Past Events

PAPER WINNERS:

• Elena Tonc, Biology Department, Macalester College -HIGHLY CYTOKINERGIC SPE-7 ANTIDINITROPHENYL-IMMUNOGLOBULIN E, BUTNOT 26, CAUSES ANTIGEN-DEPENDENT THERMAL AND MECHANICAL HYPERALGESIA
• Michael McClellan, Department of Chemistry, Carleton College - AFTER THE SPRAY: INVESTIGATING THE FATE OF PARTICLES FROM CYCLODEXTRINCONTAINING AIR FRESHENERS
• Kyle Gename, Department of Biology, Macalester College - BROMELIAD DISTRIBUTION IN PEJIBAYE DE JIMENEZ, COSTA RICA
• Allison Zank, Department of Biology, Augsburg College - Human Airway Epithelial Secretions Inhibit the Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

PAPER WINNERS:

• Peter Schmit, Department of Biology, Augsburg College - Development of tools to study and regulate gene expression in Daphnia magna
• Kirubel Frew, Augsburg College - Anti-malarial Activity of New Artemisinin Derivatives 
• Emma Cornwell, Department of Biology, St. Olaf College - THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT NITROGEN FERTILIZER RATES ON SOIL CHARACTERISTICS, PLANT PROPERTIES AND ECONOMIC RETURNS IN SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA CORNFIELDS
• Alex Kosanovich, Department of Chemistry, Carleton College - Synthesis of Late Metal Imides: Silylamides as Nitrene Delivery Agents

PAPER WINNERS:

• Rose Larson, Department of Biology, Bethel University - ESTIMATING MEADOW VOLE AND PRAIRIE VOLE POPULATIONS WITHIN FOUR RECONSTRUCTED GRASSLAND TYPES; DOES THE TYPE OF RECONSTRUCTION MATTER?

• Amber Schoenecker, Department of Chemistry, University of St. Thomas - INTERACTION OF TAT PEPTIDE AND CELL-SURFACE GLYCOSAMINOGLYANS TO INCREASE DRUG SPECIFICITY

• Christina R. Herron-Sweet, Department of Environmental Studies, St. Olaf College - AN ANALYSIS OF ALLOCHTHONOUS AND AUTOCHTHONOUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO BROOK TROUT DIET USING HYDROGEN, NITROGEN, AND CARBON STABLE ISOTOPES

• Tijana Martinov, Department of Biology, Macalester College - A MURINE MODEL OF MAST CELL-DEPENDENT MECHANICAL VULVAR PAIN

• Amalia Olson, Department of Biology, Bethel University - THE CONTRACTILE EFFECTS OF RED RASPBERRY LEAF (RUBUS IDAEUS) EXTRACT ON MUS MUSCULUS UTERINE TISSUE IN VITRO

• Caitlin Baker, Ecology and Environmental Science, Macalester College - PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF MITE HARVESTMEN (GENUS AUSTROPURCELLIA) IN THE WET TROPICS OF AUSTRALIA

• Lisa Pederson, Department of Biology, Bethel University - CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF CATARACT SURGERY ON INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE IN PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA PATIENTS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

• Grace A. Christensen, Department of Biology, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota - THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF GLYCEROL MONOLAURATE ON TPA-INDUCED INFLAMMATION IN MUS MUSCULUS

• Jane Lucas, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of St. Thomas - AZTECA ANTS CONNECT ABOVEGROUND AND BELOWGROUND PROCESSES IN A WET TROPICAL FOREST

• Alec Nicol, Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities - SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ORGANO-MODIFIED MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES

POSTER WINNERS:

• 1st: Caroline Groth, Department of Psychology, St. Olaf College - THE INFLUENCE OF ATTACHMENT ON RELATIONSHIP CLOSENESS

• 1st: Mary K. Walters, Department of Chemistry, St. Catherine University - PHOSPHINE SULFIDE COPPER (I) COMPLEXES: EFFECTS ON OXYGEN SENSING ABILITY

• 2nd: Jenna R. Gaalswyk, Department of Biology, Bethel University - OPTIMIZATION OF NITROBENZENE 1,2-DIOXYGENASE EXPRESSION IN COMAMONAS JS765

• 2nd: Katie Bressler, Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities - EFFECTS OF COCAINE ON LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY IN RATS WITH ADENOVIRAL VECTOR-MEDIATED COCH EXPRESSION

• 3rd: YeJi Jun, Department of Biology, Carleton College - IN VIVO BISPHENOL-A EXPOSURE MODULATES MURINE INNATE IMMUNE SYSTEM

• 3rd: Young Hee Cho, Department of Biology, MN State University-Mankato - EXPRESSION OF LIPOXYGENASE ISOENZYMES IN PEA LEAVES AFTER MECHANICAL WOUNDING AND JASMONATE TREATMENT

   

Our first year at North Hennepin Community College was wonderful! Helpful staff, great location, and excellent facilities helped us transition to a new one-day event that allowed for greater participation from everyone.

PHOTOS

List of oral presentation winners:

• "Locomotor Response To Methamphetamine In Rats Selectively Bred For High And Low Saccharin Intake" Seth Johnson, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
• "Synthetic Routes To, Transformations Of, And Rather Surprising Stabilities Of (N-Methylphenylcarbamoyl)Sulfenyl Chloride, ((N-Methylphenylcarbamoyl)Dithio)Carbonyl Chloride, And Related Compounds"< Alex Schrader, Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
• “Local Expression Of Inflammatory Cytokine Receptors In Mast Cell-Mediated Hindpaw Thermal Pain In Mice” Estela Shabani, Department of Biology, Macalester College
• "Mast Cells Are Critical Mediators Of Thermal Plantar Pain" Abigail Wetzel, Department of Biology, Macalester College

List of poster winners:

• "Highly Stable Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles For Drug Delivery Applications" Nardine Abadeer, Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, MInneapolis
• "Using Bioinformatics And Site-Directed Mutagenesis For Elucidating Amino Acid Residues Critical For PPDK:PDRP Interaction" Sara Aleem and Nivedha Manohar, Department of Biology, Minnesota State University, Moorhead
• "Partitioning, Stoichiometry, and Diffusion Dynamics Of Fty720 (An Immune Modulator) In Triton X-100 Micelles"Jillian Bartusek, Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Duluth
• "Effective Viscosity Of Actively Swimming Algae Suspensions" Lucas Caretta, Department of Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
• "Synthesis of An Antiviral Compound" Luke Kassekert, Department of Chemistry, University of St. Thomas
• "Interaction Of N-Acetylcysteine And Cysteine In Human Plasma" Kendra Radtke, Department of Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

The St. Thomas campus was a beautiful location for our 77th Annual Meeting. Thank you to everyone at the university who helped with our event this year.
And a special thank you to our keynote speaker Deborah Swackhamer! Deborah Swackhamer was trained as an environmental chemist with a focus on freshwater systems. She joined the UM faculty in 1986, and is Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences in the School of Public Health and Co-director of the UM Water Resources Center in addition to her appointment at the Humphrey Institute. Swackhamer currently serves as Chair of the Chartered Science Advisory Board of the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Science Advisory Board of the International Joint Commission of the US and Canada. Swackhamer is also appointed by Governor Pawlenty to serve on the state's Clean Water Council. Her research interests include the study of toxic chemical risk assessment and policy, fate and exposures of endocrine disrupting chemicals and pharmaceuticals in the environment, and development of comprehensive water policy strategies. See Dr. Swackhamer's presentation on "A Safer Tomorrow, fixing our Toxic Problem."
List of oral presentation winners:

• "The Involvement of mast cells and mast cell-derived mediators in inflammatory hypernociception in mice" - Camilla Engblom, Carolina Mora Solano, Paul Maitland-McKinley, Juliann Allen and Devavani Chatterjea (Advisor) - Macalester College
• "The contractile effects of Caulophyllum thalictroides (blue cohosh) on Rattus norvegicus aortic and intestinal smooth muscle in vitro" - Andrew Evelsizer and Dr. Teresa DeGolier (Advisor) - Bethel University
• "Expressions and Characterization of a Flavin Hydroxlase Involved in Siderophore Biosynthesis in Aspergillus nidulans " - Christina M. Fitzsimmons and Christopher T. Calderone(Advisor) - Macalester College
• "Reactivity Of Heterobimetallics With (Allyl)Group X Metal Fragments Bridged By (2-(Diphenylphosphino)Ethyl)Cyclopentadienyl Group Vi Metal Tricarbonyl Metalloligands Towards Organic Radicals" - Michelle C. Neary, Aaron P. Heerboth, and Paul J. Fischer (Advisor) - Macalester College
• "Recovery of the riffle community in the Boardman River as a consequence of reestablishment of a swift river channel following reservoir drawdown at the Boardman River, Traverse City, MI" -Nathan Sather, Dr. Dave Mahan, Dr. Garrett Crow, Dr. Hal Reed, Dr. Ken Petersen(Advisors) - Bethel University

PHOTOS

Thank you to the wonderful faculty and staff of the College of St. Catherine who put together an exceptional event this year. 65 posters and 29 papers were presented in a wide range of categories. Abstracts of the research presented were published in Volume 72, Number 1 of the Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science.

And special thank you to Dr. Michelle Biros who gave a keynote speech about the past, present and future of medicine.

Bethel University hosted the 2008 Annual Meeting and Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium. Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science.

Best in Session awards went to oral presentations by:

• Joshua C. Speros ("SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL POLYMERIZABLE CHEMILUMINESCENT COMPOUND")
• Udochukwu Obodo ("SEMAPHORIN PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN MOUSE THYMUS")
• Eric R. Smith ("BIOMASS PRODUCTION AND SOIL NUTRIENT ANALYSIS IN RESTORED PRAIRIES")
• Mayank Verma ("PARTIAL AMELIORATION OF THE PHENOTYPE ASSOCIATED WITH DMD THROUGH AN INCREASE IN VASCULATURE")
• Megan Schwitzer ("COMPARISON OF VARIOUS POLARIMETRIC RADAR RAIN RATE ESTIMATORS WITH SURFACE-OBSERVED RAIN GAUGE RAIN RATES")
• Cory Lindh ("DEMONSTRATION OF REMOTE TEMPERATURE DETERMINATION WITH A NOVEL DUAL-BAND IR IMAGING SPECTROMETER")

And special thank you to Dr. Mark Rise from Medtronic who gave a fascinating keynote speech about medical devices use for neuromodulation.

Hamline University was the site of the 2007 Annual Meeting and Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Nobel Laureate Dr. Peter Agre (Vice Chancellor of Science and Technology, Duke University) gave an excellent keynote speech. Thank you to Dr. Agre for inspiring our students and professors alike.

Abstracts of the research presented at the Annual Meeting were published in Volume 70, Number 1 of the Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science.

Macalester College hosted the 2006 Annual Meeting and Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium. The return of the Winchell Symposium was heralded by the large number of undergraduate students who presented posters and papers over the weekend.

Our wonderful keynote speaker was Macalester alumnus Dr. Maura Donovan, Senior Director of Biosciences R&D at Medtronic and Program Director of Research, MG Biotherapeutics.

Abstracts of the research presented at the Annual Meeting were published in Volume 69, Number 1 of the Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science.

2006 Keynote Speaker Biography

Dr. Maura Donovan Dr. Maura Donovan is Senior Director of Biosciences R&D, Medtronic and Program Director - Research, MG Biotherapeutics. Dr. Donovan joined Medtronic in 1991 as a senior scientist in the polymer research group. Since then she has held various technical and managerial positions focused primarily on the interface between biological research and medical device development. Dr. Donovan holds B.A. degrees in Chemistry and Russian from Macalester College and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Washington. She also completed post-doctoral training in genetics at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Donovan currently manages a group of scientists within Corporate Science & Technology focused on biosciences research at Medtronic and serves as MG Biotherapeutics Research Director. She was named a Medtronic Bakken Fellow in 2003.

2004's Annual Meeting and Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium was held amidst the rolling hills and beautiful architecture of the campus of St. John's University in Collegeville. The generosity of St. John's, and sister school the College of St. Benedict, produced one of our best attended meetings yet.

Thank you to Dr. John Haught from Georgetown University, author of "Science, Theology and the Origin of Life." His fascinating keynote speech caused debate and discussion throughout the weekend. Special thanks also go out to all volunteers and committee members for their tireless efforts to make this event such a success. Abstracts of the research presented at the Annual Meeting were published in Volume 68, Number 1 of the Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science.

The Minnesota Academy of Science 2003 Annual Meeting and Winchell Symposium launched new partnerships and collaborations when they convened on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul Campus in April, 2003. Tri-Beta (a biology honor society) and the Minnesota Section of the American Chemical Society joined the Academy as co-sponsors of the event which brought together outstanding undergraduate researchers and professional scientists from a breadth of disciplines. Approximately 230 people gathered for the forum which included presentations of research in the Professional Symposia and the Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium as well as a keynote address by Craig Packer, Distinguished McKnight Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota.

The Professional Symposia included the presentation of 42 papers in the areas of Bioinformatics, Business and Economics, Environmental Health in the 21st Century, Geography, and Soil and Water Conservation. Students from a myriad of Minnesota colleges and universities participated in the Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium, presenting their own research in 50 papers and 60 Posters which were evaluated on the quality of the abstract, the research presented and the quality of the presentation. The author of the award-winning book Into Africa and more than 80 scientific articles, Professor Packer spoke to the assembly on Viruses of the Serengeti: Protecting People and Wildlife from a Common Enemy.

Abstracts of the research presented at the Annual Meeting were published in Volume 67, Number 1 of the Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science.