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Biochemistry major and Marquis Scholar Megan Cummins ’09 (Yardley, Pa.) has spent the semester trying her hand in a different field of study.

Working under the direction of Chun Wai Liew, associate professor and head of computer science, Cummins has been performing research that takes an evolutionary approach to testing the hypothesis that vertebrae evolved in early vertebrates as a locomotor adaptation, enhancing swimming performance.

The two are collaborating in Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, where students conduct research with faculty while earning a stipend. The program has helped make Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.

The project is part of a National Science Foundation funded project with the research being done at both Lafayette and Vassar College. It is called the “Tadro Project,” which is short for “tadpole-robot.” Vassar produces biominetic robots, which resemble tadpoles. Each “tadro” has different tail phenotypes, or physical characteristics, such as a longer or stiffer tail. The robots then “compete” to determine fitness and are “bred” to produce the next generation of “tadros.”

At Lafayette, Cummins and other “fish fellows,” as Liew calls them, are creating a computer simulation of the “tadros” and their environment, and using computer genetic algorithms to compete and breed different phenotypes. This allows for an enormous increase in the amount of phenotypes and generations testable in a given period of time, and frees the researchers from the constraints of robotic construction. The goal is to maintain realistic mechanics, so the robots are still necessary to maintain the correlation.

Cummins has enjoyed her research with Liew.

“Professor Liew focuses on having students actively discover the research process, instead of having the students just take orders,” she says. “Although I’m not a computer science major, he has advised me and helped me find my interests. Professor Liew has also helped me to develop and combine skills in different disciplines, such as biology and computer science, in ways in which I would not have considered otherwise.”

Liew and Cummins will present their research at the 2007 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology conference to be held in January in Phoenix, Ariz.

“This experience has helped her develop research skills and also explore research areas and topics for graduate school,” Liew says. “We’re hoping to get her into a top-notch graduate program in bio-mechanics. In addition, presenting her work at the conference will give her the opportunity to meet with graduate faculty and students in her projected research area.”

Cummins says her research at Lafayette has been extremely valuable.

“I’ve been able to get to know a lot of professors well and have not only had the opportunity to do research as an undergraduate, but have had several opportunities to do so, allowing me to choose what interests me the most. That’s really an impressive thing to be offered at my age,” she says. “This is giving me the experience I need to choose my career path, and to develop skills that I will need in the future.”

“Students need to participate in the research process so that they can be better prepared for graduate school,” adds Liew. “It also gives faculty a better opportunity to evaluate the students’ research skills and potential, both of which are vital components of graduate school recommendations. If students can generate a publication or presentation from their research, it enhances their profile.”

While she is considering biophysics and computational biology for graduate fields of study, Cummins is still exploring all of her interests and considering medical school. This coming interim session she will participate in an externship with a surgeon through Lafayette’s Gateway program.

Chosen from among Lafayette’s most promising applicants, Marquis Scholars like Cummins receive a special academic scholarship and distinctive educational experiences and benefits. This includes a three-week, Lafayette-funded course abroad or in the United States during January’s interim session between semesters or the summer break. Marquis Scholars also participate in mentoring programs with Lafayette faculty and cultural activities in major cities and on campus.

As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Forty students were accepted to present their research at this year’s conference.

Categorized in: Academic News