Biology

More than 300 students presented research during WKU’s 43rd annual Student Research Conference on March 23 at Gary Ransdell Hall. The conference, part of REACH (Research Experiences and Creative Heights) Week, showcased the scholarly activities of graduate and undergraduate students of diverse disciplines from across WKU’s Bowling Green and regional campuses.

“The 316 papers, posters, exhibits and performances highlighted the fantastic research and creative endeavors of our talented graduate and undergraduate students,” said Dr. Darlene Applegate, chair of the Student Research Council. “The faculty members who supervised these students should be very proud.”

The conference was organized by the Student Research Council, which includes Leslie Baylis, Lance Hahn, Bob Hatfield, Rodney King, Scott Lyons, Ashlee Manley, Andrew Mienaltowski, Lynn Minton, Farley Norman, Merrall Price, Tammera Race, Lawrence Snyder, Ajay Srivastava and Derick Strode. The council also appreciates the support of faculty and staff who served as judges and the support of the Office for Research, the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the WKU Chapter of Sigma Xi.

Here is a list of session winners (student name, topic, faculty mentor):

Graduate Paper Session 1: Business                                                                                      

• Kyle O’Donnell: Utilizing Energy Saving Performance to Position WKU as a Net-Zero Emissions Campus (Dr. Brian Sullivan)

Graduate Paper Session 2: Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies                          

• Logan Scisco: The Duty of the Rich to Pay and the Poor to Use: Compulsory Education Laws in Gilded Age America (1866-1900) (Dr. Patricia Minter)

Graduate Paper Session 3: Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies                          

• Leslie Nichols: Connections Through Time in Typewritten Portraits (Dr. Kristi Branham)

Graduate Paper Session 4: Natural Sciences                                                                       

• Elizabeth Tyrie: Diffusion Tensor Imaging Analysis Using the Medical Image Processing and Visualization (MIPAV) Application (Prof. Leslie North); Additional Authors: Alexandra Bokinsky, Justin Senseney, Julie McEntee, Dzung Pham and Matthew McAuliffe

Graduate Paper Session 5: Natural Sciences                                                                       

• Linda Baizel: Characterization of the Chesterian Big Clifty Tar Sand from Northern Warren County, Kentucky (Dr. Michael May)

Graduate Paper Session 6: Natural Sciences                                                                       

• Alexander Larin: Intelligent Multi-Functional Artificial Olfactory System (Dr. Vladimir Dobrokhotov)

Graduate Paper Session 7: Humanities                                                                                  

• Brandi Button: Plain and Simple: The Will to Live Sustainably in an Unsustainable World (Dr. Jane Olmsted)

Graduate Paper Session 8: Natural Sciences                                                                       

• Amanda Seaton: The Left Operon of Bacteriophage HK639 Is Essential for Viral Growth (Dr. Rodney King); Additional Author: Rodney King

Graduate Paper Session 9: Natural Sciences                                         &nbs