2011 Research Colloquium

The 19^th Annual Scientific Research Colloquium was held at Berry College April 5-7, and 40+ mathematics and science majors presented posters or gave oral presentations. Tyler McCaslin was one of the plenary session speakers. The three-day Colloquium was held concurrently with the college-wide student scholarship symposium. School of MNS student presentations were judged by our faculty, and awards were presented during a research banquet that was held the evening of April 11^th. Following the banquet, Dr. Catherine E. Cavagnaro, professor of mathematics and chief flight instructor at Sewanee, University of the South, spoke to faculty and student scholars in the Science Lecture Hall. Her topic, "Airplane-Spring-Mass-Damper: Which One Does Not Belong?" provided a perfect example of the traditional spring-mass-damper system studied in physics.

2011 Award Winners

Poster Presentations

Best Overall Poster Presentation

Chris Stuart, Ashley Holland, and Matthew Summerlin, “Stepwise Assembly of Metal Complexes on Gold Surfaces” (K. Hoke, Chemistry)

Visual Communication

Blue ribbon: Lesley Mobley, Tom Baldvins, and Nathan Schwartz, “Coyote (Canis latrans) diets in Yellowstone National Park” (C. Mowry, Biology)

Red ribbon: Katelyn Ellis, “Evaluating the Ecological Impact of Free-Ranging Cats in Northwest Georgia Using Home-Range and Diet Analyses” (S. Kitts-Morgan, Animal Science)

Oral Communication

Blue ribbon: Kylia Goodner and Chris Stuart, “Quantifying Differential Gene Expression in Diseased and Healthy Corals Using Real Time PCR” (M. Morgan, Biology)

Red ribbon: Megan Walton, Rebecca Broome, Josh Baker, Alison Crane, South Knight, Caleb Martin, Fallon Newell, and Anna Garber, “Influence of Level of Corn Gluten Feed on Steer Growth Rate and Carcass Traits” (J. Daniel, Animal Science)

Scientific Impact

Blue ribbon: Chris Stuart, Ashley Holland, and Matthew Summerlin, “Stepwise Assembly of Metal Complexes on Gold Surfaces” (K. Hoke, Chemistry)

Red ribbon: Sarah Grace Sapp, “Analysis of Seasonal variation of Calcium in Flowering Dogwood Foliage” (C. Borer, Biology)

Research Design and Methods

Blue ribbon: Mandi Kyle, “Modifications of Cytochrome c with DNFB” (K. Hoke, Chemistry)

Red ribbon: Aaron Ostrander, “The Dynamic Phase Transition in the Time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau Model” (D. Robb, Physics)

Oral Presentations

Best Overall Oral Presentation

Brett Tyler, “Habitat selection by the American Red-Legged Purseweb Spider (Sphondros rufipes)” (J. Graham, Biology)

Visual Communication

Blue ribbon: Jessica Crumbley, “Using Acetylcholinesterase to Determine Concentration Levels of Acetylcholine via Amperometric methods” (A. Suroviec, Chemistry)

Oral Communication

Blue ribbon: Tom Baldvins, “T. Rex’s Southern cousin: A comparison of the Environments Between Two Tyrannosaurs Separation” (T. Jovanelly, Biology)

Scientific Impact

Blue ribbon: Tyler McCaslin, “Cholesterol Detection by Gold Microelectrodes” (A. Suroviec, Chemistry)

Research Design and Methods

Blue ribbon: Brett Tyler, “Habitat selection by the American Red-Legged Purseweb Spider (Sphondros rufipes)” (J. Graham, Biology)