Undergraduate Research Student Participants 2005-2010

2005–2006 Student Participants

Poster Presentations

Jennifer Bieda
The Parallel Universe
Research Adviser: Dr. Molly Wertheimer

Scott Bogard - FIRST PLACE
Electroplating without Cyanide
Research Adviser: Dr. Frank Novak

Dana Davis
Development of Antibiotic Resistance in Microorganisms
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Aneillo De Scotio
Theoretical Study of the Electronic and Geometrical Structures of Organic Semiconductors
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

Christina Dore
A Million Little Pieces: Who needs to pick up the pieces?
Research Adviser: Dr. Liz Wright

Michael Doyle
Camera Operation for Digital Video
Research Adviser: Warren Bareiss

Chris Fanini
Adoption of VoIP as a conventional landline replacement
Research Adviser: Pratiba Murthy

Elizabeth Foster
The Haunted Road: Various Scenes from Nature
Research Adviser: Dr. Tom Smialek

Matt Hinkley
Mutagenic Effects of Tri-chloro-ethylene
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Hui Lin
Comparative Theoretical and Experimental Study of Aromatic Conjugated Molecules Substituted with Electron Donor/Acceptor Groups
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

Jennifer Trach
A New Technique for Treatment of Neurological Patients
Research Adviser: Doug Haladay

Amy Peca
The Effects of Steroids in Humans and Canines
Research Adviser: Amie Yenser

Timothy Peters - THIRD PLACE (TIE)
Hegemony and American Mythology in World War II POW film
Research Adviser: Warren Bareiss

Marco Rutigliano
Hospital Bed
Research Adviser: Dr. Wieslaw Grebski

Jamie Serra
BioDiesel
Research Adviser: Dr. Dan Vice

John Skopek, Dhaval Bhalodia - THIRD PLACE (TIE)
Engineering Learning Modules as a Key to Success in Technician Training
Research Adviser: Wieslaw Grebski

Ryan J. Suto
The Pioneer Anomaly
Research Adviser: Dr. David Miller

Jessica Swidinsky
Analysis of Conrad Hilberry's Poem "The Moon Seen as a Slice of Pineapple"
Research Adviser: Dr. Kathleen Kemmerer

Jeffrey Tranguch - SECOND PLACE
Preference, Delinquency, and Personality Traits of Adolescents
Research Adviser: Dr. Lisa Swenson

Chris Wehr
Tree Stand Arm
Research Adviser: Dr. Wieslaw Grebski

Jeremy Witner
Slide-n-Ride Trailer
Research Adviser: Dr. Wieslaw Grebski

Jesse Ziegler
 Importing Real Electrical Signals into the PC Using an USB Data Acquisition Board
Research Adviser: Ken Dudeck

Jesse Ziegler
Studies in Multimedia Types
Research Adviser: Demetria Deakos

Verbal Presentations

Jean Costa - THIRD PLACE
IMB: Interpreter for MicroBasic
Research Adviser: Dr. Pavel Azalov

Paul Dildine
Bio-fuel
Research Adviser: Barbara Brazon

Michael Everett
Retrofit of Control System for Open Source Computer Numerical Control (CNC)
Research Advisers: Rajeshwar Amireddy, Pratiba Murthy

Brandon Herman
One Generalization in Constructive Geometry
Research Adviser: Dr. Semyon Litvinov

Stephen Kelchaw
Finding the Difference Between Two Dates using C++
Research Adviser: Demetria Deakos

Tomas Marko, Abdalla  Nassar, Dhaval Bhalodia - SECOND PLACE
Magnetic Levitation via passive Magnetic Induction
Research Adviser: Dr. Xingguo Zhang

Dan McNinch
"I Always Wanted to be a Tenenbaum": Class Distinction and Envy in the Films of Wes Anderson with Literary References
Research Adviser: Warren Bareiss

Andy O'Brien
IPv6: The Next Generation Protocol
Research Adviser: Pratiba Murthy

Joe Rosenberg - FIRST PLACE
Microbes:  Here, There, Everywhere!
Research Adviser: Tammy Brill

John Skopek
Springback
Research Adviser: Rajeshwar Amireddy

Phillip Yinger
Oligothiophenes: Properties, Applications, and Multistep Synthesis
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

2006–2007 Student Participants

Poster Presentations

Scott Bogard
Complex Impedances and Application to Resonant Electronic Circuits
Research Adviser: Dr. Frank Novak

Joseph Cimaszewski, Daehee Parks, Timmie Haynes, 
Kevin Jordan, Christopher Kerr
Security Risks of the Penn State Network
Research Adviser: Dr. David Richards

Dana Davis
"Developmental Problems in Premature Birth"
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Phillip Halliday
Integration of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) into Nagi's Model of Disablement
Research Adviser: Dr. Doug Haladay

Erik Herrmann
The Psychedelic Art of Music
Research Adviser:  Dr. Thomas Smialek

James Hinkley
Muscle Growth and Effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs
Research Adviser: Amie Yenser

Katie Hoffman
Marcus Garvey's Greatest Achievement: The UNIA
Research Adviser: Dr. Arthur Harris

Tom Hubbard
Synthesis of Nanoparticles
Research Adviser: Dr. Girija Subramaniam

Amanda Leccese
Adolescence Substance Abuse
Research Adviser: Dr.  Michael Polgar

Erik Lehrbach
Terra Incognita
Research Adviser:  Dr. Thomas Smialek

Cristina Longo and Alyssa Benigno - THIRD PLACE
Language Variation among College Students
Research Adviser: Sandra Smith

Jason Oshman
Creating Visual Aids to Increase Motivation for Learning Modules for Finite Mathematics
Research Adviser: Dr. Alfredo Jimenez

Dante Palumbo - FIRST PLACE
Virtual Colonoscopy and its Role in Modern Medicine
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Camila Roces 
HIV/AIDS Preventative Vaccine Strategies
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Francine Schreffler
Single Mothers In The United States
Research Adviser:  Dr. Michael Polgar

Jessica Swidinsky
Theater Costume Design and Collaboration Project
Research Adviser: Regina Rockensies

Samantha Tentinger
The Clinical Interview in Review
Research Adviser: Dr. Eric Bell

Nancy Varvara
Concentration Varying in Time and Space
Research Adviser: Dr. Frank Novak

Sharayah Wilt - SECOND PLACE
Actinomyces: Finding the Cure
Research Adviser: Tammy Brill

Oral Presentations

John Ballantyne and Mario Tombasco
Simple Programming Language Interpretation
Research Adviser: Dr. Pavel Azalov

Jonathan Coles 
Title: Advanced User Database with Microsoft Access 2003
Research Adviser: Ms. Deakos

Paul Dildine
Altenative Fuel: Bio-Diesel
Research Adviser: Barbara Brazon

Thomas Dowdney
 "Infinitely" long real numbers
Research Adviser: Dr. Pavel Azalovu

Scott Gay - SECOND PLACE
Microbes: the Danger Within
Research Adviser: Tammy Brill

Alexander Levitin 
Is 99% really enough? 
Research Adviser: Tammy Brill

Kenneth Melber
Congregational Life Survey of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Research Adviser: Dr. Michael Polgar

Jason Oshman - FIRST PLACE
Studies in Animation Theory and Creation
Research Adviser: Dr. Warren Bareiss

Daehee Park
A Visual Implementation of Algorithmically Solving Sudoku Using Flash  
 (Project in Progress) 
Research Adviser: Dr. Pavel Azalov

Daehee Park and Joseph Cimaszewski
Dynamically Programming Math Learning Modules & Quizzes for Online Interactivity
Research Adviser: Dr. Alfredo Jimenez

Sneha Patel and Brandon Farzad - THIRD PLACE
Control Time by Using RC Circuit
Research Adviser: Dr. Xingguo Zhang

Mario Tombasco
How Electronic Instruments Have Changed Music Performance
Research Adviser: Dr. Thomas Smialek

2007–2008 Student Participants

Poster Presentations

Adam Bachert, Benn Kunkle, Sean Sullivan
DAngelo Auto Body Tow Truck
Research Adviser: Dr. Wieslaw Grebski

Philip Botelho, Christopher Rodriguez
Synthesis and Study of Nano-Adsorbents
Research Adviser: Dr. Girija Subramaniam

Dan Carhart
Electrochemical Characterization of Organic Semiconductors
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

Gregory Chernock
Winter Diet of River Otters in Nescopeck State Park
Research Adviser: Dr. Christopher Goguen

Gary Dundon 
Critical Damped Harmonic System 
Research Adviser: Dr. Xingguo Zhang

Jordan Ficca
Agriculture in the Modern Age
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Matthew Grad, Maxon Bruno
A Comparison of the Efficacy of Snow-track and Camera Stations to Detect Wildlife Activity
Research Adviser: Dr. Christopher Goguen

Ryan Halloran
The Rise of White-Collar Crime: Cyber Extortion
Research Adviser: Dr.Eric Lu

Kevin Heffelfinger - FIRST PLACE
Extraterrestrial Surface Exploration
Research Adviser: Dr. Frank Novak

Sarah Hightower - SECOND PLACE
Identification of Unknown Environmental Microorganisms'
Research Adviser: Tammy Brill

Sarah Hightower
Synthesis of Ladder-Type Oligomers
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

Harsh Jhankhariya
Dicyanovinyl-Substituted Oligothiophene
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader, [email protected]

Brandon Kerins, Christopher Leighow, Steven Dickson
Zero-Utility Housing: The Cost Effective Green Alternative
Research Adviser: Dr. Wieslaw Grebski

Cherise Koslop, Harsh Jhankhariya
Microbiology in Modern Times
Research Adviser: Tammy Brill

Kimberly Monka
Searching for Life on Mars
Research Adviser: Dr. Frank Novak

Adam Mosa
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Abigail Myers - THIRD PLACE
Diet of a Barn Owl Population from Northwestern Nevada Based on Pellet Contents
Research Adviser: Dr. Christopher Goguen, [email protected]

William Oberrender
The History of Biological Warfare
Research Adviser: Tammy Brill

Robert Shelton, Jovan Figueroa
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Investigation of Organic Semiconductors
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

David Sobolewski
How Corporate Culture Affects the Business Operations
Research Adviser: Paul McDermott

Nancy Varvara
N-type Organic Semi-conductors
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

Sean Winter
Side-Arm Concrete Leveling Attachment With Universal Mounting System
Research Adviser: Dr. Wieslaw Grebski

Oral Presentations

John Ballantyne - SECOND PLACE
SML - An Object-Oriented Software Model of an Abstract Computer
Research Adviser: Dr. Pavel Azalov

Jolene Busher - FIRST PLACE
George Pullman and the Model Town Experiment
Research Adviser: Dr. Justin Nordstrom

Thomas Dowdney
The Motion of a Particle in Four Dimensional Space-time
Research Adviser: Dr. David Miller

Gary Dundon
Superconductors and Magnetism
Research Adviser: Kenneth Dudeck

Matthew Keniston
A Method for Decomposing Floating-Point Numbers
Research Adviser: Dr. Pavel Azalov

Thomas Martin - THIRD PLACE
A Sex-Based Analysis of Self-employment Earnings
Research Adviser: Dr. Sherry Robinson

Thomas Russell
Creationism in Public Schools?
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Michael Ward
MRSA: From Hospital to Home
Research Adviser: Tammy Brill
Research Adviser: Allen Sabatino

2008–2009 Student Participants

Poster Presentations

Raymond Boretski
Obama: Rhetoric and Unity
Research Adviser: Dr. Warren Barreis

Robert Caccese - THIRD PLACE
The Impact of Brush Piles on Animal Densities During Winter
Research Adviser: Dr. Christopher Goguen

John DiGiovanni
Discovering Reality CS3
Research Adviser: Dr. Thomas Smialek

Erica Dougherty, Melissa Williams
Single Parent Families
Research Adviser: Dr. Michael Polgar

Kevin Heffelfinger, Gary Dundon - SECOND PLACE
Extraterrestrial Surface Exploration 2
Research Adviser: Dr. Frank Novak

Zachary Leshko
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Research Adviser: Dr. Arthur Harris

Matthew Lessack - FIRST PLACE
Inferring Why People Litter From What They Litter
Research Adviser: Dr. Peter Crabb

Brianna Mazza
Representations of Materical Culture and Gender in Caldecott Medal Children's Books, 1990 - 2009
Research Adviser: Dr. Peter Crabb

Jennifer Mills
Adults Attitudes Towards Chiropractic and Preventative Health

Gia Pagano
Through My Eye
Research Adviser: Dr. Thomas Smialek

Richard Pellicciaro
Thermodynamic Properties of Strongly Interacting Matter
Research Adviser: Dr. David Miller

Richard Pellicciaro, Andrew Kink, Daniel Carhart
Electrochemical Characterization of Organic Semiconductors
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

Thomas Russell
Analog / Digital Conversions Applied to a Vending Machine
Research Adviser: Ken Dudeck

Steven Sellati, Brittany Sprung
The Impact of Norway's Energy Resources on the Norwegian Economy and Society
Research Adviser: Dr. Zugang Liu
Research Adviser: Ken Dudeck

Thomas Solenberger
A Dietary Analysis of the Nescopeck State Park, River Otter
Research Adviser: Dr. Christopher Goguen

Colleen Watson
The Summer Diet of Burrowing Owls on Vermejo Park Ranch, New Mexico
Research Adviser: Dr. Christopher Goguen

Grant Yamulla
Epigenetic Evolution
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Oral Presentations

Jolene Busher - FIRST PLACE
Sons of Erin at the Council Ridge Colliery: A New Analysis of the Irish in Eckley, Pennsylvania
Research Adviser: Dr. Elizabeth Wright

Preston Chaderton, Matthew Keniston
Compiler, Interpreter and Graphical User Interface for an Abstract Computer
Research Adviser: Dr. Pavel Azalov

Lawrenshey Charles
The Success of Defibrillators
Research Adviser: Amie Yenser

James Guo
The Big Mac Index: A Look at PPP and US/China Trade
Research Adviser: Dr. Yas Nishiyama

Abigail Myers - SECOND PLACE
Seasonal Diet Comparison of a Barn Owl Population from Northwest Nevada
Research Adviser: Dr. Christopher Goguen

Emily Piersimoni
The Cellular and Molecular Causes of Breast Cancer
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Nina Reichner
Descriptive Epidemiology of Breast Cancer Through Sex, Age, Ethnicity, Geographies, and the Environment
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Thomas Russell - THIRD PLACE
Preparing for the Real World Design Process of Engineers
Research Adviser: Ken Dudeck

2009–2010 Student Participants

Poster Presentations

Basant Nassar
Terminally Functionalized Oligothiophenes for Molecular Wires
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

Basant Nassar
Extended 7,7,8,8-Tetracyano-p-quinodimethane-Based Acceptors: How Molecular Shape and Packing Impact Electron Accepting Behavior
Research Adviser: Dr. Mamoun Bader

Robert Weldon
Study of Rates of Primary Fusion Processes in Stars
Research Adviser: Dr. Frank Novak

Nathan Wiles
Understanding Lightning
Research Adviser: Dr. Daniel Vice

Brett Corl - First Place
Optimization of Energy Use Based on Environmental and Economic Criteria
Research Adviser: Dr. Wieslaw Grebski

Kimberly Vuolo
The Affect of Modern Day Food Preservatives on Body Decomposition Rates
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Justin England and Jesse Fox
Network Security Research
Research Adviser: Dr. Eric Lu

Priyanka Parikh and Beena Patel
Emerging Technology in the World of Biometrics
Research Adviser: Dr. Eric Lu

Eric Heckman
Heritability: A Statistical View
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Stephanie Cook - Third Place
Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania
Research Adviser: Dr. Dan Vice

Ethan Okon, Kyle Kocher
Characteristics of Otter Latrine Sites at Nescopeck State Park
Research Adviser: Dr. Chris Goguen

Lawrence Klomps - Second Place
Diet of Barn Owls Nesting on Vermejo Park Ranch, Northeastern New Mexico
Research Adviser: Dr. Chris Goguen

Adrian Parkes
Pain
Research Adviser: Amie Yenser

Alina Gluck
Emergence
Research Adviser: Dr. Thomas Smialek

Jessica Colangelo
Portfolio of recent work
Research Adviser: Dr. Thomas Smialek

Oral Presentations

Robert Weldon
Influence of Surface Area on the Force of Friction
Research Adviser: Dr. Xigguo Zhang

Erika Jahn - Second Place
The Fitness Benefits of Exergaming
Research Adviser: Dr. Kathy Maxwell

Cody Barry - Third Place
A Comparison of Mens and Womens Motives for Entrepreneurship
Research Adviser: Dr. Sherry Robinson

Yaqi Yang
Altruistic Behavior in Animals
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Robert Caccese - First Place
Impact of Brush Piles on Winter Wildlife Densities at Nescopeck State Park, northeastern Pennsylvania
Research Adviser: Dr. Christopher Goguen