Announcing the 2018-19 URA Scholars

Wed, 02 May 2018 15:01:22 -0400

55 undergraduate researchers have been selected for the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) for 2018-19. Over the next year, these scholars will conduct research, embark on entrepreneurial projects, and prepare creative art, with the guidance of their mentors, and with the support of URA funding. They will present their findings at URCAD on April 24, 2019. The URA Scholars for 2018-19 are:

Tarek Antar, Psychology

Examining the Role of Parental and Peer Religious Socialization in the Development of Muslim-American Adolescents’ Religious and National Identities

Mohammed Arafat, Psychology

An Exploration of Muslim-American Adolescents' Perceptions of the Recent Political Climate

Peter Bailer, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering

Synthesis of a PEG hydrogel and collagen mesh to protect surface bound electrochemical aptamer-based biosensors from catalyzed degradation by RNAse

Adnan Baker-Agha and Dhruvil Patel, Chemistry

Nylon-inspired Polymers Containing Reversible Iron-chelated Linkages

Kojo Bonsu, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering

Analysis of Glycolytic Multienyme Complex Formation

Kevin Chen, Biological Sciences

Uncovering the Link Between a Sugar-induced Change in Gut Microbiome and

Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer

Nicole Couturier, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering

Monitoring Blood Biomarkers of Immune Responses before and after Therapy in a Mouse Melanoma Model

Lorraine Dell'Acqua, Psychology

An Investigative Analysis of Potential Change in D1-D2 Receptors of Rat Brains

Exposed to Threshold Levels of Particle Radiation

James Raynard Dizon, Chemical Engineering

Testing Nanoparticle-Delivered Antimalarials for Treatment of Lupus

Anna Feerick, Chemical Engineering

Detection of Contaminants within Chesapeake Bay Water, Sediment, and Oysters

David Fialkow, Physics

Characterizing the Mechanical Oscillatory Properties of Nanostructures

Alex Getachew, Interdisciplinary Studies

The Impact of Arts Integration on the Learning Identity of Sixth Grade Students inAnne Arundel County Public Schools

Casey Haines, Biological Sciences

Response of Eastern Bluebirds (Salias salias) to Playbacks of Male and Female

Vocalizations

Jordan Harper, Interdisciplinary Studies

Envisioning a Thriving Democratic Culture

Phillip Hilliard, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Automated Analysis and Prediction of Entity-based Sentiment Framing

Mark Horton, Computer Engineering

Human-in-the-Loop Model Improvement and Implementation for Efficient Deep

Reinforcement Learning

Adursh Iyer, Physics and Mathematics

Searching for Gamma-ray Emission from Black Hole Jets

Hannah Jackson, Modern Languages and Linguistics

Second Language Acquisition through Improv

Matthew Kane, Biological Sciences

Cats and Rats vs. the Bahama Oriole: Assessing the Threat of Invasive Species to a Critically Endangered Species

Jeremy Keaton, Music

Writing Chamber Music at Summer Composition Festival

Caroline Larkin, Biological Sciences

Inferring Mathematical Dynamic Models of Tumor Sub-clonal Interactions to Predict Optimal Treatment Targets

Kasey Mannion, Dance

An Exploration in the Development of Contemporary Dance

Cierra McKoy, Biological Sciences

Geographic Variation in the Vocalizations of An Endangered Oriole

Stephanie Milani, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Integrating Ethical Reasoning into the Abstract Markov Decision Process Framework

Morgan Miller, History

Giving a Voice to the Voiceless

Rachel Morin, Physics

Microscopic Processes that Shape the High Energy Universe: An Artist View for the Rest of Us

Karla Negrete, Mechanical Engineering

Preparation of Gel Polymer Electrolyte with Enhanced Ionic Conductivity for Zn Based Batteries

Adam Ng, History

Conservative Responses to British Fascism in the 1930s

Howard Nicholson, Chemical Engineering

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Biosensors

Drue Nixon, Interdisciplinary Studies *Entrepreneurship URA

Ella and Ida Summer Camp

Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, Mathematics, Economics

The Impact of Early Childhood Malaria on Educational Attainment in Ghana

Angela Ossana, Chemical Engineering

Infrared Emission Spectroscopy Techniques

Hye Jin Park, Psychology

The Role of Marital Quality and Parenting in Korean-American Children's Social Problem-solving Reasoning Skills

Rishit Patel, Biological Sciences

Effect of Electronic Liquid Components on Morphology and Electrophysiology of Olfactory Tissue

Alexia Petasis, Interdisciplinary Studies

Confronting Social Issues through Translational Choreography

Zane Poffenberger, Political Science

The Italian State: How do Political Party Manifestos Impact and Shape National Policy towards the Migrant Crisis?

Raj Purohit, Chemical Engineering

an Aspergillus nidulans PodB Mutant to Express High Levels of Recombinant GFP

Mia Rickenbach, Theatre *Entrepreneurship URA

Create Freedom

Victoria Rottman, Environmental Science & Geography

The Effects of Stream Contaminants on Terrestrial Ecology

Joy Roy and Eric Cheung, Biological Sciences

Centralizing Gene Expression Patterns with Mathematical Databases

Jeremy Rubin, Mathematics and Statistics

Data Analysis to Understand the Key Roles of Histone Methyltransferases in the Modification of Chromatin to Regulate Gene Expression

Scott Sainz, Theatre

Alternative Theatrical Lighting Control System

Arman Setser, Physics

Quantum Error Correction Using A Gradient-based Optimization Approach

Miles Smith, Mechanical Engineering

Multidisciplinary Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Research for Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems

Kristina Soetje, Environmental Science, Visual Arts

Species Abundance and Richness Outcomes of 2018 Mudslide Deposits on Montecito, California Beaches

Meredith Sperling, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics

The Role of Remote Sensing Technology in Improving Wind Power Predictions

Ariana Taj, Biological Sciences

Prostate Specific P53 Knockout Model

Aline Thompson, Gender and Women's Studies

Red Streaks Under a Silver Sun: Queer Resistance in “Mirror’s Edge”

Manos Tzortzakakis, Chemical Engineering

A Calorimetric Approach to Structure-Reactivity Correlation in Epoxide Cross-linking Reactions

Maxi Wardcantori, English

Translating Chastity: Representing Shakespeare’s Women on Contemporary Stages

Mia Wessel, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Synthesis of Gadolinium-containing Dendrons for Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cancer

Linda Wiratan, Biological Sciences

Effect of Jasmonic Acid Analog Induced Defense on Circadian Rhythm in Arabidopsis

Briana Yancy, Geography and Environmental Science

Nesting Habitat Requirements of the Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole

Want to be a URA Scholar? See: ur.umbc.edu/ura or aprilh@umbc.edu for more information.