Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Fifteen Mississippi State students are receiving awards to support their summer research programs.
Ranging $1,000-$2,000, the grants are being provided for the first time by the university's Shackouls Honors College Endowment, which includes $3.3 million set aside specifically for this purpose.
The program was created to identify and support honors college members with the personal interests and academic standings to conduct scientific investigations in collaboration with faculty advisers both on and off campus.
"The recipients and their advisers will be honored at an early fall semester luncheon," said Kevin Knudson, the college's associate director. "They then will present the results of their work at our first Undergraduate Research Symposium, to be held next April."
Electronic summaries of the students' work will be available online in September, he added.
The inaugural Shackouls Undergraduate Research Scholars group includes (by hometown, with parent names and project title):
BIG SPRINGS, Texas--Senior marketing major Jesus Valdez, the son of Dianna Valdez, "Technology Adoption in Small Business: A Social Capital Perspective."
COLLINSVILLE--Senior biological engineering major Caleb R. Dulaney, the son of Charles and Linda Dulaney, "An Engineered Bacterial System for Lignin Biodegradation."
GULFPORT--Senior William P. Cleveland, an aerospace engineering and computer engineering double-major and the son of Peter and Faye Cleveland, "Droplet Sizing in Liquid Suspensions and Multiphase Flows."
HELENA, Ala.--Junior Gwendolyn J. Johnson, a biological sciences/pre-veterinary medicine major and the daughter of Melissa Finley of Helena and Walter Johnson of Hamilton, N.J., "Cyclura Carinata: Genetics and Conservation."
LOUISVILLE--Senior animal science major Melissa L. Masters, the daughter of Kathy Noland of Louisville and Bill Masters of Cross Junction, Va., "Analysis of Fractions of Dried Distillers Grains for Use in Feedstuffs."
MONROE, La.--Junior biochemistry/forensic sciences major Erika L. Knott, the daughter of Stephen and Janet Knott, "The Myelostimulatory Principal of Echinacea."
PURVIS--Senior Edward H. Leggett, a physics and philosophy double-major and the son of Edward and Leasa Leggett, "Simulation of Ultra-Cold Neutron Absorption."
SAUCIER--Senior biology education major Angela R. Frame, "Dropping Dropout Rates: Data Analysis." [Parents not listed.]
STARKVILLE--Senior Douglas M. Ansel, a political science/ economics double-major and the son of George and Wendy Ansel, "Studies in Democratization"; sophomore psychology major Alison J. Barnes, the daughter of Donna Barnes of Starkville and Michael Barnes of Vicksburg, "The Role of Explicit Feedback in Learning Optimal Discrimination Strategies" ; junior microbiology major Katye L. Herring, the daughter of Molly Herring and Peter Herring, "Effect of Organophosphate Exposure on Cholesteryl ester hydrolase"; senior Bryan E. Norwood, an architecture and philosophy double-major and the son of Thomas and Jan Norwood, "Delighting in Architecture"; and junior aerospace engineering major Wade M. Spurlock, the son of Stan and Ann Spurlock, "Testing Custer's Channel Wing Design."
VICKSBURG--Senior biological sciences/pre-physical therapy major Angela H. Matson, the daughter of Thomas and Kady Matson, "Real-time PCR, Conservation Genetics, and a Caribbean Iguana."
WESSON--Senior mathematics major Ryan M. Causey, the son of Michael and Bonnie Causey, "Population Dynamics with Diffusion and Harvesting."
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For the names of each student's faculty adviser and additional information on selection for the Shackouls Honors College research program, contact assistant director Kevin Knudson at 662-325-2522 or knudson@honors.msstate.edu. He also has digital headshots of most participants that also can be provided.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.