SAMURS

Welcome to the Sciences and Mathematics Undergraduate Research Symposium!

The University of Washington Tacoma Environmental Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Environmental Sustainability, and Mathematics majors hosted an annual Environmental Research Symposium, Sciences and Mathematics Undergraduate Research Symposium (SAMURS). This event showcased the capstone research projects of our undergraduate students. This year we had a number of presentations by our undergraduate students, covering a broad range of questions and projects related to the environment, mathematics, sustainability and much more. Projects were conducted in the lab, in the trees, in the mud, in the classroom, at an aquarium, on the water, underwater and on land. Some of the students did original research with a faculty mentor, pushing the boundaries of what is known in their fields. Others participated in internships, where they helped community partners further their missions through service. What all of these diverse students have in common is determination and dedication to complete an independent study as part of their undergraduate education. We hope you were inspired and educated by what they have accomplished.

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Abstracts

Student Name(s)	Student Mentor	Title (Click on title for poster)	Abstract (Click on photo for abstract)
Ali,Mirna	Cynthia Updegrave	Restoring the ecological functions of Titlow Beach Park, Tacoma, Washington through invasive species removal and native plant installations
Baer, MaggieJo	Julie Masura	Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Puget Sound Bed Sediments
Bailey, Jacob	Cynthia Updegrave	Restoring Coniferous Succession to Titlow Park in Tacoma, WA
Bakera, Naomi	Karen Cowgill	Improving the health of Pierce County, one flu vaccination clinic at a time
Boss, Michael	Matt Kelly	Identifying Potential Wetland Restoration Sites Using a GIS Suitability Index in Pierce County, WA
Broeker, Richard	Laura Doepker	Computational approach for the discovery of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies
Brown, Nik	Laura Murphy	The search for safe, affordable, alternative treatment for Leishmaniasis by reacting 3-Pyridin-2-yl-1H-pyrazol-5-amine with picolinic acid through an amide coupling reaction
Curtis, Alexia	Marc Nahmani	Spinules within the Somatosensory
Dao, Linh	Karen Cowgill	Healthcare observation in New Delhi, India: Class disparity and social reforms implementation strategies
Dewitz, Faith	Joel Baker	Critical Review of Methods Used to Estimate Agricultural Nitrogen Loadings into the Puget Sound: Updating Environmental Modeling
Estrada, Chanel Athena	Jack Vincent	Mutagenesis of potential phosphorylation sites via Gibson Assembly within the kinetochore protein, Stu2, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Foster, Octavia	Marc Nahmani	3D Analysis of Excitatory Synapses Reveals Spinule Prevalence and Origins in the Cerebral Cortex
Fosnick, Mae	Cheryl Greengrove	Phytoplankton and Nutrients in Clayoquot Sound, west coast Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada 2018
Gonzalez, Zabdiel	Karen Cowgill	In-School Flu Vaccination Clinics: The Importance Of The Preparation Behind The Clinic
Gustafson, Kayla	Julie Masura	Microplastics Upstream and Downstream from Wastewater Treatment Plants in the Lower Puyallup River Watershed
Guzman, Mia	Laura Murphy	Producing an Aminopyrazole-based Drug for the Treatment of Leishmaniasis
Herndon, Lisa	Jack Vincent	Reducing Waste in Genetic Testing: Setting Up an Active Utilization Management System at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital
Hettinger, Rachel	Ed Kolodziej	Characterizing the distribution of organic semi-volatile pollutants in stormwater particulate matter
Hobby, Aaron	Jack Vincent	Mutagenesis of potential phosphorylation sites via Gibson Assembly within the kinetochore protein, Stu2, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Huynh, Ngan	Jutta Heller	Tracking the Subcellular Localization of an Uncharacterized Plasmodium Protein:  Manipulating Cloning and Tagging Techniques
Kiforishin, Rachel	Jutta Heller	PCR of Plasmodium yoelii gene PY02678 to Understand its Function
Klevemann, Caroline	Bonnie Becker, Matthew Kelley	Using GIS to Identify Suitable Habitat for native Olympia Oyster Restoration
Laughlin, Micheal	Karen Cowgill	Increasing the Efficiency of School Located Influenza Vaccination (SLIV) Clinics in Pierce County Elementary Schools
Leckman, Hayden	Maureen Kennedy	Model Predictions of Fuel Loading and Fire Burn Severity following Salvage Logging, Central Idaho
Lockhart, Darrell	Anna Groat Carmona	Using the Plasmodium BEM46-like protein to Characterize the Parasitic Plasma Membrane
Love, LaToya	Marc Nahmani	Image analysis of somatosensory cortex neuronal synapses  shows presynaptic spinules are predominant
Marks, Christopher	Laura Murphy	DNDi Research for Leishmaniasis - Synthesis Pathways
Martinez, Chloe Mae	Sarah Alaei	A Molecular View of Gum Disease: Understanding the Role of relA in Porphyromonas gingivalis Outer Membrane Vesicle Production
Matulich, Adam	Jim Gawel	The Role of Periphyton Community Constituents in Arsenic Speciation in Freshwater Lakes
McEntyre, William	Laura Doepker	Production of novel chimeric antibodies from an HIV-infected infant’s repertoire, with the potential for broad HIV-1 antigen specificity
McFarland, Caitlyn	Julie Masura	Monitoring A. catenella to predict potential for harmful algal blooms in Elliott Bay near Seattle, WA
Moore, Domeg	Alaei, Sarah	Quantifying Outer Membrane Vesicle Production by Porphyromonas gingivalis Lipid A Variants
Mwangi, Joseph	Dr. Jack Vincent	Impact on phenotypes due to phospho-null mutations on the inner kinetochore Mif2 protein achieved through site-directed mutagenesis
Ng, Fiona	Jack Vincent	Examining the Role of Phosphorylation in the SK-rich Region of the Kinetochore-Associated Stu2 Protein in Budding Yeast
Nguyen, Doan	Judy Nguyen	Farm or Bacteria: Development of a DNA assay for the detection of virginiamycin antibiotic transcripts in mussel tissue
Nguyen, Eric	Marc Nahmani	Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Spinule Prevalence in the Somatosensory Cortex of Mice
Nguyen, Joanne	Karen Cowgill	Healthcare observation in New Delhi, India: Class disparity and social reforms implementation strategies
Nguyen, Monica	Laura Doepke	Computational approach for the discovery of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies
Noyes, Johannah	Tom Koontz	Citing Science to Support Recommendations: Use of References Across 12 Puget Sound Salmon Restoration Plans
Nyiri, Jake	Jim Gawel	Arsenic exposure potential for children playing in contaminated Puget Sound lakes
Peck, Jessy	Murphy, Laura	Drug Development for Leishmaniasis: A Neglected Tropical Disease
Roberts, Jacob	Eric McDonald	Remediating Oak Prairie Ecosystems for the Western Bluebird on Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Roca, Erick	Cheryl Greengrove	Characterization of Puget Sound surface sediments and comparison with Alexandrium catenella cyst distribution and historical sediment data
Salinas, Brenda	Marc Nahmani	School-Based Outreach to Improve Children’s Oral Health
Shohradova, Shaira	Marc Nahmani	Analysis and 3D reconstruction of excitatory synapses containing spinules in mouse primary somatosensory cortex
Smith, Tasi	Laura Murphy	The Effects of Coupling Conditions on the Synthesis of a Novel Amino Pyrazole-Carboxylic Acid Coupling Products
Smith, Tillie	Tom Koontz	Promoting Restoration of Native Species on Joint-Base Lewis McChord
Strome, Zachary	Anna Groat Carmona	Mutagenesis of the Plasmodium BEM46-Like Protein for Isolation and Biochemical Analysis
Tilahun, Rahel	Jeremy Davis	A shift in gall size and its effect on predation in the non-native range of Diplolepis rosae
Trivino, Deyana	Bonnie Becker	How Will Olympia Oyster Restoration Affect Fish Population in the South Puget
Uzumaki, Eevee	Jutta Heller	Tracking the Subcellular Localization of an Uncharacterized Plasmodium Protein:  Manipulating Cloning and Tagging Techniques
Vaid, Raveena	Jutta Heller	Demystifying the Role of an Uncharacterized Plasmodium Protein through Gene Knockout
Vega, Adriana	Laura Doepker	Production of novel chimeric antibodies from an HIV-infected infant’s repertoire, with the potential for broad HIV-1 antigen specificity
Villa, Manuel	Marc Nahmani	Cell Interactions in Task Trained & Untrained Adult Mouse Visual Cortex & their Connection to Neuroplasticity
Wood, Nathaniel	Matt Kelley	The Effects of Nutrient Offloading on Harmful Algae Blooms and Pollution Levels within the Puget Sound
Young, Shellena	Alaei, Sarah	Quantifying Outer Membrane Vesicle Production by Porphyromonas gingivalis Lipid A Variants
Yukevich-Mussomeli, Anastasia	Marc Nahmani	Origins and Prevalence of Spinules Within Hippocampal Synaptic Axon Terminals
Yurina, Amaliya	Marc Nahmani	Mysterious invaginating structures in the brain’s memory formation region: Synaptic spinules in CA1 Hippocampus

Capstone Awards and Honors 2020

2020 Science Awards

• Best Poster
  • Jacob Nyiri
• Biomedical Sciences Poster 1st Place:
  • Domeg Moore & Shellena Young
• Biomedical Sciences Poster 2nd Place:
  • Fiona Ng
• Environmental Sciences Poster 1st Place:
  • Caitlyn McFarland
• Environmental Sciences Poster 2nd Place:
  • Johanna Noyes
• Environmental Sustainability Poster:
  • Tillie Smith
• Mathematics Poster:
  • None submitted

2020 Mathematics Awards 

• MATH AMBASSADOR AWARD:  Madison Phelps;  Kaitlyn Jones; Sam Miller
• BEST by class AWARDS: 
  • Senior: Lauryn Harvey
  • Junior: Sam Miller
  • Sophomore: Edson Mendieta
• MATH COMMUNITY AWARD: 
  • Awardee: Madison Phelps and Sam Huynh
• MATHEMATICAL GROWTH AWARD: Tenki Ko  
• INTERDISCIPLINARY AWARD: James Northup  
• CAPSTONE PAPER AWARD:  Madison Phelps 
• CAPSTONE PRESENTATION AWARD: Kathryn Davidson and Spencer Little  

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