Hannah Daley Archives - 91��Ƶ News

Student research on hypertension, caffeinated athletes and radio-tracked beetles rewarded at annual STEM symposium

Lauren Jefferson — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 17:29:03 +0000

Kaylee Ferguson, a junior major, and Jared Fernandez, a second year graduate student, took top honors at 91��Ƶ’s Annual STEM Student Research Symposium. Their research was part of a grant-funded project to study hypertension.

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

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 “to be able to present technical terminology and processes in accessible language. It’s great if a scientist can study climate change, for example, but if we can’t explain the results of a climate change study to someone who doesn’t have the background, that doesn’t help us share and discuss our findings.”

The evaluation – led by , professor of chemistry at James Madison University – 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’ 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’s 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’ve 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’s 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.�� 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).

Junior Hannah Daley preps for grad school with NSF- sponsored summer lab research on caffeine and athletes

Andrew Goodstein — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 18:46:28 +0000

Does caffeine provide a benefit to athletes? This deceptively simple question guided Hannah Daley’s research this summer.

Daley, who is planning a career in environmental chemistry, is a junior double major in and at 91��Ƶ (91��Ƶ). She participated in a 10-week internship through the (REU) program that placed her with professors at nearby James Madison University (JMU).

And while she hasn’t quite yet fully answered the question, Daley says her experience in a large lab setting gave her valuable confirmation of her present and future choices: 91��Ƶ, she says, is the right place for her, providing strong skills-oriented training and confidence so that in a few years, she’ll be ready for a more competitive lab environment.

Two from 91��Ƶ participate

Daley was selected for a competitive National Science Foundation program that placed her in a lab at James Madison University. (Photo by Michael Sheeler)

REU is “a widely recognized research program that provides undergraduates with the chance to work in a larger university lab setting,” says Daley.

Chemistry professor, Daley’s academic advisor, recommended the program. “Often as many as 200 applicants are competing for about 10 spots,” Kishbaugh says. “The program is designed to help students at primarily undergraduate institutions have a research experience similar to that they would have in graduate school. And it can help students discern if graduate school is something they would enjoy as well as what sub-disciplines might interest them.”

Kishbaugh says an average of two 91��Ƶ students earn an REU each year. Junior Janaya Sachs, also a chemistry major, was involved last summer with research at the University of Minnesota.

Cyclists and caffeine

Daley worked in the labs of James Madison University (JMU) professors Christine A. Hughey and Christopher Womack. Hughey is an analytical chemist who worked directly with Daley while Womack is the kinesiology department head who oversaw the entire experiment.

Analytical chemistry, as defined by the American Chemistry Society, is “the science of obtaining, processing, and communicating information about the composition and structure of matter … the art and science of determining what matter is and how much of it exists.”

Daley’s research examined how the human body metabolizes caffeine. (Photo by Michael Sheeler)

Daley was quantifying how caffeine was metabolized in human serum.

In the experiment, participants ingested either caffeine or a placebo and participated in a cycling workout. Following the workout, a blood sample was taken.

“The blood would be purified into human serum,” Daley says. “I would get the serum and I would extract and quantify the amount of caffeine and its three primary metabolites present in the serum.”

Daley explains that the body breaks down what it ingests – caffeine in the case of her experiment – into metabolites that can be used by the body. “The overall goal of the research was to determine if individuals of different phenotypes metabolize caffeine at different rates when exercising and if that rate is correlated with an ergogenic benefit.”

Daley’s role in the research process was to develop a method to quantify the ratio of caffeine and its metabolites using an instrument called the “UHPLC” to measure exactly how caffeine metabolization varied between athletes and was affected by exercise.

UHPLC is an acronym for ultra high performance liquid chromatography, which was coupled with UV detection and positive electro-spray oonization and mass spectrometry.

Though Daley’s summer internship is complete, the experiment is still ongoing. Daley will be on call this fall, assisting in the lab when needed. If the findings are published, she will gain valuable academic credentials to match her experience in the lab.

First-generation student-athlete at home at 91��Ƶ

Daley enjoyed working in the lab at JMU, and fed off the competitive energy from those around her, which made it easier to be excited about her work. The topic also interested her; she’s a goalkeeper on the and athletics are an important part of her life.

Her REU research experience this summer, Daley says, was invaluable. She’s now worked with similar instruments and techniques that she’ll use in environmental chemistry, and “gained a lot of skills that will help me in my career path.”

Daley says 91��Ƶ prepared her well for the competitive and fast-paced research environment and she’s now a more confident scientist and student.

“I look forward to going to a larger school for my graduate education, but I like that I am going to a smaller school as an undergraduate. I have good professors here and good friends in the program who provide support,” says Daley, a first-generation college student who came to 91��Ƶ because of its commitment to sustainability and its strong academic program in that field.

Cox assists on both goals as women get first win

James De Boer — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 13:43:28 +0000

It was a wild first half, but the 91��Ƶ field hockey women used two goals to grab the lead and their first win of 2014, 2-1 at Bethany College. The Royals return home on Wednesday to take on nationally-ranked Christopher Newport at 4:30 p.m.

Eastern Mennonite controlled the first 10 minutes against the Bison, but couldn’t score despite four shots. The Bison struck first, getting a rebounded stickback in the 13th minute to go up 1-0.

��ܲԾ��ǰ��(Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) then helped turn things around.�� In the 19th minute Cox set up��(Media, Pa./Delaware County Christian) after a corner as the goal equalized the score. Then just four minutes before halftime, Cox picked up her second assist helping��(Harleysville, Pa./Christopher Dock) scored the go-ahead goal, making it 2-1.

The Royals stepped up their defense in the second 35 minutes, allowing Bethany to take just four shots in the frame.��(Lothian, Md./Southern) made one save on Bethany’s only shot on goal in the half, and it was enough to secure 91��Ƶ’s first win.

The women had a 16-11 advantage in shots, including 12-7 on goal. They also had a 7-3 edge in corners. Daley finished with six saves. Derstine took five shots with four on goal, while Williams and��(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) each put three on target.

91��Ƶ breaks record for all-academic honorees

James De Boer — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 19:57:18 +0000

91��Ƶ once again set a new high for student-athletes named to the annual Old Dominion Athletic Conference All-Academic Team, as 96 Royals were honored.�� Last year a total of 80 Royals were named to the list, which had also been a high over the previous year’s total of 61.

All of 91��Ƶ’s ODAC-sponsored sports were represented on the All-Academic Team.�� Men’s volleyball competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference and is not eligible for the ODAC team.

The ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the eighth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fifth year in a row.�� With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only and Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only), 1,558 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2013-14 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.�� He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

For more information, visit the ODAC’s home on the Internet at��. ��Don’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC on��and follow��on Twitter.

The entire list of Royals named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.��

91��Ƶ’s ODAC All-Academic Team
Elizabeth Alderfer – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Volleyball
Jordan Aylor – Softball
Becky Barrett – Women’s Basketball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Tyler Brenneman – Men’s Soccer
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Lauren Campbell – Softball
McKenna Carter – Women’s Volleyball
Hannah Chappell-Dick – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Robert Cook – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Hannah Daley – Field Hockey
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patty Danaher – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Paige DeBell – Field Hockey
Tyler Denlinger – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Erica Detweiler – Women’s Soccer
Katie Eckman – Women’s Cross Country
Mariah Foltz – Softball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Erica Garber – Women’s Track & Field
Carlos Garcia – Men’s Track & Field
Abi Gardner – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Joe Hall – Baseball
Rebecca Hardy – Women’s Volleyball
Derek Harnish – Men’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Ryan Henschel – Baseball
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Morgan Hill – Women’s Soccer
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Brendan Jeschke – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Viktor Kaltenstein – Men’s Soccer
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Louise Krall – Field Hockey
Lanae Kreider – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jacob Landis – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jordan Leaman – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Mollie Lehman – Field Hockey
Jake Lind – Men’s Soccer
Lexi Link – Women’s Volleyball
Mariah Martin – Field Hockey
Tim Martin – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dilmer Martinez – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Brad Matthias – Baseball
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Macson McGuigan – Men’s Soccer
Chris Miller – Men’s Track & Field
Katie Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Nisly – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Ian Norris – Baseball
Nora Osei – Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball
Jolee Paden – Women’s Cross Country
Jesse Parker – Men’s Cross Country
Hannah Patterson – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dylan Polley – Men’s Soccer
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
D Probst – Women’s Volleyball
Casey Racer – Softball
Jess Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Steph Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Krista Rittenhouse – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kyle Salladay – Baseball
Juni Schirch – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Caleb Schlabach – Men’s Golf
Chanel Shands – Women’s Basketball
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Molly Smith – Softball
Nicole Smith – Softball
Ashten Spencer – Women’s Soccer
Mandy Stowers – Field Hockey
Ryan Thomas – Men’s Soccer
Shannan Thompson – Women’s Basketball
John Toney – Men’s Golf
Londen Wheeler – Men’s Track & Field
Camille Williams – Field Hockey
Alex Wynn – Men’s Track & Field
Bianca Ygarza – Women’s Basketball
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Chris Yoder – Men’s Basketball
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey
Marla zumFelde – Women’s Basketball

Hannah Daley Archives - 91����Ƶ News