SURF SYMPOSIUM
Special Thanks We would like to extend special thanks to the following for their unwavering support of and contributions to SURF ’18:
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD Provost Michael Wick Katie Gantz, associate dean of faculty Christine Wooley, associate dean of curriculum Katie Guy and Frances Titus, fiscal administrators Pamela Mann, librarian Mitch Vicieux, Office of Student Support Services, SURF ’17 fellow Adam Malisch, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Lee Capristo, Office of Marketing and Communications
With Co-Directors Kevin Emerson, associate professor of biology Mark Rhoda, visiting associate professor of theater, film & media studies Glendening Annex July 6, 2018
Symposium Schedule of Presentations 9:15 a.m.: Opening Remarks (Kevin Emerson) 9:30 a.m.: Elizabeth (Izzy) Peterson Major: Studio Art Minor: Film/Media Studies Influence: Subverting Propaganda Films with Experimental Animation Mentor: Barry Muchnick, asst. prof. of environmental studies 10:00 a.m.: Lily Pohlenz Major: Biology Minor: Philosophy What’s the Buzz on Somatic Wolbachia Infection? Using Drosophila Melanogaster as a Model Organism to Understand the Control of Disease Transmission in Mosquitoes Mentor: Kevin Emerson, assoc. prof. of biology 10:30 a.m.: Andy Turszick Major: Theater Studies Minors: Film/Media Studies, Religious Studies Power Over Bodies: Scenographic Designs for Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” Mentor: Mark Rhoda, visiting assoc. prof. of theater, film & media studies 11:00 a.m.: Stephanie Schoch Majors: Computer Science, Psychology Visualizing Refugee Health Data: Investigating the Use of Legends Presence, Placement, and Proximity Mentor: Amanda VerMeulen, asst. librarian 11:30 a.m.: Justyce Bennett Majors: Anthropology, Art History Minors: Museum Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies Visual and Material Cultures of Slavery: The View from Art History Mentor: Emily Casey, asst. prof. of art history 12:00 p.m.: Lunch Break 1:00 p.m.: Kelly Healy Majors: Biology, Biochemistry Minor: Music Mapping a Protein: Locating Metal-Binding Sites in Metallothionein-1 Mentor: Shanen Sherrer, asst. prof. of biochemistry
1:30 p.m.: Nicholas D’Antona Major: Chemistry Minors: Applied Math, Physics Printing Perovskite Solar Cells: a Low-Cost Production Method for Renewable Energy Mentor: Troy Townsend, asst. prof. of chemistry 2:00 p.m.: Bethany Laffan Major: English Minor: History Literary Rockstar: A Reception Study of Haruki Murakami’s Popularity in Japan and the United States Mentor: Jeffrey Coleman, prof. of English 2:30 p.m.: James Judlick Major: Psychology Minor: Sociology Queer Eye for the Employer: A Résumé Audit Study for LGBTQ Individuals Mentor: Ayse Ikizler, asst. prof. of psychology 3:00 p.m.: Closing Remarks (Mark Rhoda)
SURF (St. Mary’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship) SURF is a selective eight-week annual summer program at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where students from intentionally varied disciplines engage in directed research or creative work. While working full-time on their projects, students also participate in workshops and group meetings to sharpen their professional skills. SURF is made possible by support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in addition to a number of internal funding sources. A portion of the funds goes toward a stipend for the students, as well as room and board for the eight weeks.