LMU will present two posters at “Posters on the Hill,” one of the most competitive science conferences in the United States, on Capitol Hill on April 29. It is highly unusual that more than one project was selected from the same school.
Richard Plumb, Dean of Seaver College, believes that “to have two of the 60 come from LMU is indisputable evidence of the quality of research that our undergraduates are doing.”
The first involves the work of Jeff Sanny, professor of physics and associate dean, his former student David Berube, a visiting physics professor, and two current students, Alex Trevelyan and Brandon Sorbom. This unique collaboration of three “generations” of scholars has come together in Sanny’s NSF-sponsored project to produce an outstanding poster in space physics.
The focus of their research is on what energizes ordinary electrons circling the Earth into “killer electrons” during some space storms. Killer electrons travel near the speed of light and are so named because they can damage satellite instrumentation. The researchers hope that their findings will contribute to our knowledge of space weather as well as bring general awareness of space issues to their legislators.
Berube feels it is important to present science research to those outside of the discipline. “Becoming a good scientist is learning to communicate your research well to both those inside and outside of science,” he said, adding that the students will have an opportunity to do that through their posters.
Another poster reflects the work of Vivian Vallin, a junior biology major and Goldwater Scholar. As a participant in the Summer Undergraduate Internship Program (SUIP) at the University of Pennsylvania in summer 2007, Vivian explored better methods for understanding protein delivery in the brain. This is necessary in the evaluation of successful gene therapy treatments for central nervous system diseases. Through her discussions with legislators, Vivian hopes to shed light on the need for alternative methods of Gene Therapy and ultimately gain more funding to do so.
Martin Ramirez, associate professor of biology and Vivian’s research mentor at LMU, noted that this research experience was ideal in light of her career goals. “Vivian is interested in an academic career in veterinary research and her immediate post-LMU goal is to be admitted to a dual-degree DVM/PhD program” Ramirez said. “Spending the summer at the University of Pennsylvania enabled Vivian to engage in biomedical research using animal models, an excellent preparation for the kind of research she may later pursue as a DVM/PhD student”.
LMU’s posters, selected from among nearly 300 submittals, will be two of 60 showcased at this conference. Posters were judged and selected by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) based on a number of criteria, including the quality of the project, geographical distribution, and diversity of student backgrounds.
