An area of pride among our faculty is the wonderful scholarly activities and achievements of our students. We place a great deal of emphasis on providing opportunities for our students to attend regional and international meetings where they can present their work. Students who present typically receive funds from the Department, the College and the Graduate School to cover their registration and travel expenses. We rely on the Biology Department fund to cover a portion of these expenses.
Below is a list of the presentations that our students made at professional meetings in 2015.
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, West Palm Beach, Fla., January 3-7
Fred Cornwell (MS) - The effects of FMRFamide-related peptides on the isolated crop-gizzard of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris.
Seth Griffis (MS) - Sequence comparisons of Insulin−like Growth Factor−1 genes in closely related Anolis (Sauria, Iguanidae) lizards of differing body size.
Kevin Jones (MS) - A comparative study of neuropeptides on the body wall of Lumbricus terrestris.
Tyler McKibben (MS) - The effect ARKQYVRFamide on contractile activity of the isolated pharynx of the earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris.
Larry Werner (MS) - Exploring the overwintering strategies of a cold-water Anuran, Ascaphus montanus.
Kyle Wilm (MS) - A correlation study into the structure-function relationship using FMRF amide-related peptides within invertebrate intestinal tissue.
Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conferences, Athens, Ga., March 13-15
Kimia Kajbaf (MS) - Identification of an unknown Missouri glade Aster species.
Midwestern Sectional Meeting of American Society of Plant Biologists, St. Louis, March 21-22
1Best Graduate Student Poster at ASPB meeting
Veronica Heintz (BS) - Analysis of mutations in geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase family genes.
Sara Hutchinson1 (MS) - Preparation for proteomic analysis of gravitrophic signal transduction in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings under microgravity conditions.
Elisa Morales (MS) - Identification of mutations in the gravity persistent signals of Arabidopsis.
Jared Ross (BS) - Analysis of SCP1 in gravity persistent signal 5 of Arabidopsis thaliana.
Michael Vierling (BS) - Transformation rescue of gravity persistent signal 5 with an Arabidopsis aldose-1-epimerase to determine its role in gravitropic signal transduction.
Annual Meeting of the Illinois State Academy of Science, Macomb, Ill., April 10-11
1First place presentation in division at ISAS.
2Second place presentation in division at ISAS.
Aaron Alexander1 (BS) - Estimation of the white-tailed deer population on SIUE campus using three different census methods.
Branden Bennett1 (MS) - Electromyogram (EMG) amplitude analysis of masticatory muscles during mastication versus brux-like/thegosis activity.
Kathryn Carter1 (MS) - Cancer secretome influences the proliferation and migration in human salivary gland cells.
Mary Christensen (BS) - Evaluating long-term Sedum green wall cuttings.
Justin Church (MS) - Sequence comparison of growth hormone receptor genes in closely related Anolis (Sauria, Iguanidae) lizards of differing body size.
Jon Clark1 (MS) - Screening for allelopathic potential in Japanese hops (Humulus japonicas, Cannabaceae).
Noah Dell1 (BS) - Quantifying oak-hickory forest succession in the SIUE Nature Preserve.
Emily Dimick (MS) - A comparative study on pheromone communication between Schizophyllum species.
Katherine Dumbell (MS) - Overexpression of dentin matrix protein 1 in salivary gland cells.
Seth Griffis (MS) - Sequence comparisons of Insulin-like Growth Factor axis genes in closely related Anolis lizards of differing body size.
Samantha Hamilton (MS) – Influence of cancer secretome on proliferation and migration of human salivary gland cells.
Lisa Hebenstreit (MS) - Population demography of the Illinois chorus frog, Pseudacris illinoensis, in Southern Illinois.
Amanda Henderson (BS) - The evaluation of Sedum cuttings as an establishment method on Mid-Western green roofs.
Candice Johnson (MS) - Comparing feeding and jumping behavior in northern leopard frogs, Lithobates pipiens.
Kristi Johnson2 (BS) - Analysis of lateral jaw muscle development during late tadpole stages of gray tree frogs (Hyla versioler/Hyla chrysoscelis, Anura, Aylidae).
Brooke Kottkamp (BS) - Perceptions and misconceptions about climate change: teacher approach.
Jessica Loethen (MS) - Intraspecific variation in tail geometry in three cyprinid fishes covaries with stream position.
Kate Logan1 (MS) - A study of the interactions between Verbesina negrensis-derived extractions and Heliobacter pylori.
Jenelle Mathias (BS) - Giberillic acid eliminates the cold stratification requirement in Stanleya pinnata.
Callie Mincy1 (BS) - Expression of Runt Related Transcription Factor 2 in salivary gland cancer.
Jamila McClinton (BS) – Development of ventral jaw muscles in tadpoles of gray tree frogs Hyla versicolor and Hyla chrysoscelis (Anura: Hylidae)
Ryan Momenteller (BS) - Optimization of culture conditions for Schizophllum umbrinum.
Grant Morton (MS) - Isolation of orchid mycorrhizal fungi from Sprianthes vernalis for subsequent seed germination and reintroduction.
Corrine O’Brien (MS) - Population demography of Gastrophyrne carolenensis.
Alycia Sorensen1 (MS) - Analysis of morphological variation in cyprinids along a stream gradient.
Savanna Stabenow2 (BS) - Quantifying the abundance and distribution of woody vines in oak-hickory forest.
Katie Stoltz2 (MS) - Behavioral responses of plains leopard frog tadpoles to cues from predators and conspecifics.
Raneen Taha (BS) - Students' misconceptions on climate change.
Kayla Tatum (BS) – Long term effects of weeding green roof systems.
Taria Trost (BS) - Examining the role of the SWI/SNF chromation remodeling complex in planarian regeneration and stem cell function.
Eric Westhafer2 (MS) – Genome-wide SNP analysis and morphometric analysis of the black spotted topminnow.
Lucas Winebaugh (BS) - Developing a new technique for measuring drag and lift on benthic organisms.
Jennifer Yu1 (MS) - Endothelial cell matrix-driven differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.
North American Planarian Meeting, Chicago, September 18-20
Toria Trost (BS) - Characterization of the planarian SWI/SNF-related chromatin remodeling complexes.
Nick Horn (MS) - Evaluating the effects of silver nanoparticles on planarians.
Neuroscience, Chicago, October 17-21
Taylor Delaney (MS) - Kismet affects endocytosis and glutamate receptor localization at the Drosophilia melanogaster neuromuscular junction.
Carly Gridley (MS) - Effects of trithorax group proteins on sympatic vesicle endocytosis & glutamate receptor localization at the Drosophilia neuromuscular junction.
Shelby Markel (BS) - Kismet is important for endocytosis and the localization of the cell adhesion molecule, FAS II, at the Drosophilia neuromuscular junction.
Elizabeth Isbell (MS) - Autophagy affects glutamate receptor localization at the Drosophilia neuromuscular junction.