Eight presentations were made by 14 biology, , and students that showcased the breadth and depth of research opportunities available at 91短视频.

The symposium provided an opportunity for students to share their research with an audience of general science majors, said department chair and professor of chemistry . One of the skills of a scientist, she says, is 鈥渢o be able to present technical terminology and processes in accessible language. It鈥檚 great if a scientist can study climate change, for example, but if we can鈥檛 explain the results of a climate change study to someone who doesn鈥檛 have the background, that doesn鈥檛 help us share and discuss our findings.”

The evaluation 鈥� led by , professor of chemistry at James Madison University 鈥� included three criteria: collection of data, thoroughness of research design and analysis, and clarity and accessibility of the oral presentation.

Second place was awarded to junior Hannah Daley for her presentation about her National Science Foundation-sponsored research, in partnership with two professors at James Madison University, on the effects of caffeine on athletes.

Sophomore Kat Lehman and junior Diego Barahona were awarded third place for their research on utilizing radio-tracking to locate coconut rhinoceros beetles鈥� breeding sites, which was conducted under the direction of chemistry professor in Guam. Siderhurst has worked for several years on research projects involving the development of attractants for invasive and agriculturally important pests.

Students find their niche in grant-funded studies

Research projects often pair students with professors engaged in long-term studies. The competition winners, Ferguson and Fernandez, were research assistants to Professor , who earned a $100,000 Jeffress Trust grant to study a multi-year investigation into the causes of hypertension. In Ferguson and Fernandez鈥檚 project, rats were fed a high fructose, high salt, low salt, and no salt diet and measured the activation of genes involved in disease.

The STEM symposium is also offers students like Hannah Daley and Janaya Sachs, who both earned grants to engage research opportunities off campus, to share what they鈥檝e learned. Sachs explored a new ligand for synthesizing copper, a summer project she engaged in through the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates. She worked at .

The bioorganic copper project is just one of several research opportunities she鈥檚 been involved in. Her freshman year, she joined , led by , director of the MA in biomedicine program, and supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She and Hannah Daley are both currently involved in evaluating the effects of hydrofracking on stream and well water, a project under the direction of and Kishbaugh.

Among the research shared, a unique transdisciplinary project was conducted by biology major Samuel Miller and computer science major Alex Bender, advised by Siderhurst and computer science professor . Miller conducted a chemistry project that involved identification and quantification of volatiles released by the noni fruit during ripening that provided a complex data set that was difficult to analyze. Bender and Miller have both used a mathematical technique called Principal Component Analysis to analyze the results in a simpler manner.聽 Bender is documenting their methodology for PCA usage, simultaneously evaluating software programs Cluster 3.0 and SPSS for their ability to simplify the data set.

Flavenoids, genetics, mold…

Professor , who teaches courses in genetics, cell biology, microbiology and immunology, advised several research projects. Biology major Chris Miller researched the effect of anthocyanins, richly concentrated plant colorants that may have protective effects, on mouse fetal development when the mice are exposed to a significant amount of alcohol.

Derek Harnish and Eli Wenger presented their research on the neuronal basis of aging in flies. Harnish, a biology major, and Wenger, a biology and biochemistry double major, worked with Copeland on his ongoing project to identify specific types of that have the potential to extend lifespan in flies when the mitochrondrial electron transport chain is disrupted.

Biology majors Viktor Kaltenstein and Seth Suttles teamed up to study mold growth in a vacated section of the Suter Science Center campus using the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI).

In the center of Thomas Plaza, burning candles were placed on a pile of ice. A nearby sign proclaimed the vigil鈥檚 theme: 鈥淢elt ICE,鈥� a reference to the unrelenting, and some would say, disturbing policies of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that have recently separated Villatoro from his family.

A Honduran native who has lived without citizenship in the United States since the early 1990s, Villatoro was detained on March 3 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and deported last week [March 27].

Despite a past criminal record of two misdemeanor charges, supporters say Villatoro had changed his life, becoming a Christian and devoting himself to his family and his congregation. According to supporters, he would be an appropriate candidate for the reprieve offered by President Barack Obama鈥檚 deportation policy if an immigrant does not jeopardize national security or public safety.

‘Pastor Max’ known among 91短视频 students

Two student organizers of the vigil, senior Aliese Gingerich and junior Rachel Schrock, are among many in the 91短视频 community who have a strong connection to Villatoro. He is a co-pastor, with his wife, Gloria, of Iglesia Menonita Torre Fuerte, a small Hispanic congregation based at in Iowa City, Iowa. Gingerich and Schrock attend First Mennonite Church.

Villatoro 鈥渨as someone who cared about the space and the people in it,鈥� said Schrock. 鈥淗e would ask you how you鈥檙e doing, and he would really listen. He cared about people, and he was a strong presence in the church.鈥�

Gingerich, who spent this last summer working with Villatoro, mentioned the anxiety she felt for him during that time. Villatoro made no secret of his lack of citizenship, even in which he recounted his story of moving to the United States for a better life, meeting his wife, and starting a family. He and Gloria have four children, all U.S. citizens. Gloria, who is from Mexico, is living legally in the United States under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Schrock鈥檚 fear was realized when she was on a in Georgia, learning about issues that immigrants face in the United States. Ironically, she, along with sophomore Diego Barahona, were visiting a detention center when they learned the news.

Barahona, also a Honduran native, spoke at the vigil in English, with his remarks translated into Spanish. He expressed appreciation for the Mennonite community and their strong support of Villatoro.

Several protests and vigils have taken place over the past several weeks. Congregations in the Central Plains Mennonite Conference 鈥� the conference in which Villatoro鈥檚 church belongs 鈥� have actively showed their support for Villatoro and his family. The conference collected more than 40,000 signatures, including 8,000 from clergy members, from around the United States. Those documents were delivered to the ICE office in Omaha, Nebraska, just one week after Villatoro鈥檚 detention. The conference has also started a .

Immigration and Customs Enforcement determined the grounds for Villatoro鈥檚 deportation by citing his criminal record 鈥� a drunk-driving conviction in 1998 and record tampering, after purchasing a Social Security number in order to get a driver鈥檚 license, in 1999. Villatoro has since had a clean record and according to media sources, was unsuccessful in appealing a past deportation order.

Common ground with vigil supporters

In his speech, Barahona also addressed the plight of child immigrants, recalling his arrival in the United States at age 4 and a childhood visit to Walt Disney World, seemingly a paradise at the time.

鈥淚n contrast,鈥� Barahona told the assembled crowd, 鈥渢ens of thousands of child immigrants were not received by a magical kingdom. They were received by a kingdom that supposedly stands for the liberty of the oppressed, but hesitates to take in the youngest victims of the conflict they help create.鈥�

Hannah Mack-Boll, a junior, who works at in Harrisonburg, said she appreciated the 鈥減oignance鈥� of Barahona鈥檚 speech. She hears many stories similar to Villatoro鈥檚, and remarked on how helpful it is that 鈥渨e can now gather together to understand the importance of Villatoro鈥檚 story in the context of a broader issue.鈥�

鈥淚t was encouraging to see such a strong turnout of students, faculty and staff to express our solidarity with Pastor Max and others who have been separated from their families,鈥� said 91短视频 president Loren Swartzendruber, one of at least two university administrators to attend the vigil. 鈥淭he stories shared by several immigrants were important for all of us to hear.鈥�

Getting the word out about that story and rallying support has been one of Gingerich鈥檚 recent concerns. She spent two days before the vigil passing out 380 Spanish-language flyers to local organizations, businesses, clinics, grocery stores, and even taco trucks. She wanted to the community to be involved, and to provide a space for healing and reflection.

鈥淢ax鈥檚 story is a platform for all the other stories like his that don鈥檛 get coverage,鈥� Schrock said.

It will be extremely difficult and complicated for Villatoro to regain entry to the United States, according to his attorney.