Students and professors are kicking off the 15th year of the Randolph College Summer Research Program this week.
More than 20 students will spend the next eight weeks working on projects as diverse as improving water purification, writing plays, analyzing the connection between Facebook and self-esteem, and exploring the possibility of distributing unused food to people in need.
“It is an exciting time to see students take on their own independent research projects under the careful guidance of their faculty mentors,” said Amanda Rumore, director of the Summer Research Program. “For some, this is their first taste of research in their field, and for others this is a continuation of a larger project. Either way, the program always proves to be a fruitful learning experience for its participants.”
The students and their faculty mentors met over lunch Monday to meet each other and introduce their respective projects. Throughout the program, they will attend weekly seminars to help them learn more about various kinds of research. Speakers include faculty and two alumnae.
The Summer Research Program was founded in 2000 with a grant from the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund. It helps students learn skills in research, critical thinking, data analysis, problem solving, and communication.
Showing posts with label student faculty interaction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label student faculty interaction. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
Randolph professor and student research the reality of hunger and poverty
A Randolph professor is exploring the nexus between poverty, hunger, and food in Lynchburg in hopes that his research will generate discussion and solutions.
“My sense is that most people don’t know about the extent of hunger and poverty in this city,” said John Abell, an economics professor. “I’m hoping to draw some awareness to this issue and to start a conversation.”
Abell has a strong personal interest in local food produced with sustainable practices; he grows much of his own food while purchasing more from farmers at a local market. But his interest in social issues related to food grew when he and a group of Randolph students studied the economics of a Lynchburg food desert in 2011. Their data demonstrated the difficulty some city residents had with obtaining nutritious food at affordable prices. Abell wanted to conduct further research about how poverty and limited food access relate to each other.
He is analyzing a variety of data—such as income levels, educational attainment, and participation in government assistance programs—for different neighborhoods in Lynchburg. Abell is publishing videos and insights about the research on a new website. Eventually, his blog will shift focus toward the economics of the solutions he is discovering.
The website includes video interviews with people who have firsthand knowledge about local hunger and poverty, including people who have lived for years in impoverished neighborhoods as well as people who work at nonprofits that seek to provide food to those in need.
Teague Nelson ’14, a history major, is producing the videos for Abell. While it has given him an opportunity to practice skills he picked up in a digital filmmaking class, the project also helped Nelson learn about social and economic issues. “I think it’s a really important issue,” he said. “There are a lot of people working on it, but it needs a lot more attention and a lot more needs to be done.”
Abell’s research also includes potential solutions that go beyond distributing donated food to those who need it, but focus on helping to decrease hunger by decreasing poverty. “I wanted to think about creative ways that food could be used in creative solutions,” he said. “I’m looking at solutions from around the country, including urban farming and community gardening, where food is out there to create legitimate economic development.”
To learn more about Abell’s research, please see http://lynchburgfood.go.randolphcollege.edu/
“My sense is that most people don’t know about the extent of hunger and poverty in this city,” said John Abell, an economics professor. “I’m hoping to draw some awareness to this issue and to start a conversation.”
Abell has a strong personal interest in local food produced with sustainable practices; he grows much of his own food while purchasing more from farmers at a local market. But his interest in social issues related to food grew when he and a group of Randolph students studied the economics of a Lynchburg food desert in 2011. Their data demonstrated the difficulty some city residents had with obtaining nutritious food at affordable prices. Abell wanted to conduct further research about how poverty and limited food access relate to each other.
He is analyzing a variety of data—such as income levels, educational attainment, and participation in government assistance programs—for different neighborhoods in Lynchburg. Abell is publishing videos and insights about the research on a new website. Eventually, his blog will shift focus toward the economics of the solutions he is discovering.
The website includes video interviews with people who have firsthand knowledge about local hunger and poverty, including people who have lived for years in impoverished neighborhoods as well as people who work at nonprofits that seek to provide food to those in need.
Teague Nelson ’14, a history major, is producing the videos for Abell. While it has given him an opportunity to practice skills he picked up in a digital filmmaking class, the project also helped Nelson learn about social and economic issues. “I think it’s a really important issue,” he said. “There are a lot of people working on it, but it needs a lot more attention and a lot more needs to be done.”
Abell’s research also includes potential solutions that go beyond distributing donated food to those who need it, but focus on helping to decrease hunger by decreasing poverty. “I wanted to think about creative ways that food could be used in creative solutions,” he said. “I’m looking at solutions from around the country, including urban farming and community gardening, where food is out there to create legitimate economic development.”
To learn more about Abell’s research, please see http://lynchburgfood.go.randolphcollege.edu/
Thursday, March 27, 2014
American Culture Program studies in the Caribbean, delivers digitized historical documents
Students in Randolph College’s American Culture Program are spending the next several days in the U.S. Virgin Islands learning more about life in the Caribbean and how it relates to American immigration and identity.
While they are there, the students will deliver copies of historical archives that are currently unavailable on the islands.
Each year, the American Culture Program focuses on an aspect of American life and history. Lori Lee, the Ainsworth Visiting Professor of American Culture, proposed a look at the Caribbean, and particularly the U.S. Virgin Islands, as a way to explore issues of American identity. “I thought it would be great to look at that by learning about a place that has become American,” she said.
By studying American involvement in the Caribbean, the students are learning about migration, imperialism, environmental impacts, tourism, economic development, and the way that cultural identity is formed.
In February, the group traveled to the Washington, D.C., area to work on a project that seeks to give residents of the Virgin Islands access to historical documents that are currently only available in federal archives. They copied passport applications that island residents completed in the early years after the islands became U.S. territory.
For several years, Lee has participated in this project that delivers copies of passport applications to the Virgin Islands on Transfer Day—marking March 31, the day that the U.S. purchased the islands.
Although “migration has been central to Caribbean life for centuries,” the requirement to have a passport to move to the mainland U.S. created a valuable historic archive, Lee said. “These are two-page documents that record who people are, where they’re going, what their jobs are. For a lot of people, this was their first time being photographed.”
Alex Fella ’15 enjoyed working with the passport applications, but he is especially looking forward to delivering them for Transfer Day because he knows how significant the documents will be for people who live there. “They will be able to see these family ties—they can see pictures from their ancestors who have emigrated from the islands,” he said.
The group also met with representatives from the Organization of American States and the Council for Puerto Rico Statehood. Then, they had lunch at a Caribbean restaurant and met its owner, a Jamaican immigrant. “We wanted to get a more personal understanding of what it is like to live in the Caribbean, leave, and become a pretty successful business owner,” Fella said.
Abigail Smith ’15, who is from Jamaica, was intrigued by the way the restaurant adapted recipes, and even omitted some Caribbean favorites. The restaurant owner explained the importance of being flexible as cultures integrate.
Smith signed up for the American Culture Program because she wanted to get an American perspective of the Caribbean to compare with the perspective she developed while growing up in a British territory. By learning more about the history and cultures of the Caribbean, she has developed ideas that she hopes to apply as an ambassador between Caribbean islands someday.
“We’ve had a history of dependency on first world countries. There have not been as great efforts to reach inside and partner with different islands. We see more differences than similarities,” she said. “But we really are so similar. If we regionalize the area, that’s one of the ways we can become more developed.”
While they are there, the students will deliver copies of historical archives that are currently unavailable on the islands.
By studying American involvement in the Caribbean, the students are learning about migration, imperialism, environmental impacts, tourism, economic development, and the way that cultural identity is formed.
In February, the group traveled to the Washington, D.C., area to work on a project that seeks to give residents of the Virgin Islands access to historical documents that are currently only available in federal archives. They copied passport applications that island residents completed in the early years after the islands became U.S. territory.
For several years, Lee has participated in this project that delivers copies of passport applications to the Virgin Islands on Transfer Day—marking March 31, the day that the U.S. purchased the islands.
 |
| Randolph students work with passport documents in the National Archives. |
Alex Fella ’15 enjoyed working with the passport applications, but he is especially looking forward to delivering them for Transfer Day because he knows how significant the documents will be for people who live there. “They will be able to see these family ties—they can see pictures from their ancestors who have emigrated from the islands,” he said.
The group also met with representatives from the Organization of American States and the Council for Puerto Rico Statehood. Then, they had lunch at a Caribbean restaurant and met its owner, a Jamaican immigrant. “We wanted to get a more personal understanding of what it is like to live in the Caribbean, leave, and become a pretty successful business owner,” Fella said.
 |
| In 2011, another group of Randolph students went to the U.S. Virgin Islands to study water quality there. |
Smith signed up for the American Culture Program because she wanted to get an American perspective of the Caribbean to compare with the perspective she developed while growing up in a British territory. By learning more about the history and cultures of the Caribbean, she has developed ideas that she hopes to apply as an ambassador between Caribbean islands someday.
“We’ve had a history of dependency on first world countries. There have not been as great efforts to reach inside and partner with different islands. We see more differences than similarities,” she said. “But we really are so similar. If we regionalize the area, that’s one of the ways we can become more developed.”
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Local high school student conducts superconductor research with Randolph physics professor
With the help of a Randolph College physics professor, a Local high school student is researching ways superconductors could help planes take off from aircraft carriers more quickly.
Sam Lee, a student at the Central Virginia Governor’s School for Science and Technology, became interested in the idea after seeing an online video that demonstrated how some materials, when dropped to extremely low temperatures, have no electrical resistance and repel magnetism. This can cause a superconductor to actually float over a source of magnetism.
Peter Sheldon, a Randolph physics professor who has worked with superconductors before, volunteered to help Lee design a research project related to those interests.
At first, Lee was interested in perpetual motion. Then he thought about using superconductors to actually propel an aircraft. He said Sheldon helped him zero in on a more plausible idea: levitating aircraft.
“If the airplane is levitating, there will not be any friction,” Lee said. “It would have a shorter take off distance, and will take off in shorter time.”
To know whether that idea could work, Sheldon and Lee are testing to see how the resistance caused by magnetic forces compares to the resistance caused by friction. Lee is using a puck made of YBCO (Yittrium Barium Copper Oxide). He uses liquid nitrogen to drop the puck to 77 Kelvin, or -196 degrees Celsius, at which point the puck demonstrates superconductor properties. Lee then allows the puck to levitate and travel across a magnetic track at various inclines and records the velocity at the end of the track.
Lee plans to finish taking data this week, after which he and Sheldon will compare the actual velocity to what velocity would be expected in an environment without any resistance.
“There is damping force, but it’s almost equal to zero,” Lee said, based on preliminary observations.
Lee said he has enjoyed working with Sheldon on his first real research project. Sheldon, who also directs Randolph’s Center for Student Research, is pleased to see a high school student getting hands-on experience with scientific research.
“The best way to learn science is to do science,” Sheldon said. “Getting involved with research early and often is really important in getting students engaged in science.
“By having the opportunity to do research at the college level while he’s in high school, Sam can see what kinds of resources we can have in a college and get a glimpse of the kind of things that he can do when he gets to college.”
Peter Sheldon, a Randolph physics professor who has worked with superconductors before, volunteered to help Lee design a research project related to those interests.
At first, Lee was interested in perpetual motion. Then he thought about using superconductors to actually propel an aircraft. He said Sheldon helped him zero in on a more plausible idea: levitating aircraft.
“If the airplane is levitating, there will not be any friction,” Lee said. “It would have a shorter take off distance, and will take off in shorter time.”
To know whether that idea could work, Sheldon and Lee are testing to see how the resistance caused by magnetic forces compares to the resistance caused by friction. Lee is using a puck made of YBCO (Yittrium Barium Copper Oxide). He uses liquid nitrogen to drop the puck to 77 Kelvin, or -196 degrees Celsius, at which point the puck demonstrates superconductor properties. Lee then allows the puck to levitate and travel across a magnetic track at various inclines and records the velocity at the end of the track.
Lee plans to finish taking data this week, after which he and Sheldon will compare the actual velocity to what velocity would be expected in an environment without any resistance.
 |
| After cooled in liquid nitrogen, this puck made of the superconductor YBCO will float over a magnetic track |
Lee said he has enjoyed working with Sheldon on his first real research project. Sheldon, who also directs Randolph’s Center for Student Research, is pleased to see a high school student getting hands-on experience with scientific research.
“The best way to learn science is to do science,” Sheldon said. “Getting involved with research early and often is really important in getting students engaged in science.
“By having the opportunity to do research at the college level while he’s in high school, Sam can see what kinds of resources we can have in a college and get a glimpse of the kind of things that he can do when he gets to college.”
Monday, October 14, 2013
Students present research at regional conference
Eighteen Randolph College students presented research at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference of Undergraduate Scholarship (MARCUS) this weekend.
They presented talks and posters on a variety of topics including the impact that Supreme Court language has on political discourse, the ability to kill deadly bacteria in compost using another form of bacteria, and the effectiveness of using cell phones to conduct inertial navigation.
“Research is an important part of a student’s education at Randolph College, and an essential part of research is making a contribution to an academic discipline,” said Peter Sheldon, director of the Randolph College Center for Student Research. “We enable our students to do that by giving them opportunities to present the results of their research at regional and national conferences. MARCUS is an excellent opportunity for students to hone their presentation skills and share the research that they are doing.”
Presenting students included Si Thu Aung ’16, Elizabeth Delery ’14, Meron Demeke ’15, Steve Dinh ’16, Connor Dye ’15, Sydney Henson ’14, Nam Hoang ’15, Jim Kwon ’14, Rebekah Leo ’15, Katherine Lesnak ’15, Kristina Marinak ’14, Kavya Pradhan ’14, Sergio Rodriguez ’14, Timothy Slesinger ’14, Sarah Terlizzi ’15, Alex Tran ’15, Penny Trieu ’15, and Tsubasa Watanabe ’14.
Most of the student research was conducted as part of the Summer Research Program, and one project was funded by the Randolph Innovative Student Experience, a program that makes grants available for students’ independent research and creative works.
“Research is an important part of a student’s education at Randolph College, and an essential part of research is making a contribution to an academic discipline,” said Peter Sheldon, director of the Randolph College Center for Student Research. “We enable our students to do that by giving them opportunities to present the results of their research at regional and national conferences. MARCUS is an excellent opportunity for students to hone their presentation skills and share the research that they are doing.”
Presenting students included Si Thu Aung ’16, Elizabeth Delery ’14, Meron Demeke ’15, Steve Dinh ’16, Connor Dye ’15, Sydney Henson ’14, Nam Hoang ’15, Jim Kwon ’14, Rebekah Leo ’15, Katherine Lesnak ’15, Kristina Marinak ’14, Kavya Pradhan ’14, Sergio Rodriguez ’14, Timothy Slesinger ’14, Sarah Terlizzi ’15, Alex Tran ’15, Penny Trieu ’15, and Tsubasa Watanabe ’14.
Most of the student research was conducted as part of the Summer Research Program, and one project was funded by the Randolph Innovative Student Experience, a program that makes grants available for students’ independent research and creative works.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Sociology student explores archaeology at Civil War site in Lynchburg
Paula Addai ’14 combed her fingers through a large pile of dirt. She pushed smaller pieces of sand and gravel through a mesh screen that was laid across the top of a wheelbarrow and carefully scanned the material for anything that might be interesting. The day before, she found a button and a piece of ceramic.
Another student worker on the archaeological dig shouted, “I found another one!” Everyone gathered to see him pull a minie ball—a Civil War bullet—from the grounds where a historic battle took placesite.
These types of discoveries make the tedious excavation, scraping, and sifting worthwhile, Addai said. “I love digging and finding stuff. That satisfaction is really rewarding.”
Addai is participating in an archaeology field school led by Lori Lee, Randolph’s Ainsworth Visiting Professor of American Culture. They are digging to discover artifacts and buried walls at Sandusky, a plantation that Union forces took control of and used as their headquarters while attacking Lynchburg in 1864. Although the Union army had ravaged much of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, they were repulsed by Confederate forces in Lynchburg.
Lee, an anthropologist who specializes in antebellum Virginia plantations, is leading the excavation at Sandusky to help find the footprint of the Civil War-era kitchen that once stood on the property so an accurate reconstruction can take place. Also, the crew is searching for historical artifacts that would otherwise be lost or damaged if the kitchen is rebuilt. They have found minie balls, a pocket watch fob from the early 1900s, harmonica plates, and other items.
Lee is especially interested in finding connections between Sandusky and Poplar Forest, a home built by Thomas Jefferson, because the two plantations were owned by relatives during the Civil War period.
In the first few days of work, the group found a buried brick walkway and also discovered where they think the walls of the kitchen were. They are currently trying to find the foundation. “It was really nice to be able to start to make sense of what has happened out here,” Lee said.
Most of the students on the project are history students from Lynchburg College, which has a partnership with the Historic Sandusky Foundation. Addai, a sociology major at Randolph, also got involved because she wanted to work on an archaeological project and learn about research methods.
Lee said that this internship is a perfect educational opportunity for Addai. “By doing this project, we do historical research, archaeological research, anthropological interpretation, and we use theoretical frameworks,” she said. “Those are research skills that she can carry on through sociology, and you learn them really well when you apply them in a research setting.”
Addai hopes the experience continues to yield artifacts that will allow her to piece together more information and stories about the culture of the people who lived and worked at Sandusky. “Sociology is all about learning about people’s way of life and society,” she said. “I want to find out what society was like here many years ago, especially about the slaves and how they related to the plantation owners.”
Another student worker on the archaeological dig shouted, “I found another one!” Everyone gathered to see him pull a minie ball—a Civil War bullet—from the grounds where a historic battle took placesite.
 |
| Paula Addai ’14 scrapes through dirt in search of |
Addai is participating in an archaeology field school led by Lori Lee, Randolph’s Ainsworth Visiting Professor of American Culture. They are digging to discover artifacts and buried walls at Sandusky, a plantation that Union forces took control of and used as their headquarters while attacking Lynchburg in 1864. Although the Union army had ravaged much of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, they were repulsed by Confederate forces in Lynchburg.
Lee, an anthropologist who specializes in antebellum Virginia plantations, is leading the excavation at Sandusky to help find the footprint of the Civil War-era kitchen that once stood on the property so an accurate reconstruction can take place. Also, the crew is searching for historical artifacts that would otherwise be lost or damaged if the kitchen is rebuilt. They have found minie balls, a pocket watch fob from the early 1900s, harmonica plates, and other items.
Lee is especially interested in finding connections between Sandusky and Poplar Forest, a home built by Thomas Jefferson, because the two plantations were owned by relatives during the Civil War period.
 |
| Lori Lee takes a picture of a minie ball uncovered at Sandusky, a house that served as Union headquarters during the Battle of Lynchburg. |
Most of the students on the project are history students from Lynchburg College, which has a partnership with the Historic Sandusky Foundation. Addai, a sociology major at Randolph, also got involved because she wanted to work on an archaeological project and learn about research methods.
Lee said that this internship is a perfect educational opportunity for Addai. “By doing this project, we do historical research, archaeological research, anthropological interpretation, and we use theoretical frameworks,” she said. “Those are research skills that she can carry on through sociology, and you learn them really well when you apply them in a research setting.”
Addai hopes the experience continues to yield artifacts that will allow her to piece together more information and stories about the culture of the people who lived and worked at Sandusky. “Sociology is all about learning about people’s way of life and society,” she said. “I want to find out what society was like here many years ago, especially about the slaves and how they related to the plantation owners.”
Friday, May 31, 2013
Students and biology professor aim to rid compost of deadly bacteria
A group of Randolph researchers hope to save lives by fighting bad cheese bacteria with good cheese bacteria.
The bad cheese microorganism is Listeria monocytogenes, which is dangerous and potentially deadly to the elderly, children, and pregnant women, and is sometimes found in soft cheeses. The good cheese bacterium is Lactococcus lactis, which is used to make cheddar cheese. They are studying whether putting Lactococcus lactis in compost will kill any Listeria and make the fertilizer safer to use.
“Municipalities and commercial entities are starting to get into mass composting,” said Adam Houlihan, a Randolph College biology professor. “If that compost becomes contaminated with some sort of food-born pathogens, those could possibly contaminate produce grown with the compost.” That contamination could result in more illness and death.
Houlihan asked Elizabeth Delery ’14 and Meron Demeke ’15 to work with him on this research project.
They turned four trash cans into composting bins and filled each with compost. One bin contains only the compost, while another contains the compost and Listeria (although a non-deadly form). The other two contain compost, Listeria, and different forms of Lactococcus lactis. Their theory is that the lactic acid and nicin produced by the Lactococcus lactis will help kill the Listeria.
Each day, the research team takes the temperature of each batch of compost. They also take samples to test for acidity and bacteria levels. Within a couple of weeks, the data should show hints about the validity of their theory, but Houlihan said the research will continue throughout the summer.
Delery has already started another research project with Houlihan to investigate a cancer treatment idea that she had. She said the compost research has helped her to develop laboratory skills that would be useful in her desired career as a medical doctor or in other careers she may choose. “I enjoy the research and the hands-on experience with lab techniques,” she said.
Demeke, who is weighing the options of attending medical school or pursuing a Ph.D., looks forward to finding out whether their method of killing Listeria works. “If we succeed in what we’re doing, we’ll be saving lives, which is the ultimate goal,” she said.
The bad cheese microorganism is Listeria monocytogenes, which is dangerous and potentially deadly to the elderly, children, and pregnant women, and is sometimes found in soft cheeses. The good cheese bacterium is Lactococcus lactis, which is used to make cheddar cheese. They are studying whether putting Lactococcus lactis in compost will kill any Listeria and make the fertilizer safer to use.
 |
| Meron Demeki ’15 probes the temperature of compost. |
Houlihan asked Elizabeth Delery ’14 and Meron Demeke ’15 to work with him on this research project.
They turned four trash cans into composting bins and filled each with compost. One bin contains only the compost, while another contains the compost and Listeria (although a non-deadly form). The other two contain compost, Listeria, and different forms of Lactococcus lactis. Their theory is that the lactic acid and nicin produced by the Lactococcus lactis will help kill the Listeria.
Each day, the research team takes the temperature of each batch of compost. They also take samples to test for acidity and bacteria levels. Within a couple of weeks, the data should show hints about the validity of their theory, but Houlihan said the research will continue throughout the summer.
 |
| Elizabeth Delery ’14 prepares to streak a petri dish. |
Demeke, who is weighing the options of attending medical school or pursuing a Ph.D., looks forward to finding out whether their method of killing Listeria works. “If we succeed in what we’re doing, we’ll be saving lives, which is the ultimate goal,” she said.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Students get experience with natural history collection
Our students this semester are getting more opportunities to work hands-on with the Randolph College collection of natural history and zoological artifacts. It is an opportunity to study birds and other animals—including some rare species—up close for scientific or artistic purposes.
Last year, Emily Smith ’12 worked to catalogue the collection, uncovering the history of the artifacts in the collection and determining the correct scientific classification for each. (For more on her work with the collection, see this article in Randolph magazine.)
This opened the door to several other opportunities for students to study the collection, and help it grow, too.
Smith helped start a group of students who met occasionally this spring to help prepare new specimens, which had been in freezer storage for years, so they could be added to the collection. The work will continue with several meetings this semester, said Doug Shedd, the Catherine Ehrman Thoresen ’23 and William E. Thoresen Professor of Biology.
This summer, Smith and Shedd won a $1,250 grant from the Virginia Academy of Science to purchase photography equipment and create an online catalog of the collection. Several students have started working to take pictures of each specimen in the collection. Once the catalog is online, Randolph students—as well as researchers at other institutions—could make better use of the information Smith documented.
Smith and Shedd also have started a group that gathers every other week to draw items from the collection. The first meeting was two weeks ago, and the drawing group will meet again on Friday, Sept. 21, to draw again. The group meets in Martin 309 at 2 p.m., and all are welcome to attend.
See More Photos
For more photos of the natural history collection projects, view this photo album on the Randolph College Facebook page.
Last year, Emily Smith ’12 worked to catalogue the collection, uncovering the history of the artifacts in the collection and determining the correct scientific classification for each. (For more on her work with the collection, see this article in Randolph magazine.)
 |
| Several students are working to photograph the collection to help create the online catalog. |
Smith helped start a group of students who met occasionally this spring to help prepare new specimens, which had been in freezer storage for years, so they could be added to the collection. The work will continue with several meetings this semester, said Doug Shedd, the Catherine Ehrman Thoresen ’23 and William E. Thoresen Professor of Biology.
This summer, Smith and Shedd won a $1,250 grant from the Virginia Academy of Science to purchase photography equipment and create an online catalog of the collection. Several students have started working to take pictures of each specimen in the collection. Once the catalog is online, Randolph students—as well as researchers at other institutions—could make better use of the information Smith documented.
See More Photos
For more photos of the natural history collection projects, view this photo album on the Randolph College Facebook page.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Transfer student prepares for teaching career through Randolph classes, research project
After attending a community college for one year, Dominique Rose ’14 was looking for a small college that could help him in his quest to become a teacher. After he learned about the education program at Randolph—which would allow him to finish his bachelor’s degree and quickly earn a master’s degree in teaching—the decision was easy.
Studying at Randolph also gave Rose a unique opportunity to study teaching. This year, he participated in a Summer Research project that explored the attributes and characteristics teachers need and measured the success of Randolph’s education program.
“Subject matter knowledge doesn’t make you a good teacher,” Rose said. “You have to be able to communicate and understand your students. You need to be well versed in teaching, able to reach students with different learning styles.”
Rose grew up in Amherst County, just across the James River from Randolph College. After graduating from high school, he attended Central Virginia Community College. He transferred to Randolph after attending an open house and deciding the education program was the right fit.
In his first semester at Randolph, Rose’s largest class had only 20 students—which is large compared to many classes at Randolph, but small compared to classes at other colleges Rose had considered. He enjoys being able to work closely with faculty. “The professors here are so friendly, they’re able to build relationships with students,” Rose said. “I can email my professors and they usually email me back within a few hours. That is so convenient.”
During one of Rose’s classes, his work caught the attention of education professor Roberta Parker. “I was very impressed by his tenacity and work ethic,” Parker said. “He is a conscientious student—always willing to go above and beyond to accomplish any task set before him.”
Parker invited Rose to join her and another education professor, Peggy Schimmoeller, for a project in Randolph’s Summer Research Program. They were assessing how well Randolph’s curriculum helps students gain the knowledge and attributes of good teachers.
Rose spent the summer reading current research about effective teaching practices and interviewing Randolph graduates who are now teachers. He asked them about the professional attributes and teaching skills that they developed at Randolph and how they are applying those skills in the classroom. He recently presented his findings in a symposium for the Summer Research Program.
Rose is pursuing certifications for special education, elementary education, and physical education. After finishing his undergraduate studies, he plans to enroll in Randolph’s one-year Master of Arts in Teaching program.
Outside of his studies, Rose is engaged in extracurricular activities. He is a student government senator for his residence hall, and he is a leader in Campus Outreach, a Christian fellowship ministry for students.
He said transfer students who look for opportunities can find many ways to integrate with campus life. “People here are so friendly, and they enjoy making new friends and carrying on good conversations,” Rose said.
Studying at Randolph also gave Rose a unique opportunity to study teaching. This year, he participated in a Summer Research project that explored the attributes and characteristics teachers need and measured the success of Randolph’s education program.
“Subject matter knowledge doesn’t make you a good teacher,” Rose said. “You have to be able to communicate and understand your students. You need to be well versed in teaching, able to reach students with different learning styles.”
 |
| Dominique Rose ’14 explains his Summer Research project to Randolph professors Tatiana Gilstrap and Holly Tatum during a Summer Research Symposium on Sept. 1. |
In his first semester at Randolph, Rose’s largest class had only 20 students—which is large compared to many classes at Randolph, but small compared to classes at other colleges Rose had considered. He enjoys being able to work closely with faculty. “The professors here are so friendly, they’re able to build relationships with students,” Rose said. “I can email my professors and they usually email me back within a few hours. That is so convenient.”
During one of Rose’s classes, his work caught the attention of education professor Roberta Parker. “I was very impressed by his tenacity and work ethic,” Parker said. “He is a conscientious student—always willing to go above and beyond to accomplish any task set before him.”
Parker invited Rose to join her and another education professor, Peggy Schimmoeller, for a project in Randolph’s Summer Research Program. They were assessing how well Randolph’s curriculum helps students gain the knowledge and attributes of good teachers.
Rose spent the summer reading current research about effective teaching practices and interviewing Randolph graduates who are now teachers. He asked them about the professional attributes and teaching skills that they developed at Randolph and how they are applying those skills in the classroom. He recently presented his findings in a symposium for the Summer Research Program.
Rose is pursuing certifications for special education, elementary education, and physical education. After finishing his undergraduate studies, he plans to enroll in Randolph’s one-year Master of Arts in Teaching program.
Outside of his studies, Rose is engaged in extracurricular activities. He is a student government senator for his residence hall, and he is a leader in Campus Outreach, a Christian fellowship ministry for students.
He said transfer students who look for opportunities can find many ways to integrate with campus life. “People here are so friendly, and they enjoy making new friends and carrying on good conversations,” Rose said.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Physics research on roller coasters
Tim Slesinger ’14 boarded Dominator, a popular roller coaster at King’s Dominion that reaches nearly 70 miles per hour. Like other riders, he was seeking thrills from the speed, twists, turns, and dives.
Unlike others, he was seeking scientific data.
This year, Slesinger joined an ongoing research project on the physics of roller coasters. Several years ago, Peter Sheldon, a Randolph physics professor, and Kacey Meaker ’08 set out to use scientific equipment to measure the speed, acceleration, and other forces experienced by roller coaster riders. They have been working on a book that uses roller coasters to explain physics to a mass audience.
How does riding a roller coaster connect with scientific
research? Watch this video to learn how a Randolph professor,
student, and graduate explore the physics of roller coasters.
“The project started because I really like roller coasters,” said Meaker, now a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California at Berkley.
As Dominator shot forward, Slesinger raised his hands in the air and cheered along with other riders. Meanwhile, an iPod Touch in his pocket recorded measurements from its accelerometer, an internal device that detects orientation and motion.
He said that his goal was to find out if the accelerometer could be used to perform inertial navigation—like a four-dimensional GPS that doesn’t need satellites.
Sheldon explained that airplanes and large boats use inertial navigation regularly with the help of expensive equipment that tracks exactly where they are—including latitude, longitude, and elevation—at any given point in time. But that equipment is so expensive that inertial navigation is out of reach for educational applications.
“Physics teachers have, for years, taken their students to ride roller coasters, but they really can’t do a lot of useful measurements,” Sheldon said. “We’re trying to develop a way to do inertial navigation on a small, less expensive scale. We’re trying to develop methods that would allow people to do this in the classroom.”
This summer, the research team rode roller coasters while carrying iPod Touches and gyroscopes as well as real inertial navigation equipment. Slesinger then compared readings from devices to determine whether the data from the accelerometer and gyroscope could map the same travel path recorded by the expensive equipment.
“Mostly, we want to be able to know that we can do inertial navigation with these devices,” Meaker said. Slesinger added that inertial navigation could have many applications in high school and college physics classes if it can be performed with affordable equipment.
The calculations showed that accelerometer data can map out an accurate path with enough computation, but this fall, the project will be continued in hopes of more detailed findings.
The Summer Research project was a good opportunity to learn more about the research process and practice computer programming, Slesinger said. It also strengthened his appreciation for the educational environment at Randolph College. “You really get to know professors here on a personal level,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like college, but it feels like family when you’re learning.”
Meaker agreed with that sentiment. “Every summer I’m lucky enough to get to come back,” she said. “It’s like I’m coming home.”
Unlike others, he was seeking scientific data.
This year, Slesinger joined an ongoing research project on the physics of roller coasters. Several years ago, Peter Sheldon, a Randolph physics professor, and Kacey Meaker ’08 set out to use scientific equipment to measure the speed, acceleration, and other forces experienced by roller coaster riders. They have been working on a book that uses roller coasters to explain physics to a mass audience.
research? Watch this video to learn how a Randolph professor,
student, and graduate explore the physics of roller coasters.
“The project started because I really like roller coasters,” said Meaker, now a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California at Berkley.
As Dominator shot forward, Slesinger raised his hands in the air and cheered along with other riders. Meanwhile, an iPod Touch in his pocket recorded measurements from its accelerometer, an internal device that detects orientation and motion.
He said that his goal was to find out if the accelerometer could be used to perform inertial navigation—like a four-dimensional GPS that doesn’t need satellites.
Sheldon explained that airplanes and large boats use inertial navigation regularly with the help of expensive equipment that tracks exactly where they are—including latitude, longitude, and elevation—at any given point in time. But that equipment is so expensive that inertial navigation is out of reach for educational applications.
“Physics teachers have, for years, taken their students to ride roller coasters, but they really can’t do a lot of useful measurements,” Sheldon said. “We’re trying to develop a way to do inertial navigation on a small, less expensive scale. We’re trying to develop methods that would allow people to do this in the classroom.”
This summer, the research team rode roller coasters while carrying iPod Touches and gyroscopes as well as real inertial navigation equipment. Slesinger then compared readings from devices to determine whether the data from the accelerometer and gyroscope could map the same travel path recorded by the expensive equipment.
“Mostly, we want to be able to know that we can do inertial navigation with these devices,” Meaker said. Slesinger added that inertial navigation could have many applications in high school and college physics classes if it can be performed with affordable equipment.
The calculations showed that accelerometer data can map out an accurate path with enough computation, but this fall, the project will be continued in hopes of more detailed findings.
The Summer Research project was a good opportunity to learn more about the research process and practice computer programming, Slesinger said. It also strengthened his appreciation for the educational environment at Randolph College. “You really get to know professors here on a personal level,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like college, but it feels like family when you’re learning.”
Meaker agreed with that sentiment. “Every summer I’m lucky enough to get to come back,” she said. “It’s like I’m coming home.”
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Summer research yields new online English test, insight into college writing preparedness
A rite of passage for most first-year college English students is the traditional test to assess the student’s skills with the language. At the beginning of the semester, students taking the test might read over a collection of sentences and indicate whether each sentence is grammatically correct.
This summer, a Randolph professor and student set out to make a better test for those purposes.
Bunny Goodjohn, director of the writing program, said that the College has been using an online English skills assessment test that was free and worked well—when it worked at all.
“The idea was brilliant, but the execution was patchy,” Goodjohn said. Often, the website that hosted the test stopped working. “So I wanted to see if I could come up with an equivalent that would give us the same results but that would be more reliable, and something that we could tailor to our own needs.”
Goodjohn and Lauren Dowdle ’13 decided to work on the idea during the Summer Research Program.
As part of their research, Dowdle studied trends in students’ preparation for college-level English courses. She collected journal articles about the topic, and she also analyzed statistics about SAT scores.
Average SAT scores have usually risen in recent years, but Dowdle discovered that a high SAT verbal score does not always mean someone can write at the college level. Through further research, including more than 30 interviews, she learned that many students feel like high school writing courses did not prepare them for what college courses required. “Many students aren’t prepared for the expectations of their professors,” she said. “In high school, grammar is not covered as much. I heard that a lot in my interviews.”
Goodjohn said that Dowdle’s research shows a disconnect between what high schools prepare students for and what college professors expect.
Goodjohn focused her research on finding a way to recreate an online English assessment test. With help from Randolph College Information Technology, she found a way to administer the test online with SurveyMonkey.com. That platform has proven more reliable, she said.
Several Randolph English professors plan to start using Goodjohn’s assessment test this fall. Currently, the test uses the same questions as the free test formerly used by the College, but Goodjohn plans to rewrite them so that each sentence related to Randolph College, reflecting the College’s culture, history, and traditions.
This summer, a Randolph professor and student set out to make a better test for those purposes.
Bunny Goodjohn, director of the writing program, said that the College has been using an online English skills assessment test that was free and worked well—when it worked at all.
“The idea was brilliant, but the execution was patchy,” Goodjohn said. Often, the website that hosted the test stopped working. “So I wanted to see if I could come up with an equivalent that would give us the same results but that would be more reliable, and something that we could tailor to our own needs.”
Goodjohn and Lauren Dowdle ’13 decided to work on the idea during the Summer Research Program.
As part of their research, Dowdle studied trends in students’ preparation for college-level English courses. She collected journal articles about the topic, and she also analyzed statistics about SAT scores.
Average SAT scores have usually risen in recent years, but Dowdle discovered that a high SAT verbal score does not always mean someone can write at the college level. Through further research, including more than 30 interviews, she learned that many students feel like high school writing courses did not prepare them for what college courses required. “Many students aren’t prepared for the expectations of their professors,” she said. “In high school, grammar is not covered as much. I heard that a lot in my interviews.”
Goodjohn said that Dowdle’s research shows a disconnect between what high schools prepare students for and what college professors expect.
Goodjohn focused her research on finding a way to recreate an online English assessment test. With help from Randolph College Information Technology, she found a way to administer the test online with SurveyMonkey.com. That platform has proven more reliable, she said.
Several Randolph English professors plan to start using Goodjohn’s assessment test this fall. Currently, the test uses the same questions as the free test formerly used by the College, but Goodjohn plans to rewrite them so that each sentence related to Randolph College, reflecting the College’s culture, history, and traditions.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Student pushes through programming challenges to create mobile app for medical research
He wanted the app, part of a Summer Research project connected to a major medical study, to automatically upload data that it collected so doctors could analyze it. This was not as automatic as he had hoped.
“I’m not the kind of guy who would give up something really easily, but I was about to give up after four nights of not sleeping,” he said. “I was pretty much a zombie.”
Finally, he decided to walk away and focus on other things for a day. He slept, he went to the gym, he went for a run. While he was running, his mind caught hold of an idea. Back at the computer, he worked through his problem and got the app working correctly.
Aung is working with Randolph College Professor Katrin Schenk, University of Nebraska Medical Center professor Stephen Bonasera, and fellow student Jim Kwon ’14 to develop and test a medical mobile monitoring system using cell phones. This fall, Alzheimer’s patients will be given Android phones that will track their daily activities and help doctors understand how the disease is affecting them, and whether medications are working as intended. The study won a $200,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Association.
Aung and Kwon have worked on the project for the past two summers. Kwon has focused on developing an algorithm that analyzes a cell phone’s accelerometer data to determine a person’s activity level. This summer, he has worked to refine that algorithm with the help of University of Nebraska students who carry phones with them to gather data. “They’re doing things like going hiking, walking up and down stairs, so that we can look at the accelerometer data, and Jim is working on analysis,” Schenk said.
Kwon is also writing a paper about using mobile monitoring to understand a person’s activity level.
Last year, Aung created the monitoring app on a Nokia phone. But Nokia has discontinued the operating system the program was written for, so this summer he converted the code to run on Android phones.
The app is now ready to collect data for the Alzheimer’s study, but Aung plans to continue developing its capabilities and testing it until it is ready to be published in an app store. He said it has features that will set it apart from other apps that track people’s motions.
“People have made pedometers, and people have made GPS tracking apps. But we are analyzing your movement, your behavior patterns, and how they change,” Aung said. This analysis could help app users recognize when they slip into behavior patterns that could signal depression or other health problems. Recognizing those behavioral changes could help them improve or prompt them to seek help.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Lynchburg Bird Club donates money to Randolph biology department for growing bird and mammal collection
Randolph College is fortunate to have a growing collection of bird and mammal specimens that students can examine to learn more about animal biology and evolution. Thanks to the Lynchburg Bird Club, that collection of skins will have a new home.
Last week, the club presented a $1,000 donation to the College. The money will help pay for a new museum cabinet for the expanding collection of avian study specimens, said Doug Shedd, The Catherine Ehrman Thoresen ’23 and William E. Thoresen Professor of Biology.
A group of three students and an alumna recently began working with Shedd to prepare bird specimens to be added to the collection. The students have been learning how to perform taxidermy to preserve the birds and repair any damage they have. “For the first time in many years, we’re adding new specimens to the collection,” Shedd said.
 |
| Angelina Haines '12 (left), Will Guzman '15, professor Doug Shedd, Emily Smith '11, and Aaron McRorie '13 have been working to expand the College's collections of animal study skins. Photo by Barbara Shedd. |
Emily Smith ’11, who graduated in December, organized the project after spending last year cataloging the College’s natural history collection and updating the tags on each animal specimen. Aaron McRorie ’13, Angelina Haines ’12, and Will Guzman ’15 have been working with her to preserve the new specimens.
Shedd said this project is helping to expand an important resource at the College. “Natural history collections play an important role in ecological and evolutionary studies and in teaching,” he said, pointing out that biology students study the specimens to learn about evolution, while art students use the collection to draw animals with great detail.
“We are excited about the progress we've made with the Collection Project and look forward to important additional advances soon,” Shedd said.
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