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URAP Symposium Spring 2007

The URAP symposium is for undergraduates to display research projects that were completed under the guidance of Zoology department graduate students and faculty. Their accomplished research is displayed during the symposium by a poster or oral presentation.  This past year’s participation was the largest group of accomplished undergraduates the Zoology department has had the good fortune to mentor and we hope that next year will be even larger.  This year’s symposium was put together and hosted by graduate students Jena Chojnowski and Krista McCoy.

Shainnel Eans, who worked with Post-doctorate Dr. Ophir and faculty advisor Dr. Phelps, presented work entitled “Variation in social and spatial memory and neuropeptide correlates in male Microtus ochrogaster”. She plans on doing more research with her advisors that expands on what she presented at the URAP symposium.

Anna Wouters, advised by Dr. Baer (the one on the left), presented work entitled “Deleterious mutations sensitize the phenotype to random environmental variation”.

Jessica Maciel, mentored by graduate student Christine Stracey and faculty Dr. Robinson, presented work about “Bridging the gap between university research and classroom teachers”. She is a future science teacher that wanted to learn how to integrate learning about science and actually doing science.

Kim Hoang, advised by graduate student Krista McCoy and faculty Dr. St. Mary, presented her work about “Abnormalities in the Giant Toad (Bufo marinus) living in agricultural areas of South Florida”.

David Zheng, advised by Dr. Ophir and Dr. Phelps, presented his work on neurology of prairie voles in his poster presentation entitled “Neuropeptide receptor expression related to patterns of space use, but not mating status, in field populations of prairie voles”. In this picture David is presenting his work to Dr. Julian (it is an actual picture and not canned).

Oral presentations were given by Jenessa Andrezejewski (left), Chenan Zhang (middle), and Brittany Sears (right). Jenessa, who works with Dr. Julian, presented work on “Sulfide-induced autophage in a marine worm”. Chenan, who works with graduate student Brandon Moore and faculuty advisor Dr. Guillette, presented work on “Unexpected Variation in the Sequence of FSHR Hinge Region of Squamate Reptiles”. Brittany, who works with graduate student Lisa Crummett and faculty advisor Dr. Wayne, presented work on “Sex, lies, and trematodes”. All talks were very successful and well received by an audience that included faculty, graduate students, friends, and family.