Center for Student Research
Related Links
Recent Projects
Summer 2024 Research Topics
Ticked-Off: Determining the Presence, Abundance, and Distribution of Potentially Pathogen-carrying Ticks Across an Urbanized Landscape in Lynchburg, VA, with an Emphasis on Determining the Prevalence of Borrelia Burgdorferi Infected Ticks
Ethan Caldwell ’25
Gracie Oliver ’25
Erin Heller, Biology
Randolph College news feature
Not So Fast: The Influence of Auditory Rhythms on the Speed of Perceptual Decision Making
Reese Cooper ’25
Timothy Patrick, Psychology
Randolph College news feature
Understanding Teacher Perceptions of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Lynchburg City Schools: A Phenomenological Inquiry
Madeline Dearie ’25
Taryn Robertson, Education
Randolph College news feature
Analyzing the Potential Effects of Satellite Constellations on Telescopic Observations and Long Exposure Images Over the Next Five Decades
Luke Chapman ’25
Shauna Shepard ’25
Katrin Schenk, Physics & Engineering
Randolph College news feature
“The Bumpy Ramp Problem” (Dynamics of an Accelerating Vehicle with Regular Obstructions)
Alaina Snider ’26
Gregory Wietrzykowski ’26
Peter Sheldon, Physics & Engineering
Randolph College news feature
Oral History of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College
Tristan Gregory ’25
Maegan Lloyd ’26
Gerry Sheryako, History
Randolph College news feature
Examining Variation in Photosynthetic Pigments in Eelgrass and Smooth Cordgrass
Alex Archinal ’27
Jarad Walker ’27
Sarah Sojka, Physics & Engineering
Randolph College news feature
Handwritten or Digital Notes? Why Not Both! Using Language and Knowledge Modeling to Improve Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for Handwritten Class Notes
Angelo De Asis ’26
Jason Farnsworth ’26
Brad Spendlove, Computer Science
Randolph College news feature
Summer 2023 Research Topics
In the News: Read stories about the 2023 participants and their projects
Hero, Desdemona, Imogen…and Brett Kavanaugh?
Reading a Supreme Court Hearing through a Shakespearean Lens
Hannah Lambach ’24
Mara Amster, English
Funnyland: A Song Cycle About the Nature of Performance
Aaron Scott ’24
Emily Chua, Music
Antioxidant Assessment of Wine Constituents
Maddie Friel ’25 & Natty Stanley ’25
Ann Fabirkiewicz, Chemistry
Ticked-Off: Determining the Presence, Abundance, and Distribution of Potentially Pathogen-carrying Ticks across an Urbanized Landscape in Lynchburg, VA
Gracie Oliver ’25 & Ethan Caldwell ’25
Sarah Harper-Roche & Erin Heller, Biology
The Effect of Bacteriophage T4 on Escherichia Coli Biofilm Formation,
Stability, & Cell Viability
Alison Reyes Merced ’24 & Jessica Monasir ’24
Sara Harper-Roche & Adam Houlihan, Biology
Drone–drone Collisions over Lynchburg VA via the Kinetic Theory
of Gases and Simulation Models
Marcela Izquierdo Poza ’24 & Angelo De Asis ’25
Jesse Kern, Chemistry
A Philosophical Diagnosis and Proposed Methods for Overcoming Challenges
to Interfaith Dialogue
Zach Bishop ’24
Kaija Mortensen, Philosophy
Who is Moving When Movement is Unseen? The Nature of Temporal Projections of Movement Dynamics during Action Inference
Brylee Elliot ’24
Timothy Patrick, Psychology
“All-American” New Perspectives on American Art at the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College
Elizabeth Bailey ’25
Lesley Shipley, Art History; Museum & Heritage Studies
Summer 2022 Research Topics
Read news coverage of SRP 2022 participants and their projects
Pearl S. Buck and US–China Relations During the Second World War
Ranger Kinney ’23
Selda Altan, History
Conversations from Arendelle: How Do Children Construct Musical Meaning in a Narrative, Multimedia Context?
Hanan Davis ’23 and Haley Mundy ’23
Sara Beck, Psychology
Performing Shakespeare: Investigating Extreme Casting and Shakespeare’s Staging Conditions
Isabel Stephens ’23 and Lillian Tacke ’22
Stephanie Earl, Theatre
No Longer Invisible: Shining a Spotlight on Asian-American Filmmakers
Mengna Zhao ’23
Jennifer Gauthier, Media & Culture
Embodied Cognition: Morality and Risk-Taking
Jacqueline Clardy Josephs ’23
Blair Gross, Psychology
Investigating Navigation Using Smartphone Sensors
Marcela Izquierdo Poza ’24 and Cristina Llongueras ’23
Peter Sheldon, Physics
Finding Generalized Relationships for the Financial Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Isaac Carney ’24
Sarah Sojka, Environmental Studies & Science, Physics
Using Spectral Signatures to Study Benthic Microalgal Communities
Valentina Santos ’24 and Jedi Kauanui ’23
Sarah Sojka, Environmental Studies & Science, Physics
Old-growth Forest Assessment and Carbon Storage Estimation Methods with the 500-Year Forest Foundation
Gabriel Quintero ’23 and Olivia Richards ’23
Karin Warren, Environmental Studies & Science
Climate-resilient Urban Food Forests to Address Climate Vulnerability, Food Insecurity, and Inequitable Heat Risks in Lynchburg, VA
Hannah Cloven ’24 and Eva Pontius ’23
Karin Warren, Environmental Studies & Science
Summer 2021 Research Topics
Click on the research title to review each project’s abstract
America’s Wars in Asia and US Public Opinion, 1950–1975
William Olichney ’24, Megan Westerman ’23
Selda Altan, History
Antioxidant Properties of Cocoa Products
Daisy Ayala-Gomez ’22
Ann Fabirkiewicz, Chemistry
Antioxidant Properties of Nutrient Dense Berries
Analise Presley ’22
Ann Fabirkiewicz, Chemistry
Assessing Virginia’s Monument Landscape
Joshua Bulavko ’22, Tomi-Lauren McGinness ’23
Gerry Sherayko, History
Building a better mouse-net: Constructing a massive, labeled mouse vocalization data set and using it to train a deep, convolutional neural network for automatic mouse vocalization detection
Jessica (Kylee) Bennett ’24. Mikayla Jenkins ’23
Katrin Schenk, Physics & Engineering
Generational Differences In Descriptions and Interpretations of Sexual Violence Experiences
Kim Steele ’22
Danielle Currier, Sociology
Heat mapping to identify priorities for community-based energy strategies to address climate vulnerability
Michelle Starks ’22
Karin Warren, Environmental Studies & Science
Old-growth forest assessment and invasive species management with the 500-Year Forest Foundation
Brooklyn Ford ’22, Gabe Quintero ’24
Karin Warren, Environmental Studies & Science
Permutation Orbifolds of Heisenberg Vertex Operator Algebras
Noah Carney ’23. Gillian Golda ’22
Michael Penn, Mathematics
The Role of Brand Affiliation in Business Performance: An Investigation into the Hotel Industry
Ariadne Pojedinec ’22
ATM Sayfuddin, Economics
Small but mighty: Characterizing benthic microalgal diversity in restored seagrass beds and adjacent bare sediments
Aleighson Robertson ’24, Abby Whitlock ’23
Sara Sojka, Environmental Studies & Science and Physics & Engineering
A Study of the Continued Fight for Reproductive Justice: A Podcast
Isabel Stevens ’23
Justine Licata, Ainsworth Visiting Scholar, American Culture, History, and Gender
Summer 2020 Research Topics
View all the SRP2020 final presentations on YouTube
Historic Preservation of Rivermont Avenue and Beyond
Joshua Bulavko ’22
Gerry Sherayko, History
Understanding the Effects of Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Temperature on Major Agricultural Crops: Solanum tuberosum (potatoes) and Solanum lycopersicum (tomatoes)
Jdody Misidor ’21 and Renee Sarpong ’21
Kristy Bliss, Biology
Resources, Riches, and Rural America: A Visual Study of School Buildings and Their Surroundings in Communities Dominated by Extractive Industries
Kyle May ’21
Crystal Howell, Education
Discussions of Family Violence in LatinX Families
Alissa Garcia-Cruz ’22
Danielle Currier, Sociology
SciFest Curriculum Guide
Zoe Waring ’22
Peter Sheldon, Physics and Engineering
An Investigation of the Efficacy of Current Machine Learning Techniques for the Analysis of Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations
Dagim Desta ’22, Jacob Katz ’23, Jackson Powell ’21, and Nicholas Vazquez ’23
Katrin Schenk, Physics
Actions and Perceptions in the World
Hannah Edwards ’22 and Taylor Nicole Heddings ’21
Elizabeth Gross, Psychology
Examining the Impact of Seagrass Restoration on Ecosystem Carbon Storage
Bryce Russell ’22 and Nadia Tibbs ’22
Sarah Sojka, Environmental Studies and Physics
Deeper Learning: How Do Elementary Mathematics and Science Teachers Acquire Strategies and Content Knowledge to Promote Student Success?
Sabrina Johnson ’21
Cheryl Lindeman, Education
Summer 2019 Research Projects
Behavioral Coding of Children’s Social Engagement in a Group Musical Setting
Alexander Conway ’20
Sara Beck, Psychology
Exploring the Relationship Between K-12 Teachers’ Participation in Online Communities and Concurrent/Subsequent Participation in Face-To-Face Collective Action
Caleb Schmitzer ’21
Crystal Howell, Education
Development of Techniques for Measuring the Efficacy of a Range of Antimicrobial Materials
Leopoline Galopin ’20 and Mathew Williams ’20
Jesse Kern, Chemistry
Analysis of Previously Recorded Equine Heart Rate (HR) Data and Measuring the Therapeutic potential of Thera-tree ® Technology Using Thermography, HR, and Behavioral Indicators
Sidney Clark ’22
Amanda Rumore, Biology
Tribology of an Antimicrobial Surface in Order To Measure Efficacy Over Time (Companion research to Kern, Galopin and Williams)
Leif Kvarnes ’20
Peter Sheldon, Physics
TLC Fingerprinting of Chamomile
Darius Chernitsky ’20
Ann Fabirkiewicz, Chemistry
Gender Discrepancies in Sport and Performance Psychology Career Placement after Graduate School Completion
Taylor Craft ’20
Meghan Halbrook, Sport and Exercise Studies
Analyzing Alvin Lucier’s I Am Sitting in a Room: A Potential Measure of the Natural Resonant Properties of Performance Spaces at Randolph College
Joseph Vazquez ’20
Katrin Schenk, Physics
Understanding Stagecraft: an Investigation and Dissection of the Skills and Tools Needed to Design Scenery, Lighting, and Sound for Theatre in a Small Liberal Arts College Environment
Karyn Heisig ’20
Heather Sinclair, Theatre
Understanding the Role of Benthic Microalgae in Seagrass Response to Heat Stress
Alex Kulvivat ’22 and Jdody Misidor ’21
Sarah Sojka, Environmental Studies & Science, Physics
Performing Alvin Lucier’s I Am Sitting In a Room: A Potential Measure of the Natural Resonant Properties of Performance Spaces at Randolph College (Companion research to Schenk and Vazquez)
Hailey Gilman ’21
Randall Speer, Music
Inventory and Assessment of Old-Growth Forests to Support the 500-Year Forest Foundation
Keyu Jin ’20 and Priscilla Ranjitka ’20
Karin Warren, Environmental Studies & Science
Summer 2018 Research Projects
Reliable Synthesis and Spectral Analysis of a Historically Notable Inorganic Phosphor
Matthew Williams ’20
Bill Bare, Associate Professor, Chemistry
Bringing the Past into the Light: Modernizing the Ancient Archaeology Collection
at Randolph College
Sara Primm, ’20
Andrea W. Campbell, Associate Professor, Art History
Extraction, Separation, and Analysis of Pigments in Colored Rice Varieties
Valarie Osei-Akyeampong, ’19
Ann M. Fabirkiewicz, Professor, Chemistry
Multiscale Modeling of a Functionalized Surface Catalyst
for Hydrogen Peroxide Production
Yuriy Snyder ’19
Jesse L. Kern, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Analysis of student textbook costs at Randolph College
Lewis Ward, ’20
Stephen Krueger, Access and Outreach Services Librarian
Finite Group Invariants of the rank 2 Heisenberg Vertex Algebra
Jude Quintero ’20
Michael Penn, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
The Lynchburg Neighborhood Database Initiative (LNDI): A Pilot Study
Jessica Bui ’20
San Hoang ’20
Leo Cohen (volunteer)
Elizabeth Perry-Sizemore ’97, Professor, Economics and Business
Teaching Math and Science in a Changing World
Damien Douglas, ’21
Josh Yeast ’19
Amanda Rumore, Assistant Professor, Biology
Peggy Schimmoeller, Professor, Education
Peter Sheldon, Professor, Physics
Interactive Caregiver Portal for the Visualization of Activity and
Location Data in an Alzheimer’s Population
Emad Davis ’19
Katrin Schenk, Associate Professor, Physics
Comparing the Quality of Rainwater Collected from
Roof Surfaces and Ground-Level Surfaces
Thinh (Bill) Pham ’20
Margaret Van Beek ’19
Sarah Sojka, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies and Physics
Merging Poetry and Science:
A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia
Celina Matthews, ’19
Laura-Gray Street, Associate Professor, English
Summer 2017 Research Projects
The Meaning of Political Mobilization:
Who Are We and Why are we Protesting Donald Trump
Danielle Currier, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Lisa White ’18 -Sociology
Lipid Fingerprinting for Hair Analysis
Ann Fabirkiewicz, Professor of Chemistry
Drucilla Williams ’18, Chemistry
Developing Virtual Reality as an Educational and Research Tool
Blair Gross, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Dung Nguyen ’18, Psychology
Avisha Shah ’18, Biology
What Do You See? Sharing Unseen Patterns with Children
Cheryl Lindeman, Assistant Professor of Education
Jasmine Fowler ’20, Undeclared
Interactive Visualization of Activity and Location Data
for Functional Assessment and Caregiver Effectiveness in an Alzheimer’s Population
Katrin Schenk, Associate Professor of Physics
Adam Nguyen ’19, Physics
Teaching Math and Science in a Changing World
Peggy Schimmoeller, Professor of Education
Peter Sheldon, Professor of Physics
Amanda Rumore, Assistant Professor of Biology
Igor Ngabo ’18, Biology
Skylar Pippin ’19, Undeclared
Using Artificial Seagrass Beds to Study Restoration
Sarah Sojka, Assistant Professor of Physics and Environmental Studies
Tyrah Cobb-Davis ’19, Physics
Elizabeth Exline ’19, Environmental Studies
The Meaning of Political Mobilization: Media Construction of Public Opposition to the Trump Administration
Vincent Vecera, Assistant Professor of Political Science
Lauren Moore ’18, Political Science
Alexandra Wieczorek ’19, Communication Studies
Digitizing the First-Year Seminar Pre-Scheduling
Jia Wan, Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Taylor Samuels ’18, Economics and Math
Resilient Randolph: Analyzing Risks and Establishing Measurable Strategies for Campus-Community Climate Resilience
Karin Warren, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Shataaxi Joshi ’19, Undeclared
Arnav Upadhyay ’19, Economics
Where Did All of the Radicals Go?: Examining the Evolution of Anti-Drug Activism in the South Bronx from 1965 – 1985
Noel Wolfe, Visiting Assistant Professor of American Culture
Zachary Pennix ’18, Philosophy
The House of Anne: Cataloging and Teaching the Contributions of Anne Spencer
Peggy Schimmoeller, Professor of Education
Consuella Woods, Assistant Professor of Education
Nour Elkhamra ’17, Curricular Studies
Summer 2016 Research Projects
Correctional Food Deserts: Defining the Problem and Designing Interventions
J. Nikol Beckham – Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
Anne Cornell ’17- Psychology
Alexandra Wieczorek ’19- Undeclared
The Relationships between Age Group , Environmental Information Sources, and Pro-Ecological Worldview
Brad Bullock – Professor of Sociology
Sarah Sojka- Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Physics
Harrison Pippin ’18- Environmental Studies and Sociology
If Music be the Food of Love, Play On Accompanying the Bard
Stephanie Earl- Assistant Professor of Theatre
Marianne Virnelson ’17- Theatre and Music
In vitro evaluation of the over-the-counter treatments for equine streptothricosis
Adam J. Houlihan- Assistant Professor of Biology
Jessica Sidebottom ’17- Biology
Jacquelyn Parman ’18- Biology and Chemistry
*Additional Funding: Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges (VFIC)/ Carilion Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Competitive Cellular Semi-Automata (3D Version)
Marc Ordower- Associate Professor of Mathematics
Anh Vo ’18- Engineering and Mathematics
Animated Soundscapes: Developing an Aural/Visual Language in Six Animated Parables
Ken Parks- Associate Professor of Theatre
John Ruml ’17- Theatre
In vitro evaluation of the over-the-counter treatments for equine streptothricosis
Amanda Rumore- Assistant Professor of Biology
Di Bei ’18- Biology and Chemistry
Callan Frye ’17- Biology and French
*Additional Funding: Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges (VFIC) Summer Research Fellowship
Teaching Math and Science in a Changing World
Amanda Rumore- Assistant Professor of Biology
Peggy Schimmoeller- Professor of Education
Peter Sheldon- Professor of Physics
Danish Roshan ’18- Physics
Gavin Cook ’18- Undeclared
Drucilla Williams ’18- Chemistry
Step up to Physical Science and Engineering at Randolph phase B (SUPERB)
Peter Sheldon-Professor of Physics
Zhe Chen ’17- Physics and Business
Construction and optimization of an erosion microcosm
Sarah Sojka- Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Physics
Zach Vernon ’18- Undeclared
Leanora Bratvold-Boyd ’19- Undeclared
*Additional Funding: Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges (VFIC) William E. Betts, Jr Undergraduate Science Research Program
Making the Martyr: Understanding the Conception and Reception of the Image of the Martyr in Early Christianity
Gordon Steffey- Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Will Andress ’17- Religious Studies
Effect of Honor Codes on Academic Integrity, Cheating, and Research Misconduct
Holly Tatum- Associate Professor of Psychology
Shelby Koretke ’17- Psychology
Variations of Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Problems
Jia Wan- Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Mengjin Sun ’19- Mathematics
Nhut Dang ’18- Undeclared
The Tiny House at the Tiny College: Design and Assessment of a Sustainable Micro-Housing Prototype
Karin Warren- Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Jessy Spencer ’18- Environmental Studies
Dementia Care Ecosystem Functional Monitoring Module Development and Operations
Katrin Schenk- Associate Professor of Physics
Eric Huber ’18- Physics
Sophia Dill ’18- Chemistry and Physics
Allison Hart ’19- Physics
Sarah Grissom ’18- Physics and Education
*Additional Funding: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Healthcare Innovations Grant
Summer 2015 Research Projects
Application of a Modified Dithizone Analysis Technique to Environmental Samples – Bringing Wet Chemistry into the 21st
Bill Bare – Associate Professor of Chemistry
Di Bei ’18 – Chemistry major
Exploring Early Psychological Tests: Researching the Randolph College collection
Rick Barnes – Professor of Psychology and Environmental Studies, and Mary Sabel Girard Chair in Psychology
Sarah Ballard-Abbott ’17 – Psychology major
Fiber Connections: Comparing the Mill Culture of Lynchburg, Virginia and the Mills of South Carolina
Danielle Currier – Associate Professor of Sociology
Ayla Hagen ’18 – Undeclared major
What Happens When the Train Runs off the Track: Developing a Problem-based Learning Module to Help Children Understand the Environmental Impact of the Lynchburg Train Derailment
Cheryl Lindeman – Assistant Professor of Education
Adair Moore ’17 – Curricular Studies major
Theatre Magic: Creating Black Art Illusions in Performance with the KTMA Arts Ensemble
Ken Parks – Associate Professor of Theatre; Design
Daisy Howard ’17 – Theatre major
Morgan Wardlaw ’17 – Psychology major
Analysis of Working and Resting Heart Rate in the Randolph College Riding Program Horses
Amanda Rumore – Assistant Professor of Biology
MacKenzi Brown ’17 – Biology major
Entry and Localization of Allergen Alt a 1 in Human Airway Epithelial Cells
Amanda Rumore – Assistant Professor of Biology
Tetiana Poliakova ’18 – Undeclared major
Olivia Reed ’16 – Biology major
Building an efficient, hyper-usable, inexpensive, Ultrasonic Vocalization data collection and analysis system
Katrin Schenk – Associate Professor of Physics
Eric Huber ’18 – Undeclared major
Noelle Wojciechowski ’17 – Engineering, Physics major
Who gets to ride shotgun? The impact of seat position on occupant safety during motor vehicle collisions
Peter Sheldon – Professor of Physics
Sarah Sojka – Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Physics
Russ Burt ’16 – Physics major
Zach Vernon ’18 – Undeclared major
A History of the Rivermont Historic District
Gerry Sherayko – Professor of History
Samantha Strickler ’17 – History major
Evaluating containment trapping behind dams on the James River
Sarah Sojka – Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Physics
Melissa Pasierb ’17 – Environmental Science major
Allison Brooks ’18 – Undeclared major
The Tiny House at the Tiny College: Design and Assessment of Sustainable Micro-Housing Alternatives
Karin Warren – Associate Professor and Herzog Family Chair of Environmental Studies
Ludo Lemaitre – Sustainability Coordinator
Hagay Haut ’16 – Environmental Studies major
Sara Woodward ’16 – Environmental Science major
Summer 2014 Research Projects
The documentation and iconographic analysis of the fresco program in the Baptistery of Siena
Andrea Campbell – Associate Professor of Art History
Claire Sumner ’15 – Art Hist & Museum Studies major
An Investigation of the Use of Ruthenium Complexes to Increase Efficiency of Photocatalytic Water Purification
Bill Bare – Associate Professor of Chemistry
Zhe Zhang ’15 – Chemistry,Mathematics major
Exploring the factors that encourage and/or motivate students at Randolph College to participate in volunteerism
Danielle Currier – Assistant Professor of Sociology
Abigail Smith ’15 – Sociology major
The Play’s the Thing: A Communal Creative Jaunt through Dramatic Structure
Gary Dop – Assistant Professor of English
Grace Gardiner ’15 – English (Creative Writing) major
Food Recovery and Environmental Stewardship: Building a Sustainable Framework for Repurposing Randolph College’s Unused Foodstuff
Jennifer Dugan – Professor of Political Science
Paul Rush ’16 – Global Studies major
Evolution of perceived attractiveness in potential mates
Dennis Goff – Charles A. Dana Professor of Psychology
Lauren Mason ’16 – Psychology major
Sandeep Poudyal ’16 – Psychology major
Sequence and analysis of mitochondrial DNA from human bone samples in the Randolph College Natural History Collection
Adam Houlihan – Assistant Professor of Biology
Kelly Pham ’16 – Biology major
Examining the role of biofilms in controlling sediment erodibility in coastal lagoons
Sarah Sojka – Assistant Professor of Physics and Environmental Studies
Brianne Conrad ’15 – Environmental Studies major
Ryan Mahon ’16 – Physics major
Excavating Eden: Recovering Green Spaces from Urban Brownfields
Sarah Sojka – Assistant Professor of Physics and Environmental Studies
Hannah Edwards ’16 – English (Creative Writing) major
Evaluating the water quality in residential rainwater harvesting systems 1
Sarah Sojka – Assistant Professor of Physics and Environmental Studies
Dang Phung ’15 – Environmental Studies major
Chris Hollingsworth ’15 – Psychology major
Competitive Cellular Semi Automata
Marc Ordower – Associate Professor of Mathematics
Tu Nguyen ’15 – Environmental Studies major
Pujan Schrestha ’15 – Mathematics, Physics major
Science and Math Links: Research-Based Teaching Institute2
Amanda Rumore – Assistant Professor of Biology
Peggy Schimmoeller – Professor of Education
Peter Sheldon – Professor of Physics
Shaun Chopp ’15 – Biology major
Thao Nguyen ’17 – Global Studies major
Hart Gillespie ’15 – Mathematics,Physics major
Assessing emotional prosody in mouse socio-sexual induced ultrasonic vocalization
Katrin Schenk – Assistant Professor of Physics
Sarah Grissom ’17 – Undeclared
Graham Southwick ’17 – Undeclared
Mobile monitoring and assessment of human activity levels3
Katrin Schenk – Assistant Professor of Physics
Si Thu Aung ’16 – Engineering Physics major
Facebook Self-Presentation and Levels of Self-Esteem, Self-Affirmation, and Narcissism4
Beth Schwartz – Professor of Psychology/Catherine E. & William E. Thoresen Chair in Social Sciences
Penny Trieu ’15 – Psychology major
Investigating Options for Fiscally, Socially, and Environmentally Sustainable Food at Randolph College5
Karin Warren – Associate Professor and Herzog Family Chair of Environmental Studies
Ludo Lemaitre – Sustainability Coordinator
Huong “Hailey” Nguyen ’15 – Business, Economics major
1 Funded by the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund
2 Funded by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)
3 Funded by the National Institutes of Health
4 Funded by the Psi Chi Summer Research Grant
5 Funded by the Department of Environmental Studies
(a) Partially funded by VFIC/MEADWESTVAVCO Summer Research Fellowship
(b) Partially funded by VFIC Summer Research Fellowship
Summer 2013 Research Projects
The Shooting of Beholder: Adapting and filming Jim Peterson’s award-winning one-act play
Mace Archer – Associate Professor of Theater
Ashley Peisher ’15 – Theatre major
Sonja Cirilo ’15 – Spanish,Theatre major
Assessing effects of the Randolph College Student Center on levels of community integration
Brad Bullock – Professor of Sociology
Tsubasa Watanabe ’14 – Sociology major
Playing Power Politics: A Three-Part Case Study of the Palestinian Question and UN Legitimacy
Jennifer Dugan – Professor of Political Science
Rebekah Leo ’15 – Global Studies major
Sarah Terlizzi ’15 – Global Studies,Political Science major
The Story of Virginia in the Saga of America
John d’Entremont – Theodore H. Jack Professor of History
Will Dede ’14 – History major
Evaluation of compost conditions on Listeria innocua survival and growth2
Adam Houlihan – Assistant Professor of Biology
Elizabeth Delery ’14 – Biology major
Meron Demeke ’15 – Biology major
Sending Order through Chaos
Marc Ordower – Associate Professor of Mathematics
Nam Hoang ’15 – Mathematics major
Assessing social deficits in two mouse models of disease using ultrasonic vocalizations
Katrin Schenk – Assistant Professor of Physics
Chris Hollingsworth ’15 – Psychology major
Alex Kwakye ’15 – Psychology major
Mobile monitoring and assessment of human activity levels3
Katrin Schenk – Assistant Professor of Physics
Si Thu Aung ’16 – Engineering Physics major
Thawda Aung ’13 – Physics major
Duc Dinh ’16 – Economics,Mathematics,Physics major
Measuring Asteroid Occultations Using Randolph College’s Winfree Observatory1
Katrin Schenk – Assistant Professor of Physics
Jack Gross – Adjunct Instructor in Physics
Hart Gillespie ’15 – Mathematics,Physics major
Science and Math Links: Research-Based Teaching Institute4
Peggy Schimmoeller – Professor of Education
Peter Sheldon – Professor of Physics
Amanda Rumore – Assistant Professor of Biology
Katherine Lesnak ’15 – Political Science major
Sydney Henson ’14 – Special Education major
The Influence of an Honor System on Academic Integrity
Beth Schwartz – Professor of Psychology
Elizabeth van Noppen ’14 – Psychology major
Investigating Traditional Methods of Inertial Navigation versus Using a Smartphone2
Peter Sheldon – Professor of Physics
Tim Slesinger ’14 – Physics major
Tung Tran ’15
One Language Under Law: How Courts Influence the Way Americans Think and Talk About Social Policy
Vincent Vecera – Assistant Professor of Political Science
Connor Dye ’15 – Economics,Political Science major
Penny Trieu ’15 – Psychology major
Combined Sewer Separation Project on Water Quality in Blackwater Creek, 2003-2012
Karin Warren – Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Kavya Pradhan ’14 – Environmental Science major
Assessing, Researching, and Archiving the Geology Component of the Randolph College Natural History Collection
Karin Warren – Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Mimansha Joshi ’14 – Environmental Science major
1funded by restricted funds;
2funded by the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges;
3funded by the Alzheimer’s Association;
4funded by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
Summer 2012 Research Projects
| Faculty | Student(s) | Dept. | Title |
| Mace Archer | Ashley Peisher ’15 Emily Sirney ’14 Sonja Cirilo ’15* |
Theater | Environmental Performance: Tracy Lett’s Bug produced and performed on location |
| Bill Bare | Mimansha Joshi ’14 | Chemistry | Development of a Dual Probe System for the Determination of Dissolved Oxygen in Biological Oxygen Demand Measurements |
| Tatiana Gilstrap | Chiamaka Asinugo ’14 Nam Hoang ’15 |
Earth Science | An investigation of the aftershock series of the August 23rd, 2011 Virginia earthquake |
| Bunny Goodjohn | Lauren Dowdle ’13 | English | Looking for Trouble: identifying, assessing, and addressing shortcomings in the mechanics of student writing |
| Adam Houlihan | Laura Word ’13** Michael Taylor ’13* |
Biology | Comparison of conventional and forage diets on Gallus gallus domesticus (chicken) health, egg quality, and bacterial pathogen carriage. |
| Marc Ordower | Zhe Zhang ’15 | Mathematics | Vertex Coloring of Planar Graphs with Restrictions over Shortest Paths |
| Ken Parks | Brooke McKelvey ’14 Babatunde Ajao ’15 |
Theater | Developing a Synchronous Puppet Conntrol System for Avenue Q Puppets: Puppet fabrication and control system design |
| Katrin Schenk | Zahra Adahman ’14 Chris Hollingsworth ’15 Alex Kwakye ’15** |
Biophysics | Pups call, mothers rush? Determining the behavioral and communicative value of the ultrasonic calls emitted by mouse pups |
| Katrin Schenk | Jim (Yong) Kwon ’14# Thawda Aung ’13# |
Physics | Mobile monitoring and assessment of human activity levels. |
| Katrin Schenk | Colton Wood ’14* | Physics | Construction of a highly mobile “ball” robot. |
| Peggy Schimmoelle Robbi Parkerr |
Dominique Rose ’14 | Education | Pedagogical Implications for Quality Teacher Preparation: Linking Practice and Theory |
| Peggy Schimmoeller Tatiana Gilstrap Peter Sheldon |
Hin (Huong) Doan ’14## Pujan Shrestha ’15## |
Science Education | Science and Math Links: Research-Based Teaching Institute |
| Beth Schwartz | Megan Hageman ’13 | Psychology | Academic Integrity: Does an Honor System Make a Difference? Continued Development of a “Student Success in College” Book Proposal |
| Peter Sheldon | Tim Slesinger ’14 | Physics | Investigating Methods of Inertial Navigation as a Tool for Mapping Complicated Human Motion such as that during Roller Coaster Rides |
| Laura-Gray Street | Marisa Mendez ’13 | English | Pappy’s Speech: A Novel Approach to Creative Collaboration |
| Holly Tatum | Zara Sibtain ’13 | Psychology | Factors influencing food buying practices and consumption of healthy foods in residents of a low-income food desert |
*funded in part by the department;
**funded by the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges;
#funded by the Alzheimer’s Association;
##funded by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
Summer 2011 Research Projects
| Faculty | Student(s) | Dept. | Title |
| Gordon Steffey | Corbin Nall ’12 | Religious Studies | ’Unsaying’ Language: Approaching Ultimacy Through Apophatic Discourse |
| Elizabeth Perry-Sizemore | Safiyah Lopez ’12, Shradha Shrestha ’12 |
Economics | Identifying the Externalities of Non-Profit Home Restorations: The LNDF in the Tinbridge Community |
| Kelley Deetz | Nashiva McDavid ’12, Wyatt Phipps ’13 |
Black History | When Her Thousand Chimneys Smoked: Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks, Racialized Labor and Legacy |
| Mara Amster | Jerry Wells ’12 | English | Client #9: The Spitzer Scandal and other Modern Narratives of Prostitution |
| Kartrin Schenk | Zahra Adahman ’14, Thawda Aung ’13 |
Computational Neuroscience | Listening to mouse calls and monitoring human activity levels: Classifying and characterizing complex behavioral data streams. |
| Beth Schwartz | Megan Hageman ’13 | Psychology | Variables Influencing Student Success in College: Researching and Developing a Book Proposal and Creating Experimental Designs |
| Tatiana Gilstrap, Peggy Schimmoeller, Peter Sheldon |
Woyni Teklay ’13, Qi Zhang ’13, Meredith Humphries ’12 |
Science Education | Science and Math Links: Research-Based Teaching Institute*** |
| Karin Warren, Bill Bare | Adam Eller ’13 **, Ludo Lemaitre ’11 * |
Sustainability | Developing and Sustaining Edible Urban Landscapes |
| Gerry Sherayko | Janie Campbell ’12, Callie Jones ’13 |
History/Preservation | A History of the Rivermont Historic District |
| Caroline Mann, Katrin Schenk |
Julie Dinh Doan ’14 | Psychology | Measuring the Invisible: Development of an implicit measure of mental illness stigma |
| Chad Beck | Julianna Joyce ’13 | Communication Studies | “They’re Not Like You and Me, Which Means They Must Be Evil”: The Racialized Other in Disney Film and Television Animation |
* funded in part by Department of Environmental Studies; ** funded in part by the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges; *** funded by State Council of Higher Education in Virginia
Summer 2010 Research Projects
| Faculty | Dept | Student(s) | Title |
| Yesem Kurt | Mathematics | Thawda Aung ’13 | Cryptology with Mathematica |
| Peter Sheldon** | Science Education | Courtney Collier ’12 | Science and Math Links: Research-Based Teaching Institute |
| Peggy Schimmoeller | Meredith Humphreys ’12 | ||
| Karin Warren | Environmental Science | Ludo Lemaitre ’11 | A Climate Action Plan for Randolph College |
| Gerry Sherayko | History | Nick Marshall ’11 | A History of the Rivermont Historic District |
| Laura-Gray Street | English | Anneka Freeman ’11 | Earth’s Body II: An Anthology of Contemporary American Ecopoetry |
| Beth Schwartz | Psychology | Jerry Wells ’12 | Four Writing Projects in Psychology |
| Gordon Steffey | Religion | Lindsay Wood ’11 | “Burn Her Who is No Bride”: A Feminist Assessment of Theclan Traditions |
| Marc Ordower | Mathematics | Richard Coultas ’11 | Non-Repetitiveness as it Applies to Shortest Paths in State Graphs and to Integer Sequences |
| Neo Wang ’11 | |||
| Tatiana Gilstrap | Geophysics | Qingping Yu ’13 | Using semblance analysis to study the microseismicity of Central Virginia |
| Jennifer Gauthier | Communication | Julianna Joyce ’13 | Screening Indigeneity: The National Film Board’s First Nations Films, 1939-2009 |
| Mari Ishibashi | Global Studies | Kathleen Conti ’11 | Memory as a Political Strategy: The Politics of Stalin Remembrance in Russia |
| Rick Barnes | Psychology | Louise Searle ’12 | Sustainable Urban Development in Lynchburg |
| Erinn Sudol ’12 | |||
| Bill Bare | Chemistry | Poojan Pyakurel ’11 | Investigation of the Properties of Luminescent Transition Metal Compounds in Silicon Dioxide Polymers and in Ionic Liquids |
| Chet Halka | Spanish Literature | Lis Chacon ’13 | The Presence of Absence in the Works of Juan Rulfo |
| Randy Speer | Music | Karl Speer ’12 | Randolph College’s Musical Heritage: Exploring and Preserving Decades of Musical Performances at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College |
| Christine Gnieski ’13 | |||
| Kurt Seidman* | Chemistry | Rosha Poudyal ’11 | A Theoretical Investigation of Oxidative Pathways of Peroxynitrite |
* funded by Department of Chemistry; ** funded by State Council of Higher Education in Virginia
