The Summer Fellows program at Ursinus College allows sophomores or juniors to pursue an independent scholarly project under the close tutelage of a faculty mentor during an eight week period. Projects can be undertaken as independent research or a creative or artistic endeavor. All Fellows present their research during the last week of the program.
Submissions from 2024
Exploring the Movement and Behavior Patterns of Megaptera novaeangliae and Balaenoptera edeni in the Gulf of Chiriquí, Panama, Makayla Baessler
Mitotic spindles in pam-1 mutant embryos of Caenorhabditis elegans, Jasmine Borie
Combatting Disengagement and Creating Humans Again: Fixing Our School System with Montessori Ideas in the Age of Technology, Meghan Carroll
Mutations of the DFsc Protein Active Site, Seth Dunham-Snipes
Immunohistochemistry Staining for DCX and GFAP in Axolotl Spinal Cord Reveals Migration Pattern of New Neurons and Radial Glial Cells in Regenerating Tissue, Connor Evangelisto
Oocytes & Embryos: MBK-2 and CDK-1 Localization in C. elegans, Cristina Feathers
Carbon Nanotubes Inhibit Biofilm Formation on Polydimethylsiloxane, Nicholas Fiore and Candace Hudson
Optimizing the Quantification of the Degradation of PET, Danielle Hanna
Synthesis and Analysis of 7-Nitroso-4-Methylcoumarin as a Reactivity-Based Probe, Morgyn Henry
Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the G4DFsc Protein, Maya Kyriakos
The Interaction Between Two Protein Quality Control Systems, Ryan Martin
Analysis of Fluorogenic Probes for the Detection of Chlorite in Drinking Water, Morgan McFarland
Understanding Neurodivergence Through First Person Narratives, Keegan McGowan
Using Cache Files to Improve the Efficiency of the UCGretina Simulation Code, Blake McNulty
Gender-Specific Mental Health Outcomes in Central America: A Natural Experiment, Thea Nagasuru
Assessing Climate Niches in Agricultural Fields to Support Biological Pest Control, Andrew Philburn and Sierra Hufnagle
Effects of DNA Interactions on the Assembly and Stability of Oligonucleotide-Lipid Nanoparticles, Sophia Roedema
Synthesis and Characterization of Potential Small Molecule Methyltransferase Inhibitors, Ryan Ruch
Impacts of Competition From Living Mulches and Tillage Systems on Nitrogen Dynamics in Soil, Kaelin Ryan
Effects of Induced Ribosomal Stalling on Sup35 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cole Sexton
Madeline Hepburn is Missing: A Creative Look into Stylistic Writing, Ze'ev A. Shaheen
Protein Interactions between PAM-1, CDC-25.1, and CDK-1 in C. elegans, Madison Smith
Developing Model Systems to Study Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance and Enveloped Viral Pathogens, Hana Yolacan
Submissions from 2023
The Role of MBK-2 and CDK-1 in Oocytes and Early Embryos of pam-1 C. elegans, Alexa R. Alessandrini
The Effect of pH on the Mobility of Dopamine Ion Transport Through Carbon Nanotubes, Jacqueline Allen
Mental Imagery: The Cognitive Processing of Concrete and Abstract Words, Luke Ammazzalorso and Ella McCarthy
From Hobby to a Business: Fiber Arts and Their Multiple Purposes, Bethany Baskerville
Communicating Climate to Ourselves and Others, Connor Bernier
Rain Garden Maintenance Guide, Hannah Blanco
Revitalizing the Healthcare Market: An Analysis of Hospital Pricing Transparency Compliance, Ellie Bruggeman
Optimizing the Characterization of Cutin Degradation, Matthew Burns
Effects of DNA Interactions on the Stability of Oligonucleotide-Lipid Micelles, Cianna Chung
Fantasy Escapism: Using Role-Playing Games to Explore Mental Health and Gender Identity, Aidan Cipolla
Density Dependence and Dynamics of Dipole-Dipole Interactions Among Rydberg Atoms, Hannah Conley
Isolation and Confirmation of Primary Microglia from Aged Mice to Model HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorder, John Doherty and Michael Landis
Machiavelli, the “Prince” of Popular Government or Radical Aristocrat?, Brian Dresnin
Investigating Paleoclimate of the Chilean Margin and its Evolution Through Analysis of Deep Ocean Sediment, Abigail Duimering
Enhanced Quantum Chemistry With Machine Learning, Brock Dyer
Synthesis and Analysis of Small Fluorogenic Probes for Chlorite Detection, Dylan Ford
Paleoclimate Reconstruction of the Chilean Coast: Oceanic Currents and Sediment Transport Through Glacial/Interglacial Cycles, Aaron Gomberg
Dancing Dollars: The Impacts of the Arts on the Economy, Jael Hicks
Gamma-ray Spectroscopy of One-Neutron Knockout From 72Se, Alyssa Himmelreich
Improving Agrobiodiversity for Resilient Pest Control Services Across Landscapes, Katelyn Jenkins and Katrina Follmer
Improving the Efficiency of Liquid-Hydrogen Simulation Via Event Storage, Jake Kosa
Chasing the Charge, Max Kulla
Localization and Monitoring Using Passive RF on the Internet-of-Things, Kacey La
Creation and Characterization of de novo Due Ferri Single Chain Proteins with trans-His Active Site Configurations, Danny Leach
Effects of Voluntary Wheel Running on Hemoglobin Levels and Hemolysis in Male and Female Mice, Erica J. Locke
Investigating Protein Interactions Between PAM-1, CDC-25.1, and MBK-2 During Oocyte Maturation in C. elegans, Ilyssa Marsh
Food Insecurity at Ursinus and the Effect on Mental Health, Destiny Miller
Sentiment Analysis Before and During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Emily Musgrove
Carbon Nanotubes Animated, Nicholas Onyemeke
A Study of DnaJB6 Isoform Interactions with ALS Disease Protein TDP-43, Rileigh Owens
The Effects of ACC2 Deletion in Voluntary Wheel Running, Paige Ponzo
Finding Roots: Cultivating Emotional Wellness and Sustainability at Ursinus, Anna Robertson
Design and Synthesis of Small Molecule Inhibitors Using Nucleophilic Substitution, John Jake Sasso
Investigation of Protein Interactions Between DnaJB Chaperones and ALS Disease Proteins, Nalia Seibert
Determining Noise in Genetic Data Channels, Parker Shillingford
The Effects of Acute Exercise on Insulin Sensitivity in Male and Female Mice, Jack Thompson
Mineralogy and the Methodology of Photography, Juliana Valerio
Submissions from 2022
The Levant: France’s Colonial Crucible, Michael Adelson
The DOPE Distance is SIC: A Stable, Informative, and Computable Metric on Ordered Merge Trees, Jose Arbelo, Antonio Delgado, Charley Kirk, and Zach Schlamowitz
Analyzing the Breakdown of Cutin and PET via Thermophilic and Mesophilic Enrichment Cultures, Samantha Beckman
The Relationship Between pam-1 and wee-1.3(lz5) in Mitosis of C. elegans, Sarah Bell
Characterization of DFsc Phosphatase Activity, Alex Bender
Ethical Formation and Identity Development in Education: Expanding our "Horizons of Meaning" via the Hermeneutic Circle, Emily Benning
The Effect of pH on the Mobility of Acetylcholine Transport through Carbon Nanotubes, Harrison Bonanny and Aaliyah Russell
Combined Effects of Obesity and Pregnancy on Cardiac Function, Andrea Cando
Sexing the Stage: Designing Sets for Queer Plays, Elliot Cetinski
Effect of Fine Root Biomass on Carbon Mineralization in a Forage Diversity Agricultural System, Jeffrey Cocci
Thermal-niche Diversity of Predatory Arthropods, Rachel Conhoff and Rosella Cuomo
(De)Stabilization Effect of Juvenile Prey Cannibalism in a Stage Structured Model, Kasey Cooper, Ava Dreher, and Caroline McCrorey
Writing Resistance: Examining the Evolution of Feminist Ideology and Theory in Theatre Since the Second Wave, Olivia Cross
Strategic Imbalance: How the Consistent and Disproportionate Use of Black People for Medical Advancements Led to Modern Iatrodyspistia, Te-ojah Dennison-Morgan
Counting and Characterizing Lunar Craters, Annalyse Dickinson and Tyler Ways
Helen DeKroyft: A Case Study on the Importance of Intersectionality in Disability Studies and History, Lizzie Elliott
The Gaze Through Which You See: An Analysis of the Male and Female Gaze in 19th Century Literature, Olivia Fiorella
Pride and Prejudice: A Modern, Queer Retelling for the Stage, Kate Isabel Foley
Exploring the Impact of Tree and Shrub Species on Soil Health at the Ursinus College Food Forest, Lexi Fowler
Combined Effects of Obesity and Pregnancy on Cardiac Function of C57BL/6 Female Mice, Alex Goldsby
Small Molecule Phosphatase Activity and Metal Binding Equivalencies of De Novo Due Ferri Single Chain Proteins, Avraham Goldschmidt
Nitrogen Mineralization in Soil is More Affected by White Clover Than the Relationships of Functional Diversity, Reese Goodlin
The Cult of Domesticity Across Racial Lines in Literature, Morgan Grabowski
Synthesis, Suzuki Couplings, and Small-molecule Inhibitors, Patrick Gray
Resonant Energy Exchange in Ultracold Rydberg Atoms, Samantha Grubb and Alan Okinaka
The Colonization of Identity and Oral Culture Within the Leni Lenape, Emily Gurganus
Ghost Island: The Implications of Population Decline in Japan, Sasha Heasley
But it was in the Bible?: How Medieval Texts Foster Contemporary Antisemitism, Claire Hynes
Degradation of Cutin by Microbes Found In Compost, Rishabh Kancherla
Are Economic Outcomes Depressed When the Economic Agent is Depressed?, Elizabeth Kandler
Investigating Possible Roles and Interactions Between RAC and NAC in Protecting Against Different Types of Stress, Seongchan Kim
Here’s the Tea on TikTok: An Ethnographic Study of TikTok Subcommunities, Madison Kiss
Automated Approaches to Bowhead Whale Identification, Kacey La and Sam Gregory
Direct Amination of Fluorescein Esters to Produce a Library of Novel Rhodols, Rebecca Lam
