During the research process, students often use specialized materials and technologies, investigate complex and specific concepts, and explore existing scholarship and literature.<\/p>\n
Here are the answers to the question, “What is it?”<\/h3>\n
\n
A: A column that contains a catalyst and through which a stream of reactants move. Reactants are substances that undergo change during a chemical reaction, and \u201cflow chemistry\u201d is a process that gets its name from the movement of these materials.<\/strong><\/p>\n Alan Medina-Gonzalez \u201916<\/strong> Alan Medina-Gonzalez \u201916<\/strong> chose to participate in summer research because it granted him the opportunity to spend more time in the lab optimizing a chemical reaction, which is a fun\u2014albeit time-consuming\u2014puzzle he enjoys solving. \u201cI wanted to see what it was like to work on a project all day long versus only going into the lab four hours per week as part of a class,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Medina-Gonzalez\u2019s research involved setting up chemical reactions using flow chemistry\u2014a process that helps make reactions more \u201cgreen\u201d by allowing chemists to lessen waste generation and to improve energy efficiency and safety. His research goal included producing a variety of molecules, including acetaminophen\u2014the primary active ingredient in Tylenol and other medicines\u2014to demonstrate the uses of flow chemistry in the pharmaceutical industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> A foam roller, a tool that breaks up fibrous tissue in order to increase muscle elasticity and circulation flow.<\/p>\n Briana Felton \u201914<\/strong> Briana Felton \u201914<\/strong> chose a summer research project that will help to prepare her for the dream of attending graduate school to study physical therapy. Felton is a member of the Augsburg women\u2019s soccer team, and she loves sports and fitness. Athletes commonly use a foam roller on their muscles for self-myofascial release\u2014a process that applies pressure to trigger points within muscle tissue and is thought to cause the tissue to relax and become more flexible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Although the use of foam rollers has become a common practice in therapy and fitness centers, few peer-reviewed studies have examined its effectiveness. For Felton\u2019s research project, she conducted a study in which middle-aged adult males participated in an exercise program utilizing foam rollers. Felton then assessed the study participants\u2019 balance and functional movement patterns using industry-standard tests to see whether their scores improved over the course of the study. Higher scores have been shown to correlate with a person\u2019s decreased risk of injury.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The results:<\/strong><\/p>\n Felton\u2019s study found that the Functional Movement Screen, the\u00a0assessment used to gather comparison data for individuals\u2019 fitness\u00a0before and after the foam-rolling regimen, had a significant increase\u00a0in its composite scores. On average, scores from pre- to post-test\u00a0increased by 2.06 points out of 21. Although the composite scores\u00a0illustrated a significant increase, not all of the individual tests\u00a0showed such an increase. Study participants were also asked to\u00a0self-evaluate perceived pain, and there was no significant increase\u00a0for any of the 10 survey questions.<\/p>\n In the future, Felton is interested in replicating this study with\u00a0females in the same age group as her summer 2014 study, which was\u00a0limited to males. She also is considering whether selecting a\u00a0population with more known deficits and, therefore, more room to\u00a0improve could influence the research results.<\/p>\n A: <\/strong>An electroencephalogram (EEG) recording cap, which is used to capture the brain\u2019s electrical activity while at rest or engaged in mental activity.<\/p>\n Brad Marcy \u201915<\/strong> Research conducted on substance use disorders often extends to either the biological or the behavioral aspects of addiction. This summer, Brad Marcy \u201915<\/strong> took on the challenge of combining both of these aspects into a single study incorporating behavioral information\u2014in this case, a person\u2019s age of first alcoholic drink (AFD)\u2014and biological data, which was derived from brain patterns collected through EEG scans.<\/p>\n Marcy and other Augsburg psychology students gathered data by working with student volunteers, including those in the College\u2019s StepUP\u00ae<\/sup> program, which serves students who are in recovery from addiction. Marcy\u2019s research project involved processing and analyzing participants\u2019 EEG data in order to identify telltale signs of being at biological or genetic risk for dependence in these brainwave patterns. He then examined whether an association exists between this biological information and AFD. By evaluating these variables, Marcy can later assess their usefulness in refining the diagnosis of substance misuse.<\/p>\n A:<\/strong> The examination of journal articles, images, and academic texts\u2014illustrated here\u2014are key aspects of student researchers\u2019 literature review process. A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject area.<\/p>\n Awale Osman \u201915<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to be a teacher,\u201d said Awale Osman \u201915<\/strong>, a McNair research scholar whose project almost perfectly aligned with his desired career path. Osman began his undergraduate education at a community college before transferring to Augsburg, and his research project involved examining the establishment and evolution of women\u2019s studies, the emergence of gender and masculinity studies, and current dialogue regarding the field. This work allowed him to combine his interests in communications and women\u2019s studies into a project that enhanced his academic skills.<\/p>\n Osman would like to return to a community college one day\u2014this time as a professor instead of as a student. Osman chose his research topic in order to establish a foundation in the research he hopes will be incorporated in a future doctoral program that will, eventually, lead to a teaching role in higher education. \u201cI realize I have to be grounded to be successful in my track,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, I\u2019m going for it.\u201d<\/p>\n A:<\/strong> The Bengali pronoun \u201c\u0112t\u0101<\/span>,\u201d which is similar to the English pronoun \u201cit.\u201d<\/p>\n Priti Bhowmik \u201915 and Bram Oosterlee \u201916<\/strong> As international students, Priti Bhowmik \u201915<\/strong> and Bram Oosterlee \u201916<\/strong> were attracted to research linked with the official languages of their home countries. In 2011, Bhowmik left Bangladesh to attend Augsburg, and she seized the opportunity to use her background in the Bengali language in combination with her computer science major. Her research project fell in the field of computational linguistics\u2014a branch of linguistics in which computer science techniques are applied to the analysis of language and speech. She explored whether the pronoun \u201c\u0112t\u0101<\/span>\u201d has the same cognitive status as the English pronoun \u201cit.\u201d That is, whether a Bengali speaker, in determining what \u0112t\u0101<\/span> refers to in a sentence, uses his or her short-term memory in the same manner that an English speaker does when determining what the word \u201cit\u201d refers to.<\/p>\n Oosterlee, a student from the Netherlands, performed a similar study by examining the cognitive status of the Dutch pronoun \u201chet.\u201d Bhowmik and Oosterlee\u2019s work ultimately will contribute to developing systems that enhance how computers extract information, summarize text, and translate language. One example of the usefulness of these processes is that they increase the likelihood of returning accurate content descriptions when doctors use digital medical reference materials to find information that pertains specifically to a disorder.<\/p>\n A: <\/strong>The parasitic plant dodder\u00a0(Cuscuta pentagona)<\/em> attached to a host plant from which it acquires all its water and nutrients.<\/p>\n Lucy Bukowski \u201916<\/strong> Augsburg College students have studied the interactions between dodder and its host plants since 2008, and this summer Lucy Bukowski \u201916<\/strong> worked on an experiment testing the hypothesis that a decline in the health of the host plant triggers the dodder to flower. Bukowski\u2019s project benefitted from the help of a plant pathologist at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities who offered greenhouse space, thus providing a larger growing area and better growing conditions for Bukowski\u2019s research.<\/p>\n Online-exclusive content: More about the dodder project<\/strong><\/p>\n Bill Capman<\/strong> has mentored Augsburg College students conducting hands-on research using the\u00a0dodder plant both to fulfill their undergraduate coursework and to gain experience through the\u00a0College\u2019s co-curricular programs. In Bukowski\u2019s case, spending the summer working on an individually tailored project offered a structured yet challenging opportunity to gain exposure\u00a0to the steps comprising sophisticated academic research, which include conducting a literature\u00a0review, collecting and analyzing data, presenting key project takeaways to a live audience in a\u00a0setting that simulates a research conference, and more.<\/p>\n Bukowski\u2019s project\u00a0built upon\u00a0research by a series of previous Augsburg College students during the past 10 years whose work\u00a0focused primarily on patterns of host plant resistance to dodder. Faculty members often lead subject-specific research\u00a0that incorporates new students year after year, adding depth and longevity to the investigation\u00a0while also allowing students to contribute to\u00a0a body of\u00a0research\u00a0that is bigger than\u00a0their individual\u00a0project.<\/p>\n Anika Clark \u201914<\/strong> took part in research advised by Capman during the summer of 2013, and she\u00a0said her experience was enhanced through the contributions made by preceding students.<\/p>\n \u201c[By]\u00a0looking at the methods of previous research done at Augsburg, I could optimize the methods for\u00a0my specific question,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Clark\u2019s research spurred a unique\u2014and fortunate\u2014opportunity for Bukowski. Through the\u00a0research presentation at the conclusion of Clark\u2019s 2013 project, a plant pathologist from the\u00a0University of Minnesota\u00a0became intrigued by the dodder research\u00a0at Augsburg. He\u00a0invited Capman to give a research seminar at the University of Minnesota on the dodder work and\u00a0then\u00a0offered\u00a0the use of some of his\u00a0greenhouse\u00a0space as an improved setting in which to grow dodder and its host plant, velvetleaf, during the\u00a0summer of 2014.<\/p>\n \u201cLucy\u00a0got\u00a0to work\u00a0side-by-side with really big science,\u201d said Capman, explaining that the\u00a0greenhouse is also used for research on wheat rust, soybean aphids, and other projects linked to\u00a0global food security.<\/p>\n Access to a bigger\u00a0and more uniform growing\u00a0space allowed Bukowski and Capman to implement a large-scale project for\u00a0the first time,\u00a0building on\u00a0an already fascinating\u00a0series of studies.<\/p>\n Bukowski and Clark said they plan to attend graduate school in the future and appreciate the\u00a0ways in which on-campus summer research at Augsburg has helped to prepare them for the next\u00a0phase in their education.<\/p>\n \u201cPrior to [the dodder] project, I had no research experience,\u201d said Clark. \u201cI am so lucky that\u2026I\u00a0gained a sense of confidence regarding my abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Bukowski hopes her first research experience will lead to additional opportunities prior to\u00a0her graduation while also enhancing her graduate school applications and preparedness for its\u00a0rigorous workload.<\/p>\n \u201cThis project shows I can work semi-independently and successfully on research,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u00a0know it will open up more doors for me in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n One key way Augsburg College delivers on its commitment to experiential education is through undergraduate research projects in which Auggies employ their talents and passions. On campus, these projects are funded through several sources, including Augsburg\u2019s Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO), National Science Foundation and corporate grants, private donations, and the McNair Scholars program\u2014a federal TRIO program funded by the U.S. Department of Education and designed to increase graduate degree attainment by students who are first-generation, low-income, and\/or members of groups underrepresented in graduate education.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Each summer, undergraduate students at Augsburg College work directly with faculty mentors to complete individually designed research projects and creative activities. Auggies seeking to enhance their education gain rich, hands-on experience by participating in research opportunities sponsored by the College, funded through grants and private gifts, or offered through federal programs. Students from all disciplines <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6216,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[25,61],"class_list":["post-4220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-stories","tag-summer-2014","tag-womens-soccer"],"wps_subtitle":"Scenes from undergraduate students\u2019 on-campus research","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4220"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10305,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4220\/revisions\/10305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"What](\"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/07\/What-is-it-chemistry-199x300.jpg\")
<\/b>Q:<\/strong> What is it?<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Major:<\/strong> Chemistry, Minors:<\/strong> Biology and Mathematics
\nResearch mentors:<\/strong> Z. Vivian Feng, associate professor of chemistry; and Michael Wentzel, assistant professor of chemistry<\/p>\n
\n![\"What](\"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/07\/What-is-it-Foam-Roller-199x300.jpg\")
<\/b>Q:<\/strong> What is it?<\/p>\n
\nMajor: Exercise Science, Minor:<\/strong> Psychology
\nResearch mentors:<\/strong> David Barrett, assistant professor of health, physical education, and exercise science; and Tony Clapp, associate professor of health, physical education, and exercise science<\/p>\n
\n![\"What](\"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/07\/What-is-it-Biopschology-199x300.jpg\")
<\/b>Q:<\/strong> What is it?<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Major: <\/strong>Biopsychology, Minor: <\/strong>Chemistry
\nResearch mentor: <\/strong>Henry Yoon, assistant professor\u00a0of psychology<\/span><\/p>\n
\n![\"What](\"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/07\/What-is-it-Gender-Studies-199x300.jpg\")
<\/b>Q:<\/strong> What is it?<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Major:<\/strong> Communication Studies, Minor: <\/strong>Women\u2019s Studies
\nResearch mentor:<\/strong> Adriane Brown, assistant professor of women\u2019s studies<\/p>\n
\n![\"What](\"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/07\/What-is-it-Computer-Science.jpg\")
<\/b>Q: <\/strong>What is it?<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Majors:<\/strong> Computer Science
\nResearch mentor:<\/strong> Shana Watters, associate professor of computer science<\/p>\n
\n![\"What](\"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/07\/What-is-it-biology-225x300.jpg\")
<\/b>Q: <\/strong>What is it?<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Major:<\/strong> Biology, Minor: <\/strong>Environmental Studies
\nResearch mentor:<\/strong> Bill Capman, associate professor of biology<\/p>\n![\"University](\"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/08\/Capman-Greenhouse-Photo-300x200.jpg\")
\nExperiential education through undergraduate research<\/h3>\n