Posted on Jul 29, 2010

Anthropology

Pearl Jurist-Schoen ‘11

     Topic: The recent effects of tourism on Barbadian culture

     Advisor: George Gmelch

Chelsea Tussing ‘11

     Topic: The aftermath of ethnography: How the Barbadian Culture has Changed Since the Writing of "Parish Behind God's Back"

     Advisor: Sharon Gmelch
 

Art History

Kira Simon ‘11

     Topic: Museum Education and Exhibition Studies

     Advisor: Lorraine Morales Cox


Biology

Tauseef Ahmed ‘13

     Topic: Development of a robust PCR-based DNA test for Canine Epilepsy

     Advisor: J. Stephen Horton

Christina Brown ‘11

     Topic: Cell proliferation patterns during cyclic blastogenesis in Botryllus schlosseri: an immunhistochemical study

     Advisor: Robert Lauzon

Isaiah Buchanan ‘11

     Topic: Behavioral and ecological interactions between the lizard species Anolis carolinensis and Anolis sagrei

     Advisor: Leo Fleishman

Michael Danise ‘11

     Topic: The tradeoff between polyuronic acid content and photosynthesis rates in Sphagnum

     Advisor: Steven Rice

Robert Davis ‘12

     Topic: The relationship between tick body burdens and intestinal parasites in gray squirrels and chipmunks

     Advisor: Kathleen LoGiudice

Johanna Geoghegan ‘11

     Topic: Molecular investigation of human follicle stimulating hormone receptor through mutagenesis of the caveolin binding motiff

     Advisor: Brian Cohen

 Matthew Goodwin ‘12

     Topic: Searching for a correspondence between differences in MC1R sequence and color morph in P. cinereus

     Advisor: Barbara Pytel

Matthew Hanley ‘11

     Topic: Investigating the function of a metacaspase in the development of the mushroom Schizophyllum commune by means of an improved “Knockout-Ready” strain

     Advisor: Stephen J Horton

Shabana Hoosein ‘11

      Topic: Limitations to seeding establishment in clear clayplain forests

      Advisor: Jeff Corbin

Yaw Kwarteng '11 summer research 2010

Yaw Kwarteng ‘11

     Topic: Analyzing posttranslational modifications to microtubules

     Advisor: Barbara Danowski

Nancy Miorelli ‘11

     Topic: Fecundity of prairie warblers (Dendroica discolor) in the Albany Pine Bush   Advisor: Jennifer Bishop

Patrick O'Hern ‘11

     Topic: Investigation of palmitoyl protein Thioesterase 1 RNAi knock-down during Drosophila embryonic neurogenesis

     Advisor: Patrick O'Hern

Suzanne Ostrow ‘11

     Topic: Studying the relationship between tick infection prevalence and gut parasite helminth egg densities in grey squirrels and chipmunks

     Advisor: Kathleen LoGiudice

Alyssa Simeone ‘11

     Topic: Characterizing an embryonic intestinal primary cell culture from Leucoraja erinacea

     Advisor: Nicole Theodosiou

Rachael Singleton ‘11

     Topic: Color identification ability in different light conditions in two species of lizards of the genus Anolis

     Advisor: Leo Fleishman


Chemistry

Sarah Bercovici ‘11

     Topic: Studying the effects of photochemical degradation on two UV filter chemicals

     Advisor: Laura A. MacManus-Spencer

Nicholas Dunn ‘11

     Topic: Increasing aerogel production efficiency for use in catalytic applications by utilizing the rapid supercritical extraction technique

     Advisor: Mary Carroll

Suzanne Estok ‘11

     Topic: Full synthesis and characterization of TEOS aerogels

     Advisor: Mary Carroll

Hyeon Hwangbo ‘11

     Topic: Synthesis of photochromic supramolecular polymers

     Advisor: Laurie Tyler

Rayana Johnson ‘11

     Topic: Development of laboratory modules for a general education course in culinary chemistry: the chemistry of flavor

     Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

Alison Kracunas ‘11

     Topic: Photochemical degradation of octyl methoxycinnamate

     Advisor: Laura A. MacManus-Spencer

Danielle Krieg ‘12

     Topic: Development of laboratory modules for a general education course in culinary chemistry: chemistry of chocolate and sugar

     Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

Darrin Liau ‘11

     Topic: Morphosynthetic control of anodized aluminum oxide

     Advisor: Mike E. Hagerman

Katherine Morris ‘11

     Topic: The synthesis and evaluation of novel molecular transporters

     Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

Anna Mueller '11 summer research 2010

Anna Mueller ‘11

     Topic: Luminescent probes of hydrophobic aerogels

     Advisor: Mary Carroll

Megan O'Connor ‘12

     Topic: The fate and occurrence of ultraviolet filter chemicals in surface waters

     Advisor: Laura A. MacManus-Spencer

Bowman Potter ‘11

     Topic: Five membered rings made easy: organo-catalysis and iodocarbocyclization

     Advisor: James Adrian

Michelle Richter ‘11

     Topic: Cloning of a putative metacaspase gene from schizophyllum commune

     Advisor: Kristin Fox

Misty Shah ‘12

     Topic: Development of laboratory modules for a general education course in culinary chemistry: breads and browning

     Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

Clancy Slack ‘11

     Topic: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy monitored enzyme kinetics

     Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

Kelly Zebrowski ‘11

     Topic: Synthesis and activity of platinum anti-cancer drug derivatives

     Advisor: Laurie Tyler

Zeliang Zheng ‘11

     Topic: Purification and analysis of a metacaspase from S. commune

     Advisor: Kristin Fox


Computer Science

Davis Barber ‘11

     Topic: Effects of display size on embodied conversational agent interactions    

      Advisor: K. Striegnitz, A. Tartaro

Sara Block ‘12

     Topic: Interactive technologies for video modeling

     Advisor: Andrea Tartaro

Daniel Gnoutcheff ‘12

     Topic: Simplifying NewtworkManager: a Google summer of code project

     Advisor: Kristina Striegnitz

Rachel Hogue ‘11

     Topic: Statistical analysis and comparison of texts in ancient greek

     Advisor: Kristina Striegnitz and Valerie Barr

Davis Knox ‘11

     Topic: Using a coevolutionary genetic algorithm to produce soft robot morphologies and gaits

     Advisor: John Rieffel

Alex Levine ‘11

     Topic: Research into social robotics

     Advisor: John Rieffel

Michael Lucey ‘11

     Topic: Can a mind-reading game controller detect non-verbal indications of confusion?

     Advisors: Kristina Striegnitz and Andrea Tartaro

Petr Mach exchange

     Topic: Integrating social robotics into the CSC104 curriculum

     Advisor: John Rieffel

Daniel Mendelsohn ‘11

     Topic: Pedagogical tool for the usability science

     Advisor: Chris Fernandes and Aaron Cass

Ramsey Steiner ‘12

     Topic: Visualization of cascading selective undo

     Advisor: Aaron Cass, Chris Fernandes

Tim Stephens ‘13

     Topic: Evolutionary fabrication

     Advisor: John Rieffel

Kirk Winans ‘12

     Topic: Language learning activities for the sugar learning environment

    Advisor: Kristina Striegnitz


Economics

David Leavitt ‘12

     Topic: Is the Monte Carlo simulation a useful retirement planning tool?

     Advisor: Tomas Dvorak


Electrical and Computer Engineering

Anas Alghbari ‘12

     Topic: Investigation of acoustic cues in medial-consonant voicing contrasts in the speech of American English kids

     Advisor: Helen Hanson

Omar Hassib ‘11

    Advisor: Shane Cotter

Saem Hur ‘13

     Topic: Acoustic study of medial stop consonants in American children

     Advisor: Helen Hanson

Aung Soe ‘11

     Advisor: Shane Cotter


Geology

Shannon Brady ‘11

     Topic: Early Holocene edifice failure and sector collapse of Volcán Barú, Panama

     Advisor: Holli Frey

Kaitlin Clark ‘11

     Topic: Provenance of Calstic sediments in cores form Collins Pond, Scotia, New York

     Advisor: Donald Rodbell

Jonathan Griffith ‘11

     Topic: Geomorphologic and paleoenvironmental change in Glacier National Park, Montana

     Advisor: Donald Rodbell

Tyler Izykowski ‘11

     Topic: Determining thermal history and age of zircons in Southeast Alaska strata

     Advisor: John I. Garver

Elizabeth Morgan ‘11

     Topic: Geochemical and thermodynamic modeling and analysis of Gore Mountain Garnets, Adirondacks, NY

     Advisor: Kurt Hollocher


History

Sergio Azcona ‘12

     Topic: Amid slavery and freedom

     Advisor: Kenneth Aslakson

Gabrielle Contelmo ‘11

     Topic: Gender perspectives: women as heroes and martyrs in Jesuit propaganda during the early modern period

     Advisor: Mazin Tadros

Leland Garivaltis ‘11

     Topic: The struggle of influential women in Latin American and Caribbean History

     Advisor: Teresa Meade

Jessica Johnson ‘12

     Topic: Unpacking the "Quadroon-Placage" myth

     Advisor: Kenneth Aslakson

Scott Power ‘11

     Topic: Schenectady’s New Deal: the effects of the WPA on Schenectady county

     Advisor: Andrew Morris

Joseph Privitera ‘12

     Topic: Union College and the Civil War

     Advisor: Andrea Foroughi


History and American Studies

Sarah O'Connor ‘11

     Topic: Cultural lag theory

     Advisor: Andy Feffer


Mechanical Engineering

Kyle Abrahamson ‘11

    Advisor: Andrew Rapoff

Max Balter ‘12

     Topic: Explaining the mesial groove of maxillary canines in Cercopithecoid Monkeys

     Advisor: Andrew Rapoff

Robin Barabasz ‘11

     Topic: Effects of superhydrophobic aerogel surface coatings on drag reduction

     Advisor: Ann Anderson

Maxwell Becton ‘11

     Topic: Catalytic aerogel research

     Advisor: Bradford A. Bruno

 Walter Chin ‘12

     Topic: Thermal strains in radio frequency microelectromechanical systems Microbridge Structure

     Advisor: Rebecca Cortez

Steven Gacin '12 summer research 2010

Steven Gacin ‘12

     Topic: Fabrication and characterization of hydrophobic aerogels

     Advisor: Ann Anderson

Rotislav Haruda, exchange student

     Advisor: Richard Wilk

Jiri Havran, exchange student

     Advisor: Richard Wilk

Mitchell Lee ‘11

     Topic: Real time monitoring and control of a photovoltaic-electrical system

     Advisor: Richard Wilk

Marc Nash ‘11

     Topic: Mechanical characterization of a healing fracture callus in a mouse model

     Advisor: Jennifer Currey

Bernadette Peace ‘10

     Topic: Atomic force microscopy of a polymer-based solar cell

    Advisor: Becky Cortez

Kelly Pearson ‘11

     Topic: Vertical axis wind turbine analysis and design

     Advisor: Richard Wilk

Christopher Pillsbury ‘12

     Topic: Design of a pressure burst tester for the quantifying of the healing of ionmer samples

     Advisor: Stephen Kalista

Justin Rodriguez ‘11

     Advisor: Ann Anderson and Brad Bruno

John Russell ‘11

     Topic: Design and fabrication of a small-scale tensegrity robot

     Advisor: William Keat

Elias Samia ‘11

     Topic: Design of lighting and propulsion systems for the Ballston Lake                                                                                    submersible

     Advisor: William Keat

Emmet O'Connell ‘11

     Topic: Design and fabrication of a catalytic aerogel testbed

     Advisor: Ann Anderson


Modern Languages and Literature

Keerti Murari ‘11

     Topic: Deportation process and migrant labor

     Advisor: Victoria Martinez


Philosophy

Jennifer Granina ‘11

     Topic: Exploring the field of bioethics as it pertains to the creation of books : before bioethics and the Cambridge Dictionary of Bioethics

     Advisor: Robert Baker


Philosophy and Bioethics

Chandni Vaid ‘11

     Topic: Cambridge Dictionary of Bioethics

     Advisor: Robert Baker


Physics & Astronomy

Pavel Aprelev

     Advisor: Chad Orzel

Halley Darling ‘13

     Topic: A survey of neutral hydrogen properties of the NGC 5846 group of galaxies

     Advisor: Rebecca Koopman

Jay Dulmaa

     Advisor: Samuel Amanuel

Karel Durkota exchange

     Topic: Development of a JAVA program to image data for a table-top radio astronomy interferometer

     Advisor: Jon Marr

Tim Kuehn ‘12

     Topic: Neutron capture rates of R-process nucleosynthesis in a specific environment

     Advisor: Rebecca A. Surman

Adam Margulies ‘13

     Topic: Use of IDL to model R-process nucleosynthesis in supernovae

     Advisor: Rebecca A. Surman

Ana Mikler ‘12

     Topic: ALFALFA HI upper limits in NGC 5846 group galaxies

    Advisor: Rebecca Koopman

Rob Moore ‘11

     Topic: The analysis of environmental materials using proton induced gamma-ray emission spectroscopy

    Advisor: Scott LaBrake

Katelyn O'Brien ‘11

     Topic: Studying star formation properties in the galaxy NGC 5846 using H-alpha

    Advisor: Rebecca Koopman

Erin Osgood ‘12

      Topic: Studying the Aggregation of Insulin using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter

     Advisor: Jay Newman

Hannah Ryan '12 summer research 2010

Hannah Ryan ‘12

     Topic: Characterization of different pigments on the micro raman spectrometer

     Advisor: Seyffie Maleki

Katie Schuff ‘11

     Topic:  Proton induced X-ray emission spectroscopy of red wine samples using the Union College pelletron accelerator

     Advisor: Scott LaBrake

Anna Sise ‘12

     Topic: High density percolation

     Advisor: Gary Reich

Mark Sullivan ‘13

     Topic: High density percolation

     Advisor: Gary Reich

Colin Turley ‘13

     Topic: Proton elastic scattering analysis of environmental materials

    Advisor: Michael Vineyard

Michael Varughese ‘11

     Topic: The effects of L-Arginine on the aggregation of Insulin

     Advisor: Jay Newman

Pengfeng Zhang ‘13

      Topic: Astronomy photograph

      Advisor: Francis Wilkin

Maria Battaglia ‘12

     Topic: Seasonal variation and trace elemental mapping of the composition and concentration of New York rainwater samples using the Union College pelletron particle accelerator & proton induced X-ray emission

     Advisor: Scott LaBrake

SreyNoch Chin ‘12

     Topic: A continuing study of stellar and neutral hydrogen properties of the NGC 5846 group of galaxies

     Advisor: Rebecca Koopmann

Colin Gleason ‘11

     Topic: Elemental analysis of atmospheric aerosols in urban areas

     Advisor: Michael Vineyard

Charles Harrington ‘11

     Topic: Ion beam analysis of atmospheric aerosols in the adirondacks

     Advisor: Michael Vineyard

Amer Khraisat ‘13

     Topic: Influences of molecular polarity on the phase transition of physically confined molecules

     Advisor: Samuel Amanuel


Political Science

Andrew Churchill ‘11

     Topic: Federalism issues in drug enforcement: marijuana, narcotics and the evolution of a national drug policy

     (circa 1940s-1960s)

     Advisor: Phil Nicholas


Psychology

Danielle Ayers ‘12

     Topic: Eating disorders and body image

     Advisor: Josh Hart

Ciro Griffiths ‘12

     Topic: Cybercycle study

     Advisor: Cay Anderson-Hanley

Molly Head ‘11

     Topic: Relationship between self-monitoring and perspective-taking abilities, & relationship between self-monitoring and early dating

     Advisor: Linda Stanhope

Jaclyn Mandart ‘12

     Topic: Analysis of collective intelligence

     Advisor: Christopher Chabris

Caitlin Miner ‘11

     Topic: Neural network modeling: simulating the brain in introduction to cognitive neuroscience

     Advisor: Steve Romero

Amanda Snyder ‘11

     Topic: Social facilitation and competitiveness: impact on exercise of older adults in the Cybercycle study

     Advisor: Cay Anderson-Hanley

Vadim Yerokhin ‘11

     Topic: Resting EEG: effects of exercise on alpha and beta waves

     Advisor: Cay Anderson-Hanley

Kseniya Zhuzha ‘11

     Topic: Effect of mortality salience on gambling

     Advisor: Joshua Hart


Religious Studies

Andrea Meyers ‘11

Joseph Abate '12 and Annora Brennan '11 perform in “Hamlet” with the Saratoga Shakespeare Company.

   Topic: U.S. foreign relations with Israel and perception on Palestine

    Advisor: Peter Bedford


Theater & Dance

Joseph Abate ‘12

     Topic: Performance with the Saratoga Shakespeare Company

    Advisor: Patricia Culbert

Annora Brennan ‘11

     Topic: Performance with the Saratoga Shakespeare Company

     Advisor: Patricia Culbert