STEP Faculty Research
The following faculty are participating in the NSF-STEP program for Summer 2010. Click on the Faculty Name to go to their main web-page. You do NOT have to be a major in the specific department to participate in the research projects. For example, you major could be chemistry, but you could do research with a psychology faculty member. For your application, pick 6 potential research projects that seem interesting to you, regardless of your major. Don't worry if you don't understand the full research description, your faculty mentor will teach you what you need to know!
Dr. Jennifer Broft-Bailey (1 student) Determining the Effect of Fire Ants on Soil Microbial Communities. The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, physically and chemically alters soil systems. S. invicta mounds are enriched in ammonia as compared to abandoned mounds and adjacent soil. Whether these higher ammonia levels translate into increased plant productivity depends, in part, on a microbially-driven process known as nitrification. The rate limiting step of nitrification is the oxidation of ammonia to nitrite by ammonia-oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA). It is hypothesized that occupied ant mounds represent "hot spots" for nitrification since occupied S. invicta are enriched with oxygen and ammonia, conditions that should favor the growth of ammonia-oxidizers. The aim of this research is to determine whether S. invicta produces a shift in the ammonia-oxidizing population. The study will use molecular tools to compare the structure of the ammonia-oxidizing community present in active mounds, abandoned mounds, and non-mound soil to determine the (1.) presence of AOB and AOA, (2.) distinctions between ammonia-oxidizers in mounds and in soil (3.) differences in soil chemistry. PCR primer sets specific for amoA of AOA and AOB groups will be applied to DNA extracted directly from soil samples and amoA PCR products will determine whether AOB and AOA groups exist in the subsamples. Sequence analysis of cloned products will allow direct comparison of ammonia-oxidizing populations among the surveyed sample types.
Dr. Austin Francis (1 student) Design and Function of Flatfish Feeding Mechanisms. Flatfishes (Order Pleuronectiformes) are a morphologically unusual species group of derived bony fishes in which one eye migrates to the opposite side of the head during larval development. This transformation contributes to a twisting of the neurocranium to the ocular side,relatively larger cranial bones and muscles on the blind side, a 90° rotation of the body axis and a transition from a pelagic to a benthic habitat. This profound remodeling has been associated with a change in trophic ecology from planktivory to benthivory and, for some species, asymmetrical movements of the upper and lower jaws during prey capture. Because of this, flatfish are ideal candidates for investigating the relationship between form and function, specifically as it pertains to asymmetry, and the evolution of novel feeding mechanisms. It is the goal of this investigation to determine the role that morphology, biomechanics, and trophic ecology play in the design and evolution of flatfish feeding mechanisms. This investigation will increase both the number of species examined and the sample size of each species to test hypotheses about form and function in flatfish feeding. Work will include dissecting and digitally photographing flatfish from both the left and right sides of the head to: (1) determine the origin and insertion of cranial muscles; (2) measure lever arms responsible for lower jaw depression and elevation; and (3) measure individual muscle mass, angle of pennation, and muscle fiber length. From these measurements it will be possible to determine whether a particular design is optimized for speed or strength. All measurements will be used to generate models of feeding performance using MandibLever software.
Dr. Sara Gremillion (1 student) The role of COG proteins in growth and development of fungi. Parasitic fungi are a major threat to the health of humans, animals and plants. Information about how fungi grow and develop can lead to the development of new antifungal medicines and agricultural chemicals. This project aims to investigate the cellular proteins involved in proper fungal growth using the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Two proteins in the conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex, COG2 and COG4, have been indentified as crucial for fungal growth. Through genetic manipulation, cellular production of COG2 and COG4 has been reduced. Suppression of COG2 resulted in abnormally swollen spores with an absence of filamentous cells, while suppression of COG4 resulted in swollen spores and misshapen filamentous cells. The next step will be to manipulate the expression of the six remaining proteins of the COG complex (COG1, COG3, COG6, COG7 and COG8) in order to determine the role of each in fungal growth.
Dr. Traci Ness (1 student) Identification and Characterization of Toll-like Receptors in Sea Turtles. Every living organism has some form of innate immunity, which serves as the first line of defense against infection. This system is dependent on detection of microbes by Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) which recognize conserved microbial molecules not found on mammalian cells. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the best-characterized PRRs and are found in many organisms including vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. The goal of this project is to identify, clone, sequence, and characterize sea turtle TLR genes. With a greater understanding of basic sea turtle immunology, we will be better equipped to evaluate the health of individuals and assess the impact of disease and environmental exposures. Previous efforts with undergraduates in the laboratory have focused on construction of a cDNA library, with enhanced TLR RNA expression, from peripheral sea turtle blood mononuclear cells (Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit #TE079976-2 and Department of Natural Resources Permit #29-WBH-08-125 granted to Dr. Kathryn Craven, Biology). Future research will focus on development of custom primers for screening the library for TLR cDNAs. Similar successful studies have been performed with other organisms. Once sea turtle TLRs are identified, studies of their function and regulation can be initiated.
Dr. David Jarrell (1 student) Evolutionary Analysis of a Duplicated Chloroplast Gene in the Subtribe Aeridinae (Orchidaceae) In the chloroplast of higher plants, formation of mature RNA transcripts from genes with introns require the help of a splicing factor, a maturase. matK, the gene encoding the RNA maturase, MATK, is located within the group IIA intron of trnK. Research with barley mutants lacking chloroplast encoded proteins suggests that all group IIA introns require MATK while most group IIB introns do not. matK is arguably the fastest evolving protein coding sequence of the chloroplast genome. The high rate of nucleotide substitution and variation in the position of start codons has caused some to suggest that matK is a pseudogene in higher plants. However, functional domains are highly conserved across a wide taxonomic range despite rapid DNA sequence evolution. Frameshift deletions of 7, 8 or 10 bp identified in several related taxa of the orchid subtribe Aeridinae suggest that true pseudogenes may exist in some plants. Undergraduate research in the Jarrell group has enabled testing of several hypotheses for pseudogene formation. First, the loss of MATK spliced introns would remove selective pressure on the region and enable the accumulation of mutations such as those observed. Loss of group IIA introns has been previously documented. A polymerase chain reaction survey of chloroplast introns in Aeridinae including those known to contain pseudogenes provided no evidence for intron loss. This suggested a functional gene still exists in the Aeridinae. However, concurrent changes in the primer sets used to amplify matK provided evidence for gene duplication followed by pseudogene formation. Using two different pairs of primers to amplify the matK region from a single DNA sample, one pair amplified the functional gene and the other, a pseudogene. This is a fortuitous case of primer bias. Pseudogene specific primers will be used to clearly pinpoint the evolutionary origin of the pseudogene. Southerns will identify the exact location of the pseudogene (chloroplast, mitochondria or nuclear genome). Quantitative PCR of cDNAs will be employed to determine expression level of the functional copy and the pseudogene.
BioOrganic Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Computational Chemistry
Dr. Brent Feske, Dr. Scott Mateer and Dr. Clifford Padgett (interdisciplinary project for 3-5 students) Biocatalysis: Making Drugs with Bugs - Biocatalysis is the use of microbes or their enzymes to do chemistry. A popular organism that has been used in biocatalysis is the Bakers' yeast you can purchase at your local grocery store. Yeast is a single-celled organism that can live in a variety of environments because of its ability to utilize all kinds of molecules as food. This ability to "eat" all kinds of molecules is due to a diverse collection of enzymes that yeast uses to make or break chemical bonds. A family of enzymes in yeast, called reductases, are particularly important because they can produce alcohols. Recently workers at the University of Florida have placed 20 different yeast reductase genes into E. coli bacteria creating a library of bacterial clones, each over-expressing a single yeast reductase gene. We have utilized this library of clones to synthesize chiral pharmaceutical precursors such as the biologically active molecules found in drugs like Bestatin® , ProzacTM, StraterraTM, and Taxol® .
BioOrganic Chemistry This portion of the project will screen the previously described engineered E. coli (these E. coli are not harmful, but they kinda smell) for their ability to react with a variety of substrates. Once the screening process is complete, we will selectively choose specific reactions to scale up to verify the products structure. Upon completion of the scale-up, some of these chiral compounds will be utilized to make a variety of pharmaceuticals or pharmaceutical intermediates. (Instrumentation used: Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometry (GCMS), Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Polarimetry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Techniques Learned: Growth and storage of cell cultures, biotransformations, organic chemistry techniques, flash column chromatography, and other purification techniques.)
Molecular Biology We would like to gain insight into how the structure of the yeast reductase enzymes determine which mirror-image of the alcohol (the left-handed or right-handed alcohol) is formed. Kayser et.al. has found that the length of a region of the enzyme called, Loop A (which stands for Substrate-Binding Loop A), plays an important role determining whether the alcohol is left-handed or right-handed (we call this ability to form right-handed or left-handed molecules stereoselectivity). However, we have found that this isn't the entire story. Changing the amino acid sequence of Loop A in a reductase called YDL124w altered the enzyme's ability to form the different handed alcohols. We plan to explore the role of amino acid composition in more detail by mutating each amino acid in Loop A one at a time, and then determine how these individual changes affect the stereoselectivity of the mutant enzymes. This systematic approach will enable us to determine the role each individual amino acid in Loop A plays in determining enzyme stereoselectivity. Students will be exposed to the following techniques: Mutagenesis, DNA cloning, DNA expression and purification, Polymerase Chain Reaction (i.e. PCR), Protein expression and purification, Restriction digests, Bacterial and eukaryotic cell culture, and Gel electrophoresis.
Computational Chemistry This part of the project will focus on modeling the enzyme-substrate interactions of the reductases in order to better understand the chemistry that is occurring. Currently, the stereochemistry of the resultant chiral products is unpredictable, and it has been shown that small mutations in the amino acid sequence of the enzyme can cause significant changes in stereoselectivity. A comparison of known structures reveals that all of the enzymes have similar reactive pockets. The products from various aldose reductases are different when acting on the same substrate, indicating that more than just the catalytic residues are involved in the reduction. Molecular dynamics simulation will be used to study the interaction of various substrates with enzymes of interest (ideally ones from baker's yeast). These simulations will provide information about how the substrate docks in the enzyme which should allow for the prediction of the stereochemistry of the resulting products, which will be compared to the experimental results.
Dr. Will Lynch (1 student) Nanoparticle Mediated Photochemistry in Relevant Environmental Samples. As a common source of environmental contamination, halogenated aromatic compounds have long been an area of intense study. Our studies have shown that ZnS nanoparticles (NP) are capable of catalyzing reactions under photo-reductive conditions. ZnS particles on the order of 3.6 nm were shown to be effective agents for dehalogenating aromatic compounds. The project will examine the next phase of developing ZnS-NP into real world catalysts, by studying matrix effects, catalytic efficiency and NP removal. It is important to address this issue of the impact of the environmental matrix on the catalytic behavior of these systems, i.e. will the common ions found in the environment enhance or inhibit the photochemistry. Doping of NP modifies the photochemical properties of ZnS, and hence we can use standard doping techniques to improve catalytic efficiency. Finally, the NP samples must be removed from the system, so the systems must be built such that they can easily be extracted. NP will be built with a magnetic core surrounded by the photoactive exterior or with magnetic dopants such that they may be removed mechanically with an external magnetic field.
Dr. Delana Nivens (1 student) Role of DOM on the Photochemistry of Salt-Water Pollutants. We are purifying humic, fulvic and tannic acid compounds from the marshes near Savannah and examining their binding to both metals and organic compounds. In addition, we are examining the roles of these compounds in the photochemistry of pollutants in the complex salt-water marsh environment. Humic substances (HSs) are the most abundant natural nonliving organic material in aquatic environments. HSs are complex dissolved organic molecules (DOM) produced when organic matter such as proteins, fats, roots, dead organisms and excrement decompose oxidatively.DOM have been implicated as precursors to drinking water disinfection byproducts. HSs also bind, sequester and regulate metal ions in the environment. We are studying this binding via spectroscopic techniques such as fluorescence, IR, NMR, and AA spectroscopy. Humic and fulvic acid purification is performed via a standard literature method accepted by the International Humic Substances Society.Tannic acid purification is via an acetone/water extraction procedure. We have begun examining the binding of both metal ions and organic pollutants such as the herbicides 2,4-D (2,4-Dicholorophenoxyacetic acid) and 2-Methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid (Dicamba), the insecticide permethrin, the pollutant hexachlorobenzene and the anti-bacterial agent Triclosan with HSs and TAs. We are designing multi-component environmental models to help us examine the degradation products of the pollutants. The models systematically change the composition of a multi-component mixture to determine which, if any, of the environmental compounds have an effect on the photochemistry of the pollutant. Students will examine the photo-bleaching of purchased standards or humic, fulvic and tannic acids in the presence of a complicated chemical matrix, containing for example, metal ions typically found in salt water.
Dr. George Shields (1-2 students) Thermodynamics of Secondary Aerosol Formation: Formation of Neutral and Ionic Cloud Condensation Nuclei. Aerosols in the atmosphere serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Aerosols are thought to develop via several different mechanisms, including the H2SO4(H2O) system, the H2SO4(NH3)(H2O) system, the NH3(HNO3)(H2O) system, and the NH3(HNO3)(H2SO4)(H2O) system. These systems will be studied in a systematic manner, using quantum calculations to estimate the free energies of formation for the different pathways. In addition, we will investigate the ion-induced cloud condensation nuclei model, by combining smaller clusters and by adding more waters to the structures that have been determined previously. A careful examination of the trends in the free energies for growing larger clusters will help us develop hypotheses on the most likely pathways for aerosol growth. Classical nucleation theory (CNT) works well when the number of particles involved is large, but does not work well for the growth of small clusters since the bulk liquid surface tension and density are used. Since the growth of small clusters can be determined, in principal, by accurate quantum chemical calculations, we want to connect the microscopic quantum world of small aerosol growth to the macromolecular classical world described adequately by CNT.
Dr. Joshua Smith (1 student) Nanoparticles for Biological Applications. In recent years, nanoparticles have attracted widespread attention from many scientific fields, particularly in biology and biomedicine. The reasons for this growing interest are due to their unique chemical and physical properties and their extremely small size (thousands of times smaller than human cells). The chemical and physical properties of the nanoparticles are critical for use in tracking, monitoring, and manipulating biological substances ranging from DNA, proteins, and whole cells for disease diagnosis and treatment. This research deals with two major aspects of nanoparticles. The first is in creating novel luminescent nanomaterials that allow for greater signal and the second is in creating reliable magnetic nanomaterials for the extraction of biomolecules of interest. For the luminescent nanomaterials, the goal is to design substances that produce high signals with low background signals so that the newly created substances can detect smaller and smaller amounts of disease biomarkers in a sample. This will allow for earlier detection of diseases and increase the chance for survival. For the magnetic nanomaterials, these substances have been used in the development of devices that can target a specific biomolecules, bind to that molecules, and remove the bound substance using a simple magnet from complex biological samples, such as blood. Magnetic nanoparticles have been used to extract genes, proteins, and even cells. The focus in this research area will be to further develop these magnetic nanoparticles to increase their efficiency at performing the task of biomolecule extraction.
Dr. Richard Wallace
(1 student) Secondary Metabolite Analysis of Various
Plants. Plants produce secondary metabolites (natural products) which are
responsible for a variety of different functions. These secondary metabolites
have been shown to play integral roles in seed germination, allelopathy,
attraction of pollinators and defense mechanisms. Nematodes are a threat to the
cultivation of a variety of important plants worldwide. Currently soil
fumigation with methyl bromide is the best of a limited number of methods
available to control nematodes. The use of methyl bromide is being reduced every
year and its use is scheduled to be discontinued in the near future. Viable
alternatives to soil fumigation with methyl bromide need to be found. This
project will develop an analytical method to collect extensive profiles of the
secondary metabolites produced by both nematode resistant and nematode
susceptible varieties of several species of plants.
Dr. Eric Werner (1 student) Development of Next-Generation Medical Imaging Agents. Research in our lab focuses on the synthesis of new molecules designed for specific applications in the field of medical imaging. The compounds of interest contain lanthanide metal ions encapsulated by organic molecules which enable incorporation into biological systems. One project involves the study of compounds containing the gadolinium(III) ion (Gd(III)) that show potential as novel contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Current clinical agents used to visualize soft tissue via MRI produce only modest image enhancement, and several parameters must be optimized to achieve higher agent efficiency. The tuning of these properties for current aminocarboxylate-based complexes, however, often results in decreased chelate stability, which is undesirable as free Gd(III) is toxic in vivo. A major focus of this project involves the synthesis and characterization of new organic ligands and Gd complexes, the study of the longitudinal relaxation rate enhancement via NMR, and assessment of the thermodynamic chelate stability. In addition to the development of Gd-based MRI probes, complexes of some of the other lanthanide ions (e.g. Eu(III) and Tb(III)) are currently being evaluated with regard to their luminescent properties. Benefits of using lanthanide ions for luminescent imaging applications include their relatively long lifetimes, sharp emission bands, and large Stokes shifts, making lanthanide based compounds ideal for use in biological systems. This project focuses on the synthesis of novel macrocyclic lanthanide complexes as well as exploration of the unique luminescence properties.
Computer Science and Information Technology
Dr. Felix Hamza-Lup (1 student) Task Performance Analysis in Collaborative Haptics Environments. Haptics is the science enabling tactile sensation in computer applications for simulation and training purposes. The user can receive three types of touch sensations through a haptic device: force feedback, tactile feedback, and pro-prioception. Haptic data distribution and the effect of delay, delay variation, packet loss and other network related parameters have been only investigated for very simple tasks. Methods for increasing the efficiency of performing tasks as well as spatial-temporal limitations have been explored in a limited, non collaborative environment. The goal of this project is to explore haptic-enabled multimodal interfaces in a collaborative environment and analyze the performance of a specific collaborative task. Undergraduate students will have the opportunity to explore specific Application Programming Interfaces and develop a multimodal collaborative environment.
Dr. Ashraf Saad (1 student) Application of Soft Computing to Bioinformatics. This project will investigate the application of a class of algorithms known as soft computing to the emerging area of bioinformatics. Soft computing comprises advanced computational algorithms such as artificial neural networks, evolutionary programming, fuzzy logic-based systems, Bayesian algorithms, support vector machines, swarm intelligence, and their hybrids. Researchers at leading research institutions have started investigating the application of soft computing to bioinformatics with promising results. Our investigation will build upon state of the art work done in the area of soft computing by Dr. Saad and by researchers around the world. We aim to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers to be able to contribute to this exciting area at the intersection of computing and the natural sciences. There is also a potential project with robotics. More information to come.
Dr. Kam Lau (1 student) Development of Algorithms for Real-Time Haptic Systems. Real-time processing requires the maintenance of timing constraints. This definition differs somewhat from the assumptions of other common notions of real-time as simply being "fast" processing. Other misconceptions include the belief that advances in supercomputer hardware will take care of real-time requirements; real-time system research is performance engineering; real-time programming is assembly coding, priority interrupt programming and device driver writing. While each of these can help the system to be more efficient, they are not guaranteed to meet the time constraints imposed by real-time systems. Timing constraints include deadlines, start time, and periods for tasks and are categorized as hard, soft, or firm. A hard timing constraint must be met for the task to be correct (i.e. a submarine combat control system is a hard real-time system). A soft timing constraint is a "goodness" specification where there may still be some benefit in completing the task outside of the timing constraints - although this value likely decreases with time. Meeting a firm timing constraint is not a necessary condition for correctness, but there is no value in executing the task outside of its firm timing constraints. Haptic technology interfaces to the user via the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations and/or motions (force feedback) to the user. Haptic systems are developed for medical procedure training, flight simulation training, robotics and more. Haptic systems are real real-time systems that generates a penalty if timing constraints are not met. Currently, there is no good algorithm in haptic systems for handling these situations. This research will look into this issue by developing an algorithm for meeting the timing constraints required by many haptic systems.
Dr. Wayne Johnson (1 student) Design of Spray Coating Layer-By-Layer (SCLBL) Deposition Device Layer by layer (LBL) nanostructure assembly is a process in which a layered structure is built up by exposing a substrate to alternately charged polyelectrolyte (PE) solutions. The technique exploits the electrostatic attraction of oppositely charged molecules to assemble each layer. Currently, the LBL process employs manual or automated exposure of a substrate to PE and rinsing solutions by substrate immersion in multiple beakers. In either case, this process is tedious and often an inefficient use of the PE solutions. This project will design a computer controlled system to automate the application of polyelectrolyte (PE) fluids to a mounted silicon wafer (substrate) using an aerosol spraying technique. The Spray Coating Layer-By-Layer (SCLBL) deposition device will deploy two types of PE fluids, an aqueous wash, and a forced air drying system on the substrate. The computer control interface will allow for specification of the sequence and duration of PE solution exposure on the substrate.
Dr. Tricia Brown (1
student) A Study of Poset Products. Combinatorics is an area
of mathematics concerned with counting sets of objects and properties of these
objects. We look for patterns and try to find relationships between sets of the
same cardinality. One often-studied object in combinatorics is a partially
ordered set or poset. Posets are defined as a set of objects with a partial
order relation. An example of a poset is the set of vertices, edges, and faces
of a cube with a partial order given by containment of one face in another. In
this project we will consider some well-known poset products such as rank
products and wreath products. We will study properties of these poset products
and define other meaningful products. Some questions to ask are "What
combinatorial and algebraic properties are preserved under a given poset
product?", "Do the Mobius values of certain classes of posets under the poset
product correspond to the cardinality of other interesting sets?" , and "Are
there applications for a given product in other areas of mathematics or
science?"
Dr. Bill Baird (1 student) Sensor Design and Construction - The objective study of the world around us requires the ability to measure its physical properties. The data gathered through these measurements provides the framework for new models of reality, as theoretical physics is driven by (and sometimes drives) experimental physics. We will apply these ideas to the construction of ultra-sensitive devices to measure phenomena (i.e., seismic, electromagnetic, tidal, etc.) of interest to physicists as well as our collaborators from other disciplines. We will combine a computer, microcontroller, and physical and electronic components to design, construct, and gather data from a variety of new scientific instrumentation.
Dr. Jeffery Secrest (1
student) Particle Physics and The SNO+ Experiment. The SNO+
experiment is a 1 kilotonne scintillator detector located 2km underground in the
INCO Crighton Mine outside Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The detector contains about
9500 light sensitive detectors to pick up various signals due to different
neutrino interactions. The SNO+ experiment's primary physics thrust is the
search for neutrinoless double beta decay using a Nd-150 that has been dissolved
in the scintillator. If this process is observed it would imply that neutrinos
are their own anti-particle which would have deep ramifications in particle
physics and for our understanding of how the world works. Other physics that
would be probed will be the search for supernovas, solar neutrinos,
geo-neutrinos, and neutrinos from local nuclear reactors. Currently my
work is focused on the computer simulation/analysis package we are writing for
the experiment. In particular I am interested in the verification of different
physics processes and optical properties of the code.
Dr. Mirari Elcoro
(1 student) Effects
of Caffeine on Temporal Control
The topic: Accurate temporal control is doing the right
thing at the right time, thus it is a fundamental component of our daily
experiences. Temporal control, also referred to as timing is involved in
everything we do: driving a car, cooking dinner, maintaining a conversation. In
the laboratory, the study of temporal control is about examining how organisms
keep track of time, more specifically, by examining the organization of behavior
patterns as a function of defined temporal events. The acquisition of temporal
control follows a period of stabilization of such behavior patterns. Stable
patterns may be subjected to different alterations to study the resistance of
such patterns of behavior. Some alterations of temporal control have been
conducted using drugs as disruptors of temporal control. The effects of
caffeine, the most consumed stimulant in the world, have not yet been examined
in temporal control as studied by operant conditioning. The laboratory procedure
to examine temporal control in this project is labeled the peak-interval
procedure (PIP). We will characterize the effects of caffeine (acute and
repeated subcutaneous administration) on temporal control of lever pressing of
rats trained to respond on a PIP.
The experience: This research project will provide a student
with three general scientific experiences: laboratory, analytical, and writing.
The laboratory experience will entail performing tasks in the animal psychology
laboratory such as maintenance of equipment and animals, preparation and
administration of drugs. In conducting these tasks the student will learn about
the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct and the AASU Animal
Care and Use Committee (ACUC). The analytical experience lies in the preparation
of experimental procedures using computer software, data analysis, and the
examination of some of the relevant theoretical frameworks. The writing
experience will provide the student with the opportunity to organize the data
obtained in some of the formats used for dissemination of scientific knowledge:
poster, power-point slides for conference presentation, and if time allows,
preparation of manuscript submission for publication following the American
Psychological Association (APA) guidelines.
Dr. Jessica E. Frieder (1-2 students). Choice making for children with problem behavior. The topic: Children make choices all the time. For example, in a classroom setting every time a child is asked to complete an academic task, the child is essentially presented with a choice: complete the task as asked, engage in problem behavior to get out of the task, or sit quietly and not complete the task. In the field of applied behavior analysis, analyzing problem behavior for what function(s) it serves for the individual can provide valuable insight in the development and implementation of therapeutic interventions. For children with escape-motivated problem behavior, this is particularly important in classroom settings because problem behavior continues to occur because it functions to get a child out of doing some type of task demand(s). The intervention implemented in this project involves a concurrent operant arrangement, meaning that children have between two to three programmed choices at all times. Data on choices, problem behavior, and task engagement are collected for each child throughout all sessions conducted. Analysis of results will focus on the response allocation to adaptive responses how quality variables impact choice responding, and how response allocation may change over time. Findings from these experimental sessions may impact ongoing classroom instruction for children who display escape-motivated problem behavior.
The experience: This research project with provide students with a variety of experiences to help build skills in the field of applied behavior analysis. Students will be provided with an overview of the basic principles of behavior, single-subject research designs, and basic behavioral assessment and intervention technologies. Activities will focus on measurement, data scoring, and data analysis of children’s behaviors during assessment and treatment interventions. In addition, students will score and compile procedural fidelity data. Students may have the opportunity to collaborate with professionals in the field, conduct assessments and/or interventions, and train others to implement behavior analytic change tactics. Students will also be given the opportunity to analyze results for patterns with visual analysis techniques and compile data for dissemination in a scientific format (if time permits): poster, presentation for a conference, and a manuscript for submission for publication to a peer-reviewed journal following the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines.
Dr. Brad Sturz (1 student) Learning of Environmental Geometry in a Virtual Environment. Mobile animals appear to rely on at least two sources of spatial information: landmarks and environmental geometry. The use of landmarks involves determining location and orientation by using objects in the environment. In contrast, the use of environmental geometry involves determining location and orientation by using the geometric properties of a surrounding enclosure. Past research has shown that participants seem to encode the overall shape of an enclosure and use this information for orientation. In this line of research, we will investigate which specific aspects of the geometric structure of an environmental enclosure (i.e., distance, angle, sense, axes) people utilize to orient in a virtual space. The current project would involve students in the experimental exploration of these influential aspects of the geometric structure of a rectangular environmental enclosure. Students will play an integral role in the data collection, data analysis, and presentation of obtained results using a dynamic three-dimensional virtual environment orientation task. This and future studies will mentor students in the continued explorations of the influential aspects of environmental geometry in human spatial learning. The results of these studies will provide basic knowledge about how humans process, store, and utilize spatial information.