Senior Independent Study Theses from 2018
Preliminary Exploration of the Safety and Efficacy of Bacteriophage Therapy: The Effects of Phage Presence on Host Survival and Immune Response in Caenorhabditis Elegans, Janel E. Romagnoli
Department: Biology
Determining the Effects of Arginine Kinase Gene Deletions on Mitochondrial Volume in Caenorhabditis elegans using Quantitative and Real-Time PCR, Evan Schneider
Department: Biology
A Boolean Model of Neuronal Death Upon Cell Cycle Re-Entry, Emma Schroeter
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Bad to the Bone or Good for Healing? Investigating the Effect of CTRP3 Overexpression on Bone Formation, Hannah E. Sexton
Department: Biology
The Shot Heard Around The World: Determining the Influence and the Spread of the Anti-vaccination Ideology on Measles Outbreaks Using Epidemiological Models, Jennifer Shepheard
Department: Biology; Mathematics
The Interplay Between Early Life and Later Life Nutritional Conditions on Learning and Memory, Lango Sichizya
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
The Role of Pollinator Preference on the Maintenance of Pollen Color Polymorphisms in the American Bellflower, Campanula americana, Elizabeth Tuan
Department: Biology
Hepatitis E Virus: Elucidating the Role of Open Reading Frame 4 (ORF 4) on Enhanced Morbidity and Mortality During Pregnancy, Randall K. Turner II
Department: Biology
Float Like a Bellflower, See Like a Bee: An Experimental Analysis of the Visual Acuity and Pollen Color Preference in Bombus Impatien, Jack Whalen
Department: Biology
The Effect of Music and Maternal Separation on Anxiety and BDNF Levels in Rats, Selina M. Yossef
Department: Biology
Assessing Phenotypic and Genetic Variation in Populations of the Hummingbird-Pollinated, Desert Perennial, Erythrina flabelliformis, Megan Zerrer
Department: Biology
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2017
Studying the Changes in Aggressive Behavior of Male Betta Fish (Betta Splendens) When Exposed to Endocrine Disrupting Compunds, Charles Angelastro
Department: Biology
Coevolution of a Coral Snake and Its Mimic: An Experimental Analysis of the Effect of Body Size on Predation, and the Geographic Variation of Clelia clelia, April M. Arquilla and Rick M. Lehtinen
Department: Biology
Effects of Acute Social Stress on Ejaculate Parameters in Heterosexual Men, Jarek Beegan
Department: Biology
Circadian Rhythm-Gating of Salinity Stress-Induced Transcription Factor Expression in Solanum lycopersicum, and Implications in Sustainable Agriculture, Kelsey E. Coyne
Department: Biology
Modeling the Dynamics of Epigenetic Changes on Key Pluripotency Genes in Response to Reprogramming, Laura J. Cremer
Department: Biology
Widespread Hybridization of the Red- Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus) and the Northern Ravine Salamander (Plethodon Electromorphus) Throughout the State of Ohio, Joseph M. DeFelice
Department: Biology
Investigating the Molecular Underpinnings of Learning and Memory Defects Using a Drosophila Melanogaster Model of Intellectual Disability, Ginelle Doerr
Department: Biology
RxLR Effectors of the Plant Pathogen Phytophthora sojae target the Proteasome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, James F. Ferritto
Department: Biology
Assessment of Amphibian Fungal Disease in Salamanders at Wooster Memorial Park, Ohio, Julia C. Fregonara
Department: Biology
A Comparison of Basiliscus basiliscus Abundance Between Riparian Zones in Primary and Secondary Forests, Benjamin S. Grunwald
Department: Biology
Lethal and Sub-Lethal Effects of Neonicotinoid Pesticides on Bee and Fly Taxa of the North American Tallgrass Prairie, Alexander Hajek
Department: Biology
The Impacts of Stress on Arousal, Cortisol, and Testosterone, Caroline Heyd
Department: Biology
Immediate Microhabitat Changes Following Buckthorn Removal on the Edge of a Minnesotan Bog, Alyson T. Jacobs
Department: Biology
Second-growth, not second-rate: Exploring the community composition of glass frogs in old-growth and second-growth forests of Costa Rica, Linnea L. Johnson
Department: Biology
The Transgenerational Effects of a Long-term Amphetamine Dosage on Behavior in Sprague-Dawley Rats, Elizabeth Kantra
Department: Biology
Effects of Neonatal Fluoxetine Exposure Through Lactational Transfer on Long-Term Spatial and Object Recognition Memory in Adulthood in Sprague-Dawley Rats (Rattus norvegicus), Elsa Maggiolino
Department: Biology
An Experimental Analysis of Invasive Plant Effects on Salamander Abundance, Blake E. Marlowe
Department: Biology
Does Arnica Really Work? A Comparative Study Between Western Medicine (Corticosterone) and Homeopathic Remedies, Cole L. McDonough
Department: Biology
Efficacy of Pseudomonads as Biological Control Agents against Agrobacterium rhizogenes and Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Mayama Nyajro
Department: Biology
When to Move on: Generalist Insect Pollinators Exhibit a Temporal Decrease in Floral Fidelity Towards a Common Prairie Perennial, Echinacea angustifolia, Leah J. Prescott
Department: Biology
Role of the Adipokinetic Hormone Precursor (AKH-I) in Regulating the Blood feeding Behavior of Female Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes, Gitika Shriyan
Department: Biology
Effects of the invasive plant species, Rosa multiflora and Alliaria petiolata, and deer browsing on native plant species in a Ohioan second growth forest, Mallorey R. Stack
Department: Biology
A Boolean Modeling Approach to Understanding Synergies Between Cell Phenotypes in Early Neurogenesis, Nathan R. Sundheimer
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
One Fish, Two Fish: Genetic Differences in Carotenoid Deposition and Pigmentation, and their relation to the Immune Responses of Red and Blue Betta splendens, Taryn E. Szalay
Department: Biology
Transcriptome Analysis Suggests the PsAvh110 Effector Targets Phosphate Homeostasis in Yeast, Avery C. Wilson
Department: Biology
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2016
Testosterone and Song Recovery in Response to Short-Term Fasting in the Male Zebra Finch, Kaitlin Banko
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Variation in seed oil content in multi-purpose crop Moringa oleifera from naturalized populations in Ghana, Annelise S. Bay
Department: Biology
Black is the New Gray: A Preliminary Analysis of Melanism in the Genus Sciurus, Jacob A. Beckstead
Department: Biology
Black is the new Gray: A Preliminary Analysis of Melanism in the Genus Sciurus, Jacob A. Beckstead
Department: Biology
Quantifying Fish Species Richness and Community Composition in Primary and Secondary Tropical Forest Streams, Taylor Bradley
Department: Biology
Investigating the Combined Effects of Relevant Environmental Contaminants Lead, Cadmium, and Fluoxetine, on the Behavior and Gene Expression of C. elegans., Anna R. Damato
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Effects of Heterospecific Male Presence on Generalized Activity and Reproductively-Associated Behavior in Aedes aegypti Females, Laura B. Darby
Department: Biology
Got milk? An In-Depth Analysis of Community Water Fluoridation and a Chemical Investigation of Fluoridated Milk as an Alternative to Fluoridated Water, Shikha Dharia
Department: Biology; Chemistry; Interdepartmental
The Impacts of Sleep Deprivation on the Immune System and Vaccination Effectiveness, Samuel R. Gardner
Department: Biology
The Interactions of Oxytocin and Maternal Separation on Anxiety and Depression in Rodents, Marissa Gorvet
Department: Biology
Behavioral Impacts of Antidepressant Exposure on Red Worm Eisenia Fetida and Northern Leopard Frog Lithobates Pipiens, Lucas R. Grisanti
Department: Biology
Determining the Function of Rna Binding Protein Nab2 on Neurogenesis During the Development of Drosophila Melanogaster, Andrew Herst
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
An Examination of Hybridization Between Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida: Examining Relative Rates of Hybridization and the Effect of Flowering Time, Kathleen Hogg
Department: Biology
The Modeling of Phenazine Induced Pathogenesis and Pharmacological Modulation of Autophagy in C. elegans, Brian A. Karavantas
Department: Biology
Progress toward the Investigation of the role of Arginine Kinase in the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, Shelby N. Kratt
Department: Biology
Influence of Cellular Localization of Peroxiredoxins on Mutation Frequency and Oxidant Defense, Ian M.C. Martin
Department: Biology
The Impact of Edge Effects on Two Species of Glass Frogs in La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, Stuti Sharma
Department: Biology
Diversity of Glass Frogs Between Primary and Secondary Tropical Forest at La Selva Biological Station, Heredia Province, Costa Rica, Nathan G. Weltman
Department: Biology
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2015
Impacts of Climate Change on Species Invasiveness: Temperature Effects on Agonistic Interactions between Crayfish Procambarus clarkii and Cambarus robustus, Diego Arias
Department: Biology
The Functions of Nab2 On Cellular Growth Regulation in Drosophila Melanogaster, Brittany N. Boychuk
Department: Biology
Organizational and Activational Effects of Testosterone on Learning and Memory, Philip M. Charnley
Department: Biology
A Comparative Assessment of Venlafaxine Degradation in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge, Shauntia Cobb
Department: Biology; Chemistry; Environmental Studies
Determining growth and mutation rates in met18Δ and met18Δrnr-1D57N yeast strains, to uncover pathways affected by elevated deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates and potential targets for cancer therapies.., Bryan Daugherty
Department: Biology
The Effects of Rock Type and Bamboo Density on The Cryptic Coloration of The Bloody Bay Poison Frog, Levi J. Fawcett
Department: Biology
What Separates Northern Redback salamanders from Northern Ravine Salamanders? Studying the effects of Microhabitat isolation between Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon electromorphus, Jacob Gabriel
Department: Biology
Phenazine Inhibition in Pseudomonads: An Investigation of Subinhibitory Aminoglycoside Concentrations and Pseudomonad Interactions, Sarah E. Gilbert
Department: Biology
Female Preference for a Cognitive Trait in the Male Mealworm Beetle Tenebrio Molitor, Elizabeth Sara Ann Gonder
Department: Biology
Effects on Beetle and Ant Populations at a Temperate Deciduous Forest and Agricultural Edge, Dabney L. Gottman
Department: Biology
The Effect of Competition Release on the Microhabitat Use and Body Size of the Introduced Species Anolis richardii on the Island of Tobago, Sean E. Hackel
Department: Biology
Oxidative Stress Response Regulator and ABC Transporter Gene Expression in Caenorhabditis elegans as a Method for Reducing Phenazine Toxicity, Micah T. Harland
Department: Biology
Study of Thermoregulatory Behavior in The Common Wall Lizard Podarcis Muralis, Brian T. Hefele
Department: Biology
Testing the Efficacy of Novel Electrical Stimulation Practices in Elderly Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients During Rehabilitation, Patrick Henderson
Department: Biology
Mimics Without Models: Do Look-Alikes of Deadly Coral Snakes Gain Protection From Predators Only When The Real Thing is in the Area?, Erin E. Hodson
Department: Biology
Examining Compensatory Factors That Influence Peroxide Sensitivity and Mutation Frequency in Yeast Lacking Two Key Peroxidases, Sean R. Hohan
Department: Biology
Patterns of Resistance in Field Populations of Culex Pipiens Restuans from Summit County, Ohio, Caitlyn Leasure
Department: Biology
Muttiple Shelter Enrichment Methods: a Study of the Effect of Petting or Walking on the Canine Stress Response, Lauren MacDonald
Department: Biology; Psychology
A Phylogeographic Study of The Pickerel Frog, Lithobates Palustris, To Assess The Possibility of Cryptic Species, Nicolas Mavromatis
Department: Biology
Lactational Exposure to Duloxetine: The Effects on Depression and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression in the Hippocampus of the Rodent Model, Skye Patterson
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Temperature as a Stressor in Zebra Finch Nestlings and its Effects on the Post-Fledging Stress Response, Ari M. Pompas
Department: Biology
The Effects of Circadian Rhythm Disruption On Social Behavior, Anxiety, and Plasma Corticosterone Levels in Mice Using Exercise As An intervention, Shannan Pullara
Department: Biology
Female Mate Choice in The Tobagonian Glass Frog Hyalinobatrachium Ortientale Tobagense, David P. Raines
Department: Biology
Neophobic behavior but not aggression differs between urban and rural chickadee flocks (Poecile atricapillus and Poecile carolinensis), Elizabeth Ross
Department: Biology
Interaction of nutritional content and temperature on larval growth rate in Pieras rapae, Rachel Sell
Department: Biology
Who's Your Daddy? It Might Be Your Mom: Tracking Pollen Movement in a Population of the Coral Bean (Erythrina flabelliformis) in Southeastern Arizona, Carolyn Thornton
Department: Biology
Exploring the Neuroprotective Effects of EGCG and Green Tea on the Vestibular System, Caitlyn F. Trullinger-Dwyer
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
The Effects of Short-Term Starvation and Subsequent Re-Feeding in The Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, Chase Ullman
Department: Biology
Long-Term Experimental Evolution of Environmental Microbes to Degrade the Antidepressant Venlafaxine (Effexor®), Maxwell Werman
Department: Biology
An Exploration of the Relationship between Personality and Play Behaviors in Captive Red Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia variegata rubra), McKenzie G. Witzke
Department: Biology; Psychology
The Therapeutic Effects of Environmental and Physical Enrichment on Motor Behavior Function in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease, Rachel A. Wortman
Department: Neuroscience; Psychology; Biology
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2014
Identification of the Freshwater Fish of Tobago and Comparison to the Fish of the Northern Drainages of Trinidad using DNA Barcoding, Zachary S. Bradley
Department: Biology
An Investigation of the Interaction Between Xrs2, a Double-Strand Break Repair Protein, and Elevated Pools of Deoxynucleoside Triphosphates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Eric A. Brenner
Department: Biology
A Not-So-Silent Spring: The Impacts of Traffic Noise on Call Features of The Bloody Bay Poison Frog (Mannophryne olmonae), Catherine G. Clemmens
Department: Biology
Impacts of a Fungicide, Chlorothalonil, on the European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Larval Development and Adult Induced Immune Response, Galen A. Cobb
Department: Biology
The Long-term Administration of Duloxetine and Hormonal Contraception Modulate Behaviors of Depression in the Rodent Model, Alexandra E. Dereix
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
The Effects and Implications of Sex Steroid Hormones on Adult Neurogenesis in the Main Olfactory Bulb, Shawn Drulia
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
The Lethal and Sub-lethal Effects of Sulfoxaflor on Honey Bees, Apis Mellifera, Bumble Bees, Bombus Impatiens, and Alfalfa Leafcutter Bees, Megachile Rotundata, Melanie A. Erhart
Department: Biology
Quorum Sensing Independent Regulatory Systems and Their Effect on the Behaviors and Phenotypes of the Bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Jillian F. Escobar
Department: Biology
The Effects of Mating on Longevity in Female Aedes aegypti When Nutritionally Stressed and Dehydrated, Emily A. Golba
Department: Biology
Predicting Behavior in an Unpredictable World: How Environmental Cues Affect Behavioral Plasticity in Adult Male and Embryonic Larvae of the Tobago Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium orientale tobagense), Sara Green
Department: Biology
How Does Exposure to Triclosan Affect Territorial Behavior of the Male Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas)?, Danielle L. Grooms
Department: Biology
The Energetic of Extra Floral Nectar in Erythrina flabelliformis, Nichole W. Gustafson
Department: Biology
The Effects of Image Habituation on Ejaculate Parameters in Healthy Human Males (Homo sapiens), Paul N. Joseph
Department: Biology
Determination of Genes Mediating Inter-bacterial Competition in an Environmental Isolate of Pseudomonas chlororaphis aurantiaca 14b11, Samuel Kitara
Department: Biology
Does HCV Replication Dependence Shift from Cyclophilin A to Cyclophilin B in Cyclosporin Resistant Mutants?, Jameson C. Laub
Department: Biology