2012–2013 Research Assistantships
Summer 2013
Students: Joseph Biggs and Jonathan Cabai
Faculty Member: Dr. Daniela Andrei, Chemistry
This project explored primary diamines in order to convert them into diazeniumdiolates bearing two functional groups. The advantage of such compounds is that they should be able to release double amounts of HNO when compared with primary monoamine diazeniumdiolates. Characterization of such compounds including kinetic studies, NO and HNO release were performed. Joseph and Jonathan synthesized new diazeniumdiolates, learned to understand the characterization of such compounds and how to order different chemicals. They also learned how to maintain good laboratory techniques and updated an inventory of chemicals in Dr. Andrei’s lab. As a result of their research they were able to participate at different local, regional and national meetings such as the American Chemical Society.
Student: Theresa Farris
Faculty Member: Prof. Noelle Allen Wright, Sculpture
Prof. Wright developed a new body of sculpture, tentatively titled Saturn’s Shepherd, which expands upon the ideas she explored in Trellis. Utilizing a layered palette of materials, she juxtaposed natural materials, such as thorns and flowers, with the man-made, representation with abstraction. By utilizing different media, such as graphite, clay, plaster, wax, and resin, Prof. Wright created unconventional narratives. Specifically, one of the pieces from Trellis titled Black Sea, Persephone, inspired her to create a series of 5 low-lying floor plinths that reference Donald Judd’s minimalist box series and Emmett Gowin’s aerial photographs. Theresa’s role was to assist in the production of the sculpture. She gained an understanding of the methodology and conceptual approach of a project as well as the various processes and stages that go into art production. Theresa also learned advanced sculpture skills such as advanced mold making, painting for sculpture, advanced carving skills, and slip casting and a better understanding of how a professional artist receives a show opportunity and then executes a body of work from start to finish.
Student: Breanna Watral
Faculty Member: Dr. David Perry, History
Continuation of grant awarded for Spring 2013.
Spring 2013
Student: Sana Ahmed
Faculty Member: Dr. J. Brent Friesen, Chemistry
As part of her work on this project, Sana tested new solvent system formulations using a standard mixture of 20 natural products. The mixture, dissolved in a custom solvent system, was separated and distributed into about 60 test tubes with a countercurrent chromatography instrument. The contents of the test tubes were monitored with thin layer chromatography (TLC)and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Data was gathered on the separation characteristics of different formulations with an emphasis on extending the usefulness of well-known solvent systems particularly in the feasibility of replacing chloroform with dichloromethane. Dichloromethane is an more environmentally-friendly alternative to chloroform which has been extensively used in countercurrent chromatography. The project served as a model for future projects that explore environmentally friendly solvent alternatives for chromatography. Sana performed wet chemistry techniques, prepared samples to be run on analytical instruments, operated analytical instruments, and performed data analysis. These are all skills that can be transferred into post graduate education and or the job market.
Student: Kimberly Bajzek
Faculty Member: Dr. Chavella T. Pittman, Sociology
Continuation of grant awarded for Fall 2012
Student: Andrew Reyes Burkholder
Faculty Member: Noelle Allen Wright, Sculpture
Andrew assisted in the production of a new body of sculpture that Professor Wright was exploring. He helped complete the complex and time-sensitive steps of the mold making process from the clay original to the urethane multiple part molds to the final experimental pours in wax, concrete and resin. Andrew also was responsible for some plaster carving, woodworking and clay modeling, and helped edit the work and make decisions about a material or color or scale choice that most suits the conceptual direction of the new body of sculpture. He gained an understanding of the methodology and conceptual approach of a project as well as the various processes and stages that go into art production. In addition, Andrew learned many advanced sculpture skills, many of which are not generally covered in a Bachelor’s level program. As an art major who plans to continue on to a Master’s of Fine Arts, it helped him see firsthand how a professional sculptor creates work from the idea to the finishing touches before a gallery show.
Students: Jonathan Cabai and Theodore Weyna
Faculty Member: Dr. Daniela Andrei, Chemistry
Continuation of grant awarded for Summer 2012
Student: Stephanie Ciura
Faculty Members: Dr. Paul Coe and Dr. Sara Quinn, Mathematics
To assess the mathematical skills of its incoming freshmen, Dominican University uses a placement test developed by the faculty in the Department of Mathematics. The test consists of 36 multiple-choice questions, broken up into five categories according to the level of material. To determine the placement of each student, a combination of the score on each category of the placement test, the total score on the placement test, and the student’s math ACT score is used. This project evaluated effectiveness of the mathematics placement test. The project focused on data collection and entry and on further analysis using the collected course grades. Stephanie entered all relevant data into Excel in preparation for analysis using SAS, a statistical analysis program. Once the data was entered, she participated in statistical analysis planning meetings, and carried out portions of the analysis. Stephanie gained additional exposure to a widely used statistical analysis program, gained experience with data analysis, and was able to see practical applications of her course materials from Dominican.
Student: Geraldine Holmes
Faculty Member: Dr. Bob Calin-Jageman, Neuroscience
This project studied what genes must be activated to enable the storage of long-term memory by studying a new form of whole-body long-term habituation memory in the sea slug Aplysia californica. Animals were given up to 3 days of long-term habituation memory, training, a protocol sufficient to cause habituation lasting 2-7 days. To analyze gene expression, animals were harvested either a) 2 days into training, when the long-term memory is just beginning to be formed, b) 1 day after training, when the long-term memory is strongly expressed, or c) 1 week after training, when the long-term memory has primarily faded. Each time point required the training of 12 experimental animals, 12 controls, and 12 'massed' controls (different, non-effective training protocol). Geraldine took primary responsibility for this experiment--caring for the animals, conducting all behavioral testing, and assisting in the harvesting of their brains. She previously conducted two successful long-term habituation experiments and her work helped bring this project to fruition.
Student: Christine Nguyen
Faculty Member: Dr. Scott Kreher, Biology
Continuation of grant awarded for Fall 2012
Student: Breanna Watral
Faculty Member: Dr. David Perry, History
This project focused on Dr. Perry’s second book project provisionally titled The Material Culture of Medieval Venetian Memory. This project ranged in scope from ca. 400-1606 C.E. and employed historical, art historical, literary, theological, and codicological source material. Breanna performed a systematic survey of Venetian art from 1400-1650 to identify every known case in which object exchange appears in any capacity, researched each find, and reported her findings in both discursive and database form. In the process, she learned new skills of art historical research and became an expert on the artists and locations of late medieval Venice. She also developed organizational and technical skills in developing the database.
Fall 2012
Student: Kimberly Bajzek
Faculty Member: Dr. Chavella T. Pittman, Sociology
Professor Pittman conducted research that examines the relationship between racial behaviors and social norms. The research was based on two studies, both of which are online survey experiments that pose social norms regarding racial justice behaviors. The purpose of the research was to produce new knowledge that can be broadly applied in order to promote social change and reduce racism. Specifically, the project aimed to identify which aspects of social norms are most powerful proponents of racism, so that norm based interventions can be developed and implemented to reduce racism. The research will produce publishable results, allow for methodology optimization and be the basis for a grant proposal submitted to the NSF to expand the study. Kimberly helped Prof. Pittman by performing data analysis, writing portions of the project manuscript and merging and cleaning data. In the process, Kimberly developed her social science research skills, and gained valuable experience in the field of sociology.
Faculty Member: Dr. Daniela Andrei, Chemistry
Students: Jonathan Cabai and Theodore Weyna
Continuation of grant awarded for Summer 2012
Faculty Member: Dr. Scott Kreher, Biology
Student: Christine Nguyen
Professor Kreher continued his work on investigating the molecular, genetic and cellular basis of olfaction, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. Specifically, Prof. Kreher looked into how odor perception is altered in flies that have had odor receptors rendered useless as a result of mutation to the genes that code for the receptors. The two receptors of interest to this research are named Or42a and Or42b, and operate by mediating the behavioral response to the chemical ethyl acetate. Prof. Kreher tested the behavioral responses of the various flies by performing behavioral assays with the fly larvae, featuring a diluted chemical odor stimulant in proximity to the larvae on an agar plate. Christine helped Prof. Kreher in his work by testing the behavior of transgenic flies where sensory neurons and odor receptors have been transgenically manipulated and perturbed to elicit specific behavioral effects. Christine also helped with managing fly stocks and analyzing data from the behavioral assays. The final goal of the project was to present this work at regional and national conferences, as well as to write a manuscript and publish the research, for which Christine will be listed as a co-author.