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Office of the Vice President for Research

New Class of Graduate Students Will Receive 2017-2018 SPARC Grants

The Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to offer the SPARC competitive research grant program for program for graduate students from all areas of study. Each academic year, SPARC funds the most competitive applications for research, creative or other meritorious scholarly projects, providing up to $5,000 to each successful graduate student applicant.

Through the SPARC program, graduate students have a unique opportunity not only to gain funding for their scholarly projects, but also to grow their experience in developing competitive grant proposals. Students who apply for SPARC prepare detailed budgets, write a narrative description detailing their plans and research methodology, compile supporting documentation and seek the support of their faculty advisors. This process closely reflects many of the steps they will take throughout their academic careers, giving them an edge on the competition.

This year, we are excited to congratulate 54 students from 10 different academic units who have been awarded SPARC grants for 2017-2018. These SPARC recipients, listed below, will use their SPARC funds to engage in research and scholarly projects over a 15-month period.

Read more about SPARC.

Congratulations 2017-2018 SPARC Recipients

Recipient Name Department or Program Proposal Title
Fadi Abboodi Biomedical Sciences Genetic/Epigenetic Changes in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infected Cells Can Preclude the Need for Continuous Expression of HPV Oncogenes in Developing HPV-Associated Cancers
Stephanie Ackerson Biological Sciences The Role of CTC1 in Cell Cycle Progression and DNA Damage Signaling
Huda Atiya Biomedical Sciences Role of the Microenvironment in Promoting Left-Right Differences in Mammary Tumor Metastasis
Paul Beguelin Geological Sciences Cerium Isotopes as a Tracer of Recycled Sediments in the Earth’s Mantle
Chad Beneker Pharmaceutical Sciences Structure-based Design and Synthesis of Macrocyclic Peptide BRAFwt Dimerization Inhibitors
Candace Bethea Mathematics The Degree Map in Algebraic Geometry
Nandini Bhalla Mass Communications The Effects of Self-Construal on Green Corporate Social Responsibility Perceptions: the Moderating Roles of Level of Involvement with Environmental Issues
Matthew Blahut Chemistry Biochemical and Functional Characterization of the Ferritin-like Protein FtnB in E. coli
Marian Botchway Health Promotion,
Education, & Behavior
Social Networks and Type 2 Diabetes in Ghana
Zachary Cannizzo Marine Science Development of a Bioenergetics Model to Explore the Impacts of a Climate-Mediated
Range Shift
Kelly Caravella Clinical-Community Psychology Comparing Autism Symptomatology in Young Children with Fragile X Syndrome and Down Syndrome
Brittany Counts Exercise Science The Effect of Cancer-Induced Cachexia on Skeletal Muscle Anabolic Flux
Baillie DeHaven Chemistry Selective Photooxidations in Flow: A Path to Greener Industrial Oxidation Methods
Ariel Domlyn Clinical-Community
Psychology
Triangulating What and When: Refining a Readiness Model of Implementation
Lewis Eliot History The Illegal Slave Trade in the Atlantic World
Jordan Ezell School Psychology Anxiety in Preschool Children with Autism:  A Biobehavioral Approach
Kimberly Gaughan Theater The Art of Noh in Solo Performance
Melanie Gwynn Health Services Policy and Management Continuity of Care: Evaluation of Multi-Facility and Single-Facility Retention in HIV Care and Patient Health Outcomes
Jillian Hinderliter History Our Bodies, Our Jewish Selves: Jewish Activists of the U.S. Women’s Health Movement, 1968-1988
Jordan Holmes Chemistry Ionophore-Grafted Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes as On-Site Trace Metal Speciation Sensor
Md Akhtar Hossain Biostatistics A Dynamic Joint Model to Predict Co-morbidity Risks for Chronic Disease Patients
Nozhan Hosseini Electrical Engineering Investigating Software Defined Radio Influence in Future Wireless Communication Systems Design and Implementation
Victor Kidd Sport & Entertainment Management Athletic Role Engulfment: An Exploratory Analysis of High School Football Players
Preecha Kittikhunnatham Chemistry Photochemical Doping of Semiconductor Nanowires
Alicia Lamarche Mathematics Exceptional Collections of the Toric Variety Associated to D4
Chelsea Larsen Exercise Science Reducing Sedentary Behavior to Improve Blood Pressure
Libin Lei Mechanical Engineering Rational Design and Characterization of Air Electrode Material for Proton Conducting Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell
Zichen Ma Statistics Coexpression Analysis Using Count Data Generated by RNA Sequencing
Richard McCain Biomedical Sciences Intracellular Stress Responses Underlying Models of Mitochondrial Neurodegenerative Disease
Kathryn Miranda Biomedical Sciences Anti-Inflammatory Role of MicroRNA-30 in Adipose Tissue Macrophages
Nazratun Monalisa Health Promotion, Education, & Behavior Influences on Parent’s Food Shopping for Children’s Consumption in South Carolina
Kendall Murphy Chemical Engineering Biomaterials for the Treatment and Prevention of Disuse Muscle Atrophy
Bryanna Nelson Educational Studies Opportunity or Optical Illusion? Exploring the Intersections of Athletics, Academics, Exploitation, and Race in the Experiences of African American Male Intercollegiate Athlete Graduates
Peter Nelson Linguistics Animacy and Transitivity in Sentence Processing
Trang Nguyen Social Work Exploring Adjustment Process of Vietnamese Family Caregivers of Older Adults with Dementia
Cassie Odahowski Epidemiology Identifying Disparities in the Access to Advanced Surgical Techniques for the Treatment of Lung Cancer in the United States
Allison Pierce Experimental Psychology Disentangling Overlapping Processes in Inhibition of Return in Visual Search
Sahar Pourhoseini Environmental Health Sciences A Comparative Uptake and Toxicity Study of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) on Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Justin Price Philosophy Landing Zones - On Target and Transfer
Alex Roberts School Psychology A Brief, Adaptable Mindfulness Intervention for Teachers to Reduce Stress/Burnout, Increase Well-Being, and Improve Classroom Climate in Secondary School Settings
Sudipta Saha Mechanical Engineering Investigation on Sweating Boosted Cooling in Thermal Power Plant Application
Rachel Schomaker Biological Sciences Hungry Algae: Diversification of Trophic Strategies in Cryptophytes
Ammon Sindt Chemistry Using the Photo-isomerization of Azobenzenes in Co-crystalline Assemblies for the Slow Release of Fragrances
Sarah Tryon Exercise Science Modulation of Glutamatergic Neurotransmission to the Basolateral Amygdala by Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors
Brandon Vanderveen Exercise Science Calcium’s Role in the Disruption of Skeletal Muscle Function and Protein Degradation During Cancer Cachexia
Andrew Walgren History Media Combat: The Great War and the Transformation of American Culture
Autumn Wertz Studio Art Contemporary Political Art and Columbia
Hays Whitlatch Mathematics Phylogenetic Distribution of Mitochondrial Genome
Lara Wilson Music Performance Bel Canto vs. Punk: Lessons for the Cross-Training Singer and Teacher
Caleb Wittum History Chasquis of Liberty: Indigenous Intellectuals in Bolivia's War of Independence, 1809-1825
Duncan Wright Mathematics Entropy of Quantum Random Walks
Kristina Zarenko Anthropology Skeletal Evidence of Vitamin D Deficiency Osteomalacia and Tuberculosis Among Migrant Groups in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century St. Louis, Missouri
Yuleng Zeng Political Science Economic Coercion, Credibility, and Peace
Jingwen Zhong Sociology Social Influence Network Model of Performance Expectations
 

16 January 2018


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