NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH 2017
We regularly have students participate in NCUR (National Conference on Undergraduate Research). NCUR 2017 was hosted at the University of Memphis, Tennessee and the IC Biology and Biochemistry programs were well represented! Colette Piasecki-Masters (‘18), Danielle Bucior (‘18), and Adriana Morales-Gomez (‘17) took research from the Witherup lab on Scaevola plants in Puerto Rico, while Alycia Summers (‘17) and Janelle Harter (‘17) represented the Kanda lab and reported on behavior in Siberian dwarf hamsters. Anna Tarren (‘18) and Ambra Munlyn (‘17) from the Cluett labdiscussed lipoproteins and cholesterol transport. The Hardwick lab’s Meghann Muldowney (‘17) presented research on neuropeptide expression in cardiac ganglia and the Woods lab’s Victoria Wright (‘17) presented on genomics of neuron development. Cailin Harro (‘17) isolated and characterized, while Cassandra Papaleo (‘17) examined the gene sequence of, proteins in slug glue from the Smith lab. Allan Bowen (‘17) also examined proteins, but from auxin signalling in plants, working with the Ellis lab in Chemistry. Finally, from the Gondek lab, Ian Wolf (‘17) took research on host cell effects on Chlamydia.
ECSC 2018 WAS HOSTED AT IC
The 72nd annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference (ECSC) was held here at Ithaca College in spring 2018. With over 300 participants from 17 institutions, it was a great opportunity for our students to show off their research to their peers. IC Biology students go to this conference in most years, but as hosts we had an outstanding
participation of over 30 students from our department!
ECSC 2019
This spring, 8 Biology students went down to the 2019 ECSC at Manhattan College. Katie Hutton (‘19), Lydia Loiselle (‘19), and Joseph Rorick (‘19) presented on neurotransmitter expression and receptor sensitivity from the Hardwick lab, Juhi Kapoor (‘20) talked about dwarf hamster behavioral response to fetal stress in the Kanda lab, and Zaira Sylvain (‘19) took her work for the Cluett lab on cholesterol trafficking. Miranda Ella (‘19) presented her analysis of the population genetics of Puerto Rican Scaevola plants with
Susan Witherup, and Carolina Gaudenza (‘19) discussed her work with Te-Wen Lo on C. elegans gene expression.
ST. JUDE NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Katie Hutton (’19) also had the prestigious opportunity to presented research from the Hardwick lab at the St. Jude National Symposium for Undergraduate Research, Memphis, TN. This conference was by invitation only and included a small number of undergraduates from across the country. Katie presented on her work to determine the ion
channels responsible for Neuropeptide Y responses in the guinea pig cardiac neurons.
ITHACA COLLEGE JAMES J. WHALEN ACADEMIC SYMPOSIUM
The Whalen symposium showcases research from all across the college, and each year Biology students receive recognition for outstanding work. In spring 2018 the Woods lab was highlighted as Madison Chlebowski (‘19) and Elizabeth Freilich (‘18) each took Winner of Outstanding Student Research Presentation, and Mady reprised as a Winner again in 2019!
