By Mark Hansel
NKy managing editor
Some of Northern Kentucky University’s best and brightest demonstrated the fruits of their summer labors at the annual Heather Bullen Interdisciplinary Summer Research Celebration.
Nearly 100 students involved in research projects set up displays throughout the James C. and Rachel M. Votruba Student Union Ballroom Wednesday.
NKU President Geoffrey Mearns toured the ballroom, stopping to talk with students about the wide range of projects.
Senior Danielle Frivola spoke with Mearns about her research on predation of Carolina Chickadees.
Among her findings were that the risks of being predated were higher along the edge of the forest, yet many birds still preferred to nest there.
“The nests along the edge are going to be warmer and because they are, the mother may be able to spend less time incubating and have more time to forage,” Frivola said.
“Even though there may be an even greater risk of being eaten by a snake or other predator, they prefer to nest there; fascinating,” Mearns said.
The wide range of research projects demonstrated the freedom students are given to explore individual areas of interest at NKU.
Mearns said the program is a great asset for the university and its students.
“At NKU, one of the things we pride ourselves on is providing a personal educational experience for our students and that takes many shapes and forms and this is one perfect example” Mearns said. “It provides experiential learning experiences for our students and they develop personal educational relationships with our faculty who supervise them in these projects.”
The projects on display ran the gamut, from Frivola’s chickadee research to senior Lucas Edelen’s research on the synthesis of microcyclamides MZ602 and MZ568.
Edelen, a biochemistry major who hopes to go to medical school at either the University of Cincinnati or the University of Louisville, was the recipient of the 2015 Heather Bullen Memorial Award for his research project.
He explained the research project in laymen’s terms, for those not majoring in biochemistry.
“Someone isolated a molecule that possesses some type of biological activity and we believe it to have anti-fungal applications,” Edelen said. So we are working through and trying to find a more efficient route to make it, so it has the potential to become an anti-fungal drug on the market.”
Edelen said it was an honor to win the award and credited his student partners, Brandon Wiefering and Stefan Reid, and faculty advisor Amber Onorato for their contributions to the project.
In addition to the research students, hundreds of students and faculty members attended the event, which serves as an ongoing tribute to the legacy of the educator it is named for.
Dr. Heather Bullen, a tenured analytical chemist who joined the NKU staff in 2004, was a strong advocate for undergraduate research.
The Bullen Research Group conducted multidisciplinary research using various analytical chemistry methods to study biofilms and nanotechnology.
Bullen died in 2012, and a scholarship in her name benefits first-generation students in the STEM disciplines.
NKU Provost Sue Ott Rowlands also addressed the students.
“Here at NKU undergraduate research is incredibly important to us and I think this poster session gives you an idea of why that is true,” Ott Rowlands said. “We have such talented students and such dedicated faculty. The demonstration today of the undergraduate research done during the summer is just another effort to support and commend our students for their work.”
A similar program in the spring that highlights the work performed by undergraduate students throughout the academic year is expected to include more than 700 participants.