Pitt Students Present Their Work at National Conference On Undergraduate Research

Twenty-one Pitt undergraduates presented their research at the 25th Annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) held at Ithaca College March 31-April 2. With research ranging from an analysis of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s portrait photography to searching for the biomarkers of pancreatic cancer, Pitt undergraduates gave papers and posters on their in-depth and faculty-guided research at the national event.

“We are very proud of our students who presented their research to a national audience of their peers at NCUR this year,” said Pitt Senior Vice Chancellor and Provost Patricia Beeson. “Their energy and enthusiasm is truly exemplary, and they represent the many talented undergraduates engaged in research across all our schools and fields at the University.”

Founded in 1987, NCUR promotes undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity across all fields, bringing together participants from more than 300 national colleges and universities. The organization’s national conference attracts more than 2,000 undergraduate and faculty participants, the largest such symposium in the country.

Presenting at this national conference provided Pitt students with an opportunity to showcase what they have learned from sustained and extensive faculty-mentored research experiences to a national audience.

Student presenters and their faculty advisors are as follows:

Abena N. Afriyie (Bruce Y. Lee, Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health);

Gwendolin J. Bandi (Leonora Kivuva and Clyde Mitchell-Weaver, Department of Africana Studies, School of Arts and Sciences);

Jillian Bonaroti (Michael T. Lotze,  Department of Surgery, School of Medicine);

Laura M. Caton (Michael D. West, Department of English, Arts and Sciences);

Shana Cooperstein (Josh Ellenbogen, Department of the History of Art and Architecture, Arts and Sciences);

Katherine L. Delle and Michelle S. Maramag (Eileen R. Chasens, Department of Health and Community Systems, School of Nursing);

Laura Duff (Tony Novosel, Department of History, Arts and Sciences);

Tracy Fan and Bethany Seidel (Ann M. Mitchell, Health and Community Systems, School of Nursing);

Rebecca Hayes (Michael W. Dickey, Department of Communication Science and Disorders, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences);

Devin Knisely (Paula R. Sherwood, Department of Acute and Tertiary Care, School of Nursing);

Mark T. Kozlowski (Nathaniel L. Rosi, Department of Chemistry, Arts and Sciences);

Carolyn Murin (Kathleen W. Christian, the History of Art and Architecture, Arts and Sciences);

Rebecca Schroeder (NCUR Board of Governors member Joseph J. Grabowski, Department of Chemistry, Arts and Sciences);

Joshua Sciurba (Louis J. Vuga, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine);

Joanna L. Sterling (Jeffrey Cohn, Department of Psychology, Arts and Sciences);

Anthony Stewart (Mark Collins, Department of Geology and Planetary Science, Arts and Sciences);

Dana Stiles (Adriana Helbig, Department of Music, Arts and Sciences);

Jesse D. Thomason (Jingtao Wang, Department of Computer Science, Arts and Sciences); and

Marie Williams (Barbara McCloskey, the History of Art and Architecture, Arts and Sciences).

Project abstracts and more information are available on the NCUR 2011 conference Web site at www.ithaca.edu/ncur2011

More information on undergraduate research at Pitt is available on the University’s Web site at www.undergradresearch.pitt.edu.