Fostering a Community of Student Scholars UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON ’S Eleventh Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium Celebrating Undergraduate Scholarship and Creativity 16 May 2008 MARY GATES HALL 12:00 – 5:00 PM PROCEEDINGS Created by the Undergraduate Research Program with the support of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the Office of Research, the Mary Gates Endowment for Students, and the UW Alumni Association. The Eleventh Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium is organized by the Undergraduate Research Program (URP), which facilitates research experiences for undergraduates in all academic disciplines. URP staff assist students in planning for an undergraduate research experience, identifying faculty mentors, projects, and departmental resources, defining research goals, presenting and publishing research findings, obtaining academic credit, and seeking funding for their research. Students interested in becoming involved in research may contact the URP office in Mary Gates Hall Room 120 for an appointment or send an email to [email protected]. URP maintains a listing of currently available research projects and other resources for students and faculty at: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/. Janice DeCosmo, Director Jennifer Harris, Associate Director Tracy Nyerges, Special Programs Coordinator and Adviser Jessica Salvador, Graduate Student Assistant James Hong, Staff Assistant Hazelruth Adams, Staff Assistant The Undergraduate Research Program is a unit of the UW’s Undergraduate Academic Affairs ADDITION A L OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERGR A DU A TE RESE A RCHERS ! Undergraduate Research Program To learn more about how to get involved in undergraduate research, the Undergraduate Research Program maintains a listing of current research opportunities available, including Levinson Emerging Scholars awards and Washington Research Foundation fellowships (Deadline: Monday, June 2, 2008) at: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp. URP staff offer individual advising to undergraduates; email [email protected] for an appointment. Travel Awards for Undergraduates to Present Research These awards help make it possible for undergraduates to extend their research experience by contributing to important discussions of current research at professional conferences. Students who have had a paper or poster accepted to a conference may apply for funding for travel expenses and registration fees. Applications are accepted on a continuing basis. For more information visit the Undergraduate Research Program website: http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/students/urta.html. Sponsored by the UW Office of Research, the Undergraduate Research Program and the Mary Gates Endowment for Students. Mary Gates Research Scholarships Through participation in research, undergraduate students learn about the essential role of inquiry in a vital society. These competitive research scholarships are available to enhance the educational experiences of students across campus who are engaged in research with faculty. Application deadlines are in autumn and winter quarter for each academic year. For more information visit the Mary Gates Endowment website: http://www.washington.edu/oue/mge/becoming_research.shtml Funded by the Mary Gates Endowment for Students. Library Research Award for Undergraduates The University Libraries, in cooperation with the Undergraduate Research Program, is sponsoring the “Library Research Award for Undergraduates” competition, recognizing University of Washington students who produce significant inquiry requiring use of information resources, the library, and its collections. Application deadline: May 19, 2008. For more information visit the Odegaard Undergraduate Library website: http://www.lib.washington.edu/researchaward/ Library Research awards are funded through the Kenneth S. Allen Library Endowment and the Friends of the Libraries. STUDENTS SUM UP THEIR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN A WORD Phenomenal:Likenootherexperienceinmyundergraduatecareer. AmazingExtrabularPyrotechnic Extrabular:extensivelyextraͲcurricular,rambunctiouslybrutal, andspectacularlylifeͲchanging. EYEͲOPENINGPivotalMemorable CAPTIVATING:allofthesetbacks,latenights,smellymud,andexhaustionproduced resultsthatcaptivatedmeinawaythatIdidn’tknowtheycould. Numbersinaspreadsheetturnedouttobesomuchmore. Energizing:becauseIhadachancetoworkwithreallysmartpeopleonsome reallycooltechnologyaboutsomereallyneatphysics. EXHILIRATINGIntegratingGalvanizing Involved:doingresearchthatmatterstooneselfandcommunity. TEAMWORKSELFͲDISCOVERY TRANSFORMATIVENowwearetaking responsibilityforourowneducation,sharingourpersonalachievementswithour communities. The Undergraduate Research Program and UW Alumni Association Congratulate the 2008 Undergraduate Research Mentor Awardees For excellence in guiding undergraduates to become scholars and researchers. Bryan D. Jones Professor of Political Science Suzie H. Pun Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Angelina Snodgrass Godoy Associate Professor of Jackson School of International Studies/Law, Societies, & Justice Kristin R. Swanson Associate Professor of Pathology Rachel M. Ceballos Postdoctoral Associate in Health Services Christian S. Hendershot Graduate Student in Psychology Kate Stoll Graduate Student in Biomolecular Structure and Design Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards are sponsored by the University of Washington Alumni Association Undergraduates Honor Their Faculty Mentors Dr. Jones is an exceptional mentor. His enthusiasm and constructive criticism have made my research fun and exciting. I’ve learned so many new research skills from him and I feel well prepared for graduate school as a result. … When I walked into Professor Jones’ office one year ago, I was unsure of my future. When I walked out of his office a world of possibilities lay open before me. He convinced me to pursue research and has offered invaluable assistance and support since then. I had never dreamed that a PhD was a possibility and would never have considered going to graduate school had it not been for this mentor. Dr. Suzie Pun has an amazing understanding of the needs of an undergraduate researcher. First, she makes sure that any undergraduate has a graduate mentor to provide guidance and technical support. It’s wonderful to always have someone to go to for everyday problems. Second, if you need to talk to her, she will make time and is always willing to talk. This makes me feel like I am part of the lab and not just passing through. Third, undergraduates work on important projects. I love knowing that I am contributing to the productivity of the lab and gaining a much better understanding of the research process. Professor Angelina Godoy has proven herself an outstanding mentor in her role as faculty advisor for the first-ever transnational Task Force at the UW. Within the space of 10 weeks, students did extensive background research, conducted dozens of interviews, traveled to Guatemala, and compiled a 50-page report, which was presented to UW President Mark Emmert. Throughout this intensive process, Professor Godoy supported students in innumerable ways and always encouraged students to take initiative, responsibility, and ownership of this project. Dr. Swanson is one of the most committed mentors at the UW. She devotes immense time and energy in training students to become scientists. Dr. Swanson engages in one-on-one meetings with students to discuss not only research goals, but also the students’ personal goals. She has ensured that my projects are aligned with my interests so that I have a solid foundation for future pursuits in medicine and medical research. She promotes collaborative work, which results in research that is multi-dimensional. Furthermore, she provides exposure for her students by taking them to research conferences and workshops, and initiating collaborative work with other principal investigators. Undergraduates Honor Their Postdoctoral Associate and Graduate Student Mentors I have been fortunate to have Dr. Rachel Ceballos as a mentor. During our regular meeting, she provides her undivided attention to my questions and concerns. She never hesitates to explain demanding laboratory work and guide me in the right direction by showing details of each step and providing specific examples in other studies. She is also willing to introduce me to others in her network. This actually helped me find a full-time research position that I will be starting after summer. Perhaps the greatest assistance comes from the Biology Journal Club. The Club is a weekly meeting group she created, in which she and her undergraduate students review and discuss statistical methods, findings and writing qualities of recently published papers. She is not only a knowledgeable scientist but also a good role model who is conscientious and hardworking. I applied for the Research Symposium on Christian Hendershot’s suggestion that he felt I was motivated and dedicated enough to start an individual research project and subsequently follow through successfully. This type of encouragement is characteristic of Christian, who takes the time to attend to all of the undergraduates under his supervision. He ensures that they are given the opportunity to take on new challenges and projects, and push themselves beyond a comfort zone to make their own achievements. His ability to motivate others stems from his leading by example. He has guided me through the entire research process for this symposium, and has always made himself available for even the simplest questions.