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Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

URECA-Undergrads & faculty mentors work together on summer research projects

By Wake Forest University

August 11^th, 2023

Building a better fog gauge

Fog is a natural phenomenon that occurs when moist air cools and condenses forming water droplets that are suspended in air, and it affects both natural ecosystems and human lives. Having accurate measurements of fog is critical for regions that depend on fog, rather than rainfall or snowfall, as the main water source. These ecosystems typically occur at the start of major rivers like the Amazon and regulate the flow of freshwater to plants and people downstream. In a lab at Wake Downtown, junior environmental science major Kirstin Murr works on research with engineering professor Lauren Lowman. They develop and test different configurations of fog gauge sensors and calibrate each based on how much water vapor is captured in each chamber.

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Resistance training and brain health for older adults

At Wake Forest's Health and Exercise Science (HES) Clinical Research Center senior HES major Kyle Alves and professor Jeffrey Katula are conducting a pilot study to see if high-intensity interval resistance training improves brain health for adults 65 plus. "We know that exercise can improve cognition, but a certain protein increases with maximum weight interval training, and we want to see if that protein mitigates memory loss and increases cognition," said Alves. The research has sparked Alves's interest in working with older adults. "Kyle's work opens horizons and he gets to work with interesting people - in this case older folks - who share their experiences…about the exercise program and life in general," said Katula. "It's a listening as well as a learning experience."

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Artificial intelligence and ethics

"If we want them to have moral reasoning and moral status, we need to figure out essentially what part of our consciousness is responsible for this ability that is not built into the machines," writes senior Lilly Liu in her URECA research abstract. Liu, a health and exercise science major, is working with philosophy professors Amanda Corris and Tobias Flattery to explore the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence. Both professors specialize in the philosophy of science, philosophy of mind and modern philosophy.

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Physics and chemistry build bridges to improve nitrogen fixation

Senior biochemistry and molecular biology major J.H. West and his mentors, physics professor Timo Thonhauser and chemistry professor Patricia Dos Santos, are meeting in the middle. They are studying biochemical processes that deal with the most abundant gas in our atmosphere – nitrogen. "If it hadn't been for J.H., we might not have had this opportunity to collaborate across fields – with chemistry and physics bringing their own strengths." The researchers are using experiments and computational simulations to study reaction pathways for structures involved in nitrogen production in hopes of finding a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way to produce fertilizer. The team makes good use of the University's High-Performance Computing Center, which has processed more than 650,000 tasks submitted in the last year by Wake Forest researchers.

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Investigating cancer treatments at the cellular level

Junior chemistry major Sydney Riemer has been collaborating with engineering professor Erin Henslee and chemistry professor Uli Bierbach on ways to improve cancer treatments. The team is researching whether the engineering lab's methods of measuring cellular electrophysiology (how ions move through and around cells) could help quantify or predict drug uptake in some of the cancer therapies investigated in Bierbach's chemistry lab. "Sydney designed and carried out an incredible amount of experiments and generated a ton of preliminary data that suggests our technique can provide a less costly and time-consuming way to quantify drug uptake," said Henslee. Riemer will continue her work in the fall and the team plans to include her pilot data in an upcoming National Institutes of Health funding proposal. "Beyond the intricacies of my research, my work pushed me to become a more effective communicator and collaborator," Riemer said.

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

A museum database for the future

When Wake Forest established an anthropology museum in 1963, the database was an internal tool meant to help students and curators quickly locate objects in storage. In the early 2000s, museums began to digitize their databases and host them online – allowing global accessibility. Sophomore Nick Beckom's research focused on updating archival descriptions for the University's Lam Museum of Anthropology to be accurate, inclusive and more visitor-centered. "Nick identified several instances where word choices in old database entries convey harmful assumptions and biases," said anthropology professor Andrew Gurstelle, the museum's academic director. For comparison resources, Beckom looked at the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum. "As an anthropology museum, many of its objects are culturally significant to individuals, so ensuring these objects are represented in an empathetic and professional manner is essential."

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Hands-on research makes a real-world difference

Footnotes

Photos by Lyndsie Schlink. Story by Kim McGrath.

FootNotes

Photos by Lyndsie Schlink. Story by Kim McGrath.

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