2023 Research and Creative Activity Day
RCA Day 2023 Awardees
College of Engineering and Mines
- Dean's Choice: Apryle Collison, Jenni Klebesadel, Heather McKenzie
- Honorable Mention: Alexis Francisco
College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
- Dean's Choice: Isabelle Nicolier
- Honorable Mention: Kristen Reece
College of Liberal Arts
- Dean's Choice: Brooke Fisher
- Honorable Mention: Meredith McMahon
College of Natural Science and Mathematics
- Dean's Choice: Danielle Wrenn
- Honorable Mention: Josie Beauchamp
Presenter | Project | Poster | Pre-recorded presentation* |
---|---|---|---|
Apryle COLLISON |
The Streaming Service Designing an Incubation Box to Monitor Development of Salmon Embryos and Characterize Environmental Stressors. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Alexis FRANCISCO |
Utility and Residential Solar Resource Assessment and Modeling for Alaska’s Railbelt
Transmission System Solar PV residential and utility scale resource assessment in the Alaska Railbelt electric grid. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Alexis FRANCISCO |
UAS Remote Sensing Onion Box The "Onion Box" will serve as a shelter for unmanned aerial system (UAS) in between remote missions. It is designed to withstand Alaska's variable weather conditions, have recharging capabilities, and communication system between the drone, user, and shelter. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Maximus JOHNSON |
Tidal Variation: A Unique Challenge for Ferry Electrification in Alaska We analyze tidal and manufacturer data then move on to simulating battery effects on smaller grid systems. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Ethan HOOVER |
RC Airplane for Design-Build-Fly Competition We are designing and manufacturing an RC airplane to compete in the annual AIAA Design-Build-Fly competition. Through this project, students gain hands-on engineering and aerospace experience. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Presenter | Project | Poster | Pre-recorded presentation* |
---|---|---|---|
Linnaea DOERNER |
Growth Chronology and Lenses in Whitefish Species Sectioned and measured eye lenses, sectioned and aged otoliths, to create a lens growth chronology across the life span of four white fish species. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Katherine LeBLANC |
Development of quantitative PCR assays targeting varied-length sequences of the ND1
gene in human DNA I used online programs GenBank and Primer3 to modify a previously published assay to target varying lengths of human eDNA. I also collect eDNA samples from three sites along the Chena River. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Sierra LLOYD |
Variability of total dissolvable aluminum and manganese in the Gulf of Alaska Under the advising of Dr. Ana Aguilar-Islas, I will be studying concentrations of aluminum and manganese in seawater samples collected as a part of the Northern Gulf of Alaska Long-Term Ecological Research survey. I will be using methods of elution and dilution in a trace metal chemistry lab to prepare sample, and will analyze them via ICP-MS. |
Poster |
|
Lillian NELSON |
Collection of eDNA Samples Along the Upper Half of the Yukon River In the summer of 2022, eDNA samples were taken on a six-week self-supported canoe expedition along the upper one thousand miles of the Yukon River. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Isabelle NICOLIER |
Sample of the Population Genomics of Pacific Herring in the Bering Sea Using mtDNA I am testing the mitochondrial DNA of Eastern Bering Sea to test if there are separate populations in the Bering Sea of herring. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Kristen REECE |
A Comparison of Arctic Grayling Abundance to the Spawning Patterns of Chinook and
Chum Salmon in the Chena River Testing species-specific quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) assays for Arctic Grayling to determine trends in their relative abundances correlate with those identified in Chinook and Chum eDNA concentration data. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Ayden SEE |
Examination and proximate composition of reproductive organs in Arctic lamprey, Lethenteron
camtschaticum This project will examine size at maturity, absolute and relative fecundity, relative egg size, gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), and egg proximate composition of Arctic lamprey. As an important commercial and subsistence species, understanding the reproductive health and biology of Alaskan populations is critical for management purposes and stock assessments. These data will also serve as a building block for future research efforts. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Jennifer TUSTEN |
eDNA metabarcoding measures biodiversity in Kachemak Bay For my project I collected water samples in Kachemak Bay. I used eDNA metabarcoding methods to investigate what species were present in my samples. I then compared my results across my five sample sites to see whether glaciation was a determining factor in species distribution. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Presenter | Project | Poster | Pre-recorded presentation* |
---|---|---|---|
Brooke FISHER |
A Tooth Size Allocation Investigation into Bodo Origins: Revisited This project is the continuation of a biodistance analysis started in the Fall of 2022 of an ethnic group called the ‘Bodo’s’ from the Assam region in India through a comparative analysis of another ethnic group residing north of the Brahmaputra Valley, the Nyishis of Arunachal Pradesh. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Ayden HARRIS |
Mentorship in Literary Arts An undergraduate English student was mentored on literary professions and education, culminating in attending the largest writer's conference in the U.S. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Tehya McLEOD |
Exploring Shifting Landscapes Exploring Shifting Landscapes follows work of UAF scientists and documents impacts of permafrost thaw and wildfire cycles thorough artwork. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Meredith McMAHON |
“Girls,” “Dancers” and “Ladies”: Language, Gender and Power in a Gentlemen’s Club This project examines how erotic dancers craft the interactional personae they sell to customers and how these performances respond to power dynamics in their workplace. It will draw from participant-observation ethnography and discourse analysis of interviews with dancers and staff at a local gentlemen's club. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Aihs PALMER |
Micro-pantries to Mitigate Inaccessibility to Anti-Hunger Resources Designing and building a micro pantry in order to give access to self-serve food resources for impoverished people in the Fairbanks area. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Shaylise SYLVESTER |
The Relationship Between Art and Stress Reduction This study aimed to address the questions: Is there a benefit to using ceramic clay,
which |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Japanese Language Speeches Mentor: Chisato Murakami & David Henry |
Speech Title |
---|---|
Owen BRADLEY | My Journey with Music |
Mikkel CHYNOWETH |
私のアルバイト経験 |
Bethany COHEN |
私のゆめ |
Robin PARKER |
一番すごいチームメイト The Most Powerful Teammate |
Catherine Seymour | My Cute Pet |
Presenter | Title | Poster | Pre-recorded presentation* |
---|---|---|---|
Josie BEAUCHAMP |
Safari 20SG Insecticide inhibits the growth of the fungal pathogen Neodothiora The effect of an insecticide on a specific fungus that grows on aspen trees. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Pierce BROOKS |
Synthetic pathways of platinum(IV) 2-phenylpyridine halogenic derivatives as potential
anticancer agents I developed different synthesis methods to synthesize various halogenic variants of 2-phenylpyridine ligated platinum-based compounds with the intent to have them tested for their anticancer properties. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Anastasia CHEN |
Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis of (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) Coating I helped develop a new method to coat APTES on glass substrates. This new method coats
APTES on microscope cover glass versus sandwiching APTES powder between two KBr cell
windows, which is the traditional |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Sam DEMPSTER |
Consequences of Shrub Expansion in the Boreal Forest: Quantifying Alder’s Seasonal
Ecophysiological Dynamics This project is the result of my spring and fall 2022 URSA awards. My research focused on quantifying the seasonal ecophysiological dynamics of alder, including water use, photosynthesis, and growth. The data collected for this project will be incorporated into the research at UAFs Forest Soils Labs going forward. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Rodolfo GARCIA |
Correlation Between Cortisol Levels in Students At Beginning of Semester and Overall
Semester Performance Salivary cortisol swabs are a nonintrusive method of measuring the active cortisol
in a person at a given time. By measuring salivary cortisol in undergraduate students
before/after meditation, we can learn more about how people react to stress, and how
this correlates with feelings of well-being or lack thereof.
|
Poster | Video Presentation |
Susan GLADE |
Denali Alfalfa as a High-Quality Forage Crop: Creating Sustainable Food Sources for
Alaska Reindeer I conducted digestive fiber analyses on Denali alfalfa in order to find its potential as a locally grown, high-protein forage for Alaskan livestock operations, focusing specifically on the reindeer industry. This is to promote further research into locally sourced feed production in order to establish food security in Alaska. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Whitney INMAN |
What is in Your Supplements? Streamlining sequencing methods for accurate results. Improving DNA sequencing for species identification in plant based, dietary supplements by using primers with labeled indices during PCR to help prevent contamination especially between samples. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Abigail JENSEN |
Boosted Anti-Inflammatory Profile of Alaskan Sled Dogs After Consumption of Acute
Doses of Wild Alaskan Blueberries The aim of the study was to see if the consumption of an acute dose of wild Alaskan blueberries mitigates inflammatory responses in dogs used in sprint sled dog races. Interleukin 10 levels were measured in blood samples obtained from eight sled dogs before and after completing a 20 minute run at 75% VO2 max. An R&D IL-10 ELISA kit was used to collect data on absorbances which then was used to compute standard concentrations. There was a significant difference between the control/before run and treatment/after run (p<0.05). The increased concentration of IL-10 in these groups indicates that the supplementation of wild Alaskan blueberries to the dogs’ diets “boosted” their overall immune response. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Luke LAWSON |
Remnants of the Bering Land Bridge: DNA Barcoding Anthropods in the Pribilof Islands Alaska is a critical region for bioinventory. Arthropod samples were collected on Saint Paul Island in 2022. We predict the samples contain more genetically unique populations than comparable samples from mainland-Alaska. Using DNA barcodes we will test our prediction, create a checklist of Saint Paul’s arthropods, and explore Alaska’s biodiversity. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Jackson MAGIE |
Diversity Within the Wildlife Profession in Alaska |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Luke MARTIN |
Modeling Bud Growth of Peony, Paeonia Lactiflora Collecting data on the peony-growth and blooming process as to better understand what variables can be used as predictors for peony growth. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Michelle RAMIREZ |
Role of Gut Microbiome in Rock Ptarmigan Health and Population Cycles Rock Ptarmigan have multiannual cycles that peak every 10-12 years, but there has been an overall negative trend. While predators contribute, ptarmigan health may also be a factor. The ceca helps with birds’ digestive system and understanding these microbial communities may establish a relationship to their health and population dynamics. |
Poster | |
Xochitl MUNOZ |
A New Look at the Mammalian Fauna of the Prince Creek Formation of Alaska Famous for polar dinosaurs, the Prince Creek Formation (PCF) also preserves mammals, four species of which were found from studying teeth. However, by looking at jaws we have found a greater diversity. We have at least five different morphotypes represented by jaws and seven in total, almost doubling the previous number of known mammals in the PCF. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Noah PALMER |
Understanding Earthquakes by the Tsunami Waves They Cause An analytic solution for the moving shoreline of tsunami wave run up on a plane beach, the solution allows for the recovery of the initial conditions of the tsunami wave. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Harrison RIGGS |
Exploring Sweet Corrosion at Different Partial Pressures of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) using
LPR and Weight Loss Methods The contribution of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel was investigated using weight loss (WL) and Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR) methods. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
Meg WAITE |
Biomaterials and their Applications in Subarctic Food Systems Food security is a concern in the rapidly changing subarctic environment. Fungi, especially local species, can produce biomolecules and take on different properties using biological waste and nutrient substrates to assist in the design of new materials for agricultural use and other applications that may support a OneHealth framework. |
Poster |
|
Danielle WRENN |
DART: Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Toolbox DART (Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Toolbox) is a novel toolbox with the goal of rapidly detecting antimicrobial resistant organisms within soil microbiomes. This project utilizes the Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencer and its adaptive sampling technology to enrich for AMR genes in a metagenomic sample. |
Poster | Video Presentation |
In Celebration of our Undergraduate Students!