Posted 3:26 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2022
UWL students sharing their outstanding research
UW-La Crosse students will join dozens of undergraduates from all UW campuses Wednesday, March 9, when they display and discuss their research findings at the state capitol.
The outstanding undergraduate student researchers and their faculty advisers will showcase their work when Research in the Rotunda returns to mark the 18th annual event from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. UW System President Tommy Thompson will give brief remarks at noon. It is free and open to the public.
Research in the Rotunda is sponsored by Kwik Trip, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the Wisconsin Technology Council, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and the UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation. The event is supported by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and the UW-Madison Memorial Union.
The UWL students and their projects include:
- Kassidy Leannais, Franklin, Wisconsin, Sociology Department, “How Political Efficacy Impacts Support for Redistributive Policies,” the study aims to find the potential correlation between political efficacy and support for government intervention of wealth inequality. Mentor: Carol Miller.
- Lauren Brewer, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Archaeology and Anthropology Department, “Collaborative Archaeological Analysis of Early 20th Century Tourism in Red Cliff, Wisconsin,” the project investigates the roles of the local Indigenous community in early tourism and its overall impact on the history of Red Cliff, which is of interest to modern tribal members. Mentor: Heather Walder.
- Mason Faldet, Waupaca, Wisconsin, Mathematics and Statistics Department, “Thickening the Figure-Eight Knot,” the project uses topology, a field of math often referred to as “rubber sheet geometry,” to study three-dimensional spaces and objects contained within them. Mentor: Whitney George.
- Halle Pavelski, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Microbiology Department, “Determination of HPIV3 M Protein Regions Involved in Assembly and Release of Virus Particles,” the project aims to aid in developing antivirals for human parainfluenza virus III (HPIV3) that can cause lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia, croup and bronchiolitis — the leading cause of death in children under five. Mentor: Michael Hoffman.
- Hunter Charles, Spring Valley, Wisconsin, Microbiology Department, “Development of Yeast-coated Beads for the Inactivation of Tulane Virus, a Human Norovirus Surrogate, in Water,” the project aims to evaluate the efficacy of beads coated with yeast using chitosan or zein as the binding agent in inactivating Tulane virus, a surrogate for human norovirus, in water. Mentor: Xinhui Li.
- Annie Panico, Downers Grove, Illinois, Biology Department, “The Effects of Nitrate Exposure on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii,” the project addresses whether drinking water that contains excess nitrate leads to cancer. Mentor: Tony Sanderfoot.
- Sara Duffy, Greenville, Wisconsin, Biology Department, “Examining the Neurobehavioral Toxicity of the Emerging Contaminant Imidacloprid,” the project addresses the impact of an insecticide on fish development. Mentor: Tisha King-Heiden.