Since 1990, more than 100 students from over a dozen departments or programs have presented their scholarly work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).  More than four dozen faculty have been involved as research/project advisors/supervisors.

4th, Union College, 1990   Chuk-Yin Erwin, Kathleen A. Donnelly

  • Katherine Irish ‘The Determination of the Solubility Equilibrium Constant of Aqueous Surfactant Solutions” (Dr. Chuk-Yin Erwin) CHM

5th, California Institute of Technology, 1991   Maureen McLeod

  • Holly J. Darfler “Discovering An Hispanic Female Literary Tradition” (Dr. Joyce Carlson-Leavitt) ML
  • Jodi L. Jackson “Who are the Judges of New York State’s Courts of Limited Jurisdiction?” (Dr. Maureen McLeod) CJ
  • Shari L. Rubenstein “Women’s Attitudes and Home-Based Businesses” (Dr. John A. Tribble) ECO

6th, University of Minnesota, 1992   Nick Hernandez

  • Sara E. Siegmann “Asking Questions in Math: The Influences of Gender, Goal Orientation and Perceived Math Ability” (Dr. Sybillyn Jennings) PSY
  • Tina C. Elacqua “Factors That Affect Students’ Adjustment to College” (Dr. Susan Cloninger) PSY
  • Karin Maxson “Calcium Binding to Carrageenan” (Dr. Kathleen A. Donnelly) CHM

7th, University of Utah, 1993   Susan Kauffman

  • Linda S. Magenis “Extraction of Fatty Acids from Commercial Infant Formulas” (Dr. Chuk-Yin Erwin) CHM
  • Gina L. Mann “The Effects of Glyphosphate and Isopropylamine on Frog Muscle” (Dr. William Niemi) BIO
  • Jennifer Townsend “Gender Differences in the Evaluation of Male and Female Roles” (Susan L. Kauffman) ECO

8th, Western Michigan University, 1994   Roger Armstrong

  • Jennifer A Singer “Determination of Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorous in Aquatic Samples” (Dr. Roger W. Armstrong) CHM
  • Susan Romano “The Impact of ERM on Exports in the European Union” (Dr. Francisco Melero) ECO
  • Karen R. Blom “The Hyperreal Number System” (Dr. Thomas F. Sweeney)
  • Lillian C. Pishko “Quetzalcoatl at the Great Temple of Tenochititlan” (Dr. Nicolas Hernandez, Jr.) ML

9th Union College, 1995   Roger Armstrong, Dave Bonner, Kathleen A. Donnelly, Deb Lawrence

  • Stacey L. Barlow “Wage Discrimination in the Labor Market: The Case of Married Women” (Dr. Manijeh Sabi) ECO
  • Tia M. Barringer “What is Kamboucha?” (Dr. Jack Harris) BIO
  • Dana E. Clay “A Bayesian Statistical Analysis of Job Satisfaction” (Richard Evans) MAT
  • Nicole F. Clay “Signal Analysis Through Wavelets” (Dr. Deborah Lawrence & Dr. David Bonner) MAT
  • Diana Cramer “Synthesis and Quantitation of Cocamethylenimine, A Novel Cocaine Metabolite” (Dr. Roger Armstrong) CHM
  • Nichole Foley “A Partial Differential Equation Model of Advection and Dispersion” (Dr. Deborah Lawrence) MAT
  • Lisa Hafner “Thermal Group Transfer Reactions Involving Ylides, Imines and Onium Ions” (Dr. Raymond Baechler) CHM
  • Meegan Lockhart “Twentieth Century American Composers” (Michael Musial)
  • Marie Maher “The Effect of Visual Perception on Mental Imagery Processes Used in Working Spatial Problems” (Dr. Sybillyn Jennings) PSY
  • Andrew Mesch “Adults with Asthma: Medication Use, Anxiety Sensitivity and Coping Strategies” (Dr. Julie McIntyre) PSY
  • Julie Miller “Understanding Mathematical Concepts Through Art” (Dr. David Bonner) MAT
  • Danica Nowosielski “A Kinetic Study of the Crystallization of a Urinary Stone Mineral” (Dr. Chuk-Yin Erwin) CHM
  • Jennifer Rasimas “Numerical Optimization for Electrical Circuits Using Simulated Annealing” (Richard Evans & Dr. David Bonner) MAT
  • Sandra Sheedy and Elizabeth Nason “The Influence of Pectin Gel Strength on Consistency, Sweetness and Overall Taste of Jellies” (Dr. Anne Rogan Cummings) NTR
  • Katherine Siegmann “Prevention of Overuse Injuries in College Music Students” (Ellen Shapiro) PT
  • Laura Taylor “Non-Point Source Nutrient Dynamics in the Tributaries of the Tomhannock Reservoir” (Dr. Roger Armstrong) CHM
  • Frances Traschen “Assessing the Effects of Diversity Programming on College Students, Faculty, Staff and Administration” (Dr. Chrys Ingraham) SOC

10th, University of North Carolina at Asheville, 1996   John Tribble, David Bonner, Linda Lamson, Michael Musial

  • Melissa Amster, Dayna Buchalter, Amy Elkins, Kimberly Marcil, Rebecca Petren and Denise Roberge “A Piece of My Heart” (Michael Musial) VAPA
  • Alice Breding “Risk Assessment: Comparative Study of Capital Region Retail and Service/Entertainment Businesses” (Dr. John Tribble) ECO
  • Amy Goddard “The Prevalence of Foot Orthotic Evaluation and Fabrication by Physical Therapists” (Linda Lamson) PT
  • Sharon Herr, Judy Carioto “Nutrition Influence of Color for Preference of Hard Candies” (Dr. Anne Rogan Cummings) NTR
  • Heather Lyons “Evaluating Menstruation” (Dr. Sybillyn Jennings) PSY
  • Danica Nowosielski “Change Ringing: A Connection  Between Mathematics and Music” (Dr. Thomas Sweeney) MAT
  • Maria Renga “Mathematical Blackholes” (Dr. Thomas Sweeney) MAT
  • Heather Russell “Determining the Effectiveness of 3MHz Pulsed Ultrasound in Post-traumatic Ankle Edema” (Louann Kuntz) AT
  • Elizabeth Sullivan “Choice of College Major: An Examination of Selected Demographic and Personality Variables” (Dr. Bronna Romanoff) PSY
  • Marie Turino “Understanding Sexual Assault: Local Victims. National Statistics” (Dr. Lisa Callahan) CJ
  • Stephanie Willette “The Community Oriented Model of Policing and Police Agency Response” (Dr. Sam Hill) PSY

11th, University of Texas at Austin, 1997   Ray Baechler

  • Carrie Benware “Enantioselective Oxidation of Chiral Phosphines” (Dr. Ray Baechler) CHM
  • Carrie Cokely “Rape: Myths, Attitudes, and Victimization in Rape Supportive Culture” (Dr. Lisa Callahan) CJ
  • Lucinda Schoonbeck “Body Dissatisfaction and Attitudes towards Liposuction” (Dr. Julie McIntyre) PSY
  • Catherine Zoller “Effects of Exposure of Pressure Treated Lumber of Aquatic Embryos” (Dr. Jack Harris) BIO

12th, Salisbury State University, 1998   Deb Lawrence

  • Jasmine Brand “Mathematical Model of Meningococcal Meningitis” (Dr. Deborah Lawrence) MAT
  • Angela Porter “Alcohol Use in a College Setting: Comparing Traditional Age Female Students, Returning Women and Female College Employees” (Dr. Sam Hill) PSY
  • Audra Nowosielski “Increasing Hits for the New York State Attorney General Dennis Vacco’ Website” (Eileen Brownell) BUS
  • Kristen Juhasz “The Relationships Between College Major and Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating and Body Dissatisfaction (Dr. Bronna Romanoff) PSY

13th, University of Rochester, 1999   Kris Santilli

  • Sarah R. Messick “The Significance of the Dash in the Poetry of Emily Dickinson” (Dr. Kristine S. Santilli) ENG
  • Abby Gladstone-Strobel “The Effect of Inclusion on the Peer Perceptions of Efficacy, Academic Success and Social Status in Students with Disabilities” (Dr. Susan Cloninger) PSY

14th, University of Montana, 2000   Nancy Slack

  • Michele Debye-Saxinger “The Spirit of the Two Magics: The Ghost of Interpretive Meaning in Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw” (Dr. Kris Santilli) ENG
  • Corinne Figel “Trophic Status of Saratoga Lake, NY: Based on Levels of Chlorophyll and Other Water Quality Indicators” (Dr. Roger Armstrong) CHM
  • Jane Izzo “Transfer Student Adjustment at a Four-Year, Liberal Arts Women’s College” (Dr. Sam Hill) PSY
  • Jerusha Stahl “Identification of a Gene on Chromosome 1q31-q32 that Causes a Neurodegenerative Dysfunction Affecting Vision and Proprioception (PCARP)” (Dr. Joseph Higgins) BIO

15th, University of Kentucky, 2001   Kris Santilli

  • Lindsay Robinson “Brain-Computer Interface Technology” (Dr. Jonathan Wolpaw) BIO
  • Blanca Bolivar “Understanding of Children’s Perception of Pokemon: Values and Concept of Fairness” (Dr. Sybillyn Jennings) (Not Presented) PSY
  • M. Elizabeth St. Lawrence “Searching for Holden Caulfield: Language and the Self in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye” (Dr. Kristine S. Santilli) ENG
  • Debra S. Neff “Figurative Enclosures in Homer’s The Odyssey” (Dr. Kristine S. Santilli) ENG

16th, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, 2002   Sally Goade

  • Meredith Roberts “The Effects of Bright Light on Sleep Quality in Alzheimer’s Patients” (Dr. Mary Rea) BIO
  • Amy Steuerwald “Trialkylphosphine Induced Reductive Coupling” (Dr. Ray Baechler) CHM
  • Lisa Nocella “The Adjustment of Heroines in Romance Narratives” (Dr. Sally Goade) ENG
  • Kerri-Ann Fraterrigo “The Role of TGF-β in the Growth Regulatory Effects of AFP-Derived Peptide” (Dr. James Bennett) BIO

17th, University of Utah, 2003   Sharon Robinson

  • Sarah Pratt “Categorizing Sarcasm in the Linguistic Framework” (Dr. Sharon Robinson) ENG
  • April Montgomery “The Creation of Book Lists in the High School Environment” (Dr. Sharon Robinson) ENG
  • Jessica Letizia “Self-Oppression as Conflict in Atwood’s ‘The Edible Woman’ and ‘Bluebeard’s Egg’” (Dr. Sally Goade) Eng
  • Eva Little “Cross-Race Eyewitness Identification” (Dr. Susan Cloninger) PSY
  • Sonya Hauser “The Effects of White vs. Whole Wheat Flour on Binge Eating Behavior” (Dr. Eileen Fitzpatrick) Nut

18th, Indiana University and Purdue University, 2004   Michelle Napierski-Prancl

  • Stephanie Dippo “A Sadder and Wiser Man: The Friendship Between Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth” (Dr. Sally Goade) ENG
  • Jennifer Roberts, Performance of Beethoven’s The Tempest Sonata (Michael Musial) CAPA

19th, Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute, 2005 Nancy Michaela

  • Colette DeJulio “Personality Matching of Therapist to Client Characteristics: Increasing Therapeutic Success” (Dr. Susan Cloninger) PSY
  • Sarah Sterling “Methanol Maser Detection in Regions of Star Formation” (Dr. Thomas Keane) CHM
  • Sarah Sterling “The Reaction of Titan Tholin with Liquid Hydrocarbon” (Dr. Thomas Keane) CHM
  • Andrea Laurencell “Dialect Variation in the Boroughs of New York City (Dr. Sharon Robinson) ENG
  • Kayla Kolwaite “Does Randomization Mask Responses to Sensitive Questions?” (Dr. Thomas Sweeney) MAT
  • Windy Wyczawski “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall”: Derogation and the Perception of Threat” (Dr. Julie McIntyre) PSY

20th, University of North Carolina – Ashville, 2006   Sally Goade

  • Kishori Puranik “Parallel Generations of Self-Revelation: Sylvia Plath and Kurt Cobain” (Dr. Sally Goade) ENG
  • Jennifer Beierlein “Enantioselective Oxidation of Racemic Phosphines” (Dr. Ray Baechler) CHM
  • Noelle Cortese “Esther Greenwood and Delores Price: The Plights of Fatherless Heroines” (Dr. Sally Goade) ENG
  • Katelyn Galbraith “Secularization as a Force for Change in Turkish Society during the Reign of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk” (Dr. Manijeh Sabi) BUS
  • Michelle Paulter “The Effects of Mercuric Sulfate on Learning in Mice (Dr. Kathy Skinner) BIO
  • Erin Mooney “Climbing Mount Abiegnos: Heights of Dramatic Transcendence in Three Plays of W.B. Yeats” (Dr. Kris Santilli) ENG
  • Alexandra Taylor “The Sexual and Spiritual: Erotic Religious Metaphor in St. John of the Cross ‘Dark Night of the Soul’” (Dr. David Salomon) ENG

21st, Dominican University of California, 2007   Eileen Brownell

  • Christine Sonder “The Never Wall: The Boundary Erected Between the Fantastic and the Real and its Consequence for the Adult Reader” (Dr. Sally Goade) ENG
  • Cara Baummer “’If There Exists a Knight Capable’: Tragedy and Existentialism in Le Morte D’Arthur” (Dr. David Salomon) ENG
  • Amanda Monroe “Procrastinate Your Way to the Top: A Closer Look at Active Versus Passive Procrastination” (Dr. Julie McIntyre) PSY
  • Zipporah Galimore “A Cultural and Historical Look into African American Quilts” (Andor Skotnes) HIS

22nd,    Salisbury State University, 2008   Penny Perkins

  • Julie Cunningham “An Examination of Gender Differences in the Experience of Flow Among Runners” (Dr. Julie McIntyre) PSY
  • Jenny Johnson “Regulation of Motile Behaviors of Fibroblastic Cells by Calcium Channels (Dr. Jack Harris) BIO
  • Amanda Brennan “Social and Informational Uses of the Internet: A Gender and Generational Comparison (Dr. Sybillyn Jennings) PSY
  • Caroline Lynch “Animals in Education: Attitudes of Future Teachers Towards Animals in the Classroom (Dr. Michelle Napierski-Prancl) SOC
  • Noelle Riley “Tourism, Promotion and its Effects of El Camino de Santiago” (Dr. Nick Hernandez) ML
  • Kayleen Chiesa Moore “Enantioselective Oxidation of Racemic Phosphines” (Dr. Ray Baechler) CHM

23rd, University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse, 2009  Shealeen Meaney

  • Kristen Gaudette “The Small Farm Model: Living Energy Independent and Self-Sufficient in Upstate New York” (Adrian Avram, SCA) (Interior Design)
  • Rebecca Gregory “New York Baseball: Analysis of Scoring Patterns of the Mets and Yankees 2008 Regular Season” (Tom Sweeney, Math)
  • Samantha Hall “Dear Diary: The Private Lives of Colonial Women” (Shealeen Meaney, English)
  • Anne Moore “Investigation of Triclosan Induced Mutations on Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobics” (Dorothy Matthews, Biology)
  • Jennifer Resso “Effects of Atrazine on Japanese Medaka, Oryzias latipes, Development” (Jack Harris, Biology)
  • Dresden Bacarra “Sustainable Design of an emergency shelter used in case of environmental or humanitarian crisis” (Adrian Avram, SCA Interior Design)
  • Jessica Baldic “Economic Distress: Demise of the Environment?” (Pam Katz, Poli Sci)
  • Ariel Collins “From the Happy Valley to Pemberly: Making the Best Possible Choice” (Shealeen Meaney, English)
  • Stephanie Coppa “When Azul is Yellow and Madre is Green: Using the Stroop Task to explore language organization in bilinguals” (Syb Jennings, Psych)\
  • Stephanie Coppa “Daisies and Bruises: Therapeutic Writing and the Risk of Rumination for Women” (Julie McIntyre, Psych)

24th, University of Montana, Missoula, 2010  Michelle Napierski-Prancl

  • Ashley Oliver (Psychology): “Coming to Terms with the ‘Wild Things’: Imagination Versus Avoidance in Children’s Copying (Dr. Syb Jennings, Advisor)
  • Lisa Pipino (Biology): “The Effect of Maternal Age on the Frequency of Genetic Recombination in Drosophila Melanogaster” (Dr. John Heimke, Advisor)
  • Sheila Tillman (Criminal Justice): “Women in Mental Health Courts: An Examination of Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, and Crime” (Dr. Michelle Napierski-Prancl, Advisor)
  • Sarah Oboda (English): “Why Witches Matter: An Analysis of Contemporary Literature’s Portrayal of Pagan Spiritualities”

25th, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, 2011 David Salomon and Deb Lawrence

  • Brittany Beyus and Caitlynne Cash, “I’m Not a Feminist, But…” (RSC, Advisor: Prof. Leigh Strimbeck, THEA)
  • Briana Bixler, “Will Red Light Exposure Make Winners Out of Losers?” (RSC, Advisor: Dr. Susan Jenks, BIO)
  • Rachel Castro, “REACTION: FOOD ALLERGY ICONOGRAPHY” (SCA, Advisor: Prof. Jean Dahlgren, DESIGN)
  • Cheryce Harvey, “Can bats be saved? : Investigation of the effectiveness of bacteria and fungi in controlling the growth of Geomyces destructans” (RSC, Advisor: Dr. Dorothy Matthews, BIO)
  • Elizabeth Knoll, “Reducing expression of RNA interference genes in the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus” (RSC, Advisor: Dr. Jack Harris, BIO)
  • Lauren Schroder, “Carbamate and Organophosphate pesticides: The effect on acetylcholinesterase activity in Notropis hudsonius” (RSC, Advisor: Prof. Toby Michelena, CHEM)
  • Jessy Willette, “Lost Boys of Sudan: A Study of Identity and Cultural Difference in Christopher Quinn’s God Grew Tired of Us,” (RSC, Advisor: Dr. Tonya Moutray, ENG)

26th, Weber State College, Ogden, Utah, 2012 Dorothy Matthews

  • Catherine Carpentier (RSC, Interdisciplinary for Pre-Pharmacy, May 13): “ADAM17 and src as Factors of Cell Migration in Cancer” (Advisor, Dr. Jennifer Freytag)
  • Shanamae Victor (RSC, Biology, Dec 11): “Can HIV super infections be controlled? Investigation of multi-drug therapy intreatment of Candida albicans?” (Advisor, Dr. Dorothy Matthews)
  • Angela Whyland (RSC, English, May 13): “Fire and Ice: The Women of the Icelandic Sagas” (Advisor: Prof. Kelly O’Connor-Salomon)

27th, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 2013 (Sarah Butler)

  • Chelsea Sipperly, “”Of Mice and Microbes: Can a Lowly Bacterium Help Conquer Fear?” (Dr. Dorothy Matthews, Faculty Advisor)
  • Angelica Costello and Dana Schleifstein, “Effect of Ingestion of M. vaccae by Pregnant Mice on Learning and Anxiety Behaviors in their Offspring” (Dr. Dorothy Matthews, Faculty Advisor)

28th, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 2014 (Jennifer Freytag)

  • Lisa Eytel (RSC Chemistry ’14): “L-Factor synthesis: Preparation for sex pheromone synthesis of the Nasonia vitripennis Walker jewel wasp” (Dr. Thomas Gray, CHEM advisor)
  • Ashley Fortin (RSC Biology ’14): “Honey of an Idea: Alternative Treatment for Propionibacterium acnes” (Dr. Dorothy Matthews, BIO advisor)
  • Kayla Nelson (RSC English ’13): “Growth in the Garden: A Jungian Reading of the Orphans in The Secret Garden” (Dr. David Salomon, ENG advisor)

29th: Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Washington, 2015 (Dorothy Matthews)

  • LaShonda Brown (who will represent the group at NCUR), Maria Khan, and Mentalla Soliman, “The Effect of Mycobacterium vaccae on Ultrasonic Vocalizations of Male Mice during Anxiety-Provoking Situations” (BIO Advisor: Dr. Dorothy Matthews and Dr. Susan Jenks)
  • Jennifer Keane, “Autism, Anxiety, and Mycobacterium vaccae: Can a Bacterium Help?” (BIO and PSYCH Advisor: Dr. Dorothy Matthews and Dr. Susan Jenks)

30th: University of North Carolina, Asheville, North Carolina, 2016 (Janel Leone)

  • Mary Witkowski (junior RSC Biology/Physical Therapy major from Troy): “Characterization of the CO15.13 Zebrafish Craniofacial Mutant” (faculty mentor: Dr. Kristi Lamonica) Mary presented on behalf of her research group: Rozina Rose, Grace Koehler, Jacey Hill, Dianne Girard, and Shellian Shampersaud
  • Gabriela Sanchez (sophomore SCA Law and Society major from East Greenbush): “Impact of Childhood Trauma on Women’s Psychological and Physical Health” (faculty mentor: Dr. Janel Leone)

31st: University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, 2017 (Amy Pass)

  • Samantha Phelps (RSC Biology ’17): “Does Wolbachia Cause Higher Queen Development in Temnothorax Longispinosus when Nutrition is Low?” (Dr. Kenneth Howard, BIO advisor)
  • Samantha Tirrell (RSC English and Theater ’17): “‘Round in Circles I’d Go’: An Exploration of the Psychosocial and Metaphysical Ramifications of Rotation in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel” (Prof. Michael Musial, THEA advisor)
  • Samantha Tirrell (RSC English and Theater ’17): “Ugwu’s Biafra: Individual and National Modes of Sovereignty and Resistance in Chimamanda Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun” (Dr. Shealeen Meaney, ENG advisor)

32nd: University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, 2018 (Donald Graves)

  • Zachary Bishop (SCA Psychology ’18): “The Effect of Attachment Style on Aggression in College Students” (Dr. Julie Verette Lindenbaum, PSY advisor)
  • Cydney Rogers (RSC Psychology ’18): “‘Study of Animal Based Entertainment” (Dr. Donald Graves, PSY advisor)

33rd: Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, 2019 (Michelle Napierski-Prancl)

  • Derek Larson (SCA Applied Biology ’19) “Adults may bite larvae to correct for the overproduction of queen-potential larvae in the ant Temnothorax longispinosis” (Dr. Ken Howard, BIO Advisor)
  • Gabriela Cardona (RSC Sociology ’19)”Examining the Bystander Effect and Sexual Violence: Do Middle School Prevention Programs Work?” (Dr. Michelle Napierski-Prancl, SOC Advisor)

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