Undergraduate Research Microgrant Program (URMP)

Undergraduate Research Microgrant Program Awards Announced

This program was designed to facilitate research partnerships between undergraduate students and TWU faculty; it followed the Council on Undergraduate Research's definition of “undergraduate research” as:  An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original  intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.  This definition includes all scholarly and creative activity appropriate to any discipline in the University. 

The ten awardees are currently-enrolled TWU undergraduates with a declared major and good academic standing.  Their mentors are TWU faculty who have shown success in mentoring undergraduate students and have an ongoing scholarly program.  Each successful student applicant received $2,000 in support of research efforts; the faculty mentors received $500 each to be used for expenses related to the student’s research. 

Mr. Alexander Buxton & Dr. Richard Sheardy (Chemistry & Biochemistry), "A Study of DNA i-Motifs;"

Ms. Wen Y. Chong & Dr. Lynda Uphouse (Biology), "Factors Influencing Female Rat’s Mating Preferences;"
   
Ms. Caitlin Ferguson & Dr. Parakat Vijayagopal (Nutrition & Food Sciences), "Blueberry Polyphenols and Adipocyte Differentiation;"

Ms. Jessica Feyen & Dr. Michael Bergel (Chemistry & Biochemistry and Biology), "Determining the Cell Cycle Dependence of a Novel HDAC8-H1.3 Complex;"

Ms. Emma Galdo & Dr. Sarah McIntire (Chemistry & Biochemistry and Biology), "Confirmation of Three Plasmids in One Cell of Helicobacter pylori Strain AL236;"

Ms. Jacquelynn Lucero & Dr. Shanil Juma (Nutrition & Food Sciences), "Anti-inflammatory Role of Grape Polyphenols: From Clinical to Lab;"

Ms. Jordan McConnell & Dr. DiAnna Hynds (Biology), "Effects of Non-prenylatable RhoA on Neurite Outgrowth;"

Mr. Marcello Monterrosa & Dr. Camelia Maier (Biology), "DNA Fingerprinting of Mulberry Species Using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs);"

Ms. Julia Poulose & Dr. Camelia Maier (Biology), "Genetic Diversity of a Trout Lilly (Erythronium albidum) Population;" and

Ms. Altramiese Tippie & Dr. Michael Bergel (Chemistry & Biochemistry and Biology), "Determining Existence of a Novel HDAC3-H1.3 Complex in MCF7 and SKOV3 Cancer Cell Lines."