McNair Scholars Students Present Research Projects

May 9, 2003 -- University of Wyoming students presented research projects at the recent National Rocky Mountain McNair Research Conference in Denver.

They conducted their research through UW's McNair Scholars Program, which prepares students from underrepresented groups for entry and success in doctoral degree programs. To be eligible, students must meet certain federal income guidelines, have at least a 3.0 grade point average and be first generation college students (or of an underrepresented ethnic minority group). The scholarship includes a paid summer research internship in which students work with faculty and graduate student mentors to complete significant research projects.

For more information, call Susan Stoddard at (307) 766-6525 or Zackie Salmon at (307) 766-3818.

The McNair Scholars Program at UW, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is part of the federal TRIO programs that help students to overcome financial, cultural, social and academic barriers. UW has six TRIO programs with outreach sites located throughout the state.

UW McNair students presenting their projects, listed by hometown, name of project and UW faculty mentor are:

CASPER -- Tanya Smith, "Literacy in Grades K-3 in Two Australian Cities," faculty mentor, Wendy Smith, UW Casper College Center (UW/CC) Department of Education.

CHEYENNE -- Victor Simental, "Perceptions of Corporate Partnership at the University of Wyoming," faculty mentor, Stacey Baker, Department of Management and Marketing.

DELTA, UTAH -- Sonja Parson, "Integrating Archival and Newly Collected Records from Wyoming Rangeland Exclosures into an Access Database," faculty mentors, Ann Hild, Department of Renewable Resources and Ruben Gamboa, Department of Computer Science.

GLENDO -- Jody Sanborn, "Antisocial Personality Disorder as a Predictor of Violence in Incarcerated Male Prisoners," faculty mentor, Walter Scott, Department of Psychology.

JANESVILLE, WIS. -- Michael Bobb, "Effect of Weedy Competitors on Growth and Survival of Colorado Butterfly Plant," faculty mentor, Ann Hild, Department of Renewable Resources.

KEMMERER -- Sherry Adrianos, "Fiber Properties of Varying Ratios of Spider Silk Proteins MASP 1 and MASP 2, faculty mentor, Randy Lewis, Department of Molecular Biology.

LARAMIE -- Jacob Bell, "Voice and Emotion: Acoustic Changes of Emotional Speech," faculty mentor, Walter Scott, Department of Psychology; Kayle Jensen, "Factors that Influence Home School Parents' Satisfaction with a Facilitator-Led Online Lesson," faculty mentor, Landra Rezabek, Department of Adult Education and Learning; Laurie Hanson, "Retrieval of Real Life Intentions: Comparing Prospective Memory in Younger and Older Adults," faculty mentor, Suzanna Penningroth, Department of Psychology.

RAWLINS -- Melissa Jackson, "Children's Recognition of Knowledge Acquisition: Source Monitoring, faculty mentor, Karen Bartsch, Department of Psychology; Christian Valtierra, "Their Own Words: Latino Student Educational Experiences in Wyoming," faculty mentor, Francisco Rios, Department of Educational Studies.

RIVERTON -- Rachel Ratliff, "The Effects of a Five-Minute Yoga Exercise on Student Retention when Done Before a Math Lesson," faculty mentor, Gary Hampe, Department of Sociology.

ROCK SPRINGS -- Fernando Urrutia, "The Uninsured Elderly in Wyoming: An Analysis by Age Cohorts, Employment History, and Sex," faculty mentor, Gary Hampe, Department of Sociology.

SARATOGA -- Debbie Stevens, "Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment for Wyoming Juvenile Offenders: What is Needed?" faculty mentor, Malcolm Holmes, Department of Criminal Justice.

TORRINGTON -- Haley Franks, "Genes Involved in Pediocin ACH Resistance in Listeria," faculty mentor, Kurt Miller, Department of Molecular Biology.

Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003