2009 science summer research projects
During the summer of 2009, 81 student students worked on 57 different research projects across the science division.
Here is a sampling of those projects, organized by scientific field:
Biology
- Ben Konynenbelt and Dan Minarik worked with John Ubels to develop and evaluate eye drops for the treatment of dry eye syndrome.
- Peter Dornbos traveled with Keith Grasman to the Adirondack Mountains in New York to study the impact of airborne mercury on the immune function of Common Loons (birds).
- Jodi Unema and Josh Garone worked in Calvin's Ecosystem Preserve conducting a census of breeding birds, a sampling of small mammals and a census of the preserve's tree population.
Chemistry
- Susanna Lynch and Jordan Scott worked with Kumar Sinniah in chemistry studying insulin and anti-cancer drug interaction with G-Quadruplex DNA.
- Sarah Tasker and Gregg Snapper worked with Carolyn Anderson on an organic chemistry project involving pyridones and amino acids.
- Craig Rybarz partnered with Chad Tatko to develop a technique to remove harmful sulfur from diesel fuel.
- Matthew Borr studied the fluorescence in Narra Wood with Mark Muyskens.
Susanna Lynch doing chemistry research.
Computer science
- Nat Burns worked with Harry Plantinga to develop a method to use algorithms and similarity measures to search for similarities in musical scores.
Engineering
- Nate Gifford studied existing recycling technology with Aubrey Sykes in order to see improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of recycling programs over time.
- Amanda Hayes worked with David Wunder to investigate the water treatment properties of bagasse charcoal for developing global regions.
Geology, geography and environmental studies
- Andrew Quackenbush worked with Johnathan Bascom (GEO) to illustrate the first atlas to be published of Africa's newest country: Eritrea. The atlas will be used as a textbook at universities and schools in Eritrea.
Mathematics and statistics
- Sarah Snoeyink and Ethan Van Andel worked together with Michael Bolt (mathematics) on numerical conformal mapping and potential theory in the plane.
Physics and astronomy
- Andrew Harmon and Zach Smith worked with Matt Walhout to produce and study an unusal molecule, the krypton molecule.
- Katherine Shomsky, Peter Plantinga, Tim Atallah and Zach Smith worked as a team with Stan Haan in an ongoing project in theoretical physics investigating the mechanisms by which lasers with visible or infrared wavelengths remove two electrons from atoms.
- Luke Lesiman studied the cool cores in the spaces between galaxies with Deborah Haarsma.
Nathan Meyers studied lipid phase transitions with Paul Harper.
Psychology
- Charlotte Du Laney studied the neuronal function of Probsts bundles in brain tissue with Paul Moes.
