EPSCoR funds undergrad research awards at Nebraska small colleges

February 15, 2023

EPSCoR funds 2023 Nebraska small college/university undergraduate research experiences

To increase undergraduate research opportunities at Nebraska’s smaller colleges and universities, Nebraska EPSCoR offers funding up to $5,000 per project for collaborations in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) areas. Faculty and students involved in the proposals selected (below) report their project results to Nebraska EPSCoR and present their research in scientific publications and at conferences. Recipients for 2023 are:

  • Dr. Jared Daily, Mid-Plains Community College, Dept. of Math and Sciences
    Low-Cost Universal, Wireless, and Automatic Datalogger Using an Arduino Microcontroller

  • Dr. Philip Lai, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Dept. of Communication Disorders
    Coding of Parental Communicative Behaviors in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Dr. Jason Price, Wayne State College, Dept. of Physical Sciences & Mathematics
    Redox-driven iron diffusion controlling vivianite formation in lake-bottom sediments of Rocky Mountain National Park

  • Dr. Keith Geluso, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Dept. of Biology
    Bats of the Northern Gila National Forest, New Mexico

  • Dr. Jane Roitsch, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Dept. of Communication Disorders
    Dysphagia Assessment and Treatment in pediatric patients: A study of practice patterns

  • Dr. Ladan Ghazi Saidi, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Dept. of Communication Disorders
    NeuroCognitive Effects of Learning a New Language: An fMRI study

  • Dr. Kazuma Akehi, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Dept. of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences
    Utility of integrated three-dimensional motion analysis and rapid muscle strength characteristics to identify return-to-play readiness after knee arthroscopic surgery

Funding is provided through National Science Foundation award, OIA#2044049. The next funding opportunity in this annual competitive selection process will be posted at Nebraska EPSCoR’s Request for Proposals page in Fall 2023; for more information about this program, see https://epscor.nebraska.edu/programs/small-colleges. ###

In the summer of 2022, undergraduate students Josh Bohlke (left) and Katie Lytle (right) confer with University of Nebraska at Kearney's Allen Thomas, associate professor of chemistry, during their EPSCoR-funded research: “Pyrophosphate bioisosteres as serotonin N-acetyltransferase inhibitors for treating circadian rhythm disorders." With its initial results, the project proceeded to earn further funding from the National Institutes of Health. Photo courtesy of UNK.

Photo caption: In the summer of 2022, undergraduate students Josh Bohlke (left) and Katie Lytle (right) meet in a University of Nebraska at Kearney lab with Allen Thomas, associate professor of chemistry. Results from their EPSCoR-funded research, “Pyrophosphate bioisosteres as serotonin N-acetyltransferase inhibitors for treating circadian rhythm disorders,” helped earn further funding for the work from the National Institutes of Health. Another student, Mackenzie Hagemeister, had the idea for making molecules that could block an enzyme in the production of melatonin inside the human body's pineal gland; the student thought this action could help maintain normal melatonin levels and decrease an over-supply of melatonin in people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.