Download NSM Symposium Spring 2014

 School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
NSM Symposium
Spring 2014
April 11, 2014
and
April 25, 2014
Senior Thesis Presentations
Independent Research and Junior
Poster Presentations
April 25, 2014
Agricultural Sciences
Senior Thesis Presentations
Library 203
1:25-2:45 PM
1:30 PM – Adam Powell
Types of Cattle Breeding Systems
Agricultural Sciences Track
(Dr. Tim Durham)
Library 203
Environmental Sciences Track
(Dr. Carolyn Thomas)
Library 205
Health Sciences Track
(Dr. Katie Goff)
Library 201
General Sciences Track
(Dr. Jason Powell)
Library 204
Reception and Poster Session
3:45-5:00 PM
Blue Ridge Mountain Room
Adam Powell is a senior from Fort Defiance, Virginia
majoring in Animal Science. Once Adam graduates, he
plans to start working for Augusta Co-op in the seed and
fertilizer department. Adam’s dream goal is to farm full
time with his dad someday and includes running at least
2 poultry houses (broilers), expanding their Purebred
Angus and Show Cattle operation, and raising soybeans
and corn. Adam’s presentation is on the Different
Methods of Breeding Beef Cattle.
This presentation will discuss Natural Service, Artificial
Insemination, and Embryo Transfer in beef cattle and
why using Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer
can help raise better quality cattle. Raising beef cattle to
meet consumer preferences has raised and become a
big issue in breeding programs across the United States
in not only as an economic aspect, but also in deciding
what breeding options will work best for your own
operation in terms of the type of cattle you want to
produce. Adam personally thinks that it is better to have
quality cattle than having quantity cattle.
1:45 PM – Jessica Ashby
Management of Twin Pregnancies in
Thoroughbred Mares by Methods of
Reduction
Jessica Ashby is a senior majoring in Agricultural
Sciences with an emphasis in Animal Science. She lives
in the small town of Sumerduck in Fauquier County,
Virginia. After graduation, she hopes to work as a
veterinary assistant or in animal-related agriculture.
The chance of a mare having a successful birth of two
live twins is very rare in most cases. Unlike most
animals, the horse is not properly equipped to have
twins. Usually in these pregnancies one or both of the
embryos undergo death, or if they continue to progress
they are prone to abortion. If both twins are born alive,
the twin foals will be smaller than normal and usually
are underdeveloped. There are a few methods of
reduction that allow for a single embryo to be present,
rather than the two embryos that were originally
present. Two of these methods of reduction include
Transvaginal-Ultrasound Guided Aspiration (TUGA) and
Cranio-Cervical Dislocation (CCD). Twin pregnancies in
mares should be managed by methods of reduction so
that there is only a single embryo present within the
mare as opposed to termination of the pregnancy.
2:00 PM – Hannah Quick
Plant Essential Oils: An Alternative
Fungicide against Post-harvest Pathogen
Penicillium on Citrus
Hannah Quick is a senior graduating in May 2014 with a
B.S. Degree in Agriculture Science concentration in
Horticulture. She is a Florida native currently residing in
Chesapeake, Virginia, but she has also lived overseas in
Japan. She has completed internships with The Virginia
Zoo in Norfolk and Quickley Produce Farms in Galena,
MO.
Much of the produce lost post-harvest in the citrus
industry is due to fungal pathogens, the most common
being Penicillium. Fungicides play an important role in
many stages of growth, as well as storage and shipment
of the fruit after harvest. Most commercial fungicides are
composed of synthetic chemicals, but some are no
longer effective due to resistance. Studies have been
conducted on the antifungal activity of plant essential
oils (phytochemicals) and how they can be applied to
current methods of fungal pathogen prevention.
Essential oils are important as a natural alternative to
fungicides against Penicillium on citrus produce postharvest.
2:15 PM – Jacob Moore
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Brood
Ranges for Eastern Wild Turkey
2:30 PM – Matthew Weltz
Impacts of Alternative Fuels
Matthew-Duane Weltz is studying environmental science
to research and study natural resources and different
types of alternative fuels that can be used in combustion
engines.
Jake Moore is from Chesterfield, Virginia. At Ferrum
College he has studied environmental science and
biology, and is a member of the Sigma Alpha Kappa
fraternity. After graduation he is going to work for
Trutech Wildlife Removal Experts in the western Fairfax,
Virginia location.
The objective of this paper is to recognize forest
management strategies that provide suitable habitat for
the eastern wild turkey. High-intensity management
strategies currently used on forest openings on WMAs in
Virginia promote better long-term vegetative
understory, and are overall more beneficial to wild
turkey and other game species. A similar vegetation
understory can be promoted short-term through various
low-intensity treatments. Every wild turkey management
plan needs to be site-specific, and many variables
should be considered before selecting management
strategies. Decisions of management strategies on
public lands should begin with the cooperation of wildlife
management area supervisors, forest managers, wildlife
biologists, and the public.
It is known that alternative fuels made from vegetables
such as soybeans can have a positive impact on the
environment as far as emissions go and that is a good
thing but what is not taken into consideration is the
effect it can have on land value, food resources, and the
economy but the answer to this might lie a type of nonvascular plant, algae.
2:45 PM – Taylor Brown
Comparison of Curing Efficiencies of Flue
Tobacco by Using Propane Burners versus
Biomass Boilers
Taylor Brown is from Charlotte County, Virginia, which is
located in the Southside area. He is a senior at Ferrum
College majoring in environmental science. He was
raised with a farming background, which led his interest
to providing farmers with a more environmentally
friendly approach to farming practices. After graduating
he hopes to attend Virginia Tech to pursue a Master’s
degree in crop science/environmental science (CSES) by
doing research on the efficiencies of curing flue tobacco
with biomass boilers opposed to traditional propane
burners.
Tobacco production has been a major part in the history
of Virginia. It has virtually been a part of the economy
since the first colonist arrived. Tobacco is one of the
major crops bringing in 78 million in 2010. The methods
of growing and harvesting tobacco have become more
mechanized as the years progressed. The traditional
method of curing flue tobacco uses propane burners to
heat and dry the leaves while provided the proper color.
This can also be done with the implication of a biomass
boiler system burning a variety of fuels. Curing flue
tobacco with a biomass boiler system is more viable
economically, environmentally, and socially than
compared to traditional propane burners.
3:00 PM – Caitlyn Deaton
Analysis of Land Use and Water Collection
Using Geographic Information Systems
Caitlyn is a junior from Woodbridge, Va. She is majoring
in Environmental Planning and Development with an
emphasis in Environmental Science. This summer she
will be working with American Electric Power on their
Smith Mountain Lake Shoreline Management Project.
After she graduates she hopes to find a career in the
field of Urban Planning with a specialization in GIS.
To fulfill her EPD requirements, Caitlyn must do a senior
project. Caitlyn is doing how GIS modeling can
effectively analyze the relationship between land use
analysis and water collection. The water samples will all
be taken and analyzed over the summer.
Environmental Sciences
Library 205
1:30 PM – Josh Lowry
Game Day Recycling
Josh is a senior from Statesville, North Carolina,
majoring in Environmental Planning and Development.
Josh Lowry’s project focuses on the third phase of the
sustainability four phase plan for the future as his
project focused on recycling at home sporting events.
Through his project Ferrum College was able to receive
50 recycle bins from KAB and Coca Cola for the
sustainability department in addition to recycling a large
amount of bottles and cans during special events on
campus this year.
1:45 PM – Taryn Hayden
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina
carolina) Population Structure and
Conservation Implications in Southwest
Virginia
Taryn Hayden is a senior Environmental Science major
and Biology minor. He is from Bristol, VA and intends on
pursuing a job in a related field after graduation in May.
He plans to gain additional experience through work and
hopes to soon further his studies in graduate school. His
overall goal after the completion of a graduate program
is to work with Virginia’s Department of Game and
Inland Fisheries as a Fisheries or Wildlife Biologist.
Taryn had the opportunity to assist in an eastern box
turtle population study in Franklin County where data
from 173 turtle captures was analyzed. The information
obtained and observed is important to understand due
to the risk of turtle population decline generated by
unnatural causes. By looking at the trends observed and
understanding box turtles essential needs regarding
habitat and nesting areas, a better understanding can be
gained and things can be done to reduce the impact that
humans have on future turtle populations.
2:00 PM – Hunter Poland
Switchgrass as an Alternative Biofuel
Feedstock
2:15 PM – Matthew Fioramonti
Managing the Ferrum Forest for Enhanced
Carbon Uptake and Storage
Hunter Poland is from Fauquier County, Virginia. He is
currently a senior majoring in Environmental Science.
He is also parliamentarian of the Ferrum College
Agriculture Club. After graduating Hunter will be working
for Solitude Lake Management as an Environmental
Scientist.
Matthew Fioramonti is an Environmental Science Major
with a minor in Outdoor recreation. He attended Oakton
High School in Fairfax, Virginia. While at Ferrum, he was
a member/President of the Outdoor Recreation club and
a member/founder of the Climbing team. This summer
he will be working with a camp for Youth at Clemson
University.
Rising prices caused by the depletion of fossil fuel
resources are forcing us to find more renewable sources
of energy such as ethanol. Corn is used to produce the
ethanol we use today but there may be better
alternatives. Many believe that switchgrass has some of
the highest potential as a better alternative to corn for
ethanol production. The overall purpose of this paper is
to demonstrate that switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a
better alternative to corn (Zea mays) as a biofuel crop in
North America, due to its high yields, economics, and
sustainability.
Throughout the world, forests have been essential to
everyday human life. Many forests have been
threatened from over-logging and improper logging.
Humans have also brought change to forests through
changing management policies. The use of proper forest
management can bring upon the needed change in the
forest composition and productivity. By implementing
these management practices, the forests will be allowed
to improve its ability to take carbon out of the
atmosphere which can help control the climate. In many
areas requiring cutting to improve forest health, the leftover wood can be used to provide large amounts of
energy for surrounding areas through biomass.
2:30 PM – Clint Folks
2:45 PM – Megan Gerald
Economic Importance of Mangroves
Clint Folks is a senior majoring in environmental science
and minoring in biology. Born and raised in Staunton
Virginia, Clint has a deep interest in wildlife and natural
resource management. He intends to pursue a career in
the field of environmental sciences with his bachelor’s
degree.
Private lands across the United States lack the
management plans that are needed to maximize their
wildlife potentials and overall health of ecosystems. In
order for our private lands to maximize their potentials
for ecosystem health, economic generation, and other
key factors coordinated management plans need to be
implemented. The fact that the mass majority of land,
especially in the eastern U.S., is privately owned makes
it difficult to improve the overall health of our
ecosystems. Currently, there is little incentive for
landowners to properly manage their lands in a way that
improves the health of the habitat they own.
Government agencies need to come up with a way to
encourage landowners to implement sustainable
management plans, provide assistance with the
development of these plans, and oversee the practices
of the plan being put in place to insure proper
management. This would allow for these agencies to
develop proper plans and coordinate management plans
to work with one another to maximize the return of the
efforts implemented. Coordinated management of
private lands can improve our ecosystems, and create a
pathway towards the sustainable management of our
resources on privately owned lands.
Megan Gerald is a senior at Ferrum College majoring in
Environmental Science. She has an Associates of
Science in Integrated Environmental Science from
Virginia Western Community College. This past summer
she interned at Ferrum College and Smith Mountain
Lake Water Quality Program as a Bacterial Technician.
For the past two years she has helped Dr. Thomas and
Dr. Pohlad on a leaf decomposition research project and
other projects.
Mangrove forests are among the most productive and
complex ecosystems. They grow under conditions that
normally plants cannot grow. Mangroves can reduce a
storm surge water levels by decelerating the flow of
water and reducing the surface waves. They also can
help with reducing erosion along a coastline. Often
acting as a nursery for juvenile fish, they are also a
habitat for oysters, crabs, shrimp, and even birds. Not
only do mangroves support wildlife, but they also
support humans. Many communities rely on mangroves
for food and extra money. By developing awareness of
the economic importance of mangroves, we can strive to
be more diligent about protecting them.
3:00 PM – Ryan Oakley
Ryan Oakley is a senior from South Boston, Virginia who
attended Halifax County High School. He is majoring in
environmental science and minoring in agriculture with
an emphasis in horticulture. His short-term goal after
graduation is to become an environmental technician to
gain knowledge and skills necessary to become an
environmental scientist working with the Environmental
Protection Agency.
Mountain top removal and coal pollution are two of the
biggest contributors to environmental pollution in the
United States. For the coal mining companies
Mountaintop Removal is an easy method for them,
because it’s safer and also saves them money. But for
the environment and the people that live in these areas
it can take a toll on people’s daily lives. The goal of my
paper is to show evidence that Mountaintop removal and
coal pollution’s negative effects on the environment
outweigh the positive effects and benefits for the coal
companies.
3:15 PM – Joseph Dolinger
Agriculture vs. The Chesapeake Bay
Joseph Dolinger is a Biology Major, born in Clearwater
Florida and raised in Franklin County, Virginia. He has
had an affinity for water since he was young. He has
done multiple water quality internships and workshops
with Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Florida
State University. He plans to continue his love for water
conducting more research in the Chesapeake Bay and
the Florida Everglades in the near future.
Agriculture is a major economic income of the
Chesapeake Bay watershed; being that it is extensively
needed and used for human consumption, it has brought
its consequences with it. Agriculture has negatively
affected the water quality of the bay, thus negatively
affecting the bay as a whole economically,
psychologically, and physically.
Health Sciences
Library 201
1:45 PM – Chelsea Anderson
The Outcomes for the Mother and Fetus in
Type I, Type II, and Gestational Diabetes
1:30 PM – Travis Herndon
Aspirin Therapy for Prevention of Heart
Attack and Stroke
Travis Herndon is currently a senior majoring in Health
Sciences with a minor in Chemistry. His career goals are
to continue with his education through graduate school
in hopes of becoming a Physician's Assistant (PA). He
has worked as a medical scribe in the Emergency
Department at Carillion Clinic.
Aspirin therapy has been shown to aid in the prevention
of a recurrent heart attack, stroke, or mini-stroke. These
conditions are commonly treated and many individuals
know the "baby aspirin a day" phrase that many aspirin
makers promote. Although aspirin therapy has been
proven to help in the prevention of these conditions, the
potentially severe side-effects of aspirin therapy are
generally ignored. However, with the use of
complementary medications available coupled with
aspirin therapy an individual’s chance of having severe
adverse effects from aspirin on their gastrointestinal
system can be significantly reduced.
Chelsea Anderson is a senior majoring in Health
Sciences and minoring in Chemistry. She has worked at
CVS Pharmacy as a pharmacy technician for five years
and plans to continue her career by attending graduate
school for pharmacy.
This presentation focuses on treating diabetes during
pregnancy and the positive and negative effects diabetes
has on the child during pregnancy, after birth, and into
adulthood.
2:00 PM - Lauren Blankenship
Oxygen Deprivation in the Womb Leads to
Autism
Lauren Blankenship from Bristol, Virginia is a senior
majoring in Health Sciences with a minor in Biology.
After graduating from Ferrum, she is going to attend a
Physician Assistant Program where she will receive her
Master’s degree and licensing. Her Physician Assistant
emphasis will be in pediatrics, where she hopes to work
in a Pediatric office alongside a Pediatrician.
Although most people believe that Autism is mainly
genetically inherited or naturally caused by
unpreventable circumstances, research has found that a
leading cause in this neurological disorder is hypoxia in
the early stages of pregnancy. Hypoxia, the loss of
oxygen, is detrimental to the fetus’s developing brain
and leads to abnormalities in the functioning of the
brain. In this presentation I will be discussing the
normal functioning of the brain compared to an Autistic
brain that was caused by hypoxic conditions in the
womb, what causes these hypoxic conditions, symptoms
of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and some ways to prevent
this from happening during the prenatal stage of
pregnancy.
2:15 PM - David Deskins
High Saturated Fat Diets and Pancreatic
Cancer
David Deskins is from Stuart, Virginia. He is a senior
graduating from Ferrum College in December. Majoring
in Pre-Professional Science, he plans to attend
Shenandoah University to study pharmacy. He hopes to
become a registered pharmacist for a medical hospital
upon completion of that program.
During his presentation David will be discussing how
prolonged high saturated fat diets can lead to pancreatic
carcinomas. High Amounts of saturated fat in a person’s
diet is a growing concern in the world of pancreatic
research today. The impact of these fats on the
pancreas can alter the genetic makeup of cells in the
pancreas and can have a deadly impact. Causing
symptoms beginning with chronic pancreatitis, and if
unaltered, lesions where the gene manipulation can
begin and become a region of tumors.
2:30 PM – Felicia Freeman
2:45 PM – Andrew Hayes
Felicia Freeman is a senior double majoring in preprofessional science and biology and double majoring in
forensic science and chemistry. One year after
graduating from Ferrum, she intends to apply to Salus
School of Optometry and Appalachian School of
Optometry with the goal of becoming an optometrist.
Andrew Hayes is a senior pre-professional science major
with minors in biology and chemistry. He is an active
brother in Mu Sigma Chi fraternity and a member of the
Ferrum Rescue Squad. He also works at Carillion
Franklin Memorial Hospital as a scribe. After graduation,
he will be attending Campbell University School of
Osteopathic Medicine in Buies Creek, NC with the
intention of specializing in pediatric critical care
medicine.
In glaucoma, the pressure in the eye builds, causing
damage to the delicate nerve fibers that make up the
optic nerve. The damaged nerve fibers cause permanent
blind spots to develop in one’s field of vision. There is
ample evidence that the genetic development of
glaucoma is prevalent, and because of the many genes,
has become difficult to prevent. Although research
suggests that there are other diseases that can cause
glaucoma, there are similarities in the genes that cause
glaucoma and that disease. Medications have also been
considered as a factor to the cause of glaucoma but the
medications are being used to treat other diseases with
similarity genes to that of glaucoma. Researchers are
working towards being able to isolate the genes
associated with glaucoma to create a possible cure.
Malaria is responsible for over 1 million deaths yearly,
most of them occurring in children. This mosquito borne
disease is commonly found in mosquitoes that live in the
tropical regions of the world, and a non-travel or
experimental case in the United States has not been
documented in recent years. However, malaria is
evolving in its virulence and resistance to medication,
and it may resurge in the US. This increases the need
for vaccination development, but there is not any viable
vaccine for the disease available; the RTSS vaccine that
is in development may cause more harm than good, due
to its ability to cause more evolution within the malarial
parasite.
3:00 PM – Michael Nallen
Diabetes Prevention
3:15 PM – Ryan Pollock
Pharmaceutical Potential of Muscimol
Michael Nallen is a senior majoring in health science. He
was born and raised in New Jersey, and has lived in
Alexandria, and Winchester, VA. Michael has worked at
Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, VA in the cardiovascular
step-down unit and at Winchester Medical Center in the
intensive care unit. He has been accepted into Jefferson
College’s accelerated Bachelors of Science in nursing
program. Upon completion Michael plans to pursue a
career as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Michael is
enthusiastic about the outdoors and is also member of
the rock climbing club at Ferrum.
Ryan Pollock is a senior at Ferrum College majoring in
biology with a minor in chemistry. Transferring from
Virginia Western Community College with a heavy
interest in mycology, Ryan focused all of his individual
research (including determination of muscimol in A.
muscaria via thin layer chromatography (TLC), high
performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gas
chromatography (GC)) at Ferrum on a toxin called
muscimol found in Amanita muscaria mushrooms. Ryan
is currently seeking employment and hopes to one day
achieve a master’s degree involving the study of
naturally occurring entheogenic compounds.
Diabetes is a disease of the metabolism. The food
individuals eat is processed into the simple sugar
glucose, which is a main source of energy for the body.
For glucose to enter a cell, insulin must be present.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large
gland behind the stomach. In diabetes, the pancreas
either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not
respond to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds
up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out
of the body in the urine. Thus, the body loses its main
source of fuel even though the blood contains large
amounts of glucose.
Muscimol, the major psychoactive alkaloid present in
some mushrooms of the Amanita genus, is a selective
agonist for the GABAA receptor set, causing an
inhibitory effect on neurotransmission by diminishing the
chance of a successful action potential occurring. Mild
inhibition of neuronal firing by drugs acting at the
GABA(A) receptor causes reduction of anxiety. Exploring
the effects of muscimol in an animal model implied that
it reduces anxiety in lab rats when employed in the
elevated plus maze assay of anxiety-related behavior in
rodents.
General Sciences
Library 204
1:45 PM – Amanda Farmer
Geometric Proofs using Paper Folding
1:30 PM – Brandon Marsh
Algebraic and Combinatorial Proofs of
Binomial Identities
Brandon Marsh is a graduating senior from Asheville,
North Carolina. He is a mathematics major with a
business minor. He is interested in analysis and algebra
and their applications to business finance. He enjoys
fishing and hunting. He is planning to attend graduate
school.
In this talk I will prove several identities involving
binomial numbers, such as the inductive formula, the
row-sum formula, Vandermonde's identity, etc. I will do
this in two different ways: algebraically and
combinatorially. Comparing the two proofs, it will be
clear that combinatorial proofs provide a better way to
understand binomial identities than algebraic proofs.
Amanda Farmer is a graduating senior from Roanoke,
Virginia. She is a math major and is double minoring in
education and business. She enjoys spending time with
her friends and doing anything outdoors. After
graduation, she plans to return home to Roanoke and
work as a manager trainee at Cintas Corporation.
Using the five postulates of Euclidean geometry it is
impossible to trisect an arbitrary angle or to construct
the cube root of two. The first four Euclidean postulates
essentially allow the use of an unmarked straight edge
and compass, while the fifth postulate states the
existence of parallel lines. By folding paper we will see
how to trisect an arbitrary angle and construct the cube
root of two. Given a straight line and a point not on the
line we can construct a line parallel to this line passing
through the given point, using only two paper folding
postulates.
2:00 PM – Breanna Best
2:15 PM – Alexandra Brinklow
Breanna Best is a chemistry major with a forensic
science minor, from Jacksonville, Florida. Next school
year, she plans to pursue a second degree in
psychology. Her future goal is to obtain a Psy.D. degree.
Alexandra Brinklow is obtaining a Bachelor of Arts
degree in chemistry with a minor in forensic science.
After graduating from Ferrum, she would like to pursue
further education to obtain a Master of Science degree in
skeletal biology and ultimately a Ph.D. in forensic
anthropology.
Obesity is a disease affecting many Americans over a
range of various age groups. The rise in obesity, since
1988, has an adverse effect on human health in
America, leaving the individual with a higher chance of
developing diseases and weight-related sicknesses.
There are underlying issues related to obesity, and while
dieting and exercise are the two key components in
weight loss, certain individuals need extra help to aid in
their weight loss. For those who have tried to lose
weight on their own, and have had minor success,
bariatric surgery is an important tool in helping them
lose weight. While the surgery will allow an individual to
lose a substantial amount of weight, he or she has to be
dedicated to losing weight, and prepared to take on both
the positives, and even the negatives, of bariatric
surgery. The surgery is merely a tool; those who treat it
seriously will gain the most out of the process, but those
who find it as an “easy way out” will not have much
success and can potentially put their lives in danger.
One of the steps in creating the biological profile is the
estimation of the age-at-death of the human remains.
This step can be done using many different methods
using many different bones including the auricular
surface on the os coxa, the pubic symphysis on the os
coxa, the sternal rib ends, and the cranial sutures. If
present, all of these bones are used in conjunction with
one another, but if there were only one bone available
the most reliable method would be using the pubic
symphysis. The use of the pubic symphysis as the
primary method for age-at-death estimation of human
skeletal remains is the most reliable because it is
accurate enough to provide a definitive age-at-death
estimation and it relies on the estimation of sex meaning
that when identifying the remains fifty percent of the
population is eliminated.
2:30 PM – Joshua Hawks
Recognizing the Clinically Significant
Symptoms of Cannabis Withdrawal
Josh Hawks is a senior here at Ferrum, majoring in
Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Josh is a native of
Virginia going to high school and living in Carroll County,
Virginia just a few counties over. He is a member of the
local Tri Beta Honor Society chapter and will graduate in
May with honors.
As more and more states begin to start legalizing
cannabis for medicinal and recreational use, it is
important to realize that this substance has potential for
abuse and can cause medically significant withdrawal
symptoms. The presentation will cover a variety of
studies involving cannabis dependence and the
withdrawal symptoms associated with cannabis use from
both a neurological and physiological aspect.
2:45 PM – Grant Waldrop
Paenibacillus polymyxa and Novel
Antimycrobial Therapies
Grant Waldrop is a graduating senior here at Ferrum
College, majoring in Biology and Pre-professional
Sciences with a Chemistry minor. He is currently
involved in Minds-N-Medicine, independent research, a
Student Admissions Ambassador, and the president of
Mu Sigma Chi, to name a few. He was recently accepted
to Virginia Tech’s Virginia-Maryland Regional College of
Veterinary Medicine and plans to study Food Animal
Medicine.
Because of bacteria’s ability to mutate quickly, becoming
antibiotic resistant, many diseases that once were
treatable are now difficult to treat. Due to the rise of
antibiotic resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis the need
for new antibiotic therapies is critical; the perfect
candidate for new antimycobacterials is Paenibacilius
polymyxa, a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium. It
produces antimicrobial compounds including polymyxins,
paenibacillins, gatavalin, and fusaricidin. It is
hypothesized that P. polymyxa could be a source of new
antibiotics to treat mycobacterial diseases.
3:00 PM – Joe Isaac III (Trey)
Joe Isaac III (Trey) Is from Mooresville, North Carolina.
He is a senior majoring in Biology with a minor in
Chemistry. During his time at Ferrum College Trey
became a member of Tri-beta national biological honor
society and is also a Founding Father of the Delta Chi
colony. After graduating from Ferrum College he plans
to attend a Physician Assistant program and plans to
focus on emergency medicine.
There are two main treatment options for those among
us who are suffering with depression. Those two main
branches are pharmaceutical and therapeutic
treatments. Many arguments exist trying to prove that
one is more successful than the other. However; it is
Joe’s hypothesis that the best treatment option for those
suffering with depression comes from a combination of
both pharmaceutical and therapeutic treatment
methods. The pros and cons of both treatment methods
must be extensively considered when contemplating a
treatment plan that includes these treatments. In this
presentation we will explore both treatment methods
and discuss possible issues preventing the pairing of
these treatment methods.
3:15 PM – Tyler Lee
Tyler Lee is a senior at Ferrum College majoring in
Health Sciences and minoring in Psychology and
Coaching. He is the captain of the men’s tennis team,
and looks forward to serving a town as a Community
Health and Wellness Coach as well as being an
Occupational Therapist.
Strokes are “brain attacks” cutting off vital supplies of
blood and oxygen to the brain. There many types of
strokes, the most common two are hemorrhagic strokes
and ischemic strokes. Each of the two has sub divisions.
Hemorrhagic stroke is when a blood vessel in the brain
breaks leaking blood into the brain. Ischemic stroke is
when arteries are blocked by blood clots that cause
brain damage. The majority of stroke cases are with
older individuals. There are still individuals that have
chances of getting strokes at young ages; it is just
highly unlikely to happen. Rehab is needed for any
patient recovering from an injury. The patient that has a
stroke will need rehabilitation. The type of rehab that is
growing very rapid is virtual rehab. With the use of
technology in rehab it will help the patient recover faster
than just having the normal therapy techniques.
Junior Seminar Posters
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Reception and Poster Session
Friday, April 25, 2014
3:45-5:00 PM
Blue Ridge Mountain Room
Independent Research Posters
and
Junior Seminar Posters
01 – Addissew Ayalew 02 – Jennifer Booze - A Child's Genetic
Predisposition to Obesity
03 – Harley Chittum - Clean Up of the British
Petroleum (BP) Oil Spill
04 – Xavier Grant-Stovall - Chiropractic Care
and its Treatments to Help Reduce
Insomnia and Improve Sleep Quality
05 – Amber Hall - Occupational Therapies use
of Hippotherapy to treat Children with
Autism Spectrum Disorder
06 – Allison McLain - Alkaline - Persulfate
Digestion versus Kjeldahl Digestion In
Determining The Total and Dissolved
Nitrogen Levels in Water
07 – Henry Parsley - Human Growth
Hormone's Influence on Bodies of
Baseball Players
08 – Margaret Tewalt - Eating Disorders: A
Biopsychosocial Approach to Diagnoses &
Treatment
09 – Olivia Wampler -Safe Patient Handling in
Occupational Therapy
10 – Trevor Almond – Controlled Burnings
11 – Bridgett Anderson - The Effects of
Genetically Modified Foods
12 – Blake Carter - Micropterus salmoides
responses to habitat and vegetation
13 – Dalton Cox – Impacts of Wolf
Reintroduction to Yellowstone National
Park
14 – Cody Davis – Ecosystem services
provided by forests & how humans
impact those benefits
15 – William Halsey - Sustainable Factory
Farms in the Beef Industry
16 – Taylor Hamlett - Gene therapy in Down
Syndrome patients
17 – Rebecca Harbeck - The land- to- sea
transition: Whales of the Eocene
18 – Savannah Hay - Positive Benefits of Elk
Reintroduction
19 – Ethan Hoar - Beach Nourishment Methods
20 – Erin Knight - Role of Physician Assistants
in Providing Healthcare in Rural Areas
21 – Charisse Perry – Natural Gas is the
Future
22 – Jerome Ray – The effects of organic
growth substances in a horticultural
setting
23 – Chris Stanger - ACL injuries
24 – Christen Wall – Chemiluminescence:
Finding Latent Blood
25 – Christian Bowling – The rise of
occupational therapy in gerontology
26 – Sydney Hewartson – Disruption during
prenatal or postnatal development
causes cerebral palsy
27 – Megan Maeang – The scientific,
monetary, and social benefits of water
28 – Heather Mayberry – The importance of
diagnostic imaging
29 – Jonathan Mayo – Hypo and
hypernutritional effects on the
reproductive and structural systems of
production cattle (Bos primigenius)
30 – Brynn Miller – Neonatal effects of
maternal substance abuse during
pregnancy
31 – Alexis Musick – Hippotherapy as an
effective treatment for cerebral palsy
32 – Jessica Rhodes – How to become more
aware of canine parvovirus through
prevention, identification, and treatment
quality biomonitoring through the use of
aquatic macroinvertebrates
33 – Rachel Smith – “Spice” and other herbal
blends: harmless incense or cannabinoid
designer drugs?
34 – Hayley Wentzel – The effect of colic and
treatment in horses (Equus ferus)