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The 91����’s Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) has announced its 2021 Summer Research and Creative Activities fellowship and Undergraduate Maine Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) Research Experience recipients. 

The CUGR 2021 Summer Research and Creative Activities fellowships were developed to enhance and increase undergraduate student involvement in faculty-supervised research and are supported through the Office of the Vice President for Research. Each fellowship provides a $3,700 award per student for costs associated with the project. 

The Undergraduate MSGC Research Experience helps provide research opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students in aerospace technology, space science, human exploration and space development, Earth science and other science- or engineering-related fields. The focus of proposed projects funded by the fellowships must be aligned with the research priorities of NASA’s Earth and space science strategic enterprises. Selected projects will be awarded $3,700 each.

This year’s recipients are: 

CUGR 2021 Summer Research and Creative Activities Fellowship 

• Aldous Hofmann, Botany, “Quantifying Drought Resistance of Wild and High Bush Blueberries and Using Nanocellulose to Improve Crop Drought Resistance,” advised by YongJiang Zhang;
• Ailin Liebler-Bendix, Psychology, “Does Confronting Prejudice Increase Psychological Wellbeing? Investigating Women’s Anticipated Behavioral Reactions to Sexism and their Subsequent Psychological Responses,” advised by Shannon McCoy;
• Emily Mclaughlin, Microbiology, “Effects of Probiotics on Black Soldier Flies Ability to Transmit Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,” advised by Edward Bernard;

• Samuel Roberts, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, “Using Mulch and Biochar-Compost Mix to Mitigate the Negative Effects of Climate Warming on Wild Blueberries and Soil Water Availability,” advised by YongJiang Zhang;

• Rosemary Thayer, Zoology, “Social Niche Specialization of Grey Squirrels, Sciurus Carolinensis, Studied Through Intraspecific Social Behaviors and Relative Condition,” advised by Alessio Mortelliti;

• Basel White, Biomedical Engineering, “Wavelet Based Breast Segmentation Algorithm,” advised by Andre Khalil.

 

2021 Undergraduate MSGC Research Experience 

• Maxwell Burtis, Mechanical Engineering, “The Development and Implementation of an Autonomous Lighter-Than-Air Drone for Glacial Research in the Juneau Icefields, Alaska,” advised by Seth Campbell;
• Jocelyn Cooper, Marine Sciences, “Comparative Analysis of Primnoa pacifica, Red Tree Coral, Gamete Size Before Versus After Thermal Variability Events.,” advised by Rhian Waller;

• Jordan Farnsworth, Earth and Climate Sciences, “Completing a Ground-Penetrating Radar Survey of a Subglacial Lake on the Juneau Icefield in Southeast Alaska to select an Analog Polar Study Site for Future Europa Missions,” advised by Seth Campbell;

• Emily Holt, Earth Science, “Measuring Firn Thickness and Volume Change Using GPR Profiles Across the Juneau Icefield,” advised by Seth Campbell;

• Jessica Hutchinson, Environmental Horticulture, “Utilizing Gardens on Campus to Improve Symptoms of Mental Health,” advised by Stephanie Burnett;

• Michael Keedy, Earth and Climate Sciences, “Applying Autonomous Phase Sensitive Radar to Determining the Filling and Draining Rate of a Subglacial Lake on the Juneau Icefield in Southeast Alaska,” advised by Seth Campbell;

• Sara Loiselle, Zoology, “Does Cxcl12/Cxcr4 Signaling Attract All Leading Edge Migrating Muscle Precursor Cells?,” advised by Jared Talbot;

• Morgan Oehler, Civil and Environmental Engineering, “Combatting Nutrient Scarcity Using Adsorption of Phosphorus from Recirculating Aquaculture System Wastewater,” advised by Jean MacRae;

• Leah Parrish, Computer Science, “Expansions on Exploration of Olfactory Interventions as a Synergistic Emotional and Cognitive Recovery Technique,” advised by Nimesha Ranasinghe;
• Leah Savage, Media Studies, “Objectifying the Classroom: An Examination of Self-Objectification, Appearance Comparisons, and Their Effects On Cognitive Resources Within Video-Class Environments,” advised by Amelia Couture-Bue.