Undergrad Day at the Capitol set for Jan. 31

CHARLESTON – One hundred students, including 18 from Marshall University, will participate in the fifth annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol on Jan. 31.

The students will represent 13 West Virginia colleges and universities at Undergraduate Research Day, which runs from 8:45 a.m. to noon in the Capitol Rotunda. Students will present their discoveries in poster format and talk to legislators about their findings. The projects are original research and the posters have been designed for a general audience.

In addition to Marshall, other schools represented are Alderson-Broaddus College; Bethany College; Concord University; Fairmont State University; Glenville State College; Ohio Valley University; the University of Charleston; West Liberty State College; West Virginia University; West Virginia Wesleyan College, Wheeling Jesuit University and WVU Institute of Technology.

Students will present their posters in the areas of aerospace engineering, chemistry, environmental studies, foreign language, geology, sociology/social work, psychology, chemical engineering, computer science and information technology, biology, biochemistry, engineering, electrical engineering, physics, biological science and mathematics.

"It's an event that members of the Legislature enjoy. These students are incredibly enthusiastic about their projects and that excitement engages anyone who stops by to chat with them," said Michael Castellani, chair of Marshall's chemistry department, and co-chair of the event's organizing committee. "Likewise, the students are proud to display their projects and speak with state officials about their research. It is a special day and a special event for everyone involved."

The following is a list of Marshall's participants, along with their home counties or cities, disciplines, research posters and advisors:

Jennifer Cavender, Kanawha County (Psychology) – "A Correlational Study of High-Fat and High-Sugar Foods on BMI." – Marc Lindberg, advisor

Heather Butts, Cabell County (Biology) – "Adult-Derived Stem Cells for Treating Parkinson's Disease." – Elmer Price, advisor

Adam Short, Cabell County (Biology) – "Prevalence and Significance of Acanthamoeba in Huntington Tap Water." – Andrew Rogerson, advisor

William Kelly, Wayne County, Ashley Stewart, Cabell County, and Waseem Khader, Cabell County (Biology) – "Altered Protein Expression in Microgravity." – Jagan Valluri, advisor

Brent D. Frederick, McDowell County, Jamar Grayson, Kanawha County, and Marvyn Grayson, Kanawha County (Biological Science) – "Effect of Arsenic, Aluminum and Copper on Genotoxicity and Apoptosis in Fish Cells." – Elizabeth Murray, advisor

Candice M. Dotson, Mingo County, and Rebecca L. Klug, Cabell County (Chemistry) – "Computational Study of Two Classes of Potential Nanodevices." – Rudolf Burcl, advisor

Tiffany Oxley, Cabell County (Psychology) – "Tests of an Attachment Model of Suicide." – Marc Lindberg, advisor

Daniel Velazquez, Cabell County (Physics) – Anisotropic Capillary Wave Propagation in a Ripple Tank." – Thomas Wilson, advisor

Todd Amick, Putnam County (Psychology) – "Helplessness and Hopelessness in Depression in Relation to Attachment Theory." – Marc Lindberg, advisor

Laurel Ackison, Cabell County (Biology) – "Effects of Temperature and Ammonia on the Capacity of Freshwater Mussels to Filter Water." – Jeff Kovatch, advisor

Megan Neal, Cabell County (Biology) – "Effects of Acetaminophen on Aging Cardiac Muscle and miRNA Expression." – Eric R. Blough, advisor

Zachary Tackett, Proctorville, Ohio (Biochemistry) – "Molecular Epidemiological Analysis of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Isolates in a Subpopulation of West Virginia." – Menashi Cohenford, advisor

Amelia Boslaugh, Kanawha County (Art and Design) – Program cover artist – Mary Grassell, advisor

For more information on Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol, contact Castellani at (304) 696-6486.