Last week, 64 budding undergraduate researchers had a chance to showcase their work during the 2007 Undergraduate Research Forum and Awards Program. School of Science students won five out of the six awards given.

The Undergraduate Research Forum featured a variety of research projects conducted in areas of biology, biomedical engineering, architecture, industrial and management engineering, mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, applied physics, chemistry, and computer science, to name a few. A total of 47 abstracts were accepted, 10 more than the previous year, with 11 projects in the theoretical category and 36 in the applied category, according to Barbara Ruel, director of diversity and women in engineering programs for the School of Engineering, and the forum’s chair.

First-place winners in theoretical and applied categories received a cash award of $500; second-place winners received $250; and third-place winners $150.

The winners in the applied category were:

— First place: Kamron Fazel, nuclear engineering major, for his project titled “Electron Emission of Pyroelectric Crystals,” supervised by Yaron Danon, associate professor in mechanical, aeronautical, and nuclear engineering

— Second place: Zane Van Dusen, dual computer science and EMAC major, for his project, “Adaptive Use Musical Instruments for the Physically Challenged,” supervised by Pauline Oliveros, clinical professor from the Arts Department

— Third place: Jennifer O’Neil, bioinformatics and molecular biology and biology major, for her project, “Endophytic Quorum Quenching Bacteria for Use as Biopesticide,” supervised by Jong-In Han, assistant professor from the civil and environmental engineering department.

The winners in the theoretical category were:

— First place: Elizabeth Frank, interdisciplinary science major, for her project “Self Diffusion of Sulfur in Pyrite,” supervised by Institute Professor Bruce Watson, earth and environmental sciences

— Second place: Leanne Ahronian, biology major, for her project “Increased Invasive Phenotype in AU-565 Breast Adenocarcinoma Cells,” supervised by George Edick from the biology department

— Third place: Elizabeth Louie, biology major, for her project “A Model of Cell Migration Mediated by a Chemoattractant in Single and Co-Culture Microenvironments,” supervised by George Edick from the biology department.

To participate, students were required to submit an abstract describing the research project they had conducted under the supervision of a Rensselaer faculty member. As part of the showcase, students had to prepare a three- to five-minute oral presentation and poster that would be judged by a panel of faculty judges from Rensselaer’s five schools.

Published April 25, 2007