Research targeting cancer, relationships and more to be presented by Kansas State University students at Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol
Friday, Feb. 10, 2017
MANHATTAN — Five undergraduate researchers from Kansas State University will present their research at Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, on the first-floor rotunda at the State Capitol in Topeka. The students are sponsored by the university's Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry.
The event, which is free and open to the public, showcases the research being conducted by students at the state's four-year institutions. Approximately 40 undergraduate student projects will present their work.
"The purpose of Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol is to showcase a representative group of undergraduates engaged in research and creative discovery across the state of Kansas," said Anita Cortez, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry. "Our institutions of higher learning continue to meet the challenges of our state by producing cutting edge research that not only strengthens the Kansas economy but also 'develops a highly skilled and educated citizenry necessary to advancing the well-being of Kansas, the nation, and the international community,' as our university mission statement so aptly states."
A proclamation signed by Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback designates Feb. 15 as Undergraduate Research Day in the Kansas. It notes that undergraduate research expands the vision and skills of undergraduate students at four-year institutions of higher learning in the state and prepares them to critically engage in the complex issues of Kansas and a rapidly changing world. It also states that fostering active and collaborative learning early in a student's career can lead to the discovery of new knowledge and applications that benefit the lives of many as well as strengthening the economic prosperity of Kansas.
The following Kansas State University students will present their work at Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol:
• Patricia J. Melton, junior in digital/experimental art, Manhattan, will present "The Cicada: Interactive Art Promoting Healthier Human-Insect Relationships." Her faculty mentor is Carlos Castellanos, assistant professor of art.
• Vaithish Velazhahan, junior in biology, Manhattan, will present "Investigating the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-cancer action of dietary flavonoids." His faculty mentor is Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology.
• Caroline Fuss, junior in family studies and human services, Overland Park, will present "Hostility as a Mediator between Trauma Exposure and Health Outcomes in Married Soldiers." Her faculty mentor is Briana S. Nelson-Goff, professor, family studies and human services.
• Brandon Williams, sophomore in history, Overland Park, will present "Cameras in the Streets: The Use and Evolution of Photography in Turn-of-the-Century Kansas." His faculty mentor is M.J. Morgan, instructor of history.
• Kathlyn Gomendoza, senior in biology, Wichita, will present "A viral oxidoreductase modifies viral structural proteins, a requirement for virus infectivity." Her faculty mentor is A. Lorena Passarelli, professor of biology.
