Madison Ames ‘21, chemistry, is one of several outstanding Dyson students to receive recognition and support for her research.

Showstoppers

Dyson College research teams won the top prize at the annual Student-Faculty Research Showcases celebrating collaborative research and sponsored by the University’s Office for Student Success. In New York City, Madison Ames ’21 (above), Chemistry, and Professor JaimeLee Rizzo won for their work investigating coconuts and combatting bacteria. In Pleasantville, Bryan Volpe ’22, Biology, and Assistant Professor Aaron Steiner were awarded for their research on cell regeneration in zebrafish. Each team was selected to receive $2,000 to present their research at a future conference by a panel of faculty and staff judges.

Rewarding Research

Undergraduate student-faculty research opportunities are a hallmark of a Pace University education. Annually, the Center for Undergraduate Research Experiences supports exciting new work through the Undergraduate Student-Faculty Research Initiative Award, a 10-week summer immersion experience for students and their faculty mentors. This year, the following eight projects—on topics ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to Hurricane Otto—were awarded funding:

 

Evaluating the role of C. elegans orthlogs of human genes hypothesized to drive brain tumor formation.

STUDENT: Iqra Ahmed, Biology
FACULTY MENTOR: Assistant Professor Matthew R. Marcello, Biology

Determination of the Dielectric Constant of an Exotic African Shea Butter Formulation.

STUDENT: Madison Ames, Chemistry
FACULTY MENTOR: Professor JaimeLee Rizzo, Chemistry

Manuka Honey Surface as a Novel Wound Dressing.

STUDENT: Julia Fatum, Chemistry
FACULTY MENTOR: Professor JaimeLee Rizzo, Chemistry

The effects of Hurricane Otto and of logging on the groups of soil plant pathogenic fungi, general saprobe fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a Costa Rican tropical forest.

STUDENT: Brenda Hernandez and Natalie Wayland, Biology
FACULTY MENTOR: Professor William Eaton, Biology

Differences in Motility and the Number of Reactive Microglia Following Hypoxia Between Wild Type and Fish with Reduced PTEPU.

STUDENT: Claudia Maxi, Biology
FACULTY MENTOR: Assistant Professor Sally A. Marik, Biology

TrpC5 channels are inhibited by Wild Type Presenilin1, but not the Familial Alzheimer’s Disease Presenilin 1 mutant M146V.

STUDENT: Matthew Orzillo, Biology
FACULTY MENTOR: Associate Professor Zafir Buraei,

Biology Ain’t Nothing Here for Free.

STUDENT: Dahveed Wilkins, Art
FACULTY MENTOR: Lecturer Derek Stroup, Art

The Living and the Dead: the Secularization of Chinese religions in the Forms of Commercialization.

STUDENT: Shen Yang, Sociology/Anthropology
FACULTY MENTOR: Associate Professor Judith Pajo, Sociology and Anthropology