Students to Present Research at National Conference
Posted on Monday, March 9, 2009
Three Westminster College students received travel/presentation grants from Westminster's Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning to present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 16-18 in LaCrosse, Wis.
Each student submitted an application to attend earlier in the year and was notified of their acceptance in March. This a competitive conference with many applicants being rejected.
Sarah Cook, a senior biology major, is a daughter of David and Marcia Cook of Tarentum and a graduate of Deer Lakes High School. She will present "The Effect of N, N-Diethyl-Meta-Toluamide (DEET) on the Development of the Olfactory System in Drosophila Melanogaster."
Her faculty adviser is Dr. Katherine Robertson, Westminster assistant professor of biology.
"It was a pleasure to work with Sarah in the lab," Robertson said. "She has just the right personality to be a successful researcher: patience, maturity, enthusiasm, and good problem-solving skills."
Contact Robertson at (724) 946-7213 or e-mail robertkl@westminster.edu for more information about Cook's research.
Stefanie Cumberledge, a junior physics major, is a daughter of Robert and E. Jane Cumberledge of Evans City and a graduate of Butler Area High School. She will present "Liquid Drop Collisions."
Cumberledge's research was completed as part of a Research Experience for Undergraduates at the University of Michigan, where she worked in nuclear astrophysics under the supervision of Dr. Fred Becchetti.
"I studied the liquid drop model of the nucleus by colliding liquid drops and filming the collisions to create a sequence of steps for each collision," Cumberledge said. "I varied drop size, impact parameter, viscosity, surface tension, and color to see the effect on the outcome of the collision."
Her faculty adviser is Dr. Douglas Armstead, Westminster assistant professor of physics.
Contact Armstead at (724) 946-7201 or e-mail armstedn@westminster.edu for more information about Cumberledge's research.
Nicole Roberts, a senior psychology major, is a daughter of Paul and Lisa Roberts of Pittsburgh and a graduate of Schenley High School. She will present "Attachment Styles and Gender Role Adherence among Families in the U.S. and Egypt."
Her faculty adviser is Dr. Sherri Pataki, Westminster assistant professor of psychology.
"Nicole found very interesting results that highlight possible cross-cultural differences in relationship orientation between women in Egypt and the United States," Pataki said. "Based on her research, we will be exploring possible explanations for these differences in ongoing collaborative research with Egypt."
Contact Pataki at (724) 946-7361 or e-mail patakisp@westminster.edu for additional information on Roberts' research.
NCUR's mission is to promote undergraduate research scholarship and creative activity done in partnership with faculty or other mentors as a vital component of higher education.
The Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning was created to enrich undergraduate education at Westminster through advancing world-class teaching as well as by participating in collaborations that address community and regional needs including strengthening K-12 education. The Undergraduate Research Initiative provides funding for students to conduct research and to present their research at regional and national conferences.
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