office of undergraduate research 2013-2014 annual report

Suzanne Rocheleau, Ph.D. Associate Dean, Pennoni Honors College Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

Jaya Mohan, M.A. Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

Annual Report July 2013 to June 2014

The Office of Undergraduate Research is a unit of the Pennoni Honors College.

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Annual Report 2013-14

3 | Letter from the Director 4 | STAR Scholars

STAR Scholars 2012-13 iSTAR Scholars

STAR Scholars Summer Showcase Outstanding Mentor of the Year Benefits of Research & DSLPs Assessing the Benefits of the STAR Scholars

Program 11 | The Pennoni Honors College International Travel Award 12 | Research Conferences Discipline-Specific Conferences National Collegiate Research Conference National Conference on Undergraduate Research CAA Undergraduate Research Conference CUR Posters on the Hill

Presenting Research @ Drexel 20 | Underrepresented Students in Undergraduate Research 21 | Discover 22 | High School Scholars 23 | Collaboration w ith Faculty & Other Off ices 25 | Presentations & Publicat ions 26 | Undergraduate Research: Looking Forward

Table of Contents

The mission of the Off ice of Undergraduate Research

is to foster student engagement and experiential learning and enrich the

educational experience of undergraduate students by promoting research,

scholarship, and creative activities through mentoring relationships between

faculty and students.

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Welcome to the Office of Undergraduate Research!

At Drexel, undergraduates starting as early as freshman year are exploring far away galaxies, creating and

using new materials, virtually recreating artifacts and unearthing the secrets of dinosaurs. They are

investigating the neurobiology of Costa Rican ant colonies, programming humanoid robots, developing

applications for spider silk, and exploring the geopolitics of energy in the Mediterranean. In short, Drexel

students are immersing themselves in the exciting and sometimes messy process of creating and sharing

new knowledge. And they are doing it all over the world.

We believe these endeavors result in a deep understanding that only comes from fully immersing oneself in

a discipline and from working with caring faculty mentors who guide them. Students are finding their

passion and realistically preparing themselves for careers that could not even be imagined a decade

ago – not only in science and engineering, but in disciplines as diverse as the University itself.

Our mission is to faci l i ta te the col laboration of faculty and students in research, scholarly work, or creative projects through the expansion and development of exist ing

programs, the creation of innovative opportunit ies for such col laboration both at and beyond the University, and the integrat ion of a cul ture of research into

the educational experience provided by the Universi ty.

All Drexel students are welcome and encouraged to take advantage of services provided by the Office of

Undergraduate Research. We support students in every college and discipline and at every level of their

college careers. In addition to the STAR and iSTAR Scholars Programs, we provide grants to enable

students to continue their research and to travel all over the world to present their findings at

undergraduate research and discipline-specific conferences. We also provide help with writing abstracts

and creating posters, finding faculty mentors, and applying to academic conferences. In addition, we assist

in the identification and recruitment of promising young students by managing the High School Scholars

Program, which enables high-ability high school students to take college courses for credit at no cost.

Lastly, we partner with college and faculty administrators to

create new opportunities for student discovery and achievement.

Please stop by the office and introduce yourself – we look forward

to working with you.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Rocheleau, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

Letter from the Director

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STAR: Students Tackling Advanced Research

STAR Scholars

Since its inception in 2002, the STAR Scholars Program has provided more

than 900 students with the opportunity to participate in early undergraduate

research. Each year, the program has grown: from 30 students in the first

cohort (2002-2003) to 155 students in 2012-2013.

STAR Scholars complete 400 hours of faculty-mentored research, scholarship,

or creative work during the summer between freshman and sophomore years.

As a capstone to the Program, all STAR Scholars write an abstract, create a

research poster, and present their work to the Drexel community, friends, and

family at the STAR Scholars Summer Showcase.

STAR is a transformative experience.

In addition to receiving a stipend and on-campus housing, these students come

away from the STAR experience with many other benefits – both personal and

professional – that can change the course of their lives.

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College STAR 2012-13

STAR 2011-12

Arts & Sciences 43 40 Engineering 51 40 Media Arts & Design 16 13

Business 14 13 Honors College (Custom Design) 1 2

iSchool 2 3 Nursing & Health Professions 1 6

School of Prof. & Tech. Studies 1 3

Education 3 2 Biomedical Engineering 22 15

Total 154 137

In the 2012-13 STAR Scholars Program… v 66 high-abi li ty students (43% the total cohort)

accepted Drexel’s invitation to enroll as STAR Scholars.

v 191 students submitted appl icat ions during the mid-year application process; 89 of these students (57% of the cohort) were offered positions as STAR Scholars during the Winter or Spring Terms.

v Five (5) students were fully funded through our partnership with the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation.

v We served students from al l Drexel schools and col leges offering undergraduate programs.

v 100 faculty members from 10 out of Drexel ’s 12 schools and co lleges, including the Earle Mack School of Law and the Drexel University College of Medicine, volunteered as STAR Mentors.

2012-13 STAR Scholars

In Summer 2013, we sent: v 4 students to Saarbrucken, Germany to conduct research at

the Leibniz Institute of New Materials v 1 student to Costa Rica to conduct field research with

Dr. Sean O’Donnell (BEES) v 1 student to Crete to conduct research on international

politics under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Hnaraki (Culture & Communication)

In Summer 2014, we will send: v 8 students to Saarbrucken, Germany to conduct research at

the Institute of New Materials & the University of Saarland v 4 students to Oulu , F in land to conduct research at the

University of Oulu v 1 student to Costa Rica to conduct field research with

Dr. Sean O’Donnell (BEES)

“Throughout [the STAR Scholars Program], the challenges

faced, goals set, and accomplishments achieved allowed me to better grasp my

potential and succeed in the face of uncertainty.”

[Excerpt from an end-of-summer reflection

by a 2012-2013 STAR Scholar]

In 2012-2013, we also invi ted six students to partic ipate in the iSTAR (International STAR)

Scholars Program for the f irst t ime, which offers STAR Scholars the opportunity to

immerse themselves in a fore ign culture as they conduct cutt ing-edge research.

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Abigail Mudd (Chemistry, ’16) traveled to Monteverde, Costa Rica, to

study the thermotolerances of army ants with Dr. Sean O’Donnell (BEES) and other members of his lab.

Abby studied, explored, and lived in Costa Rica for six weeks before

returning to the States to complete her research and participate in the STAR

Scholars Summer Showcase at the end of the Summer Term.

STAR Project T itle: “If You Can’t Stand the Heat… Comparing

Thermotolerances of Two Species of Army Ants”

Rebecca Olsho (International Area Studies, ’16) spent her iSTAR summer in Crete, Greece, studying economics and geopolitics in the southern Mediterranean region under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Hnaraki (Culture & Communication). Rebecca spent four weeks in Crete before returning to the States to complete her work, including writing a 104-page paper and participating in the STAR Scholars Summer Showcase at the end of the Summer Term.

Four students traveled to Saarbrucken, Germany to conduct 10 weeks of research at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials at the University of Saarland as part of the first iSTAR Scholars cohort:

Aqui l Jones (Mathematics, ’16) Matthew Langenstein (Mat. Science & Eng., ’16)

Alexander McBride (Mat. Science & Eng., ’17) Victoria Sadowski (Biomed. Eng., ’16)

These four students worked on projects related to nanotechnology and energy storage under the guidance of Dr. Volker Presser (INM) and Dr. Jennifer Atchison (INM). Notably, while in Germany, the students competed in an INM-sponsored poster presentation, and Matthew Langenstein was awarded the prize for best undergraduate poster.

STAR Project T itle: “National Sovereignty and Energy Geo-

Economics in the South-Eastern Mediterranean”

STAR Project Ti t les : “Characterization of Electrospun Carbon Fibers

from Polyacrylonitrile” [Aquil Jones] “Core-Shell Composite Ultra-Fine Fiber Materials

for Supercapacitor Electrode Applications” [Matthew Langenstein]

“Investigating Charge Induced Expansion of Porous Carbon Electrodes in Ionic Liquids” [Alexander McBride]

“Electrospun Separators for Application in Supercapacitors” [Victoria Sadowski]

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2013 STAR Scholars Summer Showcase

August 29, 2013

10:00am: Morning Poster Session 12:00pm: Buffet Luncheon

1:30pm: Afternoon Poster Session 4:00pm: Recognition Ceremony

The STAR Scholars Summer Showcase is an opportunity for STAR Scholars to share with friends, family, and the University community

the work they have accomplished during their STAR Summer internship. This event, which includes poster presentations by each

of the STAR Scholars, celebrates not only the work done by the students, but also the contribution of the Mentors to the STAR

Scholars Program as a whole.

President John Fry poses with six STAR Scholars who completed their projects in the Drexel Autonomous Systems Lab under the direction

of Dr. Paul Oh. From left to right: Kenneth Chaney, Dr. Paul Oh, President John Fry, Dilichukwu Chima-Nwokoma,

Daniel Diazdelcastillo, Joseph Kehoe, Charles Brawner, James Sato

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2013 Outstanding STAR Mentor of the Year

Dr. Glen Muschio Digital Media

Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

Dr. Glen Muschio is an Associate Professor in the Antoinette Westphal

College of Media Arts & Design who has inspired students to take the next

step in their education through interdisciplinary studies and research.

Dr. Muschio served as the only non-engineering STAR Mentor in the

Program’s first cohort in Summer 2003; since then, he has mentored a total

of 17 STAR Scholars during each summer but one. Under Dr. Muschio’s

tutelage, students have created virtual representations of historical sites and

artifacts throughout Philadelphia and beyond; they have also had the

opportunity to present their research at various conferences and professional

meetings, including in one in Vienna, Austria. One of his first STAR

Scholars, Jim Malazita, is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of

Culture & Communication and served as a STAR Mentor himself in

Summer 2013. Dr. Muschio, Mr. Malazita, and Mr. Mark Petrovich

(another Digital Media graduate student and STAR alumnus) collaborated

with the Office of Undergraduate Research staff to publish an article in CUR

Quarterly on the STAR Scholars Program and Digital Cultural Heritage.

We thank Dr. Muschio for his service and his support of undergraduate research!

The Outstanding STAR Mentor of the Year Award was established in Summer 2011 to recognize the faculty members’ contribution to our students’ experiences in the STAR Scholars Program. All STAR Scholars have the

opportunity to nominate their faculty mentors for this award by submitting a nomination form and writing a nomination letter. Their words are then incorporated into a personalized letter, signed by

Provost Mark Greenberg, thanking the Mentors for their service.

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Benefits of Early Undergraduate Research

While many institutions incorporate research, scholarship, or creative work into an upper-class student’s curriculum through senior design projects or senior theses, the early start provided through early undergraduate research opportunities brings with it manifold benefits. Early undergraduate research…

• Allows an opportunity for deep engagement in a discipline

• Enables individuals to become better students and to discover their passion

• Provides students with the opportunity to learn about scholar ly work in their discipline and make decisions about their future academic and career goals

• Allows students to ga in a foundation in research ski l ls early on in their academic career

• Gives students the time and opportunity to part ic ipate in more substantial research projects later in their academic career

• Provides students with the opportunity to present work at conferences , secure patents, and have work published in journals before graduating

• Provides students with one-to -one mentorship by a faculty expert in their field

Undergraduate Research & Drexel Student Learning Prior it ies With the many varied benefits of participating in undergraduate research, this type of experiential learning directly supports many of the Drexel Student Learning Priorit ies , as outlined by the Provost’s Office: [Communication] Undergraduate research provides students with the opportunity to hone their communication skills, particularly through presentations and publications. We encourage students to participate actively in presenting their work here on campus, as well as in regional, national, and international settings. [Creative & Crit ical Th inking] Research, by nature, is the practice of creative and critical thinking as applied to problems within a discipline; thus, undergraduate research exposes students to and enables them to hone their own skills as creative and critical thinkers. [ Information Li teracy] Just as research requires undergraduate students to think creatively to solve problems, it also requires that students be critical consumers of information in that pursuit. Undergraduate students who participate in research routinely are called upon to sort through and synthesize information in ways not always required in the classroom.

[Self -Di rected Learning] Faculty-mentored research allows students the opportunity to put their classroom learning into practice in an independent manner. The creative and open-ended work of research allows students to experience self-directed learning and the application of theoretical concepts to actual problems within their discipline. Participating in this type of academic activity early on in a student’s career allows her to realize not only the applicability of these theoretical concepts but also her own agency and ability as a student and researcher. [Global Competence] With the creation of the international STAR Scholars Program (iSTAR), among other opportunities like international research co-ops, the University is supporting the possibility of research as a way for students to increase their global competence and immerse themselves in foreign cultures while gaining other, myriad benefits of participating in research.

[Professional Pract ice] Many of our students, after participating in undergraduate research, choose to continue on in research throughout their undergraduate careers, onto graduate programs of study, and then oftentimes into a professional research capacity. Having early exposure to research allows these students to experience their chosen profession in practice to better clarify their academic and professional goals. [Research, Scholarship , and Creative Expression] Undergraduate research certainly hits the mark on the Drexel Student Learning Priority of research, scholarship, and creative expression, particularly given our commitment to involving students from across the University in the pursuit and creation of knowledge within their discipline. Our goal is to offer these opportunities for students from all colleges and disciplines throughout their academic careers.

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2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

STAR Scholars by College (per Cohort) 2002-2013

UNDECIDED

PHC (CSDN)

CNHP

School of Ed

COAS

BIOMED

ISCHOOL

GOODWIN

COE

LeBow

COMAD

Over the past year, the Office of Undergraduate Research has worked with Dr. Jennifer Stanford (Biology, CoAS) to assess the impact of early undergraduate research experiences, particularly the STAR Scholars Program, on students. Using the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment (URSSA) tool, we surveyed both students and faculty members to identify the major student outcomes of the STAR Scholars Program. See below for our major findings*.

“(STAR) gave me the self-confidence to know that a PhD was within my abilities, and that I would enjoy doing it, and that I was intellectually independent

and capable of much, much more than I had ever dreamed before.” - Excerpt from survey response from a former STAR Scholar

*A manuscript detailing these findings has been submitted to Higher Education for consideration.

Increased retention rate for students who participated in STAR, which, at 96% retention, is the highest within the University. Learning gains in all areas studied by the URSSA tool, including strong gains in the following areas:

• Understanding what everyday research work is like

• Ability to work independently

• Explaining projects to people outside the discipline

• Preparing a poster to present research

• Comfort in discussing concepts related to their field of interest with others

No statist ical di fference in gains reported by students in STEM disciplines versus non-STEM disciplines, which suggests that early undergraduate research benefits students across all disciplines.

No statist ical di fference in motivation to participate in research, as reported by students in STEM disciplines versus non-STEM disciplines. These motivations included:

• To gain hands-on experience

• To explore their interest in their field of study

• To enhance their resume

Assessing the Benefits of the STAR Scholars Program

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Through the generosity

of an anonymous

donor, the Pennoni

Honors College

established the PHC

International Travel

Award, which allows

an Honors student to

attend an international

conference in his or

her discipline.

Attending such prestigious meetings and

conferences allows undergraduate students

the opportunity to network with

professionals in their field with whom they

would not come into contact otherwise.

In 2013-14, the PHC International Travel

Award was presented to:

With this award, Georgianna attended the

5 th International Conference on Crossroads between Innate and Adaptive Immunology , which was hosted

by Aegean Conferences in Corfu, Greece

from September 21-26, 2013.

“Attending such a small international conference

gave me the unique opportunity to meet some of the greatest contributors to

the field of immunology and witness this convergence of

scientific ideas on an international stage.” [Georgianna Sandilos,

Biology, ’16]

Georgianna Sandilos Biology, ’16

The Pennoni Honors College International Travel Award

2013-2014

About the International Conference on

Crossroads between Innate and Adaptive

Immunology:

This conference aims to “bring together leading international

scientists and experts to address critical areas of Innate

and Adaptive Immunity, [which is] something necessary

for the development of more efficient scientific exchange

and crosspollination between these fields.”

Georgianna Sandilos (Biology, ‘16) began working with Dr. Peter Katsik is (DUCOM) during the summer after her freshman year, as he acted as her mentor in the STAR Scholars Program. She completed her STAR Scholars research project with Dr. Katsikis’ lab, entitled “Optimization and Standardization of a System for the Dual Retroviral Transduction of CD8+ T Cells.” Given her interests in both scientific research and in working with people, Georgianna is on a pre-med track at Drexel, with the intention of attending medical school to pursue a career in clinical medicine, with involvement in research. Georgianna’s participation in this conference following her STAR research experience “affirmed [her] passion for medicine and research and made [her] extremely motivated and eager for the future.”

“The ability to travel abroad to the conference gave me an entirely different but synergistic opportunity to apply the basic knowledge I had gained through my lab experience and … ask

questions directly from the biggest names in the field.” [Georgianna Sandilos, Biology, ’16]

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The Office of Undergraduate Research provides financial support to students accepted to present their research at discipline-specific and undergraduate research conferences. Students can apply for up to $500 towards any costs associated with presenting research at any discipline-specific conference. The Office of Undergraduate Research also fully funds students to present their research at a number of undergraduate research conferences each year: • National Conference on Undergraduate Research

• National Collegiate Research Conference

• Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference • Council on Undergraduate Research Posters on the Hill

In 2013-14, the Office of Undergraduate Research… Funded 21 students to present their work at discipline-specific conferences. Funded 2 students to conduct research through faculty-research collaborations or research co-ops. Funded 5 students to conduct research in Germany through the DAAD Rise Program for Summer 2014. Funded and accompanied 11 students to present their work at the Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference in Towson, MD. Funded and accompanied 12 students to present their work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Lexington, KY. Funded 6 students to present their work at the National Collegiate Research Conference at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.

Benefits of Presenting Research

When students present their research at conferences, they are provided with the opportunity to complete the research cycle: from creation of knowledge to communication of that knowledge. Students who present their work at conferences: • Better their presentation skills • Learn the details of communicating research specific

to their field • Network with other undergraduate students

conducting research • Network with professionals in their field • Are exposed to the vast array of research in their field

“[The Society for Biomaterials Meeting] was a great conference to attend as an

undergraduate student because of the wide breadth of research that was presented

there… It was amazing to see how broad the field of biomaterials is and the diverse array

of research options before me.” - Alex Sevit (Biomed. Engr., ’15)

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Last First Graduation Year Co llege Major Mentor Mentor Department

Bailey Charles 2014 COE Engineering Dr. Gregory Fridman Biomedical Engineering

Bournelis Ian 2014 COE Mechanical Engineering Dr. Ajmal Yousuff Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics

Chheda Sonam 2014 Biomed Biomedical Engineering Dr. Kara Spiller Biomedical Engineering

D'Arcy Matthew 2014 COE Mechanical Engineering Dr. Ajmal Yousuff Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics

Dudkewitz Morgan 2015 COAS Communication Dr. Ron Bishop Communication

Eboras Yanni 2015 CNHP Health Sciences Dr. Masaru Teramoto DUCOM

Green Charles 2014 Biomed Biomedical Engineering Dr. Kara Spiller Biomedical Engineering

Gutierrez Claudia 2015 Biomed Biomedical Engineering Dr. Melody A. Swartz

École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Herens Allison 2014 COAS Psychology Dr. Naomi Goldstein Psychology

Iacono Anthony 2014 COE Mechanical Engineering Dr. Ajmal Yousuff Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics

Johnson Siara 2015 COAS/CNHP Psychology & Behavioral Health Counseling

Dr. Naomi Goldstein Psychology

Mazur Matthew 2014 COE Mechanical Engineering Dr. Ajmal Yousuff Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics

Nangarlia Aakansha 2017 Biomed Biomedical Engineering Dr. Irwin Chaiken DUCOM

Netherton Kaatrin 2014 COAS Physics Dr. Charles Lane Physics

Panchal Parth 2014 Biomed Biomedical Engineering Dr. Kurtulus Izzetoglu Biomedical Engineering

Parsons Matthew 2015 COAS Physics Dr. Gregory Downing NIST

Schneider Samantha 2016 COE Environmental Engineering

Dr. Franco Montalto

Architectural, Civil, & Environmental Engineering

Schulte Michael 2015 PHC Custom-Designed Major: Corporate Policy & the Environment

Dr. Kevin Egan Pennoni Honors College

Sedlak Jason 2104 Biomed Biomedical Engineering Dr. Kara Spiller Biomedical Engineering

Slocum Courtney 2014 COAS Physics Dr. Michelle Dolinski Physics

Smith Robyn 2015 COAS Physics Dr. Gordon Richards Physics

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Conference Project Tit le

International Conference on Plasma Medicine 5 (ICPM5) [Nara, Japan] Development of a Hand Sanitizer Employing Non-thermal Plasma Activated Mist

11th Annual CubeSat Developers' Workshop [San Luis Obispo, CA]

Deployable Package for Enhanced Power and De-Orbit Capabilities in CubeSat Satellites

Northeastern Bioengineering Conference [Boston, MA] Malodor Management in High Exuding Chronic Wounds



Joint Journalism & Communication History Conference [New York, NY]

It's a great life! Idaho community newspapers cover the construction of the Minidoka Internment Camp

MASCC/ISOO International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer [Miami, FL]

Hormone Replacement Therapy and Endometrial Cancer Recuperance: Meto-Analysis of Available Data


Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting (2013) [Seattle, WA]

A novel in-vitro model to quantify the dynamic interaction of lymphatic endothelial cells and T-cells

American Psychology-Law Society Annual Meeting 2014 [New Orleans, LA] Juvenile Defendant Characteristics Associated with Pre-Ajudication Diversion



American Psychology-Law Society Annual Meeting 2014 [New Orleans, LA]

Differences in susceptibility to coercion and stress level during interrogations between justice-involved and community youth



Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting (2013) [Seattle, WA] Gold Nanoparticles Peptide Triazole Mediated HIV-1 virolysis

Mid-Atlantic Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics [College Park, MD] Search for Induced Depletion of 108mAg with CoMeV Biemsstrahlung

Northeastern Bioengineering Conference [Boston, MA] Feedback Control System to Titrate Oxygen Delivery in Hypoxic Hypoxemia

American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting & Nuclear Technology Expo [Washington, DC] SIDecSo, a Simple Analytic Software for Neutro Depth Profiling

World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2014 [Portland, OR]

The Participation of Citizen Scientist in Green Infrastructure Post-Construction Monitoring Efforts in New York City

Vermont Journal of Environmental Law Fall 2013 Symposium [South Royalton, VT] Panelist Speaker @ Conference


Mid-Atlantic Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics [College Park, MD]

The Fabrication of Solid Xenon Crystal Detectors for the Detection of Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay

223rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society Washington, DC Probing Systematic Bias in the Reverberation Mapped Quasar Sample

Mid-Atlantic Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics [College Park, MD] Probing Systematic Bias in the Reverberation Mapped Quasar Sample

Conference Project T it le

International Conference on Plasma Medicine 5 (ICPM5) Nara, Japan Development of a Hand Sanitizer Employing Non-thermal Plasma Activated Mist

11th Annual CubeSat Developers' Workshop San Luis Obispo, CA Deployable Package for Enhanced Power and De-Orbit Capabilities in CubeSat Satellites

Northeastern Bioengineering Conference Boston, MA Malodor Management in High Exuding Chronic Wounds


Joint Journalism & Communication History Conference New York, NY It's a great life! Idaho community newspapers cover the construction of the Minidoka Internment Camp

MASCC/ISOO International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer Miami, FL Hormone Replacement Therapy and Endometrial Cancer Recuperance: Meto-Analysis of Available Data


Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting (2013) Seattle, WA A novel in-vitro model to quantify the dynamic interaction of lymphatic endothelial cells and T-cells

American Psychology-Law Society Annual Meeting 2014 New Orleans, LA Juvenile Defendant Characteristics Associated with Pre-Ajudication Diversion


American Psychology-Law Society Annual Meeting 2014 New Orleans, LA Differences in susceptibility to coercion and stress level during interrogations between justice-involved and community youth


Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting (2013) Seattle, WA Gold Nanoparticles Peptide Triazole Mediated HIV-1 virolysis

Mid-Atlantic Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics College Park, MD Search for Induced Depletion of 108mAg with CoMeV Biemsstrahlung

Northeastern Bioengineering Conference Boston, MA Feedback Control System to Titrate Oxygen Delivery in Hypoxic Hypoxemia

American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting & Nuclear Technology Expo Washington, DC SIDecSo, a Simple Analytic Software for Neutro Depth Profiling

World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2014 Portland, OR The Participation of Citizen Scientist in Green Infrastructure Post-Construction Monitoring Efforts in New York City


Vermont Journal of Environmental Law Fall 2013 Symposium South Royalton, VT N/A

Mid-Atlantic Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics College Park, MD The Fabrication of Solid Xenon Crystal Detectors for the Detection of Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay

223rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society Washington, DC Probing Systematic Bias in the Reverberation Mapped Quasar Sample

Mid-Atlantic Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics College Park, MD Probing Systematic Bias in the Reverberation Mapped Quasar Sample

15

Students accepted to present at NCRC 2014: From left to right: • Lorenzo Albala (Biomed. Engr., ’14) • Claudia Gutierrez (Biomed. Engr., ’15) • Chelsea Knittel (Custom Design, ’14) • Aimee Turner (Envi. Sci., ’17) • Alex McBride (Mat. Engr., ’18) • Yujun (Terry) Xie (Mat. Engr., ’14) [not pictured]

The National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) was established in 2012 to create a forum for undergraduate researchers to come together and share their work. This conference, run by the Harvard

College Undergraduate Research Association (HCURA), was established based on the belief “that student researchers have the ability to make meaningful and significant contributions in all fields of

study and to the greater body of world research knowledge.” Our students have had the opportunity to

participate in this newly developing undergraduate research community since its inception. This year,

we were able to support the attendance and participation of six undergraduate students.

National Collegiate Research Conference Harvard University Cambridge, MA January 22-25, 2014

“[Attending NCRC 2014] was an interesting

experience to spend time with students working on projects completely unrelated to my own, as it got

me thinking about new and different areas of research, …. [as well as] students who were

working on similar kinds of projects as myself (projects in smart textile research), yet approaching

the problem in completely different ways. [Chelsea Knittel, Custom-Designed Major, ‘14]

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National Conference on Undergraduate Research University of Kentucky-Lexington Lexington, KY Apri l 3-5, 2014

Students accepted to present at NCUR 2014: • Katherine Berman (Bio., ’15) • Poonam Bhavsar (Bio., ’16) • Oresta Borodevyc (Bio., ’16) • Aqsaa Chaudhry (Bio., ’14) • Simone Dallaire (Int’l. Busn., Legal

Studies, ’14) • Sabrina Douglas (Nursing, ’16) • Megan Hartz (Psychology, ’14) • Jordan Jobs (Info. Systems, ’15) • Alexander McBride (Mat. Engr., ’17) • Aakansha Nangarlia (Biomed. Engr., ’16)* • Rebecca Olsho (Int’l. Area Studies, ’16) • Colin Stacy (Mech. Engr., ’14) • Aimee Turner (Envi. Sci., ’17) *This student was not able to attend NCUR 2014.

The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) promotes

undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study. The annual conference, hosted by the Council on Undergraduate

Research at a different university each year, gives undergraduate scholars in all fields and from all types of institutions of higher learning a forum to

share the results of their work through posters, presentations, performances, and works of art.

This year, we traveled to University of Kentucky-Lexington with 12 talented undergraduate students from across the University. Nine of these

12 students were former STAR Scholars, and two of these twelve were first-year students at Drexel.

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Students nominated to present at the 2013 CAA Undergraduate Research Conference: • Anthony Abel (Chem. Engr., ’16) • Alex Benjamin (Mech. Engr., ’15) • Rishon Benjamin (Chem. Engr., ’15) • Gabrielle Housel (Mat. Engr., ’15) • Aswathi John (Biomed. Engr., ’15) • Weiquan Li (Busn. & Engr. ’16) • Trisha Menon (Bio., ’14) • Anjli Patel (Chem. Engr., ’15) • Zachary Stockmal (Interactive Dig. Media, ’16) • Mashaal Syed (Biomed. Engr., ’16) • Abhishek Valanju (Info. Tech., ’16)

Colonial Academic Al l iance Undergraduate Research Conference Towson University Towson, MD Apri l 11-13, 2014

At the Colonial Academic Alliance (CAA)

Undergraduate Research Conference, undergraduate

researchers from all disciplines are welcome: from

the STEM fields to the humanities, fine arts, and

social sciences. Faculty members from participating

institutions nominate outstanding undergraduate

researchers from their institutions to present their

work at each CAA Undergraduate Research

Conference. Students have the opportunity to present

their work through poster sessions and oral

presentations.

This year, we had faculty nominate a record number

of students (for a total of 17 nominated), of which we

were able to send 11 students to present their work at

the CAA Undergraduate Research Conference. Nine

of these 11 students were former STAR Scholars,

and four of these students were presenting work as

sophomore students.

Drexel University is set to host the

Colonial Academic Alliance

Undergraduate Research Conference

in Spring 2015.

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Council on Undergraduate Research Posters on the Hil l Washington, DC Apri l 28-29, 2014

Each April, the Council on Undergraduate Research hosts “Posters on the Hill” in Washington, D.C. Approximately 60 students from across the country are selected on a competitive basis, out of a pool of approximately 800 applicants, to present their research to Members of Congress and invited guests at the Rayburn Office Building on Capitol Hill. Students meet with their Congressional and House Representatives, attend field trips, and hear from speakers who are innovators in and supporters of undergraduate research. This year marks the third year in a row that a Drexel student has been selected to present his or her research at CUR Posters on the Hill; out of these three student representatives, two of them – including this year’s student researcher, Michael Koerner – have been sophomores. Our ability to send early undergraduate students to present their independent research at such prestigious conferences is a testament to the research being conducted here on campus and also to the faculty members who take the time to mentor these bright and motivated students.

Michael Koerner Biomedical Engineering, ’17

Michael Koerner (Biomed. Engr., ’17) was selected to present his research at CUR Posters on the Hill in April 2014. Michael presented his research on new ways to bioimage data using tactile feedback, which he began during the summer after his freshman year and then continued during a research co-op under the mentorship of Dr. Andrew R. Cohen in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (College of Engineering). Michael’s research co-op was supported partially through grant funding and through a Steinbright Career & Development Center research co-op fellowship. Michael’s work has also been accepted for presentation at the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology conference in Chicago in August 2014. In addition to being first author on the paper he will present at the IEEE conference, his work with Dr. Cohen on new interfaces for exploring 3-D data has also resulted in a provisional patent application.

Michael Koerner (pictured second from the right) poses with his faculty mentor, Dr. Andrew R. Cohen (pictured at the far right), along with two other Pennsylvania students selected for CUR Posters on the Hill and their faculty

advisors, and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) in the Capitol Building.

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Presenting Research @ Drexel University

In an effort to recognize the depth and breadth of research that occurs at the undergraduate and graduate level, the College of Arts & Sciences hosts an annual CoAS Research Day, at which can present posters or oral presentations of their work. A total of 56 undergraduate students participated, with 48 students presenting research posters and 8 students giving oral presentations.

While many of our undergraduate students travel to regional, domestic, or international conferences to participate in their larger research communities, Drexel University offers a number of opportunities for students to have that exposure here in Philadelphia. Throughout the year, undergraduate students

present their original work alongside other researchers at the following venues:

Drexel University’s institution-wide Research Day routinely brings together researchers of all levels. In Spring 2014, a total of 119 undergraduate students presented posters in nine areas of inquiry.

Congratulat ions to the 2014 Drexel Research Day Award Winners: [Bio/Biomedical]

Lorenzo Albala Grant Grothusen Justin Newton

[Business Research]

Lawrence Lindawan

[Computation & Bio-Modeling]

Michael Koerner

April 18, 2014

February 17 & 18, 2014

Congratulat ions to the 2014 CoAS Research Day Award Winners:

[Natural & Physical Sciences]

Victoria Baccini (Bio.)

Michael Jewell (Physics)

Spencer Roberts (Envi. Sci.)

Kirsten Vannix (Bio.)

[Humanities & Social Sciences]

Zachary Cohen (Hist.)

Cory Czuczman (Psych.)

Rhae Ana Gamber (Psych.)

Allison Herens (Psych.)

[Computation & Modeling/Non-Bio]

Sharanya Subramony [Creative Arts & Design]

Nnaemeke Offodile [Education & Outreach]

Nicholas Flynn

[Humanities & Social Sciences]

Andrea Verghese

[Physical Science & Engineering]

Stephen Watt [Translational & Clinical]

Parth Panchal

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Underrepresented Students in Undergraduate Research

Louis Stokes All iance for Minority Part icipation

The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), funded by the National Science Foundation, works to increase the number of underrepresented minority students in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) disciplines. We are proud to partner with LSAMP to bring underrepresented minority students into the STAR Scholars Program and further engage them in research opportunities.

# of LSAMP STAR Scholars by Year

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-2014*

6 5 11 10 13 10

*estimated # of LSAMP STAR Scholars based on current 2014 STAR cohort

• Claudia Gutierrez (Biomedical Engineering, ’15)

participated as an LSAMP STAR Scholar in Summer 2011.

Since STAR, she has presented at undergraduate research and

discipline-specific conferences and has completed six months

of research abroad in Switzerland as a Whitaker Fellow.

Claudia plans to attend medical school to become a physician

and has hopes to run her own business one day.

• Jordan Jobs (Information Systems, ’15) participated as

an LSAMP STAR Scholar in Summer 2012. She presented

her STAR research on health information and access in low-

income communities at NCUR 2013, completed three months

of study and research in Germany as part of the DAAD Rise

program, and presented her research on human-computer

interfaces at NCUR 2014.

• Elaine Ruiz (Materials Engineering, ’16) participated as

an LSAMP STAR Scholar in Summer 2012. She continued

her research in Dr. Antonios Zavaliangos’ lab as a research

co-op in 2012-2013.

Throughout our endeavors to

support undergraduate research,

we are committed to providing

these opportunities to

underrepresented students

through our work with the Louis

Stokes Alliance for Minority

Participation, the Liberty

Scholars Program, and the

assessment we conduct of our

programs. We are committed to

this goal, because …

…the resul ts of engaging these students in undergraduate

research are often transformational…

We see underrepresented students with little

previous experience with research who

participate in the STAR Scholars Program

and other undergraduate research

opportunities make meaningful

contributions to the research agendas of their

faculty mentors and setting and achieving

goals for themselves that were previously

thought to be unattainable. Further, by

challenging both themselves and their

faculty mentors, they are changing the

profile of our university for the better.

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The Discover portal was established in Spring 2010 to facilitate research and scholarly collaboration between faculty and undergraduate students. While faculty members traditionally must cull from their classes for undergraduate

research assistants, the Discover portal allows faculty to broaden their

applicant pool while allowing students to find faculty with similar research interests whom they may not have met through their courses.

We plan to continue to identify ways to make the Discover portal more

user-friendly and more useful to the Drexel Community.

In 2013-2014, 98 faculty members created 123 postings for research posit ions. Each of these postings received an average of 2-3 student appl icants.

A total of 285 students applied for research positions through the Discover portal.

[Newest Update]

Faculty members now have the capability not only to post research positions but also to see what types of positions their colleagues are posting. Faculty members can now toggle between the “Faculty” view (allowing them to post positions) and the “Advisor” view (allowing them to view positions).

[Sample Research Project T it les]

v Additive Manufacturing (3-D Printing) of Human Scale Hollow Cementitious

Vessels (Civil, Architectural, & Environmental Engineering)

v Creating a Literature Review of the Use of Narrative in the Transmittal of

Medical Knowledge (English & Philosophy)

v Effect of Shale Gas Waste Water on Diatoms in Blacklick Creek, Western PA

(Biodiversity, Earth, & Environmental Science)

v Eating Disorders & Obesity (Psychology)

v Orthopedic Biomechanics Lab Research Assistant (Biomedical Engineering)

v iOS App Developer for Drexel App Lab (Electrical & Computer Engineering)

[Future Init iatives]

In the coming years, we hope to expand the use and reach of the Discover website in the following ways:

v Collaborate with Steinbright Career Development Center to cross-post research co-op opportunities on both portals

v Export Discover “job widgets” to college and department websites (starting with Office of Undergraduate Research)

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Major Partnerships Johns Hopkins Center for Talented

Youth (CTY) The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) identifies gifted middle school students and, through a partnership with Drexel University, offers such gifted students in the Philadelphia area a one-course scholarship as a High School Scholar.

Haddonfield Memorial High School Drexel has a multifaceted relationship with the Haddonfield School District, and one of these facets is our work with them through the High School Scholars Program. Every year, approximately 5-10 Haddonfield high school students apply to and are accepted into the High School Scholars Program.

Science Leadership Academy The Science Leadership Academy, with its mission of inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection, sends its high-achieving students to the High School Scholars Program to increase their academic opportunities as students in the School District of Philadelphia.

The High School Scholars Program (formerly the Visiting Scholars Program) enables high-achieving

h igh school students to take classes at Drexel University, free of tuition, while they are completing

high school. These students are eligible to take classes through the College of Arts & Sciences, the

LeBow College of Business, and the Goodwin College of Professional and Technical Studies.

Term Students Registered

High Schools Represented

Summer 2013 45 16

Fall 2013 17 12

Winter 2014 16 6

Spring 2014 27 13

In AY 2013-14, we increased the number of schools participating in the High School Scholars Program, as

well as the number of students who participated each term. The flexibility of this program enables us to

foster partnerships with a range of educational institutions; in the past, this has included the Inside-

Out Program at Drexel University and the Science Leadership Academy (below). As we move forward

with the program, we hope to engage with more schools in the Philadelphia area to better support our

community and recruit high-achieving Philadelphia

students to Drexel as undergraduate students.

In 2013-14, the High School Scholars Program… Enrolled a total of 95 High School Scholars in 121 Drexel classes . Enrolled 25 High School Scholars who participated in the program during more than one term (e.g., took one class during at least two separate terms during the academic year). Accepted High School Scholars in the program representing 22 di fferent area high schools.

“Thanks in large part to this program, I have grown leaps and bounds in my ability to write, think critically and take notes, all of which will be extremely helpful to me at the next level of my education.”

- Excerpt from a thank-you letter from a former High School Scholar

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Collaborating with Faculty & Offices

v Ms. Nancy Bellafante and Ms. Elizabeth Ten Have (Drexel Libraries) have offered their time, information, expertise, and space to create a substantial workshop series to expose students to tools and

topics relevant to research and scholarship. Some sample workshop titles have included: o Managing References with Zotero

o In Search of a Scholarly Review Article o The Art and Science of Visual Design

v Dr. Scott Warnock and Dr. Dan Driscoll (Drexel Writing Center) have given their time and expertise to

educate students about the relationship between writing and research, particularly by offering a popular and useful set of workshops for our STAR Scholars on writing abstracts.

Drexel Study Abroad Office, Office of International Programs, & Col lege of Engineering The implementation of the iSTAR Scholars Program would not have been possible without the assistance and connections provided by the College of Engineering, as well as the information, resources and assistance

provided by the Drexel Study Abroad Office and Office of International Programs. These units’ support will

prove invaluable as we move forward to institutionalize and expand this program in the coming years.

In addition to the work we have conducted with Dr. Glen Muschio (Digital

Media, CoMAD) and Dr. Jennifer Stanford (Biology, CoAS) on publications,

we have also spent time this year cultivating relationships with other faculty

members and offices across the University to combine resources and provide

opportunities for students that we would not be able to make available on our

own. We would like to thank these units and faculty for their cooperation and

support this past year and as we continue to move forward.

Drexel Libraries & Drexel Writ ing Center The Office of Undergraduate Research organizes a series of workshops to round out the summer experience for our STAR Scholars with the assistance

of the Drexel Libraries and the Drexel Writing Center.

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Dr. Sriram Balasubramanian (Biomed) Dr. V.K. Narayanan (LeBow)

Dr. Jennifer Breaux (Public Health) Dr. Karen Nulton (CoAS)

Ms. Marie Fazio (CCI) Dr. William Regli (CCI)

Dr. Adam Fontecchio (CoE) Dr. Jennifer Stanford (CoAS)

Dr. Warren Hilton (Public Health) Ms. Elizabeth Ten Have (Libraries)

Dr. Kelly Joyce (CoAS) Ms. Antoinette Torres (AARD)

Dr. Glen Muschio (CoMAD) Dr. Antonios Zavaliangos (CoE)

Over the course of the first year of this committee, we have sought out feedback from committee members on

the following topics:

v STAR Scholars Applicat ion Process : With the Advisory Committee’s feedback, we successfully

implemented our first online STAR Scholars application this past year. As we move forward, we will

continue to request feedback to streamline the process.

v STAR Scholars Recommendation Form : We also were able to implement a more thorough and

strategic recommendation process for the STAR Scholars Program this year with the assistance of the

Advisory Committee. We are looking to revise this process even further over the next year and will do

so with the assistance of the Advisory Committee.

v “Research Intensive” Course Designation: We have begun discussions with the Advisory

Committee related to the creation of a “Research Intensive” course designation and certificate

program as one possibility for further integrating research into the curriculum. The Advisory

Committee will prove invaluable as we continue this conversation.

Collaborating with Faculty & Offices

In 2013-14, we convened the Office of Undergraduate Research

Advisory Committee, which comprises 14 members from across the

University. These faculty members and administrators have

provided us with valuable on various initiatives and concerns

related to undergraduate research here at Drexel. We would like to

thank these individuals for their participation and feedback, and we

look forward to continuing to work with them.

Office of Undergraduate Research Advisory Committee

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Presentations & Publications

Publications STAR Scholars and Digi tal Cul tural Heritage

We collaborated with Dr. Glen Muschio (Interactive Digital Media, Westphal) and two graduate students from the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design to write a piece on the relationship

between the STAR Scholars Program and the Digital Cultural Heritage projects taking place in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. The piece discusses the growth of Digital Cultural Heritage

as a general area of study and the role the STAR Scholars Program played in the growth of Digital Cultural Heritage here at Drexel by providing a space for intensive and immersive research outside of

the STEM disciplines. Rocheleau, S., Muschio, G., Malazita, J., Petrovich, M., and Mohan, J. (2014). STAR Scholars and Digital

Cultural Heritage. CUR Quarterly, 34(2), 27-32.

Early Undergraduate Research Experiences Lead to Similar Learning Gains for A ll Students We worked closely with Dr. Jennifer Stanford (Biology, COAS) to assess the benefits of the STAR Scholars Program through data collection (survey responses of current and former STAR Scholars) and

analysis. Through this data analysis, we obtained quantitative proof of student outcomes of participation in early undergraduate research across the disciplines, including increased retention and learning gains in

a number of different areas (as defined by the survey tool used in our data collection). Stanford, J., Mohan, J., and Rocheleau, S. (2014). Early Undergraduate Research Experiences Lead to Similar

Learning Gains for All Students. Submitted for publication in Higher Education.

One Universi ty : Leveraging Inst itut ional Partnerships to Increase Undergraduate Research We have been accepted to give a workshop presentation on the institutional partnerships that have

contributed to our undergraduate research initiatives here at Drexel University at the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) 2014 Conference entitled, “Creating the Citizens of Tomorrow:

Undergraduate Research for All.” This presentation will take place in late June 2014.

Presentation

In an effort to communicate our successes in undergraduate research initiatives and collaborations to a larger audience, the Office of Undergraduate Research has worked on a number of publications and presentations during the 2013-14 academic year.

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Undergraduate Research: Looking Forward

As we move into the 2014-2015 academic year, the Off ice of Undergraduate Research wil l…

v Host the Colonial Academic All iance Undergraduate Research

Conference in March 2015, which will bring students and provosts from 10 universities

to campus to present and share undergraduate research.

v Implement a new partnership with the Biology department for the STAR

Scholars Program in which STAR Scholars will be partnered with graduate students

under funding provided by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant obtained by Biology

faculty members. We will be able to accept an extra five STAR Scholars per year for three

years, while the Biology department will be able to provide their graduate students with

valuable mentoring experience.

v Continue to expand the iSTAR Scholars Program to potentially include

locations in Ireland and Los Angeles for students in the College of Arts & Sciences and the

College of Media Arts & Design and to explore further opportunities for students in

other disciplines.

v Identify ways to further support faculty-student research collaborations through increased research grants for students conducting research with

faculty and by encouraging students to pursue opportunities through REUs and research co-

ops here on campus.

v Continue to explore the “research intensive” course designation to

further conversations about integrating research into the curriculum and identifying how

Drexel faculty and curricula already achieve this.

The Office of Undergraduate Research is a unit of the Pennoni Honors College.

office of undergraduate research 2013-2014 annual report

Documents

cul ture of research

drexel students

underrepresented students

istar scholars programs

college careers

high school scholars

col laboration of faculty

assistant director