East Carolina2011 Universi ty : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 East Carolina University Creating a Better Tomorrow 5th Annual Research & Creative Achievement Week Mendenhall Student Center April 4 – 8 2011 1 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 Research and Creative Achievement Week April 4 – 8, 2011 Mendenhall Student Center 2 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 Research and Creative Achievement Week Table of Contents Letter from Vice Chancellor Deirdre M. Mageean…………………………... 4 Program Sponsors……………………………………………………………. 6 Research and Creative Achievement Week Planning Committee…………… 7 Research and Creative Achievement Week Subcommittees………………… 8 Schedule of Events…………………………………………………………… 9 Faculty Recognition: Research and Creative Activity……………………….. 12 Faculty Recognition: Inventor Discovery……………………………………. 17 Lectures and Symposia………………………………………………………. 18 Presentation of Awards………………………………………………………. 29 Index: Judges…………………………………………………………………. 32 Index: Mentors……………………………………………………………….. 34 Oral and Poster Presentation Sessions……………………………………… 38 Graduate Abstracts: Online, Oral, and Poster………………………………... 64 Undergraduate Abstracts: Online, Oral, and Poster………………………….. 174 3 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 Letter from the Vice Chancellor March 2011 Dear ECU Community: The Division of Research and Graduate Studies invites you to participate in the ECU Research and Creative Achievement Week on the campus of East Carolina University. The week of April 4-8, 2011, has been set aside to highlight the extraordinary accomplishments of our students in research and creative activities. Because the number of events has increased, events will also be held the previous week. It is the hope of the organizing committee that you will attend, as much as your time allows, in order to see and hear what our students have achieved. In addition, we hope that you will provide strongly encourage your students to attend. The event is sponsored by a partnership of these entities: Division of Research & Graduate Studies, Division of Academic and Student Affairs, Doctoral Student Association, Graduate and Professional Student Senate, Office of Undergraduate Research, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society and Graduate School. The theme of the week‟s activities is “Creating a Better Tomorrow.” The Research and Creative Achievement Week is a showcase of graduate and undergraduate student research and creative activities that are taking place here at ECU. There will be over 270 student presentations, an impressive number that reflects the current growth in research and creative activities at ECU in a variety of fields and disciplines. Oral presentations will take place on Monday, April 4 (Graduate Day) and Wednesday, April 6 (Undergraduate Day) with posters on display for an additional day each. In addition to presentations by students, we also will be recognizing three of our own outstanding faculty for their research accomplishments through their individual research presentations and at an awards reception. Faculty inventors who are cited in U.S. patents issued in 2010 will also be recognized. As a kick-off event for the week, on March 29, the RENCI Visualization Challenge 2011 winner will be announced. The International Scholar Symposium will be held on April 6. The Scholar-Teacher Awards and Symposium at which nine faculty will be recognized for the integration of research into their teaching, as well as the College of Education Lecture Series and the Sigma Xi Lecture, will all be held on April 7. The whole week is capped off with the announcement of the student participant winners on Friday, April 8. Please consider encouraging your classes to attend specific discipline-related oral student presentations on Monday and Wednesday (April 4 and 6) or to view the poster presentations Monday through Thursday. 4 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 Visit the RCAW blog at http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/rcaw2011/ for a schedule of events (click on Schedule of Events or Presentation Schedule). What an exciting week and a great experience for our students. We look forward to seeing you at the Mendenhall Student Center and participating in these events. Yours, Deirdre M. Mageean, PhD Vice Chancellor 5 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 2011 PROGRAM SPONSORS The Division of Research and Graduate Studies The Division of Academic Affairs Division of Health Sciences Graduate and Professional Student Senate The Office of Undergraduate Research Office of Student Affairs Office of University Honors Undergraduate Research/Creative Activities Committee Doctoral Student Association Brody School of Medicine Scientific Research Society of Sigma Xi The Graduate School 6 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 Research and Creative Achievement Week Planning Committee The RCAW Committee comprises of students, staff, and faculty. They are listed as follows: Planning Committee: Tom McConnell: The Graduate School, Chair Melani Duffrin: Nutrition and Dietetics, RCAW College of Human Ecology Mary Farwell: Biology, Research and Jim Ellis: Honors College Graduate Studies, Co-Chair RCAW Nehad Elsawaf: Economics, Thomas Harriot Abbie Brown: Mathematics, Science, and College of Arts and Sciences Instructional Technology Education, College of Education Rich Franklin: Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine Evelyn Brown: Engineering, College of Technology and Computer Science Elizabeth Hodge: Business and Information Technologies Education, College of Education Vince Contreras: Research and Graduate Studies Derrick Isler: The Graduate School Robin Croskery: Graduate student in History, Keon Pettiway: student, School of Art and Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Design Rich Curran: Graduate student in Geography, Margaret Pio: Division of Research and and President of Graduate and Graduate Studies Professional Student Senate Drew Rockett: Post-graduate student in Christyn Dolbier: Psychology, Thomas Biochemistry, and President – Doctoral Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Student Association Amy Tripp: The Graduate School 7 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 Techincal Committee: Abbie Brown Derrick Isler Tony Cooke Matthew Powell Wendy Creasey Ginny Sconiers Laurie Godwin John Southworth 8 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 Schedule of Events MONDAY: 4 April – Graduate Student Day Graduate Student Presentations Oral: Great Rooms 1, 2+3, and Room 15 9:00am–noon 1:00pm–5:40pm Posters: Rooms 221 and 244 9:00am–5:30pm Lifetime Achievement Seminar: Great Rooms 2 & 3 Noon–1:30pm Dr. William J. Meggs TUESDAY: 5 April Graduate Student Posters on display: Mendenhall Rooms 221 and 244 Science Crossroads: East Carolina Heart Institute conference room, 1st floor 11am–2pm Five-Year Achievement Seminar: Great Rooms 2+3 Noon–1:30pm Dr. T. Chris Riley-Tillman Five Year Achievement Seminar: Great Rooms 2+3 6:30pm Dr. Jason E. Bond 9 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 WEDNESDAY: 6 April – Undergraduate Student Day Undergraduate Presentations Orals: Great Room 1 and Room 244 9am–12:20 1:40pm–5pm Posters: Rooms 221 and 15 9am–5:00pm Distinguished Faculty Luncheon (Invitation only): Great Rooms 2+3 Noon–1:30pm Lifetime and 5-year Achievement Awards Inventors Recognition International Scholar Symposium: Great Rooms 2+3 2:30pm–6pm THURSDAY: 7 April Undergraduate Student Posters on display: Rooms 221 and 15 9am–4pm College of Education Lecture: Room 244 9:30am–11am Teacher Scholar Symposium: Great Rooms 1, 2+3 and Room 244 12 noon–3:30pm 10 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 Sigma Xi Lecture: Room 244 4:00pm–6:00pm FRIDAY: 8 April Student Awards Luncheon (invitation only): Great Rooms 1+2+3 Noon–1:30pm RCAW Awards URCA Awards Thesis/Dissertation Awards RENCI VISLAB Challenge Award 11 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 FACULTY RECOGNITION: RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY LIFETIME AND FIVE-YEAR ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS AND INVENTOR DISCOVERY 12 East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2011 East Carolina University Achievement Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity Recipients of the Achievement for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity Award are recognized for the originality and excellence of their research and creative activities, as evidenced by sustained high quality work performed at ECU. The recipient of the lifetime achievement award is recognized for accomplishments made across the entire span of his professional career, and recipients of the five year award are recognized for their achievements during five years of continuous service at ECU. Recipients were nominated by their peers in acknowledgement of their achievements. Awardees were selected by the vice chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies upon recommendation of the subcommittee of the Faculty Senate Academic Awards Committee. Lifetime Achievement Award: William Joel Meggs, Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brody School of Medicine Dr. Meggs received a BS in Physics from Clemson University, a PhD in Physics from Syracuse University, and an MD from University of Miami. After residency in internal medicine at Rochester General Hospital, Dr. Meegs was a medical staff