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16 Students Accepted to Research Conference

January 28, 2005

Sixteen Occidental College students have been accepted for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), setting a new record for Occidental’s participation in the annual spring event.

The level of participation is a direct reflection of the tremendous importance the college places in year-round student-faculty mentorship in the creation of new knowledge and creative expression," said Chris Craney, director of the Undergraduate Research Center and professor of chemistry. "This is a wonderful opportunity for Occidental students to showcase their outstanding work at the national level."

The 19th annual NCUR will be held April 21-23 at the adjoining campuses of Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. The conference will bring together undergraduates from 300 colleges and universities involved in scholarly and artistic activities representing a range of disciplines including creative arts, mathematics, business, social science, humanities, physical and life sciences, natural resources and engineering.

Since its inception in 1987, NCUR has become a major annual event drawing more than 2,500 undergraduates, faculty members and administrators to hear and discuss undergraduate research through oral presentations, interdisciplinary poster sessions and artistic performances and visual art exhibits.

In addition, NCUR presents an opportunity to hear nationally prominent speakers and to discuss educational policy, programs, and funding for undergraduate scholarly work.

Following are the Occidental students accepted to attend (included are hometowns, majors and titles of research projects):

  • Madeline Baugh ’05, Albuquerque, N.M., Sociology: “The Weight of the Word: Multicultural Values and the Dual-Language Classroom”
  • Jonathan Brogaard ’06, Los Angeles, Economics: “The Economy’s Influence on Voters’ Gubernatorial Choice”
  • Anne Davis ’06, Tacoma, Wash., Biochemistry: “Babies and Blunders: How Socialized Medicine Affects Maternity and Emergency Care in Sweden”
  • Elaine Ly ’05, Los Angeles, Chemistry: “Examination of Groove Binding and Intercalation Into DNA by Atomic Force Microscopy”
  • Marcella McMurray ’06, Prairie Village, Kan., Philosophy: “Vision of Utopia: The Anahata Intentional Community”
  • Adam Neff ’05, Culver City, Diplomacy and World Affairs: “The Political Economy of Fair Trade Coffee Cooperatives in Costa Rica and Nicaragua”
  • Piul Rabbani ’06, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Biology: “Light Chain Rearrangement in HUG/JH Knockout Transgenic Mice”
  • Jeremiah Ray ’06, Jackson, Calif., Biochemistry: “Redox Potential and Axial Ligand Hydrophobicity in Blue Copper Proteins”
  • Ellen Roggemann ’05, West Orange, N.J., Urban and Environmental Policy: “Linking Consumer to Producer: Lessons from the European Fair Trade Movement”
  • Sergio Sanchez ’06, Burbank, Chemistry: “Reaction of 2-Bromo-3-Methoxy-1, 4-Naphthoquinone With Secondary Amines and the Subsequent Dealkylation”
  • Dylan Simonson ’05, New Orleans, Biology: “A Comprehensive Survey of California’s Marine Nearshore Rocky-Reef and Kelp Bed Fauna”
  • Chhaya Sivakumar ’05, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Women’s Studies: “Analysis of Change and Continuity Among the Minangkabau Post-9/11”
  • Margaret Stutt ’05, Racine, Wisc., Art History/Visual Arts: “Not Just Baghdad: Looting and the International Illicit Art Trade”
  • Kathryn Tompkins ’05, Torrington, Wyo., Biology: “An Inquiry Into the Possible Association Between Multiple Sclerosis and Human Herpes Virus 6”
  • Laura Warner ’05, Belmont, Mass., English and Comparative Literary Studies: “Agonistic Metaphysics: The Homeric Origins of Nietzsche’s Philosophy of Dionysian Joy”
  • Bonnie Yen ’05, Portland, Ore., Biology: “Pre-B Cell Receptors in HUG-1 Transgenic Mice: Light Chain Rearrangement”