Welcome to the 2022 Summer Research Program! Below, find important information and events, faculty flash talks, and profiles of some of our student researchers.
The 2023 SRP program will run from May 30-August 4.
The 2022 SRP program runs from May 31 to August 5, with an all-day conference scheduled for Wednesday, August 3. Here is the conference program listing the day’s activities and details on student presentations. We suggest people review the program to find locations and times for different presentations.
Events, deadlines, and other important information for each week:
- Before the Program:
- Contract: Sign and return your SRP contract to urc@oxy.edu by 5:00pm on April 1 to confirm your place in the program.
Housing: Complete the URC Housing Survey by 5:00pm on April 1 and complete the REHS Housing Form by April 15.CITI Ethics Training: This is required for all program participants: send your certificate of completion to urc@oxy.edu. (instructions emailed with contract)
Human Subjects Research: If your project requires review by the Human Subjects Research Review Committee or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, begin the process of getting that approval ASAP. Please note you cannot begin your research until this approval has been granted, and you will not receive a stipend check until that process is complete. If you are working with non-human animals, please speak with your mentor about the status of your approval. If your project has been approved e-mail your approval form to urc@oxy.edu. For questions, please contact them directly at hsrrc@oxy.edu. The HSRRC will not be meeting during the summer: you must submit your application for approval no later than mid-April.Accounts Payable: All SRP participants are encouraged to sign up for the Accounts Payable direct deposit before the start of the program (May 31st). Please note if you were employed in the academic year and were enrolled in direct deposit payments those are different than the accounts payable direct deposit. If you do not sign up for AP direct deposit your check will be mailed to your address on file within 3-5 business days after the pay date.
- Week 1 (May 31-June 4):
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Tuesday, May 31, 3:00pm (Sycamore Glen): Welcome Reception
Thursday, June 2, 12:00pm (Academic Quad): Peer Mentoring Group Meeting
- Week 2 (June 6-June 11)
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Monday, June 6, 10:00 am (Sycamore Glen): Coffee Break
Wednesday, June 8, 12:00 pm (Mosher 1): Professional Development Workshops
“Starting and Maintaining Strong Mentoring Relationships”
Prof. Clair Morrissey (URC Director, Philosophy)
Prof. Jeff Cannon (Chemistry)
Alumni Reunion Weekend is June 10-12. Academic Quad is off limits due to even set-up
Thursday, June 9, 12:00 pm (South JSC Quad): Area Group Meetings/Lunch
Our Thursday luncheon has been moved to the South JSC Quad from 12 to 1pm.
Saturday, June 11, 10:30 am (Berkus Courtyard): Succulent Planting
Join us for a fun morning planting succulents! RSVP by Thursday 6/9 @ 5PM by email mmunoz2@oxy.edu
Coffee from Cafe de Leche and donuts from Colorado Donuts will be provided.
Community Events:
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2022 GRAY-HILL SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:
Caltech’s best graduate students share their research with our OXY undergraduates. Friday's from June 10th to July 29th, from 4:30PM-5:30PM in Mosher 1, with refreshments starting at 4PM on Mosher Patio.
Friday, June 10, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm (Mosher 1): Jake Evans
“A Love Letter to X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy: Characterization of an Earth-Abundant Oxygen Evolution Catalyst”
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OXY ARTS PRESENTS:
F L O W ! by Mary Fagot.
Saturday, June 11, OXY ARTS Sidewalk, 11 am-2 pm:
F L O W ! exhibition opening day. Featuring an ice cream truck, live twisting by balloon artist Addi Somekh and a live synth performance by David Scott Stone! Reserve timed entry tickets here.
Announcements & Reminders:
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SRP Pay Day: Friday, June 10
Checks will be direct deposited. If not enrolled in Direct Deposit,your check will be mailed to your campus box
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- Week 3 (June 13-June 18)
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Monday, June 13, 10:00 am (Sycamore Glen): Coffee Break
Tuesday, June 14, 12:00 pm (Mosher 1): Professional Development Workshops
“Well-being as a Student Researcher”
Luci Masredjian (Director of Disability Services and Student Support)
Thursday, June 16, 12:00 pm (Academic Quad): Area Group Meetings/LunchCommunity Events:
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Dinner at Joy!
Tuesday, June 14, 5:30 PM (Outside Berkus Garage): Meet to walk to Joy for dinner.
Organized by Nathan Tam
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Movie Night!
Thursday, June 16, 7:00 PM (Choi Auditorium): Shrek 2
Ice Cream Sundae Bar. Organized by Kel Kline
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2022 GRAY-HILL SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:
Friday, June 17, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm (Mosher 1): Linh Le
“Partial synthetic models of FeMoco with sulfide and carbyne ligands: Effect of interstitial atom in nitrogenase active site”
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Red Hen Press Book Fair:
Saturday, June 18, 3:00-5:00 PM (1540 Lincoln Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103):
Book Sale, Food Trucks, and Open Mic. Masks and proof of vaccination required inside.
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OXY ARTS PRESENTS:
F L O W ! by Mary Fagot.
June 11 - August 6 (OXY ARTS):
GALLERY HOURS
Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-4pm*
Thursdays: extended drop-in hours until 8pmTimed entry every half hour. RSVP recommended. RESERVE FREE TICKETS.
F L O W ! is an invitation to discover the magical nature of the everyday physical properties that surround us through a series of immersive art installations.
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- Week 4 (June 20-June 25)
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Monday, June 20: Observing Juneteenth. No Coffee Break
Thursday, June 23, 12:00 pm (Academic Quad): Area Group Meetings/LunchCommunity Events:
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Tie-Dye!
Friday, June 24, 12:00 PM (Sycamore Glen): Come tie-dye some t-shirts with us! Pizza lunch will be provided. Limited supplies available. Students are encouraged to bring any clothes they may want to tie-dye. Organized by Matthew de Koch.
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Oxy Arts F L O W !
Friday, June 16, 11:00 AM - 3:30 PM —exhibition hours— (OXY Arts & Bagel and Slice on York): Visit the interactive exhibit on Fluid Dynamics. Peer mentor Sebastian will lead his group at 3:30 PM from the HSC. Tickets for timed-entry and more details on the exhibition are available here. Afterwards, you're welcome to try Bagel and Slice on York at around 4:15 PM. Organized by Sebastian Lechner.
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2022 GRAY-HILL SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:
Friday, June 24, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm (Mosher 1): Hyungdo Cho
"Photoinduced, Copper-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Alkylations of Anilines by Racemic Tertiary Electrophiles: Synthesis and Mechanism"
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OXY ARTS PRESENTS:
F L O W ! by Mary Fagot.
June 11 - August 6 (OXY ARTS):
GALLERY HOURS
Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-4pm*
Thursdays: extended drop-in hours until 8pmTimed entry every half hour. RSVP recommended. RESERVE FREE TICKETS.
F L O W ! is an invitation to discover the magical nature of the everyday physical properties that surround us through a series of immersive art installations.
Announcements & Reminders:
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SRP Pay Day: Friday, June 24
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Meeting with a Faculty Writing Specialist or a Research Librarian, each counts as a professional development workshop. Schedule and sign up here: Faculty Writing Specialist — Research Librarian
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The in-person end of Summer Research Program conference will take place on August 3rd. Plan accordingly to be present at the all-day conference for your presentation as well as to support your peers. A form requesting your presentation title and whether it is a poster or talk will be sent soon. For now, plan to meet with your mentor to discuss your presentation format.
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Come in to the URC office to get your picture taken for our end of summer conference program booklet! All researchers must have their picture taken by July 8th.
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- Week 5 (June 27-July 2)
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Monday, June 27, 10:00 am (Sycamore Glen): Coffee Break
Tuesday, June 28, 12:00 pm (Mosher 1): Professional Development Workshops
“Becoming a Responsible Researcher”
Prof. Clair Morrissey, URC Director, Philosophy
Wednesday, June 29, 12:00 pm (Bio Science 113): Professional Development Workshops
“imposter Syndrome and Finding Your Place as a Researcher"
Robin Maxile, Director of Racial Equity
Thursday, June 30, 12:00 pm (Academic Quad): Area Group Meetings/LunchCommunity Events:
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Scientific Fresco Painting:
Thursday, June 30, 5:00 PM (Sycamore Glen):
Peer Mentor Alyssa will be explaining the basis of one of the oldest art mediums -the fresco painting- through the lens of science and then you'll all get to paint your own watercolor/oil pastel on plaster to take home.
Organized by Alyssa Pfitzer Price.
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2022 GRAY-HILL SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:
Friday, July 1, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm (Mosher 1): Emily Laubscher
"Deep learning-enabled measurement of metabolic signaling dynamics"
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OXY ARTS PRESENTS:
F L O W ! by Mary Fagot.
June 11 - August 6 (OXY ARTS):
GALLERY HOURS
Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-4pm*
Thursdays: extended drop-in hours until 8pmTimed entry every half hour. RSVP recommended. RESERVE FREE TICKETS.
F L O W ! is an invitation to discover the magical nature of the everyday physical properties that surround us through a series of immersive art installations.
Announcements & Reminders:
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Meeting with a Faculty Writing Specialist or a Research Librarian, each counts as a professional development workshop. Schedule and sign up here: Faculty Writing Specialist — Research Librarian
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Come in to the URC office to get your picture taken for our end of summer conference program booklet! All researchers must have their picture taken by July 8th.
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The URC will need to know some information about all SRP participants to begin prepping and scheduling the August 3rd End of the SRP Conference.
Complete the following forms by Tuesday, July 12:
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If you would like to invite off-campus guests complete this form:
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- Week 6 (June 4-July 9)
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Monday, July 4: Holiday. No Coffee Break
Tuesday, July 5, 12:00 pm (ZOOM): Professional Development Workshops
Graduate School Panel, with:
Prof. Kevin Williams (Economics)
Prof. Irina Rabkina (Computer Science) Prof. Michael Amoruso (Religious Studies)Zoom link: Join Zoom Meeting ID: 88938734394 Passcode: 522787
Thursday, July 7, 12:00 pm (Academic Quad): Area Group Meetings/Lunch
Community Events:
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Visit to LACMA:
Saturday, July 9, 10:00 AM (LACMA):
Visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. RVSP via email to mmunoz2@oxy.edu. Limited spaces available. Organized by Rees Walker.
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2022 GRAY-HILL SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:
Friday, July 8, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm (Mosher 1): Sepand Nistanaki
“Enantioselective Reactions of Vinyl Carbocations”
Announcements & Reminders:
- Meeting with a Faculty Writing Specialist or a Research Librarian, each counts as a professional development workshop. Schedule and sign up here: Faculty Writing Specialist — Research Librarian
- Come in to the URC office to get your picture taken for our end of summer conference program booklet! All researchers must have their picture taken by July 8th.
- The URC will need to know some information about all SRP participants to begin prepping and scheduling the August 3rd End of the SRP Conference.Complete the following forms by Tuesday, July 12:
If you would like to invite off-campus guests complete this form:
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- Week 7 (July 11-July 16)
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Monday, July 11, 10:00 am (Sycamore Glen): Coffee Break
Tuesday, July 12, 12:00 pm (Zoom): Professional Development Workshops
“National and International Fellowships Student Panel"
Jennifer Locke (Director of National and International Fellowships)
Featuring Diana Flores Barnett '21, Fulbright research awardee to Spain (Chemistry), JP Flores '21, NSF winner (Biology), and Thomas Robertson '20, Fulbright research awardee to Mauritius (DWA and Group Language).
Zoom Link Meeting ID: 849 8727 5471 Passcode: 964020
Thursday, July 14, 12:00 pm (Academic Quad): Area Group Meetings/LunchCommunity Events:
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Ice Skating
Thursday, July 14, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Pasadena Ice Skating Rink):
Join Peer Mentor Arelí for a fun evening ice skating! Transportation and tickets will be provided. RSVP ASAP via this link
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Breakfast at Delia's!
Friday, July 15, 9:00 AM (Meet by the fountain): Meet to walk to Delia's for breakfast. RSVP ASAP via this link.
Organized by Carol Palumbo.
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Scavenger Hunt!
Saturday, July 16, 10:00 AM (In front of AGC steps):
Peer Mentor Hanna will host a campus wide scavenger hunt! Prizes include a range of gift cards from local establishments like Bell's Bagels, Joy, Kumquat, Crush and Touch, and more! Please email hadler@oxy.edu to RSVP.
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2022 GRAY-HILL SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:
Friday, July 15, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm (Mosher 1): Lealia Xiong
“"Tunable temperature-sensitive transcriptional activation based on λ repressor"
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OXY ARTS PRESENTS:
F L O W ! by Mary Fagot.
June 11 - August 6 (OXY ARTS):
GALLERY HOURS
Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-4pm*
Thursdays: extended drop-in hours until 8pmTimed entry every half hour. RSVP recommended. RESERVE FREE TICKETS.
F L O W ! is an invitation to discover the magical nature of the everyday physical properties that surround us through a series of immersive art installations.
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Outfest Film Festival
Monday, July 18, 7:15 PM (Outfest Film Festival):
Join us in supporting the MAC Department's very own Prof. Brody Fox in the premiere of his documentary film, "Manscaping." The film will have its West Coast/LA Premiere as part of OUTFEST the leading LGBTQIA+ arts and entertainment organization empowering storytellers to transform the world. The film uses the space of the barbershop to question ideas of masculinity and to amplify intersectional queer, trans, and BIPOC perspectives on diversity and inclusion in small businesses and other social spaces. More event info here.
RSVP via email to mmunoz2@oxy.edu
Announcements and Reminders:
The URC will need to know some information about all SRP participants to begin prepping and scheduling the August 3rd End of the SRP Conference!
Complete the following form by Tuesday, July 12
- Student Conference Info
If you would like to invite off-campus guests complete this form:
- Conference guests
Meeting with a Faculty Writing Specialist or a Research Librarian each count as a professional development workshop.
- Schedule and sign up here:
Last chance to get your picture taken for the End of the SRP Conference booklet!
Want to earn a $15 Amazon gift card? Take this 40- minute study about multi-sensory processing. Sign up with this link and take the study at any time, from anywhere
Email tbeck@oxy.edu with any questions.
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- Week 8 (July 18-July 23)
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Monday, July 18, 10:00 am (Sycamore Glen): Coffee Break
Tuesday, July 19, 12:00 pm (Mosher 1): Professional Development Workshops
"Reflective Writing & the SRP Final Report"
Prof. Julie Prebel (Director of Writing Programs, American Studies)
Thursday, July 21, 12:00 pm (Academic Quad): Area Group Meetings/LunchCommunity Events:
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Outfest Film Festival
Monday, July 18, 7:15 PM (Outfest Film Festival):
Join us for the premiere of Prof. Broderick Fox's film "Manscaping" RSVP via email to mmunoz2@oxy.edu
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Music Session
Thursday, July 21, 7:00 PM (Sycamore Glen):
Join us for a Music Session in Sycamore Glen. Featuring a mini jazz concert and refreshments. Organized by Chester Cahill
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Movie Night
Friday, July 18, 7:30 (Choi Auditorium):
Screening of Everything Everywhere All at Once. Refreshments provided. Organized by Ray Corpus
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2022 GRAY-HILL SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:
Friday, July 22, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm (Mosher 1): Sara Dibrel
“Chemical Tools and Synthetic Strategies Toward Natural Products"
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- Week 9 (July 25-July 30)
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Monday, July 25, 10:00 am (Sycamore Glen): Coffee Break
Tuesday, July 26, 12:00 pm (Mosher 1 & Choi Auditorium): Professional Development Workshops
“Creating and Delivering an Effective Poster Presentation”
Prof. Kevin Urstadt (Cognitive Science)
“Giving Effective Scholarly Talks”
Prof. Susan Geffen (Psychology)
Thursday, July 28, 12:00 pm (Academic Quad): Area Group Meetings/LunchCommunity Events:
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Dinner at Joy
Monday, July 21, 6:00 PM (Joy):
Join us for dinner at Joy on York! Meet outside Berkus Hall to walk to Joy. Organized by Lucien Delgutte
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Silent Disco
Saturday, July 30, 7:00-10:00 PM (Gilman Fountain):
Join us for a fun silent disco! Jugos and headphones provided. Limited spaces available. RSVP using this link. Organized by Joaquín Madrid-Larrañaga
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2022 GRAY-HILL SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:
Friday, July 29, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm (Mosher 1): Priya Chittur
“Millifluidic bulge test reveals local and bulk mechanical properties of engineered biofilms"
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Special Zoom Talk Sponsored by Oxy NREUP
Monday, July 25, 4:00 pm-5:00 pm (Zoom)
“My journey towards data science - and some lessons I picked up along the way"
Dr. Divya Swaminathan
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- Week 10 Final Week (August 1-August 5)
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Tuesday, August 2: Last day to pick up posters from the URC
Wednesday, August 3: Conference! This is an all-day event and student presenters are required to be here for the full day. Stick around and support your fellow researchers. The conference schedule is available just above.
Thursday, August 4: By 4:00 PM:
- If you were issued keys directly by the URC for private study or studio space, you must return them by signing them back into the URC office.
- E-mail to urc@oxy.edu the abstract, final report, thank you note (if required)
Friday, August 5:
- Final Payday!
- 10:00 am—Last Day to move out. Goodbye! Remember to take out all of your trash from inside your dorm to the dumpsters outside! You do not have to tell an RA you are leaving.
Reminders:
- Last week: No Monday coffee break or Thursday lunch.
- August 12: Final Day to submit reimbursements and invoices for summer supplies. Forward your documentation to the URC to process.
- Keep an eye out for an end of program survey!
Faculty Flash Talks:
- "Documentary Storytelling and Social Change"
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By Dr. Broderick Fox, Professor, Media Arts and Culture
- "Evidence for Long-Term Effects of Ocean Acidification on Gastropods Found in the Cosman Shell Collection"
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By Dr. Amber Stubler, Assistant Professor, Biology
- “A Genealogy of Civil Death”
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By Prof. Ross Lerner, Assistant Professor, English
- “Friends From Afar: Social Conectedness and Global Aviation”
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By Prof. Jason Wong, Assistant Professor, Economics
- “The Role of Certainy in Neural Knowledge Assembly”
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By Prof. Stephanie Nelli, Assistant Professor, Cognitive Science
- “Making Mexican Philosophy Available in English”
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By Prof. Robert Sanchez, Associate Professor, Philosophy
Featured Student Projects:
- Pooja Bansiya
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Pooja Bansiya '24 is a Cognitive Science Major. This summer she is working with Neda Rabii '22 and Qiyao Wang '25 on a study that looks at learning ambiguous patterns and novel objects and their patterns. They invite people to participate in their study, participants get an EEG electrode cap placed on their head and their brain activity is analyzed. Pooja and her team give a totally new set of objects to participant and they see how they learn those over time. A lot of what they do is considered neurolearning and they try to see how participants are able to learn different patterns over time and see how their brains are able to make connections.
Pooja started the research over the fall and spring semester with her mentor Prof. Nelli and with the URC's funding she was able to continue it through the summer program. She loves talking to participants while they're setting up and capping them. She loves building new aquaintances through her research, assisting community events, and jamming out with her friends after work.
- Alyssa Pfitzer Price
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Alyssa Pfitzer Price '23 is from Louisville, Kentucky, and loves finding the connections between art, science, and the environment. She knits, paints, does film photography, printmaking and more! She also swim for Oxy, scuba dive, and loves just being around the ocean.
Alyssa's project is “All Things Boring about Sponges” studying the effects of ocean acidification on sponge bioerosion in reef systems. This type of erosion has the power to inflict damage on reefs and alter marine community structure in extremely short periods of time. Prof. Amber Stubler (Biology Dept), Lauren Samaniego and Alyssa are working specifically with Cliona celata sponges to understand how their growth and behavior of boring into calcium shells/substrates is affected by climate change.
- Alika Williams
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Alika Williams '23 is from Las Vegas, Nevada. He's a Psychology & Public Health major at Oxy where he also works for bike share, is the bass section leader in Oxy's Glee Club, and is interested in Health Psychology. In their free time they love to skateboard, make music, and read.
The title of their project is "Perceived Healthcare Access Barriers for Pacific Islanders." In their research, they're collecting data about people's healthcare usage habits and how those have changed due to COVID-19. Additionally, they're interested in Pacific Islanders supplementing western healthcare with traditionally or culturally based medicinal practices. Alika is very excited about their project because indigenous pacific islander populations are underrepresented in healthcare research all while being disproportionately impacted by events such as the global pandemic. Alika is mentored by Prof. Patricia Cabral, Psychology.
- Nina Russell
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Nina Russell '23 is a Sociology Major and History Minor. Nina says Silver Spring, Maryland will always be her home, but her time out here at Oxy has been lovingly spent studying the sociology of disability. In her free time she enjoy hoarding books and watching movies on Kanopy!
Nina's project is called "Constructing Disability: Eugenics in the Golden State, 1928-1942." She commutes to Caltech to study an archive of the Human Betterment Foundation, a eugenics organization that was active in Pasadena during the 1930s. The goal of her research is to examine how the California eugenics movement utilized ableist rhetoric to advocate for—and carry out—the forced sterilization of entire classes of people: Latina women, immigrants, welfare recipients, and institutionalized people, most of them disabled. This is difficult research and a difficult history, but she feels that she can bring a much needed disability studies perspective to this subject. Her mentor is Prof. Trevizo.
- Nora Manukyan
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Nora has lived in Glendale ever since she moved from Kazakhstan seven years ago. She is very passionate about food and culinary arts in general (whether it be reading articles, finding new places with extravagant menus, or trying to recreate an experience via specific dishes). If she's not in front of the stove or doing my research, she likes designing and sewing clothing, painting, and watching all sorts of TV shows.
Nora is a Philosophy and Math double-major. Her project (title pending) focuses on the aesthetics of food using the Kantian framework of aesthetic analysis. She has finished gathering and summarizing the materials (primarily secondary sources) on Kant's theory of aesthetic judgment. Currently, She is gathering material on other philosophers' assessment of food aesthetics and criticism of Kant in that realm. Nora is mentored by Prof. Robert Sanchez from the Philosophy Department.
- Adrian Manhey
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Adrian is an LA native, growing up at the edge of Highland Park, and he enjoys hanging out in LA's natural areas and trying new restaurants that pop up. He also really likes sitting outside and drawing while listening to music. This summer his favorite place to do all of this has been the Green Bean!
Adrian is a rising senior studying Computer Science and Math. This summer he is working of Gathering Data for Analogical Theory of Mind where he has been building a web-based game to be used in a study during the end of the URC. They're trying to gather data on how people collaborate with non-human entities to complete a goal, for them this means working with an artificial character in order to catch a stag. This work is centered around computer science applications in cognitive science, so when Adrian isn't coding, he's reviewing their cognitive science papers. Adrian is mentored by Irina Rabkina.
- Hanna Adler
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Hanna is a Cellular and Molecular Biology major, class of 2023. She is from Claremont, CA. At Oxy she loves her role as the Biology Club president since she has the opportunity to interact and learn from many students and faculty in biology and other similar majors. She is interested in continuing her education at pharmacy school to work towards developing important treatments for those in need. In her free time she loves venturing around Los Angeles trying new foods and activities, longboarding, and watching classic movies with her friends.
Hanna's project is titled "Decarboxylative Allylic Alkylation of Isoindolinones." This summer she is conducting organic chemistry research in the Navarro Lab, working towards synthesizing new molecules that can be used for pharmaceutical use in the future. Hanna is mentored by Raul Navarro. The goal this summer is to widen their substrate scope of the DAA reaction by utilizing previously founded optimal conditions. While this type of research is quite demanding and fast-paced, Hanna loves what she does and working towards another published paper in the lab feels so meaningful and rewarding to her.
- Anahy Lizarraga
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Anahy Lizarraga, class of 2023, is a biology major and a public health minor on the pre- med track. She lives in Pomona, CA. Her goal is to attend medical school to become a physician to help communities like her own and take part in making a difference to reduce health disparities. In her free time, she likes to go to the movies, especially going to the drive-in with friends. She also likes to visit the so-cal theme parks like Disneyland and Sixflags with friends and family.
Her project title is, “Tff2 is required for the development of mouse pancreatic Beta-cells”. This summer she is helping a PhD candidate student, Jose Oritz, with his manuscript at the City of Hope in Duarte, CA on researching how Tff2 protein might play a role in the development of Beta-cells. Her part of the project is building upon preliminary results that show beta cell development is disrupted when Tff2 is absent in the pancreas using a mouse model. She is studying DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, and cell death of beta-cells. Over these past few weeks, she has learned how to do immunofluorescence staining. In the last few weeks of the program, she is going to be learning how to do quantification of her microscopic images to make some conclusions about what is happening to these beta cells. The reason they are studying the beta-cells is that they secrete insulin into the bloodstream to help maintain glucose levels and having low levels of insulin secretion is associated with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, her lab is looking at secretion factors that support beta-cell function that could be used for potential treatments.
