65 CAS undergrads engaging in research and creative activity projects this summer

July 10, 2023

Ethan Dunn, a senior political science major from Omaha, researches a case June 14 as part of the project “Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West,” under faculty adviser Katrina Jagodinsky.

65 undergraduates in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's College of Arts and Sciences are among 148 participating in research or creative activity projects with a faculty mentor this summer.

The Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience (UCARE) Program supports undergraduates to work with faculty mentors in research or creative activities. Students receive stipends of $2,400 to engage in intensive research or creative activity for 20 hours per week.

UCARE students will join those in the Nebraska Summer Research Program to present posters at a campus research symposium Aug. 3.

  • Linda Acho, senior, biochemistry, "Investigating the Correlation Between Oral and Cervical Cancers Caused by Human Papilloma Virus and the Role Of HIV/AIDs in Such Cases."
  • Meklit Aga, junior, psychology, "Sense of Belonging and Its Relationship With Student Success."
  • Sukaina Al-Hamedi, senior, biochemistry, "Assessing Microbiome-Dependent Effects on Eosinophil-Predominant Phenotypes in a Mouse Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease."
  • Gia Alicea, sophomore, biological sciences, "Supporting Student Engagement With Homework Assignments to Promote Success in Entry-Level Biology Courses."
  • Ellie Arauza, junior, biochemistry, "Cataloging of Matrix Effects on Metabolite NMR Chemical Shifts of 2D 1H-13C HSQC."
  • Lauren Behnk, senior, psychology, "Sense of Belonging and Its Relationship With Student Success."
  • Malia Bloemker, senior, psychology, "Parent-Child Conflict Resolution: The Role of Parents' Conflict Styles and Self-Regulation Skills."
  • Molli Brooks, senior, history, "Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West."
  • Addyson Calfee, junior, chemistry, "Peroxide-Substituted Peptides as a New Class of Protease Inhibitors."
  • Ethan Clinchard, junior, political science, "Nebraska Holocaust Survivor and WWII Veteran Network and Educational Portal."
  • Caden Connealy, junior, biochemistry, "Impacts and Implications of the One-to-Stop Codon Preference in Certain Flaviviruses."
  • Allison Conzemius, junior, geology, "Developing a Set of Geophysical Maps to Track the Yellowstone Hotspot."
  • Andrew Cook, junior, mathematics, "Computational Models of Acoustic Microswimmers."
  • Jenica David, senior, biochemistry, "Mitochondrial Transformation in Arabidopsis."
  • Rudra Dixit, senior, biological sciences, "Microbiome Role in Susceptibility to Disease in Copathogen System."
  • Darian Draft, senior, psychology, "Sexual Abuse History, Internalizing Problems and Social Problems in Youth."
  • Ethan Dunn, senior, political science, "Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West."
  • Himanshu Gandhi, junior, microbiology, "Utilizing Binary Growth Cultures and Genome Annotations to Explore Bacterial Diversity."
  • Aleksandra Glowik, senior, political science, "Ideology and Its Impact on the Moral Differences Between Males and Females."
  • Sri Govindarajan, senior, biological sciences, "Investigating the Change in Survival of Different Mito-nuclear Genotype Flies When Exposed to Different Kinds of Environment and Pathogen."
  • Amber Gryga, senior, psychology, "The Role of Parental Motivation for Parenting Behaviors Across Different Tasks."
  • Noah Hadley, senior, English, "Anticolonialism in World Empires."
  • Logan Hake, senior, microbiology, "Susceptibility of PRRSV With Various CD-163 Orthologs."
  • Chelsea Hanway, junior, anthropology, "Wakara's America: Mapping the Untold Story of the Indian Founding Father of the American West."
  • Kaitlyn Hart, senior, biological sciences, "Elucidation of Transmission Pathways of SARS-CoV-2 Between Human and Non-human Animal Populations and Impacts of Non-human Viral Reservoirs."
  • Ryan Herman, sophomore, biological sciences, "Mechanism of Regulation of Amyloid Accumulation From a Viral Peptide."
  • Bryce Herrington, senior, physics, "Magnetic Properties of Ta/Cox(FeB)1-x/Pt Films and Fe-Ge Nanostructures."
  • Arabella Hodges, senior, biochemistry, "Evaluation of Rapid Next-Generation Sequencing Methods to Detect and Assemble the Genomes of Elusive Viral Pathogens."
  • Serena Jentz, senior, chemistry, "A Chemoenzymatic Approach to Synthesize New Anti-MRSA Drugs Using Enzymes to Cyclize Linear Lipopeptide Precursors Into Antibiotics."
  • Anisha Kadubandi, senior, biological sciences, "Differentially Expressed Genes Associated With Preeclampsia."
  • Laura Kirshenbaum, junior, biochemistry, "Increasing Dynamic Range in Methanogens Through Recombinant Expression of the T7 Promoter System."
  • Jacob Larsen, senior, chemistry, "Non-Invasive Early Detection of Lung Cancer Through Quantification of Nitric Oxide in Exhaled Breath."
  • Khanh Le, sophomore, mathematics, "Capacitive Sensors for Measurement of Nanoscale Distances."
  • Khoa Anh Le, senior, computer science, "Engineering an Integrated Gene Visualization Tool for Complex Genomic Contents."
  • Carsyn Loncke, sophomore, global studies, "History of Refugee Resettlement in Nebraska."
  • Bharath Kumar Manchikanti, senior, mathematics, "Developing an Automated Tool for Testing SAT-Solvers."
  • Luke McDermott, sophomore, political science, "REU Site: Digital Legal Research Lab."
  • Marissa Mendez-Santiago, sophomore, biochemistry, "Effect of Unsaturated Fatty Acids in the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species in Saccharomyces cerevisiae."
  • Bhoomi Falgun Modi, sophomore, biochemistry, "Investigation of Natural Variation in Non-photochemical quenching in soybean."
  • Wyatt Morse, senior, microbiology, "Identifying a Quorum-Sensing Molecule and Its Effects on the Microalga Chlorella sorokiniana."
  • Paige Myers, junior, chemistry, "Examining Current and Generational Bumblebee Foraging and Reproductive Success Across Different Habitats With High (Agricultural), Medium (Urban) and Low (Prairie) Pesticide Exposure Risk."
  • Andy Nguyen, junior, biological sciences, "Effect of Sex on the Susceptibility to Infection in Daphnia magna."
  • Hannah Nguyen, senior, biochemistry, "Develop and Implement Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences for an Upper-Level Biochemistry Laboratory Course."
  • Jennie Nguyen, senior, chemistry, "RMB7 Solubility and Interactions With ZCCHC8 Protein In Vitro and Vivo."
  • Kylie Nguyen, senior, biochemistry, "Develop and Implement Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences for an Upper-Level Biochemistry Laboratory Course."
  • Luke Olson, senior, computer science, "Long-Read Sequencing and Comparative Genomics Analysis of a Beneficial Microbial Genus in the Massilia Family."
  • Grace Parolek, senior, psychology, "Parent-Child Conflict Resolution: The Role of Parents' Conflict Styles and Self-Regulation Skills."
  • Lars Pedersen, junior, physics, "Photo-Detachment of Positronium Negative Ion by Time-Delayed Circularly Polarized Pulses."
  • Jake Rance, sophomore, psychology, "Enhancing Conceptual Learning in CS and STEM Classrooms Through a Web Tool for Student-Generated Analogy Development."
  • Madisyn Reichert, senior, biological sciences, "Understanding Drive Elements Through the Investigation of Disorder on X Genes."
  • Jo Sayer, junior, history, "Historical Animation Production for Summer."
  • Grant Schneider, senior, biological sciences, "SARS-CoV-2 Non-human Hosts Genome Project."
  • Mel Schwensen, sophomore, philosophy, "Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West."
  • Isabel Sigmon, senior, psychology, "Does Bipolar Type 1 Affect the Way Ambiguity is Interpreted and Response Time?"
  • Sophia Smyth, senior, psychology, "Associative Conditioning of the Ketamine Drug Stimulus."
  • Joe Staab, sophomore, biochemistry, "Stable GFP Labeling of the Stabilins."
  • Tatiana Startseva, senior, physics, "Simultaneous Calibration of Antenna Locations and n(z) for the Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland."
  • Rachel Summers, senior, environmental studies, "Nebraska Holocaust Survivor and WWII Veteran Network and Educational Portal."
  • Natasja Swanson, sophomore, history, "Anticolonials: A World History."
  • Thao Tu, senior, computer science, "An Exploration for Mixed SQL and NoSQL Databases With Biological Genomic Data."
  • John Vacek, senior, chemistry, "Student Attachment Styles as Predictors of Student Success in Chemistry Courses."
  • Arya Valkr, senior, sociology, "Nebraska Holocaust Survivor and WWII Veteran Network and Educational Portal."
  • Kelly VandenBos, junior, biological sciences, "Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Social Interactions Between Parents and their Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder."
  • Maggie Wallace, senior, anthropology, "Foundations: Finding the Pre-Roman Settlement of Antiochia ad Cragum."
  • Chanasei Ziemann, senior, biological sciences, "Knockout of PS-IRF9 Gene."