Office of Undergraduate Research Announces Spring URCA Award Winners

Published Feb 25, 2019 by
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East Carolina University’s Office of Undergraduate Research announced that 32 students will receive spring Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity awards.

The award provides support for faculty-mentored research and creative projects led by undergraduates in four disciplines: biomedical science, STEM, social science, and the arts and humanities.

Awards are given twice during the academic year. Students apply for the award with a defined project narrative and budget justification summary that they’ve developed in collaboration with a mentor.

Awards range from $1,500-2,000 for each project. Honors College recipients can receive up to $2,500 with support from the college. The award may go toward project materials and cost, a stipend for the student, or used for travel to conduct field or archival research. Award recipients are required to present their findings at venues including Undergraduate Day during ECU’s Research and Creative Achievement Week and the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium held in November.

This spring’s URCA award recipients are:

  • Kirtan Amin, exercise physiology, “South Asian cancer survivors health study”
  • Rouzbeh Beig Heidari, engineering, “Using cellphone attachable microscope in identifying molds”
  • Glenesha Berryman, English and great books, “I made it up: Maps, essays, and other guides for the queer black girl”
  • Sarah Bradshaw, chemistry and public health, “Ozone inhalation impairs efferocytosis in the lung”
  • Jake Bruen, fine arts, “Untouchable”
  • Amber Chavis, biology, “The evolution of laying times in eastern bluebirds”
  • Emily Edmonds, biology, “Parasites as indicators of biodiversity in coastal shoreline habitats”
  • Claire Fabian-Bayola, biochemistry and chemistry, “Identifying key residues in 15-LOX-2 enzyme for interactions with allosteric effectors”
  • Nicholas Hill, electrical engineering, “An advanced control system for hand prosthesis for candidates with trans radial amputation”
  • Brooks Holt, nursing, “Evaluating the effect of community engagement on the impact and use of water filters in four villages in Guatemala”
  • Anan Islam, neuroscience and biology, “Protocols for evaluating enzymatic detergents”
  • Nicholas Kannarr, film and video production, “Our story”
  • Juliana Lane, film and video production, “Paranoid insomniac”
  • Nickolas Leach, film and video production, “A-L-I-E-N-S senior thesis film”
  • Jiahao Li, electrical and mechanical engineering, “Project peregrine”
  • Phoenix Little, psychology and neuroscience, “Barriers to higher education in the Latino population”
  • Olivia McBride, nutrition science and biology, “Patient interest in farm to clinic program”
  • Serena Mooney, public health studies and international studies, “Comprehensive assessment of mitochondrial energy fluxes of the flexor digitorum brevis”
  • Emma O’Brien, business management, “Eliminating barriers to youth sport in Pitt County”
  • Brooke Palmer, professional acting training and theatre for youth, “Performing in American Sign Language – ‘The magic of winter from around the world'”
  • Pujan Patel, biology and public health, “The role PGRMC1 plays in hormone metabolism”
  • Victoria Preston, chemistry, “Electrochemical analysis of methylated DNA in MS”
  • Katherine Ray, biochemistry, “Elucidation of 15-Lipoxygenase-2 and PEBP1 interactions implicated in acute renal failure”
  • Sydney Rossback, exercise physiology, “What is the significance of hand dominance in motor learning and motor control?”
  • Semiyah Sams, public health, “A qualitative analysis of health care provider roles and perspectives related to abnormal mammography results”
  • Mohammad Sarsour, chemistry, “Trace metal elements in extracted and exfoliated teeth – The ECU tooth fairy project”
  • Christopher Satterley, electrical engineering, “Design of a patient orientation monitoring system”
  • Jessica Schulte, social work, “Meals on Wheels and the well-being of seniors”
  • Haley Tailor, public health, “HPV vaccinations among black immigrants”
  • Alexander Turner, neuroscience and psychology, “Impact of prostatic radiation on bladder innervation and neuronal apoptosis”
  • Kristin Tyson, chemistry and biochemistry, “Development of novel tryptophan analogues to study and expand protein function”
  • Maddie Wells, dance performance and choreography, “Improving cardiovascular fitness in dancers through aquatic conditioning”

Learn more about the URCA awards online. For more information on individual projects, view the 2019 Spring URCA spreadsheet.