November 29, 2006

24 Awards Presented at Sigma Xi Student Research Conference

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC - Twenty-four first place awards for outstanding scientific research were presented at the 2006 Sigma Xi Student Research Conference in Detroit, held November 3-4.

Nearly 200 undergraduate and graduate students, representing 100 institutions, participated in the conference, for which General Motors was Platinum Sponsor this year. Sigma Xi members attending the society's annual meeting in Detroit served as judges for poster and oral presentations.

Outstanding student researchers were recognized at an awards ceremony with cash prizes, a certificate and an invitation to join Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. Membership in the international honor society of science and engineering is by invitation only, based on research achievements or potential.

Conference participants also attended career advancement workshops and participated in mentoring and networking activities, panel discussions and other events. They heard talks by leading scientists who received prestigious annual Sigma Xi awards.

Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi is the international honor society of research scientists and engineers, with about 65,000 members and more than 500 chapters in North America and overseas. The non-profit society publishes American Scientist magazine and sponsors a variety of programs that support science and engineering.

Sigma Xi's Grants-in-Aid of Research program provides support for undergraduate and graduate student research. Application deadlines are March 15 and October 15 annually. Visit link for details.

2006 Sigma Xi Student Research Conference in Detroit
First Place Awards

Shayna Williams, Claremont McKenna College
Interdisciplinary Research
Variation in Behavior and Gene Expression Among Individual Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Michel Ohmer, Cornell University
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
The Relationship Between Wetland Microhabitat Characteristics and Boreal Toad Breeding

Evan Ball and Michelle Gombas, Drake University
Physiology & Immunology
Exposure to Genistein During Gestation and/or Lactation Induces Atypical Reproductive and Immune Development in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Mary Caniglia, Drake University
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Effects of Genistein Exposure during Critical Time Periods on Maternal Behavior in Sprague Dawley Rats

Frederick Evans IV, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne
Geo-Sciences
Defining Increased Sensitivity: A Comparison of the Bartington 601-2 and Geoscan FM256 Gradiometers

Lindsey Cauthen, Lamar University
Cellular & Molecular Biology
Efficacy of Zoledronic Acid Against Neuroblastoma in the Bone, An In vitro and In vivo Analysis

David Sovic, Marshall University
Chemistry
Microviscosity of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Aqueous Solution Probed By Diffusion Controlled Photo-induced Reactions

Rebecca King, Morehead State University
Chemistry
Anionic Synthesis and Functionalization of Poly(styryl)lithium with Dimethylchlorosilane followed by Hydrosilation with Vinyltrimethoxysilane

Yun Ryu, Ohio Wesleyan University
Physics & Astronomy
Lifetime Measurements and Deformation in 79Sr

Rachael Roettenbacher, Ohio Wesleyan University
Physics & Astronomy
Surface Imaging of HIP 106231 via Light Curve Inversion

Emily King, Saint Mary's College of California
Environmental Science
Transport Dynamics Associated with Surface Ozone Concentrations at Remote Locations in Joshua Tree National Park

Annie Chase, Saint Mary's College of California
Interdisciplinary Research
Optimization of Baseball Swing Parameters at Three Levels of Play

David Drummond, St. Mary's College of California
Math & Computer Science
Competitive Sequencing in the Gordon Game

Robert Faris, Sam Houston State University
Cellular & Molecular Biology
A Novel Assay For The Detection Of West Nile Virus Antigen and RT-PCR Amplicon Using Electrochemical Detection And The Anzenbio Biodetector

Brandon Anim, Savannah State University
Cellular & Molecular Biology
Cytoskeletal Function and the Risk of Arrhythmia

Jacob Torres, Texas A&M University-College Station
Interdisciplinary Research
Micropolis: A Virtual City for Water Distribution System Research Applications

Sargent Shriver, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Behavioral Sciences
Moral Judgment in Patients with Lesions Affecting the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Anterior Cingluate Cortex

Victoria Angel, University of California-Berkeley
Math & Computer Science
Heads I Win; Tails you Lose: The Coin Toss Model with Respect to Random Walks

Franklin Dollar, University of California-Berkeley
Engineering
Developments in Realistic Design for Aperiodic Mo/Si Multilayer Mirrors

Richard Jimenez, University of California-Irvine
Physiology & Immunology
Impact of OX-40 Ligand Inhibition on One Immunoparameter of Allergic Asthma in Rhesus Monkeys (Mucaca mulatta)

Sarah Shair and Laura Girz, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Behavioral Sciences
The Relationship Between Perfectionism, Behavioral Inhibition and Activation, and Worry

Jason Fiedler, University of Minnesota, Morris
Interdisciplinary Research
Localization of Biogenic Monoamines with Two Aromatic Amino Acid Transporters of the SLC6 Family in the CNS of Mosquito Larvae

Michelle Sestak, University of Toledo
Physics & Astronomy
Surface Plasmon Resonance Studies On Ag Thin Films

Erika Uyterhoeven, Wellesley College
Biochemistry
The Relationship Between Minimum Inhibitory Constant and DNA Binding Affinity in Wild Type and Altered Buforin II