• Member Directory
  • Join or Renew
  • Give
  • Login
Menu
  • About
    • History
      • Nobel Laureates
      • 125th Anniversary of Sigma Xi
        • Members Talking to Members
      • Sigma Xi Center
    • Value of Membership
    • Connect with Sigma Xi
    • Support Sigma Xi
    • Leadership
      • Board of Directors
      • Regional Directors
      • Constituency Directors
      • Committees
      • Officers
        • Officer Duties
      • Past Presidents
    • Organization
      • Constitution
      • Bylaws
      • Mission
      • Pledge
      • Code of Ethical Conduct
      • Political Advocacy Policy
      • Copyright Information
      • Privacy Policy
      • Refund Policy
      • Terms and Conditions
      • State Fundraising Notices
    • Jobs
    • Sigma Xi Merchandise
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Report
    • Strategic Plan
    • Public Statements
    • 2022 Elections — Call for Nominations
    • 2021 Election Results
  • News
    • Sigma Xi Today
    • Keyed In Blog
      • About
      • Search Results
      • Join Sigma Xi
        • American Scientist's Blogs
      • Blog Policy
      • Communities
    • News Archive
    • Newsletters
    • In Memoriam
  • Chapters
    • Locate a Chapter
    • Chapter Awards
    • Chapter Model Programs
    • Officer Resource Center
    • Start a Chapter
    • Reactivate an Existing Chapter
    • Chapter Grants
  • Meetings & Events
    • International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE)
    • Student Research Showcase
      • Submit an Abstract
      • Competition Timeline
      • Awards
      • Student Resources
      • Information for Judges
      • Abstract Tips
      • 2021 Presentations
    • Distinguished Lecturer Adobe Connect Sessions
    • Volunteer
    • Calendar
    • Past Events
      • Past Annual Meetings
      • 2021
        • Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference
          • Student Research Conference
          • Business Meeting
          • Agenda
          • Speakers
          • Conference Tracks
          • Registration Rates
          • STEM Art and Film Festival
          • College and Graduate School Fair
          • Program Committee
          • Become a Sponsor
        • Student Research Showcase
          • 2021 Presentations
          • Competition Timeline
          • Awards
          • Student Resources
          • Information for Judges
          • Abstract Tips
      • 2020
        • Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference
          • Agenda
          • Business Meeting
          • Symposia Tracks
          • Student Research Conference
          • College and Graduate School Fair
          • STEM Art and Film Festival
            • Schedule
        • Student Research Showcase
          • Competition Timeline
          • Abstract Tips
          • Awards
          • Student Resources
          • Information for Judges
          • 2019 Presentations
          • 2020 Presentations
        • Virtual Student Scholars Symposium
      • 2019
        • Student Research Showcase
          • Information for Participating Students
        • Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference
          • Left Nav Links
            • Preliminary Schedule
            • Speakers
            • Student Research Conference
            • Symposia
            • Business Meeting
            • Registration Rates
            • Travel and Hotel
            • Professional Headshots
            • Things to Do
            • Become a Sponsor
            • Promotional Material
            • STEM Art and Film Festival
            • Program Committee
            • Communication Coaching Program
          • Preliminary Schedule
          • Student Research Conference
          • Symposia
          • Business Meeting
          • Policy on Respect
          • Promotional Material
          • STEM Art and Film Festival
            • Schedule
          • Professional Poster Session
          • Welcome Letter from the Executive Director and CEO
      • 2018
        • Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference
          • Big Data Symposia
          • Business Meeting
          • Student Research Conference
        • Student Research Showcase
          • Showcase Registration
          • Information for Participating Students
          • Information for Judges
      • 2017
        • Student Research Showcase
        • See the Total Solar Eclipse with Sigma Xi
        • Assembly of Delegates
        • Symposium on Atmospheric Chemistry, Climate, and Health
        • Student Research Conference
      • 2016
        • Student Research Showcase
          • Showcase Registration
          • Google Hangouts
            • Tips for the 2016 Student Research Showcase
          • Resources
        • Networking & Social Events
  • Membership
    • Becoming a Member
    • Renew
    • Member Directory
    • Benefits
    • Member-Get-A-Member
    • Affiliate Circle
    • Sigma Xi Explorers
    • NPA Joint Membership
    • AAAS Special Offer
    • Sigma Xi Fellows
      • 2020 Fellows
      • 2021 Fellows
  • Programs
    • Ethics and Research
      • Ethics Publications
      • Ethics Events & Programs
      • Resources
      • John F. Ahearne
      • Webinars
    • Grants in Aid of Research
      • Application and Resources
      • Grant Recipients
      • History
      • Special Named Funds
      • Faces of GIAR
      • GIAR Generations: Paying it Forward
      • 100 Years of GIAR
    • Critical Issues in Science
      • Energy
      • Ethics
      • Food Safety
      • Human Rights
      • Water
      • UN-Sigma Xi Climate Change Report
      • Evolution Resources
      • Postdoc Survey
      • Diversity
      • Quarterly Conversations
      • Statement on Climate Change
      • COVID-19 Preparedness Kit
      • Mental Health and Well-Being of Researchers
    • Distinguished Lectureships
      • 2022-2023 Lecturers
      • 2021-2022 Lecturers
      • 2020-2021 Lecturers
      • 2019-2020 Lecturers
      • 2018-2019 Lecturers
      • 2017-2018 Lecturers
      • Past Lecturers
        • 2016-2017 Lecturers
        • 2015-2016 Lecturers
        • 2014-2015 Lecturers
      • Pariser Global Lectureship for Innovation in Physical Sciences
      • Becoming a Lecturer
      • Lectureship Sponsors
      • Chapter Subsidy
      • Hosting a Lecturer
      • Lectureship Visit Report
      • Previously Recorded Q&A Sessions
      • Special Series on COVID-19
    • Prizes and Awards
      • Gold Key
      • Linda Mantel Award
      • William Procter
      • John McGovern
      • Walston Chubb
      • Young Investigator
      • Ferguson Award
      • Honorary Membership
      • Bugliarello Prize
      • Monie Ferst
      • Criteria for Curricula Vitae
      • Submit Award Nominations
    • Research Partnerships
    • STEM Partnerships
      • American Junior Academy of Sciences
      • Conrad Foundation
      • Regeneron ISEF
      • USA Science & Engineering Festival
    • Research Communications Initiative
    • Science Communication
    • Science Cafes
    • Globally Engaged Workforce
      • Globally Engaged Workforce Links
    • SciCommMake
      • #SciCommMake 2021
      • #SciCommMake: COVID-19
      • #SciCommMake 2020
    • American Scientist for High Schools
  • Publications
    • American Scientist
    • Chronicle of the New Researcher
  • Communities


  • Student Research Showcase Home
  • Agriculture, Soil, and Natural Resources
  • Cell Biology and Biochemistry
  • Chemistry
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Human Behavioral and Social Sciences
  • Math and Computer Science
  • Microbiology and Molecular Biology
  • Physics and Astronomy
  • Physiology and Immunology

STUDENT RESEARCH SHOWCASE 2020 PRESENTATIONS

 

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 


Egg Size Determines Fry Size in Substrate-Spawning Cichlid Fishes
Hailey Donaldson, California State University, Sacramento 

Egg size plays a critical role in determining fry size for substrate-spawning cichlids. Students participating in the Cichlid Fry Project at California State University, Sacramento are trying to answer the hypothesis of 'Is fry size directly proportional to egg size in substrate-spawning cichlids?' Our predictions: Larger eggs will produce larger fry and smaller eggs will produce smaller fry. We do this by spawning many species of cichlids, and measuring samples of egg and fry size.

Long Term Effects of Curcumin Extract on C. elegans Lifespan
Veda Madem, American Heritage School Boca Delray

Curcumin which is the main ingredient in turmeric has been shown to have antioxidative, anti inflammatory and antimicrobial effects but the long term consequences of these effects are not known. In the present study, I have hypothesised that if the beneficial effects of curcumin are due to alterations in gene expression that are transmissible, the unexposed F0 progeny should also show the effects. C. elegans were fed twenty µM curcumin in P0 generation and the lifespan of both P0 and F0 progeny was monitored. Under the given experimental conditions, the average lifespan of P0 treatment group was about twenty-eight days compared to the control group that had twenty-six days, there was no difference in the F0 worms. The effects of curcumin seem to be not persistent and transmissible to the progeny.

 

Community Diversity of Foraminifera Over Time, Space, and Response to Temperature
Giovanna Noe-Wilson, Smith College

I looked to identify formaninfera and their community diversity in Madison, CT.  I was hypothesized that living foraminifera would vary spatially (i.e. elevation) and over time (e.g. seasonally).  Molecular techniques were used to identify species and GPS along with GIS was used to calculate elevation and position of collection.

Population Ecology, Size-structure, and Distribution of Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus in Kelp Forest and Sea Urchin Barrens Habitats Along the Central Coast of California
Alice Feng, Harker School

Kelp forests are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and are highly valued because of the economic and ecological services they provide. In 2014, an outbreak of herbivorous purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) decimated kelp forests along the central and northern portions of California. In this study, we explored the extent and temporal dynamics of kelp forests and sea urchin barrens around the Monterey Peninsula, California, in order to parameterize a model aimed at simulating future kelp forest-urchin barren scenarios. Data on urchin density, kelp density, and physical and biological attributes of barrens and kelp forests were collected through subtidal surveys at 70 sites in Monterey Bay. A series of regressions were used to explore relationships between kelp density, urchin density, urchin behavior, urchin size, and urchin diet. Patchiness in the distribution of urchins was investigated in both spatial extent and temporal duration, including shifts in urchin grazing modality and size structure. We also used deep learning to identify urchin gut contents through diet analyses in order to determine sea urchin grazing capacity. Results from this study indicate density thresholds for shifts between barren and forest state. Model simulations forecasted kelp and urchin density scenarios into 2020.

The Choice Process of Adaptation Through Manipulating Generational Time and Nutrient Intake of Bacterium
Eric Pengili, American Heritage School Boca Delray

Science Research Presentation Sigma Xi.

Ultrasonic Planimals! The Bioacoustics of Fusing Cyphastrea Coral
Camila Rimoldi, Sebring High School

In my research I investigated if corals have the biological intelligence to communicate with other members of its specie via ultrasonic sounds. I specifically used the coral specie Cyphastrea, and after comparing results to those of dead coral, the conclusion of this research shows that corals can communicate with ultrasonic sounds.

  • About

    • Support Sigma Xi
    • Organization
    • Leadership
    • History
    • Sigma Xi Merchandise
    • Jobs
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
  • Programs

    • Ethics and Research
    • Grants-in-Aid
    • Critical Issues in Science
    • Lectureships
    • Prizes & Awards
    • Partnerships
    • Science Cafes
    • Globally Engaged Workforce
    • Affiliate Circle
  • Chapters

    • Locate a Chapter
    • Chapter Awards
    • Chapter Model Programs
    • Officer Resource Center
  • Meetings & Events

    • Annual Meeting
    • Student Research Conference
    • Student Research Showcase
    • Past Events
    • Volunteer
  • Members

    • Join / Nominate
    • Renew
    • Member Directory
    • Benefits
    • MembersOnly
  • News

    • Sigma Xi Today
    • Keyed In Blog
    • News Archive
    • Meet Your Fellow Companions
    • Newsletters
    • Members in the News

    Publications

    • American Scientist
    • Chronicle of The New Researcher











  • Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
  • P.O. Box 13975
  • 3200 East NC Hwy 54, Suite 300
  • Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
  • Phone: 800-243-6534 or 919-549-4691
  • Fax: 919-549-0090
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • State Fundraising Notices
  • Copyright ©2022. All Rights Reserved.