Honors Students Bates, Serratore, and Vargo Win Sciences Poster Competition Awards; Nine More Participate

PULLMAN, Wash. – With research on topics ranging from the growth of crystal gypsum to primers used in fish identification, 12 students in the Washington State University Honors College were among the total of 54 participating in the 2008 College of Sciences Undergraduate Research Poster Competition April 4 in Pullman.

Three – Christopher Bates, Vanessa Serratore, and Katherine Vargo – won awards for their presentations.

Bates, a senior majoring in physics and biochemistry, took the first place prize in the physical sciences category and also won the sole Center for Integrated Biotechnology Award. His poster, titled, “The Motion and Dissolution of Drops of Sparingly Soluble Alcohols in Water,” was based on research with mentor J. Thomas Dickinson, a WSU Regents Professor.

Serratore, a senior zoology and veterinary medicine major, received honorable mention in the biological sciences category. Serratore’s poster, titled, “Thermoregulation and Molting and Feeding Danaus plexippus Caterpillars,” was based on research with mentor Pat Carter. On April 10-12, Serratore traveled to Arizona to present this research at the 35^th annual conference of the Western Regional Honors Council (WRHC). She is one of six Honors College students who presented at the event.

Vargo, a senior biology major, also received honorable mention in the biological sciences category of the Sciences competition. Vargo’s poster, titled, “The Effects of Post-Translational Modifications on Core Lysine Residues in Histone H2A and J2B and Their Influence on Gene Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae,” was based on research with mentor John Wyrick. She won a prize for this research in November at the first WSU Undergraduate Research Symposium sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Education.

Other Honors students participating in the Sciences event were:

Benjamin Arthurs, whose poster is titled, “Scanning Force Microscope Induced Growth and Dissolution on Single Crystal Gypsum (CaHSO4.2H20).” Arthurs is a senior majoring in physics and his mentor for this research is J. Thomas Dickinson.

Sarah M. Crilly, “Heterozygosity and Fitness in Malurus melanocephalus.” Crilly is a senior majoring in zoology and her mentor is Michael S. Webster.

Sarah L. Crumb and Nichole M. Owen, “Understanding Meiotic Recombination through the identification of recombination Loci by QTL analysis.” Crumb is a senior majoring in genetics and cell biology and Spanish, and Owen is a junior majoring in genetics and cell biology and microbiology. Their mentor is Terry Hassold.

Rhiannon U. Isaacson-Booker, “Nucleosome Positioning of the Luteinizing Hormone Beta Gene in Gonadotropes.” Isaacson-Booker is a senior majoring in genetics and cell biology and biotechnology and her mentor is John H. Nilson.

Leah G. Jordan, “Development of Universal Primers for Use in Fish Species Identification.” Jordan is a junior majoring in genetics and cell biology and her mentor is Gary H. Thorgaard. She also won a prize in November at the first WSU Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Marcie L. Logsdon, “Exploring the Potential Interaction Between Siah-1 and Retinoid Receptors.” Logsdon is a senior majoring in genetics and cell biology and her mentor is Kwan Hee Kim.

Benjamin Norman, “Site Occupation of Indium Solutes in L12 Mirror Phases.” He is a physics graduate and his mentor is Gary S. Collins.

Jonathan N. Pruneda , “Characteristics of an E. Coli Dihydrofolate Reductase Mutant to Study Halotolerance in Archae H. volcanii.” Pruneda is a senior majoring in biochemistry and microbiology and his mentor is Lisa Gloss .

Every year the College of Sciences celebrates the research accomplishments of science undergraduates who have displayed and explained posters on results of their work. Monetary awards are made in three categories: physical sciences, biosciences, and interdisciplinary/mathematics.