Source: Megan Miller, mmmiller@k-state.edu
Hometown interest/news tip for: Manhattan, Topeka and Silver Lake, Kan. Also for Arroyo Grande, Calif.; Woodstock, Ga.; La Crescent, Minn.; and Independence, Mo.
News release prepared by: Megan Molitor, 785-532-3452, molitor@k-state.edu
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011
Circle of knowledge: Graduate students selected to present research to legislators at annual summit
MANHATTAN -- Graduate students involved with research on winter canola, tumor growth, plant material for unpaved roads and more will represent Kansas State University at the ninth annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit early next year.
The graduate students were selected based on presentations they gave at Research and the State, an on-campus event, Oct. 31. The original 30 participants were narrowed down to 16 in the second round, then down to the top 10 students, as well as two alternates, who will present at the summit this winter.
The annual research summit for Kansas legislators features current research of graduate students at Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, the KU Medical Center and Wichita State University. In all, 32 students will present. The summit will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, at the Docking State Office Building in Topeka.
Graduate students will have the opportunity to present their research to state legislators and the Board of Regents at the summit. Awards will be presented to the top two presenters from each institution.
K-State graduate students selected to presenting at the summit and the two alternates include:
* Theresa Young, master's student in history, Manhattan, "Living Tools: Tree Use in the Nineteenth Century." Young's faculty mentor is Bonnie Lynn-Sherow, associate professor of history.
* Kyle Steele, master's student in animal sciences and industry, Silver Lake, "Shelf Life of Five Meat Products Displayed Under Light-Emitting Diode or Fluorescent Lighting." Steele's faculty mentor is Elizabeth Boyle, professor of animal sciences and industry.
* Stephanie Shishido, doctoral student in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, Arroyo Grande, Calif., "Gap Junction Enhancer Increases Efficacy of Cisplatin to Attenuate Mammary Tumor Growth." Shishido's faculty mentor is Thu Annelise Nguyen, assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.
* Ashley Miller, master's student in human nutrition, Woodstock, Ga., an alternate selection, "Defining and Characterizing the 'Nutty' Attribute Across Food Categories." Miller's faculty mentor is Delores Chambers, associate professor of human nutrition.
* Steven Klankowski, doctoral student in chemistry, La Crescent, Minn., "High Performance Lithium Ion Battery Anode Based On Core-Shell Heterostructure of Silicon Coated Vertically Aligned Carbon Nano Fibers." Klankowski's faculty mentor is Jun Li, associate professor of chemistry.
* Wilson Smith, master's student in civil engineering, Independence, Mo., "Feasibility of Using Lignin: Plant Derived Material for Stabilization of Unpaved Roads." Smith's faculty mentor is Dunja Peric, associate professor of civil engineering.
* Jingqun Ma, master's student in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, Xianyang, China, "Effect of Alferon 'N' Injection (interferon alpha) on Influenza 'A' Virus Replication In Vitro." Ma's faculty mentor is Juergen Richt, regents distinguished professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology and Kansas Bioscience Authority eminent scholar.
* Miguel Arango, doctoral student in agronomy, Bogota,Columbia, "N2O-N emissions and the relationship with denitrifying enzyme activity in corn under different management strategies." Arango's faculty mentor is Charles Rice, university distinguished professor of agronomy.
* Phillip Defoe, doctoral student in agronomy, Grand Bay, Commonwealth of Dominica, an alternate selection, "Gardening on arsenic and lead-contaminated Brownfields: Is it Safe?" Defoe's faculty mentor is Ganga Hettiarachchi, assistant professor of agronomy.
* Vuyiswa Bushula, doctoral student in plant pathology, Springs, South Africa, "Genetic diversity in Fusarium thapsinum isolates from K-State." Bushula's faculty mentor is Christopher Little, assistant professor of plant pathology.
* Ayomi Perera, doctoral student in chemistry, Heiyanthuduwa, Sri Lanka, "Design of a Mycobacterial Porin-Based Dye Sensitized Solar Cell." Perera's facuty mentor is Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry.
* Ximena Cibils Stewart, master's student in entomology, Montevideo, Uruguay, "Within-plant distribution impacts cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) reproductive potential on winter canola in Kansas." Stewart's faculty mentor Brian McCornack, assistant professor of entomology.
