McNair Students to Present Research Work at UW

July 20, 2012

This summer’s McNair Scholars Research Symposium is reaching a milestone at the University of Wyoming -- its 20th anniversary of students presenting their research work with UW faculty mentors.

Thirteen UW students will present research in areas including anthropology, mathematics, religion and mechanical engineering at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 31, in the Wyoming Union Family Room.

The McNair Scholars project is a graduate school preparation program for students interested in earning doctoral degrees. Services include paid research internships, mentoring from UW faculty members, GRE (Graduate Record Exam) preparation classes, academic support and tutoring, and assistance with the graduate school application process.

The program prepares promising undergraduate students from groups traditionally underrepresented in graduate education.

UW College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Gracie Lawson-Borders will give opening remarks, followed by the first student presentation at 9:10 a.m. Each student presentation is 20 minutes.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the McNair Scholars Program is part of the federal TRiO programs that help students to overcome financial, cultural, social or academic barriers.

For more information about the McNair Program, contact Project Director Zackie Salmon at (307) 766-3818, email mcnair@uwyo.edu or TTY (307) 766-3073. The McNair Scholars Program is a unit within UW's Division of Student Affairs.

McNair Scholars presenting research this year, listed by hometown, faculty mentor and department, and title of their research project, are:

Bedford -- Jeremy McGowan with Mark Clementz, geology and geophysics, “Development of Tympanic Bullae in Baleen Whales.”

Cheyenne -- Chanell Ezell with Gracie Lawson Borders, College of Arts and Sciences, “Women of Color: Drug Sentencing Challenges in the Criminal Justice System”; and John Trujillo with Walt Scott, psychology, “Attributional Styles and Negative Live Events: Depression in American Indian, Alaskan Native and Alaskan White Adolescents.”

Cody -- Matthew Hatto with Lynne Ipina, mathematics, “Introducing Students, Grades 5-8, to Computer Programming: Its Effects on Student Demographics in Computer Sciences and Mathematics.”

Encampment -- Lacy Hooker with Michael Harkin, anthropology, “Post-Industrial Ruins in Rural Wyoming: The Legacy of Coal in the Hanna Basin.”

Fort Laramie -- Jacob Buettner with Bryan Shuman, geology and geophysics, “Reconstruction of the Water-Level Record for Little Molas Lake, Colorado.”

Greybull -- Talysa Stockert with Yuan Zheng, mechanical engineering, “An Experimental and Theoretical Study of Flows in a Twin-Screw Extruder for Vehicular Hydrogen Storage.”

Laramie -- Jeremy Adkins with Jon Gardzelewski, civil/architectural engineering, “Net-Zero Energy Home Feasibility for Wyoming”; Chad Gibbs with David Messenger, history/international studies, “Frontline Perpetrators of the Holocaust: Ideology and Motivation Amongst Low-Ranking Participants”; and Natasha Trujillo with Carolyn Pepper, psychology, “Relationship Between Motivations for and Consequences of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and its Impact on Frequency of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury.”

Rock Springs -- Robert Nielsen with Jinke Tang, physics, “PLD in Liquid as a Method of PbS QD Synthesis.”

Scotland, S.D. -- Rhiannon Jakopak with Seth Ward, religious studies, “Semiotic and Discourse Analysis of Maxim’s ‘Women of the Israel Defense Forces’ Spread.”                                                  

St. Ansgar, Iowa -- William White with Susan Swapp, geology and geophysics, “Altered Clays at Lost Creek Mines at Spatial Constraint for Uranium Roll-Front Deposits.”

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