More than 400 students from colleges, universities and community colleges in North Carolina participated in the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS) which was held virtually on November 7. The annual symposium showcases NC undergraduate student research and creative work and provides undergraduate scholars in all fields a forum to share the results of their work through posters, presentations, performances, and works of art.
Thirteen students from North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) were awarded $250 stipends to support the research that they showcased at the symposium. The students and their research projects are:
Angel Andrews, Wingate University senior, Determination of Alteration CYP Enzymes’ Gene Expression during Kratom-Induced Hepatomegaly; faculty advisor, Dr. Tracy Davis.
Jack Casey, Davidson College senior, Synaptic Plasticity of the Crossed Temporodentate Pathway in Ovariectomized Female Sprague-Dawley Rats; faculty advisor, Dr. Julio Ramirez.
Daniel Heintzelman, Elon University senior, Kinetic Investigations of NOx Chemistry Pertaining to the Global Nitrogen Cycle; faculty advisor, Anthony Rizzuto.
Bing Xuan Ho, Duke University senior, Characterizing Synonymous Codon Usage Bias in Physiologically Integral Cardiac Proteins for Gene Therapeutics in Heart Failure; faculty advisor, Dr. Paul F. Agris.
Shannon Houser, Duke University, The Role of LRRK2 in Cell Cycle Regulation; faculty advisor, Dr. Laurie Sanders.
Elliott Kauffman, Duke University, Development of a Novel Jet Tagging Technique for LHC Collisions; faculty advisor, Dr. Ayana Arce.
Justin Leonard, Catawba College, Probiotic Viability Following Gastric Exposure; faculty advisor, Dr. Amanda Rushing and Dr. Erin Howard.
Gracie Perry-Garnette, Guilford College, Microbiology of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in the Turks and Caicos Islands, BWI; faculty advisor, Melanie Lee-Brown.
Annika Sharma, Duke University, Nonapeptide Receptor Neuroanatomy in Monogamous and Promiscuous Eulemur; faculty advisor, Dr. Christine Drea.
Candace Swepson, Catawba College, Investigating the Prevalence of Dirofiliaria immitis in Mosquito Vectors from Salisbury, North Carolina; faculty advisor, Dr. Carmony L. Hartwig.
Abigail Walters, Catawba College, Daphnia Pulex Reproduction in Response to BPA and BPA derivatives; faculty advisor, Dr. Erin W. Howard.
Jasmine Wiitala and Oryan Malul, Catawba College, Student-Sourcing the Antibiotics Discovery Pipeline; faculty advisor Dr. Amanda Rushing.
“We are pleased to reward the intellect and creativity demonstrated by these undergraduate students,” said NCICU President Hope Williams. “Each year we get to witness the passion and resourcefulness that could lead to game-changing research.”