Research at Union is a year-round experience. Students from every class year are eligible to pursue individual research projects with a faculty mentor, or assist with faculty research projects to acquire analytical skills and see the breadth of their fields in action.
Bilal Mahmood ‘08
Major: Math and Physics
Faculty Advisor: Jay E. Newman, the R. Gordon Gould ’41 Professor of Physics
“Dynamic Light Scattering of Bovine Insulin”
Physics and math major Bilal Mahmood ’08 prefers to spend his summers in a basement laboratory rather than in the sun. This summer, he’s using dynamic light scattering to study the aggregates of bovine insulin.
“During my first two summers at Union, I worked on reducing raw data for an astronomy survey and database,” said Mahmood. “Now that I’ve taken courses in biology and chemistry, I wanted to work on a project that combines what I’ve learned in my studies.”
In some patients with diabetes, insoluble, fibrous proteins combine to form aggregates called amyloids. When light is applied to these proteins, it will scatter in a random pattern. Measuring the scattered light tells you how fast the aggregate particles move, which is relative to their size (i.e., larger particles move more slowly).
Scattered light isn’t new technology, and similar experiments are taking place around the world. Since protein aggregation is present in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes, understanding the kinetics of insulin aggregation can help lead researchers to find a cure.
Why bovine insulin?
“In humans, 51 amino acid proteins make insulin,” explained Mahmood. “There is only a three-amino-acid difference between humans and bovine, so they were the logical choice.”
Mahmood chose to major in math because he always loved numbers, but it was program size that influenced his major in physics.
“The physics was a natural extension of math when I realized numbers could be applied to logical thinking and be helpful in any field,” said Mahmood. “Union had the added advantage of having a small physics program [approximately 10 majors accepted annually]. You get to know your professors quickly, and can participate in more exciting research that way.”
In addition to his physics thesis, which he will complete during winter term 2008, Mahmood is also doing a math thesis on Islamic tile art with a new math professor, Kim Plofken, from Brown University. He hopes to begin work on that in November when he travels to Egypt for a mini term abroad.
Mahmood is also a Resident Advisor and works in the Physics Help Center tutoring students in introductory physics courses. In 2005, he received the 2006 James Henry Turnbull 1929 Prize for an outstanding sophomore physics major. He is currently applying to medical school.
Wendy C. Beatty ’09
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Faculty advisor: William D. Keat
“Development of an Undergraduate Engineering Design Textbook”
While most students take a break from textbooks during summer, Mechanical Engineering major Wendy Beatty has been spending her time writing one.
“I’ve always scored much higher in English than in math, so my professor thought I would be a good guinea pig,” said Beatty, explaining how her writing skills reinforced her interest in developing an undergraduate textbook.
Beatty, whose passion for engineering lies on the humanistic side of the spectrum, hopes that her research with Prof. William Keat will give her new insights into career options.
“I plan to expand upon the creative process of engineering as opposed to the numeric process,” she says.
Beatty’s notebook is brimming with designs and sketches of different textbook diagrams and ideas. One such idea was the ping-pong launcher game, where students are given the task of designing a machine capable of launching a ping pong ball into a small basketball hoop. Although this has been done before in different ways, Beatty has devised several new solutions and is hoping to incorporate those into diagrams for the textbook.
Beatty says the textbooks she used her first two years were vague and “left the students depending too much on the professor.”
With its emphasis on hands-on learning, the new manual is designed to help students work more independently. For instance, Beatty intends to include a section on tools, showing techniques that will help students who have never used a saw before.
“I’m hoping my work will motivate first and second year students as well as support them in establishing good design and research habits that will serve them later in life.”
Beatty, who is from Saratoga Springs, is an active member of the Union community. She is a Union Scholar as well as a Commended National Merit Scholar.
Natalie Bernardi ’09
Major: Psychology
Faculty advisor: Professor Cheryl Dickter
"Confronting Prejudices"
Imagine you’re with a group of good friends and someone makes a joke that implies prejudice toward a certain race. How would you react?
Natalie Bernardi ’09 has been studying these kinds of reactions for her summer research fellowship with Professor Cheryl Dickter; and the nearly 30 articles she’s read so far have opened her eyes to how widespread racism is.
“This is something the nation is plagued by,” says Bernardi, who became intrigued with the topic after studying the effects of racism in her Social Psychology course with Dickter last fall. “Working with Professor Dickter has been an amazing inspiration and eye-opener to this subject area.”
Bernardi’s summer research—a study she calls the “first” to examine behavior in a real-world setting—involves coordinating surveys using volunteers from the campus and local communities. She has created her own rating system and organizes the data using a statistical analysis survey program.
Still, she is astonished at some of her findings.
“There are some people who care about prejudice only when it affects them. I find that hypocritical, because we need to be fighting all prejudice,” said Bernardi. “People say racist or sexist comments every day,” she continued, “and sometimes people confront them, but more often they don’t.”
Noting that hate crimes affect all college campuses today, Bernardi hopes to publish her research “to heighten sensitivity to the subject, and make people increasingly aware of the negative impact of racism.”
A native of Altamont, N.Y., Bernardi is vice president of the Debate Club, a Green House Council member and coordinator and active in the Women’s Union. She plans to pursue her doctorate in psychology with a focus on counseling psychology.