With buds and blooms beginning to dot campus, spring is in the air. Students are rushing to finish projects, and for some undergraduates in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), this includes wrapping up their funded undergraduate research projects.
Through undergraduate research, LAS students push the boundaries of science and scholarship alongside their Iowa State professors. This spring 26 LAS students participated in faculty-sponsored research projects as the latest recipients of the LAS Dean’s High Impact Award for Undergraduate Research.
Following is a look at some of the advanced research students have conducted this semester. A list of all spring 2024 recipients appears at the end of this article.
Sithmi Hewage (’26 chemistry)
Mentored by Jared Anderson, Alice Hudson Professor in the Department of Chemistry
Sithmi Hewage’s research aims to find solutions for a common problem with traditional plant DNA extraction methods. Those methods require large amounts of plant mass, which is difficult to achieve for specific plants.
“This is not feasible in DNA analysis of rare, native plants and plants with high archaeological importance,” Hewage explained.
Hewage is identifying the variables of ionic liquids that give rise to DNA enrichment from milligram fragments of plants. The results can be applied to areas such as genotyping, mutation screening, and plant pathogen detection. Hewage has appreciated working alongside her mentor Jared Anderson, the Alice Hudson Professor in the Department of Chemistry and a joint faculty member in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory.
“Working with Dr. Anderson has been an incredible and rewarding experience,” Hewage said. “He is always willing to help me understand complex concepts and encourages me to explore new ideas. Dr. Anderson’s passion and enthusiasm for his research and chemistry have inspired me to grow a genuine passion for chemistry and pursue a career in research in the future.”
Liya Mooradian (’25 genetics)
Mentored by Donald Sakaguchi, Morrill Professor and director of the biology and genetics undergraduate program
Liya Mooradian’s undergraduate research studies the retinal progenitor cells of mice to investigate their growth properties and their ability to become specific mature cell types. In the future, this research could uncover potential treatments for neurogenerative diseases.
Mooradian is thrilled to be working with Donald Sakaguchi and his cutting-edge research.
“[Dr. Sakaguchi] is extremely knowledgeable, having over 33 years of experience at Iowa State alone. He is very present in the lab and, most importantly, values learning, teaching, and mentorship as an esteemed Morrill Professor,” Mooradian said. “Dr. Sakaguchi sets a shining example of what it is to be both a successful neuroscience researcher and teaching mentor for students and educators alike to aspire to.”
Mooradian is eager to see how the research she is conducting today will impact the future of medicine.
“Studying these retinal progenitor cells is extremely valuable for not only retinal cell biology, but understanding neurodegenerative conditions affecting the eye,” she said. “I get to work with other undergrads that are equally if not more passionate about neuroscience as well.”
Shandra Truong (’25 biology)
Mentored by Mohan Gupta, associate professor of genetics, development, and cell biology
Shandra Truong is tackling two separate research projects this semester. For the first project, she is using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique to introduce mutations in budding yeast’s cohesion complex, which holds the sister chromatids together until they are properly segregated into each daughter cell. This allows Truong to analyze the functional significance of attachment and tension-mediated cohesion regulation. Secondly, Truong is conducting microscopy imaging and analysis on a yeast mutant with a dynein deletion to explain how Kar9 is redistributed in mispositioned spindles during anaphase. Kar9’s asymmetric distribution on microtubules is key to the spatial organization of the metaphase spindle and contributes to the fidelity of cell division in budding yeast.
Truong enjoys working with Mohan Gupta and appreciates his support.
“[Dr. Gupta] has been such an integral source of encouragement and has significantly contributed to my academic and professional growth,” she said. “I am very thankful.”
Bradyn Weaver (’25 chemistry)
Mentored by Yulia Zaikina, associate professor of chemistry
Bradyn Weaver’s research in Yulia Zaikina’s chemistry lab requires careful preparation and meticulous attention to detail. Zaikina’s research focuses on the preparation and characterization of new inorganic materials with applications in energy infrastructure and technology. Weaver’s role is to prepare recently discovered material – made from potassium, vanadium, and antimony – and then observe how its structure and physical properties change when washed with water.
“Many of the materials I prepare in the Zaikina lab can be air-sensitive, so most of my work measuring and mixing powders is done in an airtight glovebox without any oxygen present,” Weaver said. “When everything is measured out, I can only take the prepared mixture out for annealing after I have loaded it into a metal container and welded it shut, ensuring that no air gets to the material when it’s placed in the furnace.”
Discovering new materials and compounds excites Weaver.
“One of the coolest things about this kind of research is being able to say that you have created a new compound no one has made before,” he said. “The work we do is exploratory, so there are plenty of opportunities to discover new stable materials with exciting properties.”
Remaining spring 2024 LAS Dean’s High Impact Award for Undergraduate Research recipients:
Alyssa Allard (’25 biology)
Mentored by Larry Halverson, associate professor of plant pathology, entomology and microbiology
Diego Arevalo Molina (’25 psychology)
Mentored by Amie Zardling, associate professor of human development and family studies
Brooke Beran (’24 meteorology)
Mentored by Ian Williams, assistant professor of geological and atmospheric sciences
Aubrey Heupel (’24 psychology)
Mentored by Susan Cross, professor of psychology
Nhi Ho (’26 psychology)
Mentored by Kevin Blankenship, associate professor of psychology
Daniel Howell (’24 chemistry)
Mentored by Wenyu Huang, professor of chemistry
Robert Hwang (’25 psychology)
Mentored by Marcus Crede, associate professor of psychology
Seo Young Kim (’24 biology)
Mentored by Mohan Gupta, associate professor of genetics, development, and cell biology
Eric Kremer (’24 biology)
Mentored by Donald Sakaguchi, Morrill Professor and director of the biology and genetics undergraduate program
Michael Kumar (’24 biology)
Mentored by Donald Sakaguchi, Morrill Professor and director of the biology and genetics undergraduate program
Victoria Kyveryga (’24 chemistry, chemical engineering)
Mentored by Kirill Kovnir, professor of chemistry
Elizabeth Larkin (’25 genetics)
Mentored by Ping Kang, adjunct assistant professor of genetics, development, and cell biology
Rivers Ludvicek (’26 history)
Mentored by Bonar Hernandez, associate professor of history
Bridget McGovern (’24 biology)
Mentored by Donald Sakaguchi, Morrill Professor and director of the biology and genetics undergraduate program
Brayden Meints (’27 anthropology)
Mentored by Matthew Hill, associate professor of anthropology
George Nassif (’25 physics)
Mentored by Charlotte Wood, post-doctoral research associate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Kaleb Nichols (’24 liberal studies)
Mentored by Kyle Burgason, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice
Emily Pedersen (’25 genetics)
Mentored by Qian Wang, Adjunct Assistant Professor of food science and human nutrition
Elizabeth Quam (’26 biochemistry)
Mentored by Rizia Bardhan, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering
Mary Rankin (’26 criminal justice)
Mentored by Miko Wilford, associate professor of psychology
Catalina Villalpando (’25 psychology)
Mentored by Kevin Blankenship, associate professor of psychology
Amanda Zumbrock (’25 genetics)
Mentored by Jeff Essner, professor of genetics, development, and cell biology