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Editor: Maiz ie Plumley, Graduate Assistant

URSCO Newsletter UNCG Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativity Office ǀ Fall 2020

Inside this Issue

Important Dates URSCO Virtual Workshops SNCURCS 2020 ABRCMS URSCO Faculty Fellows McNair Scholars Program URCA Recipients: Spring

2021 Student Highlights

15th Annual Thomas Undergraduate

Research and Creativity Expo

Virtual Expo II

April 19-23, 2021

Abstracts will be accepted

January 21 — February 24

Save the Date! The expo is the campus-wide celebration of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities. All undergrads engaged in faculty-mentored scholarly inquiry are encouraged to participate. Students are eligible to compete for program recognition, which includes monetary awards. Categories for these awards include: • Humanities and Social Sciences • Education and Behavioral Sciences • Mathematics, Life and Physical Sciences • Performance • Emerging Scholars (UNCG Residential College Students ) Participants in course-based undergraduate research projects are also encouraged to present.

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Important dates ~Spring 2021~

January 19: Classes begin January 21—February 24: Abstracts accepted for the 14th Annual Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo March 3: Health and Wellness

Day. Classes Dismissed April 19-23: 15th Annual

Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo: Virtual Expo II

April 28: Last day of classes April 30-May 1 & May 3-6:

Final exams

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URSCO Virtual Workshops

This semester, because of COVID-19, virtual presentations have become more prevalent for undergraduate students. The URSCO office has created a Virtual Presentation Guide workshop video to help undergraduate students navigate the world of virtual presentations. You can view this video along with our How to Create an Effective Poster Presentation slideshow on the URSCO website under For Students or follow the links below. Virtual Presentation Tips: Workshop Video Virtual Presentation Tips How to Create an Effective Poster Presentation

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Five UNCG students presented their research at the 16th annual State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS). This year, the expo was hosted virtually by East Carolina University with cohost Elizabeth City State University on Saturday, November 7, 2020. There were 562 presentations at this year’s SNCURCS. SNCURCS provides undergraduate scholars in all fields a forum to share the results of their work through posters, oral presentations, performances, and works of art.

SNCURCS ~2020~

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Student Presentation Title

Alexis Awuah The Protective Role of Social Skills between Negative Affectivity and Externalizing Behaviors in Middle Childhood

Malanah Hobgood Rosso’s Artistic Journey: Changing Locations and Changing Styles

Abigail Knight War on the Homefront: Responses to the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 at Three North Carolina Colleges

Aidan Lytle Topological Data Analysis as a Novel Jet Detection Method in Heavy Ion Collisions

Caroline Nelson Metabolic Regulation in Breast Cancer Cells using the Grapefruit Flavonoid Naringenin

SNCURCS Presentations

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MARC U-STAR

UNCG’s Maximizing Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (MARC U-STAR) Fellowship program offers talented students underrepresented in the biomedical sciences an opportunity to prepare for graduate school.

UNCG’s MARC U-STAR Fellows work in research labs during their junior and senior year and receive: • A yearly stipend and tuition is paid at the in-state level • Undergraduate Research Experiences • Funding to engage in year-round research projects • Paid summer research experiences • In a UNCG faculty mentor’s lab • With a research group at another institution • Specialized courses and workshops • Travel funds to attend scientific conferences • Opportunities to publish and present their work

The UNCG MARC Fellows virtually attended the 2020 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)

from November 9-13, 2020. ABRCMS is one of the largest communities of underrepresented minorities in STEM. Students attend this conference

to present their research, enhance professional development skills, explore graduate schools, and network. During the conference, attendees

from over 350 colleges and Universities participate in poster and oral presentations in twelve STEM disciplines.

This year, all 8 of the MARC Fellows presented their research at the

virtual ABRCMS conference.

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Student Faculty Mentor Presentation Topic

Sasha Adams Joseph Santin Seasonal Variation in Tolerance to Metabolic Stress in a Brainstem Circuit from Bullfrogs, Lithobates catesbeianus

Danni Brower Chris Wahlheim Dimensional Characterization of Associations Be-tween Schizotypy and Context Processing

Jade Lyons Ayalew Osena Overexpression of Arabidopsis PSY Gene in Cas-sava for Enhanced Carotenoid Biosynthesis

*Caroline Nel-son

Yashomati Patel Metabolic Regulation in Type 2 Diabetes and Breast Cancer Using a Grapefruit Flavonoid

Jennifer Obike Nicholas Oberlies Media Optimization for Enhanced Production of Selected Resorcylic Acid Lactone

Cindy Onoka-lah

Kimberly Peterson Asymmetric Synthesis of Lactams via Bronsted Acid Cyclization

Christopher Roberts

Nicholas Oberlies Variation in Secondary Metabolite Production Among Aspergillus spp.

*Kala Youngblood

Kimberly Peterson Stereoselective Synthesis of Lactones from Dini-triles

ABRCRMS Presentations

*Two MARC Fellows, Caroline Nelson and Kala Youngblood, won $175 awards for their outstanding ePoster presentations.

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McNair Scholars Program

NEW FALL 2020 INDUCTEES

The UNCG-McNair Scholars Program is a federal TRiO program funded by the US Department of Education designed to prepare undergraduates for pursuit of a PhD. UNCG-McNair provides undergraduate students with opportunities to complete research with faculty mentors, attend the UNCG-McNair Summer Research Institute, explore graduate school options, and prepare for graduate-level studies. A new cohort of scholars was inducted on Wednesday, November 18, 2021 . Welcome and congratulations to the Fall 2020 inductees of the McNair Scholars Program

SUMMER RESEARCH INSTITUTE Central to the mission of the UNCG-McNair Scholars Program is the opportunity to provide each McNair Scholar with undergraduate research activities under the guidance of a Faculty Mentor in the Scholar’s academic field. During the eight-week Summer Research Institute (SRI), McNair scholars conducted independent research, prepared for the Graduate Record Examination, participated in a writing lab and completed an academic professionalization course to prepare for the graduate school application process. Please visit the following website to learn more about the SRI 2020 scholar and their research projects: go.uncg.edu/mcnair-scholars-sri20

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McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute Program

Name Major Research Project

Marcus Batts Kinesiology Investigating Bidirectional Associations between Stress, Activity-Related Behaviors, and Sleep among African American College Freshmen

Jade-Johanna Boone Sociology White to The Bone: Implantation of Eurocentric Beau-ty Standards Amongst African American Women

Leighann Brooks Middle Grades Education

The Importance of Cultural Camaraderie and Elimi-nating Dis-equilibrium within the Classroom

Tatyana Farrow Psychology Blue Collar Versus White Collar: Who Do children View as Physical and Intellectual Laborers

Jessica Golden Women’s, Gender, and Sexual Studies & International and Global Studies Research

Representation of Queer Women and Queer Con-sciousness in Contemporary Young Adult Literature

Laci Gray Psychology Just Forget It: Directed Forgetting of Disorder Rele-vant and Negative Stimuli in Borderline Personality Disorder

Zhariah Haire Psychology The Marley Hypothesis

Malanah Hobgood Art History Rosso Fiorentino’s Artistic Journey: Changing Loca-tions and Changing Styles

Jasmine Kessler Psychology Millennial Money: First Generation College Student Status, Employment, and Academic Achievement

Rejani King Women's, Gender, and Sexuali-ty Studies

Bridging Speculative Fiction and Voice: Black Women Writers Take on Identity, Surrogacy, and Black Femi-nist Theory

Korrey Monroe Public Health Discrimination and Challenges: Black Communities and the United States Healthcare System

Sarah Ragab Kinesiology Implementation and Outcomes of a Restorative Prac-tices Physical Education Program

Nahdira Rollins Psychology Aesthetic Chills and Creativity

Jacqueline Sandoval Public Health Education Multi-Level Disparities Associated with Pre-Diabetes Among LatinX Populations

Cody Scercy Religious Studies Messianic Judaism: A Survey of Nationalism, Race, and Religion

Demi Smalls Special Education The Effects of Transgenerational Trauma on the Edu-cation and Outcomes of Black Youth: Where We Are Now and Where We Must Go

Manuel Valdez Perez History Latino Underrepresentation: Bridging the Equity Gap for Mexican Students within the U.S. Public Educa-tion System

Joy Woods International Business and Political Science

Japan in the Age of Immigration

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URSCO Faculty Fellows 2020-2021

The goal of the URSCO Fellows program is to identify, support, and disseminate new ideas and pedagogical practices that increase the accessibility of Undergraduate Research on our campus.

This year, two UNCG Arts and Humanities faculty members will serve as URSCO Faculty Fellows

In addition to these two, Dr. Joanne Murphy, Classical Studies, is serving as Senior Fellow and will work alongside URSCO Director, Dr. Lee Phillips, to develop and refine additional strategies for discussing research in the curriculum.

Fellow Department Course Revisions

Jennida Chase Media Studies

Chase plans to incorporate a Course Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) on the theme of masks where students will build a video exploring the topic in MST 375 Editing 1.

Erin Lawrimore

Library /Archives

Lawrimore will integrate a Course based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) around archival research and digital storytelling in HHS 102: Interrogating University History, Uncovering Stories, and Communicating the Past.

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URCA Recipients ~Fall/Spring 2020/2021~

Student Faculty Mentor

Department Project Title

Jordan Anderson Gabriela Stein Psychology Effects of the Current Immigration Climate on Latinx Adolescent Academic Motivation

George Blackburn

Traci Parry Kinesiology The Role of Biological Sex in Cancer Cachexia Muscle Wasting

Triston Broadway

Rebecca Macleod School of Music Creating a Diverse Online Music Learning Communi-ty for Young Musicians

Myranda Cook Blair Wisco Psychology Coping Style as a Mediator between Social Support and PTSD

Gabe Figuracion Rebecca Macleod School of Music Creating a Diverse Online Music Learning Communi-ty for Young Musicians

Jeremi Filmore Spoma Jovanovic Communication Studies

Democracy Tables

Laci Gray Rosemery Gray Psychology Borderline personality disorder and memory: Does BPD affect inhibition control in forgetting emotional stimuli

Kiara Hickman Tyreasa Washington Social Work A. Family's Impact on the Development of African American Children in Kinship Care

Leo Ivey Bryan McLean Biology Predicting Species Range Expansions Using New In-tegrative Datasets and Species Distribution Modeling

Tangela Johnson Terence Nile Chemistry and Biochemistry

Enhancement of the efficiency of asymmetric catalysts by the use of novel aminooxazolines.

Kaliyah Landrum Emily Edwards Media Studies Storyboarding Theory

Aidan Lytle Igor Erovenko Mathematics and Statistics

Modeling complex interactions in structured popula-tions: how various population dynamics affect the evolution of cooperation on multiplayer networks

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URCA Recipients (Cont.) ~Fall/Spring 2020/2021~

Student Faculty Mentor

Department Project Title

Eva Moniz Igor Erovenko Mathematics and Statistics

Modeling complex interactions in structured popula-tions: how various population dynamics affect the evolution of cooperation on multiplayer networks

Korrey Monroe Hewan Girma African American and African Diaspora Studies

Ethnic Diversity within Black populations in the US

Owen Norton Shaylene Nancekivell Psychology Investigating Learning Style Stereotypes in Elemen-tary School Children

Madison Owings Courtney Ball Psychology An Examination on the Role of Empathy and Theory of Mind on Moral Judgment in Middle Childhood

Shelby Pennix Hewan Girma African American and African Diaspora Studies

Ethnic Diversity within Black populations in the US

Jumana Salem Terry Nile Chemistry and Bio-chemistry

Enhancement of the efficiency of asymmetric catalysts by scaffolds derived from dipeptides.

Elyse Smith Brett Nolker School of Music Metacognition: Revealing a “Hidden” Asset for the Music Classroom

James Stephens Laura Pipe Academic Affairs Indigenous Pedagogy and Practice

Molly Turk Spoma Jovanovic Communication Studies

Democracy Tables

Simone Watkins Laura Pipe Academic Affairs Indigenous Pedagogy and Practice

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URCA Recipients ~Spring 2021~

Student Faculty Mentor

Department Project Title

Norvinyo Abiti Ayalew Osena Biology Ectopic Expression Of the miRNA156 Gene In Teff (Eragrostis Tef) For Improved Plant Architecture And Yield

Davares Burnett Aileen Reid Educational Research Methodology

Measuring Capacity and Innovation around Big Data and Data Science in the Midwest Big Data Hub

Sebastian But-winski

Wenliang Li Geography, Environment, and Sustainability

Developing a landscape of building energy use on the UNCG campus

Lady Carlin-Rojas

Heather Adams English Composing Structural Stories: Addressing Unmet Substance-Exposed Pregnancy Needs through Inter-disciplinary Research

Alyssa Cavalieri Heather Adams English Composing Structural Stories: Addressing Unmet Substance-Exposed Pregnancy Needs through Inter-disciplinary Research

Toluwanimi Debayo-Doherty

Tracy Nichols Public Health Educa-tion

Composing Structural Stories: Addressing Unmet Substance-Exposed Pregnancy Needs through Inter-disciplinary Research

Princess Ejindu Sharon Morrison Public Health Education

African immigrant and refugee experiences and re-sponses to COVID-19

Heather-Christina Haw-kins

Ethan Zell Psychology Gender and the Effect of a Romantic Partner’s Suc-cess on Self-Esteem

Ashley Jolin Sally Koerner

Biology Effect of drought on invasion dynamics

Mariann Juarez Alicia Aarnio Physics and Astronomy

A Computational Exploration of the Effects of Disk Structure and Host Star Properties on Chemistry in Planet-Forming Disks

Aidan Lytle Igor Erovenko Mathematics and Statistics

Modeling complex interactions in structured popula-tions: how various population dynamics affect the evolution of cooperation on multiplayer networks

Caraline Malloy

Ayesha Boyce Educational Research Evaluation of the University of Pittsburgh STEM PUSH Network

Joshua Malloy Donna Nash Archaeology The Ritual Use of Animals in the Wari Empire

Jay Mayfield-Loomis

Donna Nash Archaeology Visualizing the Wari Palace at Cerro Baúl, Peru

Eva Moniz Igor Erovenko Mathematics and Statistics

Modeling complex interactions in structured popula-tions: how sensitivity to group members affects the evolution of cooperation on multiplayer networks

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URCA Recipients (Cont.) ~Spring 2021~

Student Faculty Mentor

Department Project Title

H’Thu Nie Sudha Shreeniwas

Human Development and Family Studies

Needs assessment of Montagnard older refugee adults in Greensboro NC

Isa Ramos-Castillo

Jigna Dharod Nutrition Household food insecurity: how is it affecting infant feeding practices among Latinos

Kaleigh Roe Ayalew Osena Biology Expressing archaeal Chaperonin 60 in model tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) for improving abiotic stress tolerance

Naima Said Tracy Nichols Public Health Educa-tion

Composing Structural Stories: Addressing Unmet Substance-Exposed Pregnancy Needs through Inter-disciplinary Research

William Sizemore

Abigail Pack School of Music The Vocalises of Marco Bordogni and their Impact on Horn Pedagogy

Kaitlyn Whitaker Teresa Heiland School of Dance A Life with Motif Notation: Voices of Language of Dance® Practitioners

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Student Highlights

The following students (or their faculty research mentor) have informed us of coauthored publications during 2020.

Please let us know if you would like to be included in future newsletters.

Sasha Adams Biology Major, Senior MARC Fellow

Mentor: Joseph Santin

Adams, S., Zubov, T., Bueschke, N., & Santin, J. M. (2020) Neuromodulation or energy failure? Metabolic limitations silence network output in the hypoxic amphibian brainstem. American Journal

Manead Khin Chemistry and Biochemistry (graduated Spring 2020)

Mentor: Nadja Cech, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Khin, M., Cech, N.B., Kellogg, J.J., and Casear, L.K. (2020) Chemical Evaluation of the Effects of Storage Conditions on the Botanical Goldenseal using Marker-based and Metabolomics Approaches. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.

Dixie Ortiz Music Education (graduated Spring 2019),

Jessica Lewis, Music Education (graduated Spring 2018),

Mentor: Rebecca MacLeod, Music Education

MacLeod, R. B., Blanton, C., Ortiz, D., Lewis, J. (2020) Near-Peer Mentor-ship: A Model for Private Music Instruction in an Underserved Communi-ty. String Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948499220924420

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Carson Peske Psychology (graduated Fall 2019)

Mentor: Christopher Wahlheim, Psychology Wahlheim, C.N., Alexander, T.R., & Peske, C.D. (2020) Reminders of Eve-

ryday Misinformation Statements Can Enhance Memory for and Beliefs in Corrections of Those Statements in the Short Term. Psychological Sci-ence, 31 (10): 1325 DOI: 10.1177/0956797620952797

Student Highlights (Cont.)

Christopher Roberts Biochemistry Major, Senior MARC Fellow and STAMPScholar

Mentor: Nicholas Oberlies, Chemistry and Biochemistry Steenwyk, J. L.; Mead, M. E.; Knowles, S. L.; Raja, H. A.; Roberts, C. D.;

Bader, O.; Houbraken, J.; Goldman, G. H.; Oberlies, N. H.; Rokas, A. (2020) Variation Among Biosynthetic Gene Clusters, Secondary Metab-olite Profiles, and Cards of Virulence Across Aspergillus Species. Genet-ics. https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.120.303549

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