Lafayette Students Will Present Research at 19th National Conference on Undergraduate Research

Thirty-nine Lafayette students have earned the distinction of being invited to make presentations on their scholarly research at the 19th annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 20-23.

The College 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.

This is Lafayette’s 18th year of participation in NCUR. More than 500 students have been accepted to present their research, with an average of more than 30 students per year over the last decade. This year 34 Lafayette students will present at the conference, which is being hosted by Washington and Lee University (five will not attend due to schedule conflicts).

The following list of students who will attend includes class year, major, hometown, research topic, and faculty research adviser.

Humanities and Social Sciences

Dyan Argento ’05 (double major: history/German), Pittsburgh, Pa.
“Leni Riefenstahl: The Visual Culture of Nazi Aesthetics”
Margarete Lamb-Faffelberger, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures

Ryan Beattie ’05 (double major: international affairs/Spanish), Worthington, Mass.
“From Bombs To Ballots: Impact Of The March 11 Bombings on the Spanish General Elections”
Neil Englehart, assistant professor of government and law

Mitchell Feld ’05 (economics and business), Randolph, N.J.
“Lewis Powell: A Reluctant Justice Longing For Middle Ground”
Bruce Allen Murphy, Kirby Professor of Civil Rights

Maya Freelon ’05 (art), Durham, N.C.
“Is Digital Art ‘Fine’?”
Curlee Raven Holton, professor of art and director of the Experimental Printmaking Institute

Veronica Hart ’05 (double major: economics and business/Spanish), Sewanee, Tenn.
“’Hispanidad’ and Individual Identity in El Cuarto De Atrás”
Denise Galarza Sepulveda, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures

Eric Imhof ’05 (Spanish), Palmyra, Pa.
“Vertigo and Insomnia: Cien Años de solidad and the Play of Language”
Denise Galarza Sepulveda, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures

Meredith Jeffers ’05 (double major: English/Spanish), Latham, N.Y.
“Performed Gender and Power in Doña Barbara”
Denise Galarza Sepulveda, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures

Rich Lear ’06 (double major: French/government and law), Stroudsburg, Pa.
“Where To Go From Here? Choosing Revenge over Forgiveness in a Retributive Approach to Healing the Wounds of Rwanda”
Katalin Fabian, assistant professor of government and law

Amy Levinson ’05 (double major: anthropology and sociology/religious studies), Orinda, Calif.
“Friend or Foe of Death? A Comparative Analysis of Jewish and Buddhist Views on Aging”
Eric Ziolkowski, Dana Professor of Religious Studies

Katherine Schubel ’06 (English), Holmdel, N.J.
“The Use of Animation as a Tool in the Japanese Language Classroom”
Yoshihiko Ariizumi, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures

Erich Struble ’05 (government and law), Mountain Top, Pa.
“Transnational Justice in a Post-Westphalian World”
Ilan Peleg, Charles A. Dana Professor of Social Science

Katharine Wolchik ’05 (pursuing two degrees: B.S. mathematics/A.B. economics and business), Randolph, N.J.
“Stock Portfolio Continuous Trading Strategies by Simulation”
Qin Lu, assistant professor of mathematics

Natural Sciences and Engineering

Andrew Baker ’06 (pursuing two degrees: B.S. civil engineering/A.B.Spanish and international studies)
[co-authors Paul Dimick ’05 (chemical engineering), Quakertown, Pa.; Jenna Cellini ’06 (pursuing two degrees: B.S. civil engineering/A.B. art), New City, N.Y.; Amanda Eggleston ’06 (A.B. engineering/art), Lancaster, Pa.; Katie Herchenroeder ’06 (mechanical engineering), Breezy Point, N.Y.; Melissa Korpela ’06 (pursuing two degrees: B.S. civil engineering/A.B. international studies), Brattleboro, Vt.; Eric Person ’06 (geology), Bridgewater, N.J.; Katrin Przyuski ’05 (chemistry), Glenmoore, Pa.; Ebony Sterling ’05 (A.B. engineering), Freeport, N.Y.; Lee Vanzler ’07 (civil engineering), Sharon, Mass.]
“Arsenic and Nitrate Treatment For Small Water Delivery and Domestic Systems”
Arthur Kney, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering
Samuel Morton, assistant professor of chemical engineering
Steven Mylon, assistant professor of chemistry

Jeffrey Chittim ’05 (civil engineering), Barrington, R.I.
“Competition for the Removal of Trace Estrogenic Compounds with other Organic Molecules in Drinking Water Treatment by Activated Carbon”
Arthur Kney, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering

Paul Dimick ’05 (chemical engineering), Quakertown, Pa.
“A Study Of Dow 3n Based Polymeric Ligand Exchangers For Perchlorate Remediation”
Arthur Kney, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering

Isaac Esseku ’05(double major: computer science/economics and business), Hillside, N.J.
“Firm’s Optimal Cash Holdings”
Jerome Heavey, professor of economics and business

Kelly Foran ’05 (psychology), Medford, N.J.
“The Social Contagion of Eating-Disordered Behavior in College Women”
Susan Basow, Dana Professor of Psychology

Debra Gilkerson ’06 (civil engineering), Albany, Calif.
“Applications of Geographical Information Systems in Industrial Pretreatment Programs”
Roger Ruggles, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering

Lisa Hudak ’05 (neuroscience), Moosic, Pa.
“Autoshaped Bar-Pressing in the Rat: Response Support and Suppression under Negative Punishment and Drug Treatment Conditions”
Robert Allan, associate professor of psychology

Usman Khan ’05 (pursuing two degrees: B.S. electrical and computer engineering/A.B. mathematics-economics), Karachi, Pakistan
“The Time Evolution of Random Interest Rates using Numerical Methods”
Qin Lu, assistant professor of mathematics

Elizabeth Laird ’05 (psychology), Rumson, N.J.
[co-author Kristan Lucas ’06 (double major: economics and business/psychology), Edison, N.J.]
“Effects of Type of Situation and Responsibility for Needy States on Aversive Racist Attitudes”
Ann McGillicuddy-DeLisi, Metzgar Professor of Psychology

Lucas Landherr ’05 (chemical engineering), Preston, Conn.
“The Effect of Alcohol Solvents on Polymeric Drag Reduction and the Combined Potential for Automotive Cooling Systems”
J. Ronald Martin, professor of chemical engineering

Cristin MacDonald ’05 (civil engineering), Glendora, N.J.
“Construction Productivity Analysis with Respect to Project Scheduling”
David Veshosky, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering

Britney McCoy ’05 (double major: A.B. engineering/government and law), Upper Marlboro, Md.
“Searching for Environmental Justice for Urban Water Systems”
Sharon Jones, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering

Erik Person ’06 (geology), Bridgewater, N.J.
[co-author Amy Spooner ’06 (geology), Clifton Park, N.Y.]
“Thermal Expansion Of Nepheline – Kalsilite Minerals”
Guy Hovis, Markle Professor of Geology and Environmental Geosciences

Julie Phelan ’05 (double major: psychology/art), Westfield, N.J.
“Factors Influencing The Social Tolerance Of Mental Illness”
Susan Basow, Dana Professor of Psychology

Steven Prescuitti ’05 (biochemistry), Wilkes Barre, Pa.
“Mircobial Reduction of Perchlorate from Ion-Exchange Regenerant Solutions Using A Packed-Bed Bioreactor”
Steven Mylon, assistant professor of chemistry

Erica Saccente ’05 (neuroscience), East Meadow, N.Y.
“Do Motor Skills Contribute to Infants’ Sensitivity to Biological Motion?”
Jeannine Pinto, assistant professor of psychology

Kathryn Sayles ’05 (biology), West Chester, Pa.
“Macroinvertebrate Community Characteristics Above and Below a New Jersey Reservoir: Impacts and Sampling Techniques”
Nancy M. Waters, associate professor of biology

Maura Scolere ’05 (biochemistry), Clarks Summit, Pa.
“A Rapid Method To Quantify Estrogenic Compounds Using A Recombinant Yeast”
Arthur Kney, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering

Amy Spooner ’06 (geology), Clifton Park, N.Y.
[co-author Erik Person ’06 (geology), Bridgewater, N.J.]
“The Role of Alkali Site Occupant in the Thermal Expansion of Alkali and Ammonium Feldspars”
Guy Hovis, Markle Professor of Geology and Environmental Geosciences

Michael Tuller ’05 (psychology), Jamestown, N.Y.
“Effects of Arousal on Attention and Visual Memory”
Jeannine Pinto, assistant professor of psychology

Chad Yaindl ’06 (civil engineering), Emmaus, Pa.
“The Effects of Agriculture on Nutrient Uptake Rates in Riparian Zones”
Arthur Kney, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering

Emily Zyborowicz ’05 (psychology), Philadelphia, Pa.
“Detection of Biological Motion in the Visual Periphery: Effects of Arousal”
Jeannine Pinto, assistant professor of psychology