Ninety-five undergraduates to present summer research

LAWRENCE — Each summer, undergraduate students from around the world join current University of Kansas students in conducting research with KU faculty.  Ninety-five of these students will present their research Friday, July 26, at the KU Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Session. The event, which is open to the public, will take place from 9:30 a.m.-noon in 164 Ritchie Hall.

Presenters include students taking part in the following programs:

The poster session is co-sponsored by the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) Scholars Program and KU’s Center for Undergraduate Research. The program, including abstracts of the research posters, was previously available on KU Center for Undergraduate Research. Students who will present their work are listed below, along with their hometown (if available), home institution, project title, faculty mentor and department:

Dhanushki Abeykoon, Wichita; KU; “Ischemic Stroke Identification Based on mRNA Expression Profiles from Plasma Isolated CD15+ Extracellular Vesicles,” Steven Soper, chemistry

Darragh Adelaide, Clondalkin, Dublin, Ireland; Dublin City University; “Chemical Additive-Enabled High-Efficiency Electroporation of Exosomes for Regulating Cellular Communication,” Mei He and Sui Ching Phung, chemical & petroleum engineering

Karim Al-barghouti, Tampa, Florida; University of South Florida; “Thermal Conductivity of Ionic Liquids and  hydrofluorocarbons: 1-Hexyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane,” Aaron Scurto, chemical & petroleum engineering

Kasra Alizadeh; KU; “Evaluating the Role of Translational Efficiency in Synaptogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans,” Brian Ackley, molecular biosciences

Micah Anderson, Wichita; Jackson State University; “Examination of the electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of a novel ruthenium complex bearing redox-active 9,9′-dimethyldiazafluorene ligands,” James Blakemore, chemistry

Mariam Balogun, Ogudu, Lagos, Nigeria; KU; “Depolymerization of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Plastics by Spray Ozonolysis,” Bala Subramaniam and Julian Silverman, chemical engineering

Brooke Barney, Paola; KU; “Evaluation of the Strongest Influences on the Adoption of a Vegan Lifestyle,” Amii Castle, business law

Kaylee Barr, Olathe; KU; “Protein Thermal-stabilization via Adsorption onto mesoporous silica gels,” Mark Shiflett, chemical & petroleum engineering

Anton Barybin, Lawrence; KU; “Development of a Separation-Based Sensor for Monitoring Neurotransmitters,” Susan Lunte and Galina Bulgakova, chemistry

Noora Batrash, Overland Park; KU; “Development of Targeted Sortase Reactions for High-Precision Fab-Based Biomolecule Synthesis,” Brandon DeKosky and Amy Laflin, pharmaceutical chemistry

Shayla Bellamy, Hutchinson; KU; “Electronic Link Testing for the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider Compact Muon Solenoid Detector Upgrade,” Alice Bean and Sadia Khalil, physics & astronomy

Zyrie Berry-Hendricks, Topeka; KU; “Narratives on Gender-Based Violence: Perspectives from Communities of Color,” Juliana Carlson, social welfare

Michael Brizes, Columbia, South Carolina; University of South Carolina; “The Characterization of Lignin-based Prepolymers,” Bala Sabramaniam & Julian Silverman, chemical & petroleum engineering

Adriana Caldwell, Stockbridge, Georgia; Kennesaw State University; “The Effects of Concentration, Location, and Land-Use History on Plants Success in Prairie Restoration,” Jim Bever and Ben Sikes, ecology & evolutionary biology

Kiara Clark, Lawrence; KU; “Determining the Factors that Influence Perceptions of Mental Health Treatment and Care Among African Americans,” Tamara Baker-Thomas and Araba Kuofie, gerontology and psychology

Haley Cooper, Wichita; KU; “Ethnocentrism in Constructions of Sexual Behavior and Attitudes,” Glenn Adams and Natasha Bharj, psychology

Kavina Davis, Portland, Oregon; KU; “Do Muslim Women Need Saving?: A Study on the Lived Experiences of Muslim Women in the Midwest,” Marwa Ghazali, anthropology

Richard Dolder, Dunwoody, Georgia; University of Georgia; “Synthesis and Characterization of Insulin-Specific 4-Arm PEG Tetramers of p79 and 2.5HIP for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes,” Cory Berkland and Stephanie Johnson, pharmaceutical chemistry

Nicole D'Souza, Overland Park; KU; “Optimization of Sucrose Cushions to Improve Efficiency of  Exosome Isolation,” Mei He and Sui Ching Phung, chemical & petroleum engineering

Natalie Eppler, Paola; KU; “Quinolines act as natural antimicrobials and have ecological significance for the soil bacterium Burkholderia thailandensis,” Josephine Chandler, molecular biosciences

Lauren Feden, Papillion, Nebraska; Hastings College; “Design of a linear 6,6’-biazulenic pi-linker terminated with mercapto junctions,” Misha Barybin and Jason Applegate, chemistry

Priscilla Flores-Ascencio, Dodge City; KU; “Estrogen Receptor Alpha Involvement in Outer Meniscal Fibrochondrocytes Homeostasis,” Jennifer Robinson, chemical engineering

Joe Fritz, Topeka; KU; “Modulating Surfactant Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) Ratios to Control Water-in-Oil Emulsion Droplet Size,” Jennifer Robinson and Pamela Johnson, chemical & petroleum engineering

Victoria Gomerdinger, Olathe; Yale University; “Optimized mutagenesis method for functionalizing and modifying therapeutic monoclonal antibodies,” Brandon DeKosky and Cory Berkland, pharmaceutical chemistry

Phasin Gonzalez, Daytona Beach, Florida; Stetson University; “The Microfluidic Affinity Selection and Electrical Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Blood Samples from Metastatic Cancer Patients Enrolled in Clinical Trials,” Steven Soper, chemistry

Ashley Grande, Colorado Springs, Colorado; KU; “Preparation of a stably labeled mimic of a deuterated protein with 15N to evaluate mass measurement error in a hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry experiment,” David Weis and Michael Wrigley, chemistry

Evan Haas, Overland Park; KU; “Multi-Disc Voltage Analysis of Piezoelectric Composite Materials with Compliant Layers,” Elizabeth Friis, mechanical engineering

Arman Hadjian, Overland Park; KU; “Synthesis of molecular probes that accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum of living eukaryotic cells,” Blake Peterson and Digamber Rane, medicinal chemistry

Abby Harders, Moundridge; Bethel College; “Solubility and Diffusivity of Difluoromethane and Pentafluoroethane in Ionic Liquids,” Mark Shiflett, chemical & petroleum engineering

Dylan Hendricks, Grundy Center, Iowa; Northwestern College; “Investigating the dynamics of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) by single-molecule fluorescence microscopy,” Carey Johnson, chemistry

Amanda Hertel, Shawnee; KU; “Effects of Engineered Carbon Nanodiamonds on Model Phospholipid Monolayers,” Prajna Dhar and Aishik Chakraborty, chemical & petroleum engineering

Logan Hessefort, Blue Springs, Missouri; University of Central Missouri; “Second-Shell Hydrogen Bonding’s impact on HAT reactions of Mn(III)-hydroxo complexes,” Tim Jackson and Adedamola Abraham Opalade, chemistry

Alexandra Holder, Lawrence; Haskell Indian Nations University; “The Good Behavior Game,” Claudia Dozier and Elizabeth Foley, applied behavioral science

Mikayla Hoyle, Blue Springs, Missouri; KU; “Nano-fluidic Device Fabrication and Development for Extracellular Vesicle Profiling,” Steven Soper and Zheng Zhao, chemistry

Josephine Hriscu, Duncan, Oklahoma; University of Oklahoma; “Hydrogel Network Characterization Using Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance,” Alan Allgeier and Murilo Toledo Suekuni, chemical & petroleum engineering

Christian Hunt, Sand Springs, Oklahoma; Southern Nazarene University; “Metal-Assisted Etching for Nanoscale Lithography,” Cindy Berrie and Sasanka Ulapane, chemistry

Wyatt Hursh, Leawood; KU; “Efflux mediates self-toxicity by the Burkholderia pseudomallei cytotoxin malleilactone,” Josephine Chandler and Jennifer Klaus, molecular biosciences

Bailey Huser, Lawrence; KU; “Selective Ubiquitination of RANBP2 by HSV-1 ICP0 During Productive Infection,” David Davido, molecular biosciences

Ryan Idler, Morgantown, West Virginia; West Virginia University; “Evaluating Chemical Precipitation of Scale-Forming Divalent Ions for Pretreatment of Produced Waters,” Justin Hutchison and Edward Peltier, civil, environmental & architectural engineering

Kelsey Jachino, Hillsboro, Illinois; Blackburn College; “Effects of Acryl DiFiD on Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma,” Sufi Thomas and Levi Arnold, otolaryngology, KU Medical Center

Lauren Jennings, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri; KU; “Analysis of Axin1 in Destruction Complex Localization Following Wnt Ligand Presentation,” Kristi Neufeld, molecular biosciences

Jeayoung Jeong, Overland Park; KU; “Improving Mechanical Properties in Poly(ethylene glycol) Diacrylate-Montmorillonite Composite Hydrogels Using Redox Initiation,” Steven Gehrke, chemical & petroleum engineering

Denis Johnson, Dover, Pennsylvania; University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown; “Mesoporous Silicates with Highly Dispersed Molybdenum for Enhanced Olefin Metathesis,” Bala Subramaniam, chemical & petroleum engineering

Khayla Joseph, Dallas; Tabor College; “Caging Ion-Pair,” Kristin Bowman-James, chemistry

Mykka Juan, Sells, Arizona; Haskell Indian Nations University; “An Inexpensive System for Assessing Lumbar Pelvic Coordination,” Sara Wilson, mechanical engineering

Ezra Kaiser, Burlington, Colorado; KU; “Identification and Quantification of Central Auditory Processing Disorder Symptoms in the Young Adult Population,” Krysta Green, speech-language-hearing

Bailey Kane, Douglas, Wyoming; University of Wyoming; “Formulation Development of an Orally Delivered Secretory IgA Exposed to Simulated Digestion Conditions,” Lorena Napolitano and David Volkin, pharmaceutical chemistry

Kayla Lammy, Hamburg, Illinois; Blackburn College; “Targeting IFITM1 in triple negative breast cancer,” Joan Lewis-Wambi, cancer biology, KU Medical Center

Patrick Landry, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Louisiana Tech University; “Effect of guest molecules on the hydrogen bonding of water to resorcin[4]arene in supramolecular assemblies,” Ward Thompson and Ankita Katiyar, chemistry

Angelica Lang, Manhattan; KU; “The Role of Basement Membrane Proteins for Proper Q Neuroblast Migration in C. elegans,” Erik Lundquist, molecular biosciences

Shelby Lierz, Overland Park; Kansas State University; “Targeting Cytochrome P450 5122A1 (CYP5122A1) for Leishmaniasis Treatment: Inhibitory Effects Of Antifungal Azoles,” Micheal Wang and Yiru Jin, pharmaceutical chemistry

Noses Lor, Kansas City, Kansas; KU; “Removal of PFOA from Drinking Water Using Microporous Materials,” Mark Shiflett, chemical & petroleum engineering

Vy Ly, Hollywood, Florida; University of Florida; “Controlling Mixing Speeds and Mixing Times to Modulate Water-in-Oil Emulsion Droplet Size for Emulsion Electrospinning Applications,” Jennifer Robinson and Pamela Johnson, chemical & petroleum engineering

Delaney Lynam, Omaha, Nebraska; Northwest Missouri State University; “Quantum chemistry Simulations of Rhodium (III) Catalysts for Hydrogen Production,” Marco Caricato, chemistry

Madison McCall, Kansas City, Kansas; KU; “Sentiment and Network Analysis of Measles Tweets,” Folashade Agusto, ecology & evolutionary biology

Alexis McGhee-Dinvaut, Olathe; KU; “Racial Group Membership and Discrimination History Salience on Mental Illness Stigmatization,” Nyla Branscombe, psychology

Brielle McKee, Brewster; KU; “Antibiotic selection and quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,” Josephine Chandler, molecular biosciences

Nadia McLean, Lawrence; KU; “A correlational study of anxiety and drug use,” Matthew Rosenthal, psychology

Tara McQuillan, Leavenworth; University of Saint Mary; “Dienylation of aryl malonates with Diels-Alder applications,” Jon Tunge, chemistry

Mohamed Mohamed, Minnetonka, Minnesota; University of North Dakota; “Base effect on Production of Glycolic acid,” Honghong Shi, chemical & petroleum engineering

Jose Morales, Great Bend; KU; “Real Time DSP-Enabled Digital  Subcarrier Cross-Connect with use of System on Chip,” Rongqing Hui, electrical engineering & computer science

Megan Myers; KU; “Insight into the evolution of excitatory synapses using the larvacean tunicate, Oikopleura dioica,” Eduardo Rosa-Molinar, pharmacology & toxicology

Samantha Negron, Vista, California; California State University San Marcos; “Development of a Chiral Separation of Amino Acid Neurotransmitters by Capillary Electrophoresis,” Susan Lunte & Galina Bulgakova, chemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry

Michelle Oboro, Olathe; KU; “Stigma and Attitudes at the Intersection of Black Women, Domestic Violence, and Substance Use Disorder,” Carl Lejuez, psychology

Bryn O'Meara, Louisburg; KU; “Canonical Wnt signaling instructs multiple aspects of neuron development in Caenorhabditis elegans,” Brian Ackley, molecular biosciences

Lexie Paige, Florissant, Missouri; KU; “Optimization of the Electrophoretic Separation and Electrochemical Detection of RNOS Protein Oxidation Products Related to Alzheimer’s Disease,” Sue Lunte and Kelci Schilly, chemistry

Skye Perkins, Wichita; Haskell Indian Nations University; “Dietary octanoic acid may confer protection against bacterial infection in Drosophila sechellia,” Robert Unckless, molecular biosciences

Eleda Plouch, Greenfield, Indiana; Hope College; “Sulfonyl linchpins: A building block for electrophilic probes,” Paul Hanson and Viena Thomas, chemistry

Martin Pollack, San Carlos, California; Grinnell College; “Effectiveness of Disease Control Measures in a Pathosystem with Co-Infection and Vector Preference,” Folashade Agusto, ecology & evolutionary biology

Alexis Ramos, Topeka; KU; “Genetics and development of parallel pollination system evolution in Penstemon,” Lena Hileman, ecology & evolutionary biology

Leonor Ramos-Salamanca, Johnson; KU; “Exposure to Violence, Coping, and Academic Achievement in Latinx Adolescents,” Omar Gudino, psychology

Nicole Rosario-Ortiz, Caguas, Puerto Rico; University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; “Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Gold Electrode Surfaces in Acidic Medium,” Kevin Leonard, chemical & petroleum engineering

Amanda Rouillard, Santee, Nebraska; Haskell Indian Nations University; “How does land use increase coliform bacteria concentrations in drinking water sources for the Santee Sioux Nation?” Katrina McClure, geography

Mitzi Guadalupe Sanchez Cubedo, Hermesillo, Sonora; University of Sonora; “Using Co-Robots with Emotion Recognition to Stimulate Self-Management for Persons with Progressive Memory Loss,” Andrew Williams, engineering

Mel Saldana-Fuentes, Garden City; KU; “Immigration Motivations: Barriers to Residency and Citizenship Acquisition Among Women Immigrants from Mexico to the United States,” Rachel Denney, women, gender & sexuality studies

Mikayla Smith, Olathe; KU; “Improving the Dissolution of Amphotericin B by Preparation of an Amorphous Solid Dispersion Formulation,” Tahnee Dening and Michael Hageman, pharmaceutical chemistry

Alexa Snyder, Bloomington, Minnesota; Augustana University; “Analyzing Nitric Oxide Synthase Conformations by Time-resolved Fluorescence Decay,” Carey Johnson, chemistry

Yeonzu Son, Ulsan National Institution of Science and Technology; “Solid-Phase Biological Reactions for the Detection of Rare Genomic Mutations,” Steven Soper & Lulu Zhang, chemistry

Cherelle Speen, Sanders, Arizona; Haskell Indian Nations University; “Measuring Microplastics in Waste Water Treatment Plant Biosolids,” Edward Peltier and Belinda Sturm, civil engineering

Colby Spiess, Piper; KU; “Overexpression of the RNA Binding Protein HuR Promotes Chemoresistance by Stabilizing AKT in Colorectal Cancer Cells,” Dan Dixon, molecular biosciences

Sierra Staatz, Tonganoxie; Kansas State University; “Characterization and Fabrication of Ca+, NH4+ Clinoptilolite for Methane Purification,” Mark Shiflett and Alan Allgeier, chemical & petroleum engineering

Eleanor Stewart-Jones, Mission; KU; “Characterization of Manganese Peroxo Complexes,” Timothy Jackson, chemistry

Jonah Stiel, Topeka; KU; “Examining the Effect of Steric Bulk on Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction in [Mn(CO)3] Diimine Complexes,” James Blakemore and Wade Henke, chemistry

Dorothea Summers, Haskell Indian Nations University; “Supporting Play for Developing Communication Skills with Native American Families,” Matthew Gillispie and Joshua Allison-Burbanks, speech-language-hearing

Jonathan Super, Wichita; KU; “Competition Studies to Compare Reactivity of Different Electrophiles in Tsuji-Trost Reactions,” Jon Tunge and Kevin Allegre, chemistry

Whitney Swaffar, Slick, Oklahoma; Haskell Indian Nations University; “Investigating diversity in reading comprehension interventions for participants with ASD,” Meghan Davidson, speech-language-hearing

Katherine Vander Laan, Shawnee; KU; “Isotope Effect in Optical Rotation- A Computational Study,” Marco Caricato, Tal Aharon and Ty Balduf, chemistry

Bryan Vasquez, Great Bend; KU; “Single Cell Capturing for Molecular Profiling of Heterogeneous Extracellular Vesicles,” Mei He and Sui Ching Phung, chemical & petroleum engineering

Yvette Von Loh, Jacksonville, Florida; University of South Florida; “Rheological study of natural starch biomaterial for building biomimetic immune tissue,” Mei He and Mikala Heon, chemical engineering & chemistry

Madelynn Watson, Morgantown, West Virginia; West Virginia University; “Produced Water Boron Removal Through Electrocoagulation,” Edward Peltier and Stacy Tinner, civil, environmental & architectural engineering

Omar Williams, Morrilton, Arkansas; KU; “ThrYve Youth Justice Community Engagement Initiative,” Jomella Watson-Thompson, applied behavioral science

Steven Winkler, Fort Collins, Colorado; KU; “How root exudated organic acids change soil pH and affect nutrient availability, across different land use history,” Sharon Billings and Ligia Souza, ecology & evolutionary biology

Collette Wright, Overland Park; KU; “Is the Pyruvate Kinase from Zymomonas mobilis allosterically regulated?” Audrey Lamb, molecular biosciences

Stephanie Xiong, Spokane, Washington; California State University, Fullerton; “Spray-Drying Combinations of Polymers and Nifedipine as Solid Dispersions to Maximize Dissolution without Precipitation,” Michael Hageman, pharmaceutical chemistry

Katie Zimmerman, Lawrence; KU; “Toward the Design of the Amino Terminal Copper and Nickel (ATCUN) Motif in Antimicrobial Metallopeptides,” Candan Tamerler, mechanical engineering.