,200 fellowship to support their research efforts, paid in bi-weekly installments throughout the award period. This award will be in the form of a credit to the student’s university account. The collaborating faculty member may receive $600 for lab, studio supplies or equipment, professional travel, or other expenses.

The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs awarded $44,000 to 22 undergraduate students and $10,800  to 20 faculty members. The awards are divided into winter 2023 and summer 2023 winners.

The awardees and their faculty mentors include:

Winter 2023
 

• Rose Allen (majoring in environmental science and society). “Comparison of Groundwater Nutrient Levels in a Bog and Kettles at Fish Lake Environmental Education Center.” Faculty mentor: Christopher Gellasch (Department of Geography and Geology).
   
• Brianna Davis (majoring in TESOL). “Examining Preservice English as a Second/Foreign Language Teachers' Views on Gender across Cultural Contexts.” Faculty mentor: Zuzana Tomaš (Department of World Languages).
   
• Mari Horton (majoring in biochemistry). “Creating and Verifying New Mutants in Autophagy Related Protein 3.” Faculty mentor: Steven Backues (Department of Chemistry).
   
• William Jones (majoring in biochemistry). “UHRF2 Structural Exploration.” Faculty mentor: Brittany Albaugh (Department of Chemistry).
   
• Kifaya Nabilsi (majoring in neuroscience interdisciplinary). “Assessing Validity of a Student Created Part-Task Trainer for Bony Landmark Palpation Skills.” Faculty mentor: Darren Bolger (School of Health Promotion & Human Services).
   
• Syed Wasiuddin (majoring in chemistry). “Delineating the reaction energy profile of the synthesis of a biologically-relevant compound.” Faculty mentor: Maria Milletti (Department of Chemistry).
   
• Hyde Wall, Kristi Gryp & Sarah Shafi (majoring in visual art education & art history). “Computational Investigation of a Rhodium Catalyzed Amidation Reaction.” Faculty mentor: Tom Suchan (School of Art & Design).

Summer 2023 

• Hind Al Khashali (majoring in neuroscience interdisciplinary). “Unravelling the mechanisms employed by heparanase in non-small cell lung cancer.” Faculty mentor: Hedeel Evans (Department of Chemistry).
   
• Catharine Dittrick (majoring in elementary-early childhood teaching and learning). “Lesson Planning: Bridging the Gap Between Pre-Service Teachers and First Year Teachers.” Faculty mentor: Jessica Grimone-Hopkins (Department of Teacher Education).
   
• Aminata Doumbouya (majoring in social work/psychology). “Adverse Childhood Experiences, Socio-economic Status, and Child Outcomes.” Faculty mentor: Jamie Lawler (Department of Psychology).
   
• Liz Egerer (majoring in clinical laboratory sciences). “Determining the Mechanism a Plant Derived Compound Uses for Killing Microbes.” Faculty mentor:  Lynne Shetron (School of Health Sciences).
   
• Nathan Guerra (majoring in physics). “It's Rocket Science: Simulating the Achievement of Low-Earth Orbit Via the SpinLaunch System.” Faculty mentor: Ernest Behringer (Department of Physics and Astronomy).
   
• Matthew Kostoff (majoring in chemistry). “Characterizing UHRF1 and UHRF2 Interaction with Nucleosomes.” Faculty mentor: Brittany Albaugh (Department of Chemistry).
   
• Francesca Licari (majoring in therapeutic recreation). “Disability and Sense of Belonging Among College Students.” Faculty mentor: Heather Silander (School of Health Sciences).
   
• Miles Mercier (majoring in Physics). “Technology Integration and Testing of NEBP Balloon Equipment” Faculty mentor: David Pawlowski (Department of Physics and Astronomy).
   
• Marina Paneque-Almeida (majoring in electrical and computer engineering, Computer Concentration). “Design of a Smart Alert System Based on EEG Signal Analysis.” Faculty mentor: Qin Hu (School of Engineering).
   
• Lada Protcheva (majoring in computer science). “Helping Pedestrians with Special Needs to Cross the Roads using a Robot.” Faculty mentor: Suleiman Ashur (Department of Computer Science).
   
• Jacob Render (majoring in geospatial information science and technology). “Mapping Housing Subdivision Development and Sustainability in Washtenaw County, Michigan between 1940 and 2022.” Faculty mentor: William Welsh (Department of Geography and Geology).
   
• Juan Salcedo (majoring in chemistry). “Mutation of Autophagic Protein and its Imaging by TEM.” Faculty mentor: Steven Backues (Department of Chemistry).
   
• Anne Shepherd (majoring in geology). “Improving Our Understanding of Schmidt Hammer Data in the Great Lakes with a Comparative Analysis of Measurement Methodologies.” Faculty mentor: Eric Portenga (Department of Geography and Geology).

About Eastern Michigan University
Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 14,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and its graduate school. National publications regularly recognize EMU for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. Visit the University’s rankings and points of pride websites to learn more. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website. To stay up to date on University news, activities and announcements, visit EMU Today.