Wheaton Research Partnership Reports 2001
1. Beverly Clark / Karen Mlyniec
Faculty Statement
During the fall and spring semesters and also during the January break, Karen Mlyniec has been scouring the Brown and Wheaton libraries for unindexed nineteenth-century reviews of the work of Louisa May Alcott.
She and I have also traveled to the Houghton Library at Harvard to glean information from the clippings file in the Alcott collection there. Karen has scanned such journals as the CENTURY, the CORNHILL MAGAZINE, the FORUM, the LADIES' HOME JOURNAL, LESLIE'S WEEKLY, and the CHAUTAUQUAN.
Reprints of the reviews are to appear in a book-length collection for the Cambridge Contemporary Reviews series.
Student Statement
As Professor Clark has explained, I have been researching at various libraries looking through microfilm as well as special collection magazines in order to find contemporary reviews of Louisa May Alcott's work. I have also spent time searching databases on the web in hopes of finding more reviews on Alcott or discovering whether nearby libraries (or those that participate in interlibrary loan with Wheaton) hold certain editions of magazines which contain Alcott reviews.
2. Barbara Brennessel/ Kristin Abbott
Faculty Statement
Kristin Abbott, a biology major, was selected as my research partner. Her interests involved research utilizing cell culture techniques to study adipogenesis (fat cell formation). During the Fall semester, Kristin
learned basic laboratory techniques such as preparation of solutions, preparation of cell culture media and reagents and she learned to use specialized equipment such as the autoclave. She was awarded a WRP for the month of January. During January break, we purchased 3T3 fibroblast cells and Kristin learned cell culture methods. Kristin also learned that she did not enjoy laboratory research and that she was more inclined toward a pre-professional track that involves working with people, rather than basic laboratory research. During this year, she also changed her plans to apply to medical school and is currently investigating Nurse Practitioner programs.
Student Statement
As Professor Brennessel's research partner during January break, I had the opportunity to be intensely involved, on a short-term basis, in adipogenesis (fat cell development) research. During the month of January, we performed literature searches, ordered fibroblasts, and after many setbacks, were finally able to establish a cell culture for experimentation. The area of cell biology had previously interested me as
a possible topic for an honors thesis in Biology. During the course of this month, however, I quickly learned that I was not well suited for basic laboratory research and instead was more interested in working directly
with people in medical settings. Although Professor Brennessel and I have decided not to continue this research together over the next year, the January research partnership helped me to refine my future plans as I am
now interested in pursuing the field of medicine through advanced practice nursing.
3. Liz Albro/Mary Elisabeth Hannah
Faculty Statement
In this project, Mary Lis Hannah and I coded and analyzed observations of interpersonal conflict collected in early childhood classrooms. We explored the degree to which teachers and children used the language of control and/or negotiation during conflict. In addition, we have analyzed a set of teacher interviews, in which the teacher beliefs extracted from these interviews were related to how the teachers actually teach their students to negotiate during conflict. Collaborating with Mary Lis has enabled me to pursue my research during the academic year, and has provided us with an opportunity to develop an ongoing student-faculty relationship. Indeed, although Mary Lis is graduating this spring, we intend to continue to work on this research over the summer, and will submit a manuscript for publication resulting from this collaborative project.
Student Statement
This research experience has provided me with an opportunity to continue my research methods education on a more individual level. In my capacity as a research assistant, I have been responsible for coding, analyzing, and interpreting observational and interview data. In addition, I have spent Spring Semester assisting Professor Albro in preparing a literature review that will form a central part of the research paper emerging from our project. I feel that the analytic and writing skills I have acquired not only helped me in my last year at Wheaton, but also will be invaluable when I attend graduate school.
4. Tim Barker/ Scott Hesser
Faculty Statement
The project that Scott and I worked on this year (including January) is to develop a control system for our seven CCD cameras and computerized telescopes using computers downstairs in the Science Center. This equipment will be used for both research and teaching. Scott did all of the wiring for the project, worked extensively with software to control the telescopes and process the images, and helped to develop a system that will allow the cameras to be used with flipmirrors that will permit the telescopes to be used for both visual use and imaging. He also became the resident expert on using our new spectrometer, a project that has led to a superb senior thesis. Scott has proved to be so valuable that I'm hiring him to continue his work on the project this summer, and he plans to return as a volunteer after his stint in the Army Reserves.
Student Statement
This year I worked with Professor Barker to make the scopes accessible for visual and camera observations, and to develop a remote focusing system. We developed a flipmirror system that let us attach a visual eyepiece as well as a camera to the scope. We experimented with several focusing devices before settling on one. After deciding on a particular device, we had to work with the manufacturer to develop the proper wiring for our system. The whole project was an engineering challenge. Along with learning about the mechanics and electronics of the equipment, I learned how to experimentally isolate a problem within a complex system.
5. Xuesheng Chen /Carol McGeoch
Student Statement
I began working with Professor Chen last year (1999-2000) on her luminescence studies of Erbium-doped laser crystals. This year (2000-2001) I continued that work. We studied the absorption spectra of Erbium-doped Gadolinium Gallium Garnet (Er:Gd3Ga5O12) with 30% doping concentration.
I gained some valuable experience and knowledge by doing this experimental research. I was responsible for setting up the experiments, running them, and recording all the data. This involved learning to use (among other things) a monochrometer, cryostat chamber, lock-in amplifier, and a computer program called LabView. Fine tuning all this equipment along with the optical set-up required a lot of patience. In addition to learning about the lab equipment, I learned quite a bit about the theories behind the research. Professor Chen was always willing to answer my questions about "why" and "how" we were doing what we were.
In all, this experience taught me a lot about what it's like to do real research. Although my future plans probably won't involve working as a researcher, I am glad I had the opportunity to participate.
6. Herb Ellison/ Kelly Malony/ Anissa Demers
Faculty Statement
First semester I had Kelly Malony working with me as a Wheaton Research Partner and Anissa Demers was paid from department funds. Second semester Kelly worked with Chris Kalberg and Anissa became my WRP.
The first semester was involved with working with vernal pool samples collected during the previous spring. We finished up the ion chromatograph measurements to determine levels of chloride, nitrate, and sulfate ions. Using atomic spectroscopy we measured concentrations ofsodium, calcium, and magnesium ions. Our goal was to see if there was any factor(s) that controlled the weekly and annual variations of theses and other parameters in the vernal pool. We are still searching.
During the second semester Anissa and I obtained weekly samples from the vernal pool and did as much with them as time permits. Anissa also collected samples from three other vernal pools in town and next year will work with me on a comparitive study of their water chemistry. We are grateful for the support of the WRRP to assist Kelly and Anissa with their research experiences.
7. Michael Drout/ Melissa Higgins
Faculty Statement
My WRP collaborator, Melissa Higgins, worked with me in developing a comprehensive electronic annotated bibliography of criticism about J.R.R. Tolkien. We were able to assemble and catalogue over 200 items in the fall semester. Melissa was a joy to work with, and her enthusiasm kept me going when the project seemed to get tedious. We intend to continue the collaboration in the fall of 2001 with the additional assistance of my summer 2001 Mars Fellow, Hilary Wynne.
8. Bianca Murphy/ Laura Steele
Faculty Statement
Laura Steele and I were funded to work on a faculty student research project in the Fall semester. Laura and I worked on two major projects.
I was co-convenor of a group of psychologists and psychiatrists who were writing a chapter on Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual and Transgender Mental Health for a Report on LGBT Health and Healthy People 2010 for the Heath Resources Services Administration of the Dept of Health and Human Service.
This is a groundbreaking document as it is the first federal document on LGBT health. Laura helped us create the bibliography for this document.
I was also working with a group of psychologists who received a grant from the American Psychological Association's Committee on Divisional and APA Relations (CODAPAR) to develop a curriculum on domestic violence. Six psychologists were each writing different sections of the document. Laura served as the coordinator, compiling the material and worked with me on editing the first draft into a coherent document. Laura was involved in all conference calls and email conversations. Laura and I also decided that it would be important for her to have her own project so she researched and compiled a lit of websites that will be included in the document. Members of the CODPAR Task Force will be presenting our material at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention in San Francisco in August. Laura will be attending the meeting.
From my perspective, having Laura as a paid research partner has been very helpful. She brought a fresh eye, creative thinking, dedication, and much needed help to both projects. I believe that she not only earned but learned. It has been a pleasure and I would definitely work with a student again.
Student Statement
This past fall I worked with Professor Bianca Cody Murphy as part of a
faculty/student collaboration that provided me with the opportunity to work on a research project as an alternative to conducting my own thesis research. The many activities with which I was involved included updating a resource list for one of Professor Murphy's community workshops, editing the Healthy People 2010 article, editing and organizing the Intimate Partner Violence Undergraduate Curriculum and bibliography, and compiling a web resource list for it.
I really enjoyed getting to know Professor Murphy outside of the classroom, learning about the research she is doing, and contributing in small ways to her work. It was exciting to be in correspondance with her and the five other psychologists as they developed the curriculum. Professor Murphy went out of her way to include me in the group's correspondance and group activities. I had the opportunity to participate in e-mail correspondance and conference calls,and will meet the group when we travel to San Francisco in August to the conference of the American Psychological Association to present the undergraduate curriculum. Professor Murphy has offered to introduce me to many other well-known psychologists in the field of Peace Psychology (an area of great interest to me). Professor Murphy has and continues to provide me with wonderful opportunities, this trip being a wonderful example of her dedication to providing her research assistant with as many opportunities as possible. I very much appreciated the opportunity to work with Professor Murphy this semester and would encourage other students to take the opportunity this program provides to learn more about what Wheaton faculty are doing outside of the classroom and to continue to make the Wheaton Connection.
9. Robert L. Morris/Chris English
Faculty Statement
As Wheaton Research Partners, Chris English '03 and I worked throughout the 2000-2001 year together analyzing data on cell growth and dynamics. I believe this research partnership has been very fruitful for both of us. Chris is a fully contributing member of my research lab and has initiated a project that he could expand into an Honors Thesis if he so chooses. Based on our partnership this year, *I* will certainly encourage him to do so! Between WRP work during the school year and over January break, Chris has already produced some publication-quality data. This data will join a growing body of data from my lab to form a student co-authored manuscript I will be submitting for peer-reviewed publication. I thank the WRP program for furthering the education of a fine student research partner and furthering the research program of my laboratory.
Student Statement
Over January I worked on the analysis of ciliary retraction in sea urchin embryos as a Wheaton Research Partner with Professor Robert Morris. Cilia are beating hair-like structures that extend from the surface of some cells and provide the cells with motility. Within the cilium is a complex structure called the axoneme made up of cytoskeletal filaments, called microtubules, and associated motor proteins. Before a cell divides, the axoneme is pulled into the cytoplasm. We hypothesize that the motor protein kinesin II may be responsible for the retraction of the axoneme. To test this hypothesis, the lengths of axonemes, visualized by fluorescence microscopy, were measured as the axonemes retracted. We found that axonemes retracted with a constant rate. The speed at which axonemes retract averaged 0.7 um/sec, the same rate at which kinesin II moves along microtubules. These data support the hypothesis that kinesin II is the motor protein that retracts the axoneme prior to cell division. In addition I gained the knowledge on many topics. Mostly I learned about the structure and function of a cilia. Also I worked on digital imaging techniques, and developed my computer skills. Overall, I think my work over January and the rest of the year was very beneficial to both my academic studies and my life goals.
10. Ed Tong/ David Janas
Faculty Statement
David is a sophomore, but the freshmen I recruited during the Job Fair did not work out mostly because she already had another job on campus. After David expressed a great interest in my angiogenesis research, I invited him to join my research team. Towards the end of the semester he began to work as my Wheaton Research Partnership research assistant.
Within a few weeks, he mastered some of the techniques associated with the CAM assay using the chick embryo. During the winter break, he began to learn the cell culture studies and the enzyme immunoassay. He worked very closely with Lynn Kamen™≠01 during the spring semester and together they optimized the protocol for an enzyme immunoassay to detect Leu-enkaphaline using the microtiter plate reader. This summer he will continue to test the antiserum for 13-HODE using the same protocol. He is also looking forward to help me do some preliminary experiments on the effects of HODEs using the rabbit cornea model later in the summer.
The ultimate goal of this partnership is to prepare David to do an honor™≠s thesis on angiogenesis during his senior year and to collect some preliminary data for me to write another NIH grant proposal in 2002.
Student Statement
Through the Wheaton Research Partnership, I have acquired fundamental cell culturing techniques which will be an important skill to have in my background. I also worked with Dr. Tong and Lynn Kamen to develop an enzyme immunoassay. This will be used to detect the amount of HODEs being produced by the endothelial cells and is also a very important skill to possess. It allows for the understanding of biochemical mechanisms and is used widely in clinical diagnostic tests, biochemical research, and in the biotech industry.
The collaboration will greatly forward my own academic and personal interests. I am a biochemistry major and am primarily interested in the physiology and biochemistry of living systems. I hope to write a senior thesis on angiogenesis and the work I am doing with Dr. Tong will help prepare me for this experience. Also the skills I gain from this experience will be invaluable in my attempts to attend medical school or attain employment in the biotech industry after my days here at Wheaton.