Category: College of Arts & Sciences
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Analysis of Metal Concentrations, Soil Health, and Socioeconomic Factors in a Fredericksburg, Virginia, Environmental Justice Soil Survey
By Audrey Turner, Natalie Anderson, Lily Hoffman Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melanie Szulczewski Abstract This project investigated correlations between soil quality and environmental justice factors in the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia. We began by using a two-stage cluster sampling method to determine soil sample sites. One census block was randomly selected within each of the twenty…
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Impacts of Water pH and Hardness on Potomac River and Mattawoman Creek Sediment-Water Metal Partitioning
By Summer Orledge Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tyler Frankel Abstract Anthropogenic activities such as industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, and munitions testing can often result in the enrichment of various metals beyond background levels. Many of these persistent contaminants pose neurotoxic, carcinogenic, or reproductive risks to aquatic wildlife and humans. While water chemistry is known to modulate…
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Effect of Isolated Conjugated Bonds on the Ultra-Violet Visible Spectrum of a Molecule
By Sean McGavin, Alex Bindon Faculty Mentor: Dr. Leanna Giancarlo Abstract The effect of a conjugated chain’s length on the absorption peaks in ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectra has been quantified, wherein increasing the chain’s length increases the absorption wavelength of the peak. However, how the peaks are shifted due to the presence of multiple isolated conjugated…
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Monitoring the dissolution of large skeletal architecture fossil corals in the tropical Pacific
By Ainsley Lord Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Grothe Abstract The tropical Pacific is a major driver for global climate variability through the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), however, the magnitude of warming and freshening as well as changes in ENSO from anthropogenic climate change in the tropical Pacific is poorly understood due to limited instrumental…
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Optimization of Reaction Conditions for Synthesizing KasA-Targeting Drug Candidates for Tuberculosis Treatment
By Megan Baxter Faculty Mentor: Dr. Davis Oldham Abstract Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health challenge, with increasing drug resistance pressing for the development of novel treatments. KasA, a key enzyme in mycobacterial fatty acid biosynthesis, is a promising drug target for TB treatment. This research focuses on the design and synthesis of potential KasA…
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INVESTIGATING PHAGE-ANTIBIOTIC SYNERGY IN THE TREATMENT OF TWO STRAINS OF BACILLUS CEREUS
By Marco Estrella, Natalie Fox Faculty Mentor: Dr. Swati Agrawal Abstract INVESTIGATING PHAGE-ANTIBIOTIC SYNERGY IN THE TREATMENT OF TWO STRAINS OF BACILLUS CEREUS. Marco Estrella and Natalie Fox. University of Mary Washington. Inflammatory use and poor stewardship of antibiotics has contributed to the rise of antimicrobial resistance, which has become a leading public health threat. Bacteriophages, commonly…
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Echoes of the Wind
By Hannah Livermon Faculty Mentor: Dr. Zach Whalen Abstract This capstone attempts to capture remnants of the American West found on the East Coast through the lens of a camera. Classic shots and techniques captured by well known photographers of the West are used for reference and inspiration in order to accurately depict the raw…
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The Volatile Effect of River Conditions on the feeding of Great Blue Heron Young During the Spring Breeding Season
By Andrew Green Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Dolby Abstract The fall line of the Rappahannock River in the City of Fredericksburg appears to be an important spring fishing site for Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) that nest in Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve. Dozens of Great Blue Herons visit the rapids daily during the breeding…
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The Role of Methionine Restriction in Breast Cancer Immunogenic Cell Death
By Mallory Thompson Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Sipe Abstract When cancer cells are treated with chemotherapy, they can die in a way that alerts and engages the immune system in order to initiate an immune response. This process is called an immunogenic cell death, or an ICD. The dying cancer cell can release or display…
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Expression of Plasmodesmal Regulatory Genes in Response to Brassinosteroids
By Max De La Cruz Morrobel Faculty Mentor: Dr. April Wynn Abstract Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of plant growth hormones that induce cellular growth and division whose fine-tuning can have valuable implications for developing higher-yielding transgenic crops. They travel through plasmodesmata (PD), a cytoplasmic sleeve between the cell walls of plants cells. PDs have…
