Misericordia University student-faculty research teams utilized atomic force microscopy, investigated the political legacy of Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Mary, measured reaction time for people with Parkinson’s disease, and studied stuttering and cluttering during the 2017 Misericordia University Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF).
The research fellows program culminates with oral presentations on the last day of the program for faculty, students and staff, and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Poster Presentation Program during the fall semester in which students highlight their work for the campus and academic communities. The annual program is a precursor for many of the student fellows presenting their research at state and national conferences.
“The SURF Program demonstrates the type of learning that students can do when mentored closely, one to one or two to one,’’ said Pat Thatcher, Ph.D., associate vice president of Academic Affairs at Misericordia University. “It is an avenue to getting excellent and high-impact pedagogical processes into the curriculum.’’
The American Association of Colleges and Universities identified undergraduate research as one of 10 “high-impact educational practices,’’ according to Dr. Thatcher, who oversees the SURF Program. “Over the last decade, these practices have come to define quality undergraduate learning experiences,’’ Dr. Thatcher said, “because they are best-practice examples of active pedagogies that increase student engagement with their institution of higher education and their major, resulting in higher graduation rates.’’
Established in 2014 by President Thomas J. Botzman, Ph.D., the annual program engages faculty mentors with students in complex scientific and scholarly research in traditional scientific laboratories, libraries and out in the field in search of the unknown. Through the mentorship programming, student fellows gain insight into the exciting world of research, while also developing additional critical thinking and independent learning skills.
“There are many advantages to an undergraduate research program, like ours. It engages students directly in the process of learning, while enabling them to direct their own learning experiences and helping them to become young colleagues rather than passive students,’’ Dr. Thatcher said, explaining the benefits of the Misericordia student-faculty research. “Students become actual working scientists, philosophers and literary scholars through their participation in the program. They develop close working relationships with faculty and undertake a project that brings new knowledge into a discipline.’’
In 2017, 24 students and 15 faculty members collaborated on 19 unique research projects from June 3 to Aug. 4. Before participating in the 10-week program, the faculty-student research teams in the three colleges submit individual applications for their proposed research to the University’s Institutional Review Board, which approves the projects and awards funding.
The student-faculty research team of Tristan Snyder of Bloomsburg, Brandon Dean of Monroeville, N.J., and Maureen Romanow Pascal, D.P.T., associate professor of physical therapy, for example, compared gait training and reactionary time of 17 patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and a control group of 50 people.
“Undergraduate research is extremely important for students,’’ Snyder acknowledged. “It provides us with a different set of skills that cannot be taught in the classroom. Having problem solving skills, people skills, and other skills are a major plus for future job opportunities.’’
“I learned just how intensive research is,’’ added Noah Schweiger of Barton, N.Y., who collaborated with Glen Tellis, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Speech-Language Pathology. “It has given me an appreciation for those who do it for a living. I also learned how important credibility is in not only research, but in every job. Without credibility, you lose trust of your colleagues, employers and clients.
“I think research is something every undergraduate student should at least attempt. It has propelled me forward in my field by exposing me to information that I have yet to learn, or may never learn, in my classes,’’ added the speech-language pathology major.
Undergraduate research is also a resume and application builder for students who aspire for graduate school. Andrea Nale, a senior biology major, credits the program with early acceptance to medical school. In the summers of 2016 and 2017, she collaborated with Charles Saladino, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry, to explore the antioxidant properties of certain natural compounds, such as ascorbic acid, glutathione, NADPH and resveratrol.
Besides learning the importance to eat healthy foods that contain those antioxidant compounds, she discovered more about herself and her field of study. “Research involves development and utilization of a whole other skill set that is useful for so many different careers,’’ the Gilbert, Pa., native said. “Research also allows students to explore topics that, due to time constraints, could never be covered in any undergraduate class. I believe my research in biophysics and biochemistry helped secure me a seat in medical school early in the process.’’
The following students and faculty mentors collaborated on research and scholarly work during the 2017 Misericordia University Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program:
Jeff Stephens, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics, and student, Michelle Ash: “Exploring the Dimorphic Nature of C. Albicans through Atomic Force Microscopy.’’
Charles Saladino, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and student, Giovanni Baiamonte: “A Study of the Potential Antioxidant Properties of Antioxidants Ascorbic Acid, NADPH and Glutathione using Luminometry and UV/Vis Spectrophotometery.’’
Dr. Saladino and student, Andrea Nale: “A Study of the Antioxidant Properties of Resveratrol.’’
Rebecca Steinberger, Ph.D., professor of English, and students, Madison Cardinale and Karen Reilly: “A Tale of Two Queens: The Literary, Historical and Political Legacy of Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots.’’
Maureen Romanow Pascal, D.P.T., associate professor of physical therapy, and students, Brandon Dean and Tristan Snyder: “Gait and Reaction Time in Individuals with and without Parkinson’s Disease.’’
George W. Shea, IV, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy, and student, Michael Dubinski: “Embrace: A Postmodern Understanding of Love for Neighbor.’’
Howard Sensbach, M.F.A., artist in residence, and student, Chabely Espinal: “Formation of Raku Ceramic Glaze from Recycled Bottle Glass.’’
Steven J. Tedford, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics, and students, Michael Gottstein and Tara Koskulitz: “Expected Value of Birooted Trees.’’
Glen Tellis, Ph.D., professor of speech-language pathology, and student, Cara Imbalzano: “Using Autonomic Nervous System Software to Measure Responses to Observed Stuttered Speech.’’
Dr. Tellis with student, D’manda Price: “Using ANS Software to Measure Changes in Different Age Groups in People-Who-Stutter.’’
Dr. Tellis with student Noah Schweiger: “What are Typically Fluent Speakers Stress Responses when Observing the Speech of Person Who Stutters.’’
Kathleen Scaler Scott, Ph.D., associate professor of speech-language pathology, and students, Alexandra Irr and Kasey Miller: “Executive Functioning vs. Language Disorder in Cluttering: A Cohort Analysis.’’
Elisa Korb, Ph.D., J.D., assistant professor of fine arts, and student, Stefany Krasson: “Catalogue Raisonne of Edward Burne-Jones (1833-98).’’
Larry D. Corpus, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and students, Olivia McCorkel and Jody Teel: “A Survey of Container-Breeding Mosquitoes from Selected Sites in Northeastern Pennsylvania.’’
Dr. Corpus and students, McCorkel and Teel: “A Survey of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates from Freshwater Containers in Northeastern Pennsylvania.’’
Glenn R. Willis, Ph.D., assistant professor of religious studies, and student, Mark Seewald: “Online Epistemology and the Divergence of Worldviews.’’
Cari Tellis, Ph.D., associate professor, and students, Danielle Spagnuolo and Brianna Spilsbury: “fNIRS Response to Voice Production.’’
Angela Asirvatham, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, and student, Ashley Williams: “Proliferation of Schwann Cell Lines in Response to Forskolin: A Dose Response Study.’’
Cosima Wiese, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, and student, Rebecca Zaneski: “A Comparison of Different Measuring Techniques for Detecting Zinc Effects on Lemna Minor.’’
“By connecting student work on key disciplinary topics, systematic observation, critical concepts, and hot research subjects – like those on chemical anti-oxidants at work in the body, or moral and ethical conundrums surrounding the effects of the internet on human, moral fiber – students gain by attempting to answer pressing and critical questions important to their field of study,’’ Dr. Thatcher said. “Students who have participated in undergraduate research are notably more engaged in whatever they choose to pursue and exhibit a more active learning profile.
“Undergraduate research is a mode of true transformational education,’’ she added.
For more information about the Misericordia University Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, please call (570) 674-6400 or visit www.misericordia.edu. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1924, Misericordia University is Luzerne County’s first four-year college and offers 45 academic programs on the graduate and undergraduate levels in full- and part-time formats. Misericordia University ranks in the top tier of the Best Regional Universities – North category of U.S. News and World Report’s 2018 edition of Best Colleges. The Princeton Review recognizes MU as a 2018 Best Northeastern College and MONEY Magazine includes Misericordia in its 2017-18 “Best Colleges” list.