Students from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences showed their research prowess at the annual Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity Showcase held April 20 in the Lory Student Center at Colorado State University.
CURC provides a venue for integrating experiential learning into the undergraduate curriculum. The goals include providing research opportunities for bright, ambitious Colorado State undergraduates and fostering close connections between faculty members and students. Most projects are faculty-mentored endeavors, meaning students collaborate directly with a faculty member on a research project.
At CURC, 42 of 152 (28 percent) posters were by CVMBS undergraduate students (who comprise only 3 percent of the undergraduate student population at CSU). Seven additional projects from students outside of the College also were mentored by CVMBS faculty members.
“This type of response from our students and our faculty and staff members shows the value of hands-on learning,” said Dr. Ken Blehm, CVMBS Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. “This definitely speaks to our commitment to engage and involve students of all levels in ‘real world’ work if they but show the interest and initiate the contact – something our students regularly do.”
Below are the CVMBS students who received honors for their CURC poster entry, listed with their major, poster title, and faculty mentor. Students receiving honors were recognized at the CURC award ceremony on April 22.
Katriana Popichak, Microbiology – Blockade of nuclear factor kappa b prevents MPTP-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in primary astrocytes. (Dr. Ron Tjalkens, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences)
Genevieve Forster, Microbiology – Quantification of the differential effects of rice bran varieties on immune response modulation in vitro. (Dr. Steven Dow, Department of Clinical Sciences)
Douglas Robinson, Environmental Health – Assessing the effectiveness of a cook stove intervention by evaluating changes in heart rate and oxygen saturation among Nicaraguan women. (Dr. Jennifer Peel, ERHS)
Hannah Reed, Environmental Health – Spatial and non-spatial analyses to describe predictors of stove adoption. (Dr. Jennifer Peel, ERHS)
Dawn Clagett, Biomedical Sciences – Modifying rat sperm membranes and cryoprotectants added to enhance cryopreservation. (Dr. James Graham, Department of Biomedical Sciences)
Madeline Breer, Microbiology – How the Hec1 Protein Affects Kinetochore Oscillations in Mitosis (Dr. Jennifer DeLuca, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Ryan Autenrieth, Environmental Health – Reported health symptoms and socioeconomic status among Nicaraguan women using traditional biomass indoor cook stoves compared to ventilated improved. (Dr. Jennifer Peel, ERHS)
