HIGH POINT, N.C., Dec. 22, 2016 – Members of the High Point University community frequently conduct, publish and share research and creative works in a variety of ways. Below is a recap of research initiatives from the past month.
Students Publish Article on Device Built for NASA
An article by several HPU physics students was accepted for the latest volume of Explorations: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities for the State of North Carolina. Jacob Brooks, Michael Cantor, Matt Iczkowski, Simeon Simeonides, Hallie Stidham and Alan Vasquez Soto designed, constructed and tested a rock chip sampling device called the Chip ‘n’ Ship for NASA’s Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams program. Their faculty mentors on the project were Brad Barlow and Aaron Titus. The article explains the steps they took throughout the process of building the device and testing it at Johnson Space Center in August 2015 as well as the feedback they received from NASA personnel.
“Our publication in the Explorations journal was an excellent conclusion to our work with NASA and our Chip ’n’ Ship device,” says Iczkowski. “The experience of submitting our article for peer review brought the project full circle from when we had to submit our initial device proposal for the NASA Micro-g NExT Program. We are extremely excited to share our findings with the scientific community.”
Two Seniors Recognized for Outstanding Physics Research
HPU seniors Simeon Simeonides and Matt Iczkowski received Optical Society of America poster awards in applied physics for research they presented at PhysCon. PhysCon is the 2016 quadrennial physics congress sponsored by the physics honor society Sigma Pi Sigma, an organization of the American Institute of Physics. Simeonides presented research on the development of a single molecule detection instrument based on laser fluorescence spectroscopy. He conducted this research during HPU’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program in the Sciences under the mentorship of Dr. Keir Fogarty. Iczkowski shared his research on the microrheological properties of agarose, a material that has potential use as a mucus simulant. He is working on this project with Dr. Briana Fiser.
“Our students were selected out of more than 350 posters presented at PhysCon,” says Fogarty. “Their accomplishments raise the profile of HPU research by demonstrating the level of work students are conducting as undergraduates.”
Biology Professor Named 2017 Keystone Symposia Fellow
Dr. Veronica Segarra, assistant professor of biology at HPU, is working with Dr. Eric Baehrecke, a prominent scientist in autophagy, her field of scientific study, as a 2017 Keystone Symposia Fellow. The research-driven fellowship educates early-career scientists on the inner workings of the life sciences community and provides a venue for interaction with established and leading scientists on a national and global scale.
“This fellowship is a great opportunity to connect with breakthrough science and innovation,” says Segarra. “I hope to make long-lasting relationships with other fellows and scientists.”
Psychology Professor Co-Authors Two Articles
Dr. Kelly Curtis, assistant professor of psychology at HPU, co-authored two journal articles that provide insight in the field of neuropsychology. The first article, “Further Validation of Booklet Category Test Subscales for Learning, Set Loss, and Memory in a Mixed Clinical Sample,” appears in the journal Applied Neuropsychology: Adult. It discusses the validity of a common neuropsychological test, the Booklet Category Test, in assessing a variety of cognitive functions. The second article, “Pain-Related Symptom Reporting Among Hispanics: Implications for Forensic Psychological Evaluations,” appears in the journal Psychological Injury and Law. It outlines important psychosocial considerations for evaluating Hispanic populations.
“The articles are the result of collaborations with a variety of institutions, both academic and medical,” says Curtis. “Their publication will help further understanding in our field and provide valuable information that can be used when conducting evaluations with clinical patients.”
Doctoral Student Publishes Research on Teacher Retention
Tina Johnson, a student in the doctoral program in educational leadership at HPU’s School of Education, co-authored an article on teacher retention in the Journal of the National Association for Alternative Certification. The article, titled “Alternative Certification Teacher and Candidate Retention: Measures of Educator Preparation, Certification, and School Staffing Effectiveness,” details results of a study on teachers who are trained and certified through alternative licensure programs. Results show that three-year retention rates ranged from 74 percent to 92 percent for the programs in the study.
“Teacher turnover impacts education on national, state and local levels,” Johnson says. “I am so excited to collaborate with colleagues from across the nation for a peer-reviewed article on this important topic.”