Iowa State undergraduates present their research projects at annual Capitol event

AMES, Iowa -- From the antimicrobial effect of common plant extracts to the upper-air flow patterns of floods in the Central Plains, 23 Iowa State University undergraduate students have lots to talk about when they present their research to legislators and others during the fourth annual "Research in the Capitol." The event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, March 9, in the rotunda of the State Capitol building in Des Moines.

More than 60 undergraduate students from Iowa's three Regent Universities (Iowa State, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa) will display their research posters and describe their projects. The event highlights the importance of research to the undergraduate learning experience.

At Iowa State, participation is open to all undergraduate students. The event is coordinated by the University Honors Program.

In addition, the ISU Flute Quintet will perform. The student group, led by Sonja Giles, assistant professor of music, includes:

Rebecca Hildebrand, Cedar Rapids, sophomore in graphic design

Megan Maves, Boone, junior in music

Karina Snider, Huxley, junior in music

Lisa Wehr, Sigourney, junior in music

The Iowa State students who will present their work at the capitol, their hometowns, majors, research projects and research mentors are:

Gina Assmann, Omaha, Neb. , interior design, Studying medical decision aids, mentor Debra Satterfield, associate professor of art and design

Benjamin Blakely Alleman, computer engineering, Internet-Scale Event and Attack Generation Environment (ISEAGE), mentor Doug Jacobson, University Professor of electrical and computer engineering

Stephanie Burbridge, Mt. Vernon, elementary education, Meeting the needs of children of divorce through literature, mentor Lori Norton-Meier, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction

Jennifer Byer, Marshalltown, materials engineering, The mixed glass former effect in the Na2O+B2O3+P2O5 glass system, mentor Steve Martin, University Professor of materials science and engineering

John Callahan, Dubuque, biology, Spontaneous calcium activity in differentiating adult rat hippocampal neural stem cells, mentor Don Sakaguchi, associate professor of genetics, development and cell biology

Adam Deppe, Maquoketa, meteorology, Dew point temperature trends associated with synoptic regime changes in Iowa, mentor Dave Flory, lecturer in geological and atmospheric sciences

Melissa Dilling, Rochester, Minn. , graphic design, Studying medical decision aids, mentor Debra Satterfield, associate professor of art and design

Charles Fisher, Mount Auburn, materials engineering, Statistical analysis of toolmark striations, mentor Scott Chumbley, professor of materials science and engineering

Jason Grimm, North English, landscape architecture and environmental studies, Continuous productive urban landscapes: A sustainable design option to growing urban communities in Iowa, mentor Mimi Wagner, associate professor of landscape architecture

Logan Karsten, Des Moines, meteorology, A comparison of the partial thickness technique and the Bourgouin technique through Bufkit output, mentors Bill Gallus, professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, and Chris Karstens, graduate research assistant

Eric Kilburg, Maquoketa, animal ecology, Diurnal resting habitat selection of the white-tailed jackrabbit in an intensive agricultural setting, mentor W. Sue Fairbanks, associate professor of natural resource ecology and management

Michael Kostboth, Gettysburg, S.D. , political science, Minority groups in conflict, mentor Kathleen Cunningham, assistant professor political science.

William Law, Marion, genetics, Spontaneous calcium activity in differentiating adult rat hippocampal progenitor cells, mentor Don Sakaguchi, associate professor of genetics, development and cell biology

Rina Mbofung, Ames, microbiology, Contribution of the Hsv operon to leaf colonization in Pseudomonas syringae, mentor Gwyn Beattie, associate professor of plant pathology

Keihly Moore, Two Harbors, Minn. , architecture and environmental studies, 2008 Iowa flooding: Disaster mitigation, an integrated systems approach, mentors Nadia Anderson, lecturer in architecture, and Clare Cardinal-Pett, associate professor of architecture

Becky Murphy, Central City, graphic design, Studying medical decision aids, mentor Debra Satterfield, associate professor of art and design

Matthew Perry, Chillicothe, Mo. , meteorology, Upper-air flow pattern of floods in the Central Plains, mentor, Ross Hays Jr., CNN, Atlanta

Michael Rausch, Ionia, biology, Assessing effects of fire and grazing on prairie insect biodiversity, mentor Diane Debinski, professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology

Erinn Rieser, Stillwater, Minn. , nutritional science, Antimicrobial effects of common flavonoids and plant extracts, mentor Suzanne Hendrich, professor of food science and human nutrition

Joel Rindfleisch, Cedar Rapids, management information systems, Developing sustainable seed supply chains in Africa: A sensitivity analysis of factor conditions, mentor Bobby Martens, assistant professor, logistics, operations and management information systems

Rachel Scheurer, LaFayette, Minn. , environmental engineering, Temperature and water-level evidence for flood water entering the Ames aquifer, mentor William Simpkins, professor of geological and atmospheric sciences

Justin Schultz, Ollie, meteorology, Correlation between updraft strength and tornado intensity using Gibson Ridge Level 2 Analyst Edition software, mentors Mike Chen, geological and atmospheric sciences and Karl Jungbluth, National Weather Service, Des Moines

Daniel Stoecklein, Lakeville, Minn. , physics, Exploration of superparamagnetic nanocomposites for wide frequency, high temperature applications, mentor Ruslan Prozorov, assistant professor of physics and astronomy