KU News Release

April 19, 2007
Contact: Ann Marie Foster, Division of Biological Sciences, (785) 830-2762.

KU, Haskell students to present research April 24 at annual symposium

LAWRENCE — Students from the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University will present their research in science and engineering at an annual undergraduate research symposium.

The symposium will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, at the Hall of Fame Room in Stidham Union at Haskell. The event is sponsored by the 500 Nations/Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program, which encourages minority students to pursue biomedical science careers at the two universities.

Presenters include eight Haskell undergraduates and 21 KU undergraduates who participate in 500 Nations/Bridges to the Baccalaureate; the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity program at KU; and Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement, EPA Watershed Mother Earth’s Gift Project and DoD Switch Grass Project at Haskell.

This year’s research includes studies in speech-language learning, exercise science, mechanical and chemical engineering, pharmaceutical chemistry and biology.

The program is funded by the National Institutes of Health. KU and Haskell faculty administer more than $11 million in four NIH grant programs: Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity and Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program at KU and the Bridges to the Future Program and the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Program at Haskell.

Haskell students are listed below by title of research project and faculty mentor.

— Pemy Flueker, Heliospheric Effects of Solar Storms; Thomas Armstrong, KU professor emeritus of physics and astronomy
— William Gilbert, Expression of Thromboxane A2 Receptor Gene Transcript in Rabbit Cardiac Myocytes, James Orr, KU professor of molecular biosciences
— Jason Koontz, Phylogenetic Investigation of the Aeolid Nudibranch Genus Caloria; Terry Gosliner, California Academy of Science, and Robert Lichtwardt, KU professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology
— Darryl Monteau, Companion Plants for Switchgrass; Lorene Williams and Bill Welton, Haskell Indian Nations University
— Andrea Popejoy, Baseline Bio-assessment in the Soldier Creek Watershed, Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation; Megan Fisher and Bill Welton, Haskell Indian Nations University
— Myron Shield, Baseline Bio-assessment in the Soldier Creek Watershed, Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation; Megan Fisher and Bill Welton, Haskell Indian Nations University
— Matt Stapleton, Companion Plants for Switchgrass; Lorene Williams and Bill Welton, Haskell Indian Nations University
— Whitney Warrior, Baseline Bio-assessment in the Soldier Creek Watershed, Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation; Megan Fisher and Bill Welton, Haskell Indian Nations University; and Companion Plants for Switchgrass; Lorene Williams and Bill Welton, Haskell Indian Nations University

KU students are listed below by hometown, level in school, major, parents’ names, high school (when available), title of research project and faculty mentor.

BUTLER COUNTY
From Andover
Andrea Wolf, senior in biology, daughter of Allen and Farrellynn Wolf; Andover Central High School; The Effects of Fungicide on the Physiology and Growth of Native Prairie Plants; Brian Foster, associate professor ecology and evolutionary biology.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence
Sarah Brokenleg, senior in social work; Correlates of Methamphetamine Use Among Indians of the United States: Data from the 2003-2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health; Alice Lieberman, professor social welfare.

Hassan Chebaro, junior in biology and chemistry; PGC1-alpha Regulates CAR and CAR Target Genes; Jeffrey Staudinger, associate professor pharmacology and toxicology.

ELLIS COUNTY
From Hays
Rachel Debes, junior in mathematics, daughter of Ken and Debbie Debes; Hays High School; The Effect of Asexual Reproduction on Inbreeding Load: A Simulation Study; Maria Orive, associate professor ecology and evlutionary biology.

ELLSWORTH COUNTY
From Kanopolis
Rebecca Orozco, senior in biology, daughter of Peter and Bonnie Orozco; Ellsworth High School; Characterization of QTL for Growth and Developmental Responses of Arabidopsis thallana to Elevated (CO2); Joy Ward, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Olathe
Jonathan Ashley, senior in chemical engineering, son of Darryl and Diane Ashley; Saint Thomas Aquinas High School; Analysis of Stabilizing Polymers on Peptide Drug Formulations; Kyle Carmada, associate professor chemical and petroleum engineering.

Mariza Rosales, master’s student in speech-language pathology, daughter of Mike and Virginia Rosales; Olathe East High School; The Effects of Lexical Density on Initial Word Learning in Adulthood; Holly Storkel, associate professor speech-language-hearing.

Eman Shalwani, junior in microbiology, daughter of Mohammad and Rahela Shalwani; Olathe North High School; SNP Mapping of the exc-3 Gene in C. elegans; Matthew Buechner, associate professor of molecular biosciences.

From Shawnee
Mimi Michaels, senior in microbiology, daughter of Mulleta and Elizabeth Michaels Halle; Shawnee Mission Northwest High School; Mathematical Modelling of Persistent Infection; John Kelly, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY
From Fort Leavenworth
Adam Chura, junior in computer science and computer engineering, son of Michael and Monica Chura; Leavenworth Senior High School; Online Database for Relational Search by Disease, Genes/Proteins or Related Literatures; Xue-Wen Chen, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science.

RICE COUNTY
From Little River
Rebecca Deeds, senior in chemical engineering, daughter of Doug and Rita Deeds; McPherson High School; Utilizing Both Stem Cells and Nanoparticles for Targeting and Drug Delivery to Cancer Cells; Cory Berkland, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science.

SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Wichita
Preston Altizer, junior in microbiology and pre-medicine, son of Richard Altizer; Andover Central High School; Optimizing the Procedure for Staining Cryosections of Mouse Intestine; Kristi Neufeld, assistant professor of molecular biosciences.

Grecori Anderson, senior in human biology and pre-medicine, son of Minnie Anderson; Northeast Magnet School; 2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) Attenuates Thromboxane A2 Induced Arrhythmias; Jennifer Laurence, assistant professor of pharmaceutical chemistry.

Matthew Moreno, senior in biochemistry, son of Carmen Keeton; Kapaun Mount Carmel High School; Assay Development for the Identification of Binding Partners to Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver-1 (PRL-1) Using Blue Native Gel Electrophoresis; Jennifer Laurence, assistant professor of pharmaceutical chemistry.

SUMNER COUNTY
From Wellington
Michelle Tehel, senior in human biology, daughter of William and Annette Tehel; Wellington Senior High School; Analysis of Gene Expression Directly from Single Muscle Fibers Using Real Time RT-PCR; Philip Gallagher, assistant professor of health, sport and excercise science.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY
From Kansas City
Antonio Hayes, senior in biology and pre-medicine, son of John and Glenda Hayes; Sumner Academy of Arts and Science; Optimizing Purification of APC Fragments; Kristi Neufeld, assitant professor of molecular biosciences.

ARIZONA
From Tuba City
Everlee McCabe, senior in sport science, daughter of Lella McCabe; Tuba City High School; Fiber Type Differences in Insulin Growth Factor Receptor Expression in Skeletal Muscle; Phillip Gallagher, assistant professor of health, sport and exercise science.

IDAHO
From Pocatello
Talia Martin, senior in chemistry, daughter of Kathy Martin; Shoshone-Bannock High School; Synthesis of Fluorinated Surfactants and Oils for the Development of Multi-functional Delivery Vehicles; Rick Dobrowsky, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, and Y. Bruce Yu, University of Utah.

MISSOURI
From St. Louis
Marie Hampton, senior in human biology, daughter of Jacquelin Hilton; Ladue Horton Watkins High School; EGFR Activity in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells; David Davido, assistant professor of molecular biosciences, and Daniel Tschumperlin, Harvard University.

NORTH DAKOTA
From Fort Yates
Ronnette Chase Alone, senior in environmental studies, daughter of Ronald and Jeanette Chase Alone; Standing Rock Grant School; Induced Defenses of Mimulus guttatus; John Kelley, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

OKLAHOMA
From Tulsa
Ryan Gringsby, senior in art history and chemistry, son of Fran and Lloyd Gringsby; Booker T. Washington High School; Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis with Amperometric and Contactless Conductivity Detection; Susan Lunte, distinguished professor of pharmaceutical chemistry.

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