Students Present their Scholarly Work at 18th National Conference on Undergraduate Research

More than 40 Lafayette students earned the distinction of being invited to make presentations on their scholarly research at the 18th annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 15-17.

Lafayette is a national leader in undergraduate research. The EXCEL Scholars program and departmental honors program are among several opportunities for Lafayette students to do research jointly with a faculty member or on their own, with faculty guidance.

The students’ research topics range over the academic landscape from the humanist to the technical.

This year’s presenters bring to nearly 450 the number of Lafayette students who have participated in NCUR, the only national conference dedicated to showcasing research by college undergraduates. During the last decade, an average of 34 Lafayette students have been invited to present their research at NCUR each year. This year’s conference is hosted by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Here is a listing of the students, including their class year, major, hometown, research topic, and faculty research adviser (*individualized, interdisciplinary major):

Topics in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Stacy Alboher ’04 (double major: environmental policy*/economics and business), Middletown, N.Y.
“Certified Forest Products: An Exploratory Study”
James M. DeVault, associate professor of economics and business
(See story.)

Christine Bender ’04 (Trustee Scholarship recipient) (dual-degree program: B.S. neuroscience/A.B. economics and business), Gibsonia, Pa.
“Medicaid Benefits: Factors Influencing Take-Up and Use Among Easton, Pennsylvania’s, Indigent Population”
Susan L. Averett, professor of economics and business
(See story.)

Kimberly Enoch ’04 (double major: English/American studies), Hatboro, Pa.
“‘A Little Removed from the Highway of Ordinary Travel’: Theater and its Influence on the Works of Hawthorne, Whitman, and Alcott”
Laura Dassow Walls, professor of English
(See story.)

Shara Gregory ’04 (double major: international affairs/German), Collegeville, Pa.
“The Austrian-Czech Human Rights Controversy: The Beneš Decrees”
Margarete Lamb-Faffelberger, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures
(See story.)

Alyson Gross ’04 (double major: international affairs/German), Killingworth, Conn.
“The Picaresque Novel as a Device for Social Criticism”
Margarete Lamb-Faffelberger, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures
(See story.)

Rory Hart ’04 (history), Equinunk, Pa.
“Myths and Memories: The Legacies of Vichy’s Historians”
Robert I. Weiner, Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Professor of History
(See story.)

Justin Kruger ’04 (Trustee Scholarship recipient) (history), Pleasant Valley, N.Y.
“Faces Or Forces? The Birth of German Preeminence in Pre-World War I Europe”
Robert I. Weiner, Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Professor of History
(See story.)

Craig Livoti ’04 (economics and business), Scarsdale, N.Y.
Edward N. Gamber, associate professor of economics and business

Lisa Loray ’04 (mathematics-economics), Rochester, N.Y.
“Executive Compensation and 162(M): Can the Growth of CEO Compensation Be Curbed?”
Susan L. Averett, professor of economics and business

Marianna Macri ’06 (Trustee Scholarship recipient) (English), Malvern, Pa.
“Charming America: The Methods of Entertainment in Newspapers of the Early National Period”
Deborah A. Rosen, associate professor of history
(See story.)

Jessica Merkel-Keller ’04 (double major: neuroscience/biomedical ethics*), Bridgewater, N.J.
“CPR: The Context of Survival. The Center for Education and Development, Lehigh Valley Hospital”
Stephen E. Lammers, Helen H.P. Manson Professor of the English Bible
(See story.)

Miina Oks ’04 (double major: government and law/international affairs), Talinn, Estonia
“The Transformation of NATO: How Do International Relations Theories Explain NATO’s Post-1989 Expansion?”
Katalin Fabian, assistant professor of government and law
(See story.)

Anne Ollis ’04 (biology), Collegeville, Pa.
“Culture Clash in the Language Classroom: Understanding the Gap Between Japanese Language Students and Native-Speaking Instructors”
Yoshihiko Ariizumi, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures

Elizabeth Ponder ’04 (Marquis Scholar) (double major: biochemistry/cultural biomedicine*), Oaks, Pa.
“Antibiotic Resistance: Analysis of Local Sociocultural Factors Influencing a Global Biological Problem”
William C. Bissell, assistant professor of anthropology and sociology
(See story.)

Shreedhar Sasikumar ’05 (international affairs), Kerala, India
“Institutions and Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa”
Edward N. Gamber, associate professor of economics and business
(See story.)

Benjamin Saxton ’04 (double major: English/economics and business), Walker Valley, N.Y.
“Myth, Fantasy, and Religion in the Works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien”
Laura Dassow Walls, professor of English
(See story.)

Douglas Schiz ’04 (mathematics-economics), Edison, N.J.
“Relocation/Expansion and Revenue Model in the National Football League”
Thomas H. Bruggink, professor of economics and business

Raisa Sheynberg ’04 (international affairs), Pennington, N.J.
“Camp David II: Unprecedented Opportunity, Historic Disappointment”
Ilan Peleg, Charles A. Dana Professor of Social Science
(See story.)

Justas Staisiunas ’04 (mathematics-economics), Panevezys, Lithuania
“Capital Flows to Eastern Europe”
Howard N. Bodenhorn, associate professor of economics and business

Sarah Stanlick ’04 (Trustee Scholarship recipient) (international affairs), Wharton, N.J.
“The ‘Gypsy Problem’: Nationalism, Democracy, and the Roma in the Czech Republic”
Katalin Fabian, assistant professor of government and law

Stephanie Stawicki ’04 (double major: international affairs/Russian and East European studies), Voorhees, N.J.
“Soviet Threat and Influence in Apartheid South Africa”
Joshua A. Sanborn, assistant professor of history
(See story.)

Mary Taylor ’04 (double major: biology/Japanese Studies*), Princeton, N.J.
“Examination of the Validity of the Self-Directed Learning-Readiness Scale for the Development of a Self-Directed Learning Program”
Yoshihiko Ariizumi, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures
(See story.)

Meghan Towers ’04 (Marquis Scholar) (double major: international affairs/gender and ideology in historical and cross-cultural perspective*), Carmel, N.Y.
“Women, Work, and Politics: How the Maquiladora Industry has Empowered Mexican Women”
Victoria Langland, instructor of history
(See story.)

Christopher Turano ’04 (Trustee Scholarship recipient) (economics and business), Clifton, N.J.
“Economic Factors Leading to Industry Contraction: A Case Study in Major League Baseball”
Thomas H. Bruggink, professor of economics and business
(See story.)

John Zembron ’04 (double major: economics and business/religious studies), Ridgefield, Conn.
“The Large Firm ‘Wage-Premium’”
Christopher Ruebeck, assistant professor of economics and business
(See story.)

Topics in the Natural Sciences and Engineering

Christopher David ’04 (electrical and computer engineering), Sandy Hook, Conn.
[Coauthors: Matthew Loh ’04 (electrical and computer engineering), Singapore; Kristen Radecksky ’04 (electrical and computer engineering), Flemington, N.J.; Manon Skryzpecki ’04 (electrical and computer engineering), Mattituck, N.Y.; Prashant Poddar ’04 (dual-degree program: B.S. electrical and computer engineering/A.B. economics and business), Ranchi, India]
“A Precision Analog Multiplier in a Low-Cost BiCMOS Process”
David A. Rich, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering

Jeremy Deaner ’04 (Marquis Scholar) (mechanical engineering), Fitchburg, Wisc.
“Off-Axis Two-Dimensional Digital Image Correlation”
Jeffrey D. Helm, assistant professor of mechanical engineering

Nathan DeLong ’04 (A.B. engineering), Lebanon, Pa.
“Policy Formulation Using Environmental and Economic Analysis of Wooden Pallets”
Sharon A. Jones, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering
(See story.)

Adam Faroni ’04 (mechanical engineering), Granby, Conn.
[Coauthors: David Philips ’04 (mechanical engineering), Coal Township, Pa., and Kelly Hacker ’04 (mechanical engineering), Wilmington, Del.]
“Development of a New Test Apparatus and Procedure for Threshold Galling Testing”
Scott R. Hummel, assistant professor of mechanical engineering

Erik Geissenhainer ’04 (electrical and computer engineering), Emmaus, Pa.
“Optimizing Performance and Area of CMOS Operational Amplifiers with Three Voltage Gain Stages”
David A. Rich, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
(See story.)

Nicole Joy ’04 (double major: A.B. engineering/economics and business), Windham, Maine
“Policy Implications of the Revised Arsenic Regulation on the Tohono O’Odham Nation”
Sharon A. Jones, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering
(See story.)

Myat Lin ’04 (biochemistry), Yangon, Myanmar
“KMC Simulations of Hetero-Epitaxial Growth of PT/NI Film on NI (100)”
Kenneth O. Haug, assistant professor of chemistry
(See story.)

Machel Morrison ’04 (A.B. engineering), Kingston, Jamaica
“Managing Risk on Highway Projects in Developing Countries”
David A. Veshosky, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and chair of A.B. engineering
(See story.)

Kyle Moser ’06 (civil engineering), Pottstown, Pa.
[Coauthors: Andrew Baker ’06 (Marquis Scholar) (dual-degree program: B.S. civil engineering/A.B. international studies), Seattle, Wash.; and Frederic Lott ’06 (Marquis Scholar) (civil engineering), Galloway, N.J.]
“Airborne Sulfur Dioxide Drift Around the Martin’s Creek Power Plant: A Case Study”
David Brandes, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering
(See story.)

Michele Nelson ’05 (neuroscience), Newtown, Conn.
“The Expression of Fear During Classical Eyeblink Conditioning in Rats”
Gabrielle B. Britton, assistant professor of psychology
(See story.)

Garret Nicodemus ’04 (Marquis Scholar) (chemical engineering)
“Nanoscale Encapsulation of Single Living Cells: Growth Kinetics and Metabolite Transport”
James K. Ferri, assistant professor of chemical engineering
(See story.)

Michael L. Nilson ’05 (Trustee Scholarship recipient) (civil engineering), Wantagh, N.Y.
“Streamflow Trends In Developing Areas of Selected Northeast States”
David Brandes, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering
(See story.)

Steve Presciutti ’05 (biochemistry), Wilkes Barre, Pa.
[Coauthors: Andrew Baker ’06 (Marquis Scholar) (dual-degree program: B.S. civil engineering/A.B. international studies), Seattle, Wash.; Tim Bruss ’04 (A.B. engineering), Summit, N.J.; Paul Dimick ’05 (chemical engineering), Quakertown, Pa.; Joe Goodwill ’04 (Marquis Scholar) (civil engineering), Camden, N.Y.; Mike Kauffman ’05 (Trustee Scholarship recipient) (chemical engineering), Parkesburg, Pa.; Chuck Lemken ’06 (Marquis Scholar) (biology), Emerson, N.J.; Brett Mollenhauer ’04 (A.B. engineering), Pitman, N.J.; Matt Puglisi ’05 (chemical engineering), West Hempstead, N.Y.; Bryan Shanahan ’04 (A.B. engineering), Sandy Hook, Conn.; Trish Slemmer ’04 (geology), Quakertown, Pa.; Kristen Tull ’06 (A.B. engineering), Sicklerville, N.J., and Ben Ward ’05 (Marquis Scholar) (chemical engineering), Monroe, Conn.]
“Perchlorate Treatment For Domestic Water Systems”
David A. Veshosky, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and chair of A.B. engineering
Arthur D. Kney, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering
(See story.)

William Pyrz ’04 (chemical engineering), Harleysville, Pa.
“Polymorphism in the Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Dimers by Lattice Monte Carlo Simulations”
James K. Ferri, assistant professor of chemical engineering
(See story.)

Brian Root ’04 (Marquis Scholar) (chemical engineering), Benton, Pa. “Characterization of Novel Materials by Nanoindentation”
Raj Vaidyanathan ’94
(See story.)

Kerry Stormes ’04 (biology), Nanuet, N.Y.
“Effects of the Chemokines MCP-1 and RANTES on the Metastatic Ability of 4T1 Mammary Cancer Cell”
Robert Kurt, assistant professor of biology
(See story.)