Undergraduates honored for research projects

Ten UW–Madison seniors have received awards for the most creative and futuristic undergraduate research projects featured during the Sesquicentennial Undergraduate Research Symposium.

The symposium held Wednesday, Feb. 10, as part of UW–Madison’s sesquicentennial celebration, showcased original work by 44 undergraduates in the sciences, humanities and social studies. Students worked independently on the projects but received mentoring from faculty and staff.

The event highlighted the intellectual endeavors of UW–Madison undergraduates and possible future advancements in research.

“The sesquicentennial is a great opportunity to celebrate the cross-college approach to undergraduate research at UW–Madison,” said Jane Harris Cramer, associate director of the Center for Biology Education and an organizer of the event. A panel of current and retired faculty judged the projects. Cramer said the professors were impressed by all the projects and had a tough time selecting winners. Chancellor David Ward presented the following award winners each with a $100 gift certificate to The University Book Store:

• Laura Croal, a bacteriology major from Waukesha, for looking at ways to justify the use of bacimerthin as a way to identify additional products involved in gene synthesis.
• Sarah Gruenwald, a Spanish and zoology major from Oak Creek, for her proposal to compile a handbook for Spanish/English medical interpreters in clinical settings.
• Michele Hardesty, an English major from Prior Lake, Minn., for seeking to describe how zines – underground magazines produced by individuals and small publishers distributed mostly via the Internet and e-mail – create a noncommercial culture against the growing array of mass media.
• Casey Klofstad, a political science major from Wausau, for her analysis on the relationship between partisan and interest group support and possible implications for the future of democracy in the United States.
• Amy Lillich, a Zoology major from Whitefish Bay, for research on the identification of certain genes in mice that may prevent colon and rectal cancer in humans.
• Jeremiah Miller, a chemistry and philosophy major from Eden Prairie, Minn., for research into how rhenium actylenic ketone complexes may be combined into a catalytic metal, such as platinum, which could be used to construct a simple method of isomerizing acetylenic ketones.
• Quy Ai Ngo, a molecular biology and botany major from Houston, Texas, for research into genome organization and transcription pattern of the mitochondrial locus in male fertile and petaloid male sterile carrots.
• Timothy A. Nichols, a psychology and sociology major from Madison, for experiments on how the human visual system recognizes faces.
• Jonathan Nix, a physics major from Middleton, for his research on strange star binary coalescence.
• Mark Putzer, a zoology major from Oshkosh, for studies on a possible relationship between the activity of ships and other sea vessels and the behavior of killer whales.