鈥淚t forces you to rethink your project,鈥� says biology professor and judge . Efficiently clarifying specialized research is a valuable process, explained Pastalkova, who came to EMU after seven years leading an independent lab at Janelia Research Campus.

This clarity is invaluable when researchers have less than ten minutes to introduce audiences to, for example, the upregulation of the nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5, arylation of phenanthroline, or changes in the gene expression of intestinal alkaline phosphatase.

For the scientifically uninitiated, humorous anecdotes and the intrusion of mechanical failures gave context to the technical terminology.

鈥淗ere is a mugshot of the main villain of this story: the melon fly,鈥� said Diego Barahona, a senior major.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 think the cobalt played along at all,鈥� joked another senior biochemistry major, Eli Wenger, about his inorganic nanochemistry work.

Wenger, who placed third in the event, shared the results of a summer research placement at Penn State University in the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.

First and second place awards were also made to : senior Janaya Sachs for her chemistry project and junior Amanda Williams, a biology and environmental sustainability major, for her bio-remediation project in Delaware.

(Read more about all research projects and presenters below.)

The presenters were evaluated based on two criteria: clear statement of the problem, including what they鈥檙e investigating and why; and clear presentation of their process, findings and its relevance.

Research challenges

Staying focused in the face of failure was a challenge for many student researchers. Marcy Smucker dealt with a broken PCR machine rendering half of her data unreadable. She and Taylor Esau had to rework their analysis methods, said Smucker.

Others found that their months of effort created more questions than they answered. As part of a larger research team, Braden Herman and Sammy Kauffman tracked . (Smucker will join them next semester, under Professor Julia Halterman, as they investigate other gene expressions in a wider variety of bodily tissues, with the hopes of identifying markers for the risk of heart attacks and strokes.)

One project may have immediate and lucrative application: David Nester and Kyle Johnson worked on image-tracking software they hope to market to physics laboratories by the end of next semester.

鈥淪etting up objectives and goals and then making the short-term decisions to reach them is not something that you normally experience in a regular class,鈥� says Nester. 鈥淭his project has given me that experience.鈥�

STEM Research Symposium Awards

• First place: Janaya Sachs, senior chemistry major: Exploration into Ligand Synthesis using Photochemistry and the Effectiveness of Copper Photocatalysts. Sachs worked on this project through the REU program in Budapest, Hungary. Her green chemistry work attempted to create more affordable materials for photocatalytic processes.
• Second place: Amanda Williams, junior biology and environmental sustainability major: Effects of Bio-Remediation on Zooplankton in South Bethany (DE) Canals. Also part of the REU program, Williams worked with the Delaware Center for Inland Bays to test water quality and biodiversity before and after bio-remediation attempts in polluted canals.
• Third place: Eli Wenger, senior biochemistry major: Investigating Cation Exchange with Copper Nitride and Copper Palladium Nitride to Access Other Colloidal Nitrides. Wenger joined the Schaak laboratory at Pennsylvania State University under the REU program, using synthetic inorganic nanochemistry in an attempt to create metal catalysts for water-splitting reactions more readily available than those used today.
• Honorable mention: Kat Lehman, Hannah Walker, junior biochemistry majors: Analysis of Volatile Profiles for Coffee Damaged by the Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei). Lehman and Walker traveled to the Kona region of Hawai鈥檌 to study the chemical profiles of coffee pest-damaged coffee compared to those of intact beans.

• Braden Herman, Sammy Kauffman, junior biology and pre-med majors: Expression of NFAT-5 in Rat Tissues Under Varying Salt and Fructose Diets. Herman, Kauffman and their team analyzed a specific gene expression in the kidneys, liver, pancreas, and stomach of rats as it reacted to diets associated with hypertension and metabolic disorder in humans.
• Kyle Johnson, senior computer science major, David Nester, senior computer science and mathematics major: Object Tracking in Video for Physics Labs. Johnson and Nester developed software to analyze slow-motion videos of projectiles, collisions and trajectories to assist physics research.
• Taylor Esau, Marcy Smucker, junior biochemistry majors: The Effects of Antibiotics/Corn Oil on Mice ALPI Gene Expression. Esau and Smucker tested mouse droppings and tissues to track Alkaline phosphatase expression in the intestinal tract in response to high fat diets and antibiotic intake. The expression indicates the body鈥檚 attempt to regulate the production of endotoxins that can cause problems such as Type 2 Diabetes in humans.
• Diego Barahona, senior biochemistry major: Syntheses and Behavioral Evaluation of Analogs of Raspberry Ketone as Attractants for the Melon Fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae. Barahona traveled to Hawai鈥檌 to work on superior pheromone traps for a melon-destroying pest by chemically altering the structure of a known attractant to make it more appealing to the fly.

Read more on undergraduate research opportunities

• Coverage of Research for Undergrad (REU) experiences
• Coverage of research symposium;
• Coverage of and spring ;
• Visit webpages on research conducted by professors in , , and

The new faculty, announced by , provost; Michael King, dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and of Eastern Mennonite Seminary; and , vice president and undergraduate academic dean, include:

Linda Alger, instructor of nursing. Alger earned a MSN at Walden University and a BS in nursing from EMU. She brings extensive nursing experience as a staff nurse and director of the critical care unit at RMH/Sentara. Alger has taught at Blue Ridge Community College and will bring her clinical experience to the clinical classroom setting at EMU.

Clement Acevedo, instructor of music. Acevedo is a DMA candidate at James Madison University School of Music, with an anticipated completion date in 2016. 聽He earned a BM from University of the Philippines College of Music; an MM in piano performance from Temple University Boyer College of Music and Dance; and an MM in piano pedagogy from West Chester University of Pennsylvania School of Music. Acevedo鈥檚 professional experiences include serving as the choir director and minister of music at a Lutheran church in Pennsylvania, teaching Suzuki and traditional piano, and performing in the Philippines, China and the United States.

Syafaatun Almirzanah, PhD, professor of religious studies. Almirzanah is a Fulbright Scholar from Indonesia who will teach religious studies. She has a PhD and master鈥檚 degrees in theology from the Lutheran School of Theology, as well as a DMin degree from Catholic Theological Seminary, all located in Chicago, Illinois. She earned an MA in philosophy and a BA in comparative religions at Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Tammy Duxbury, assistant professor of accounting. Duxbury earned an MS in taxation from Bryant University and a BS in business and commerce-accounting at the University of Houston-Downtown. Duxbury brings accounting experience in the areas of taxation, taxation research and tax consulting along with experience in personal finance planning and consultation. She was an adjunct accounting instructor and a scholarly practitioner at several institutions.

Jan Emswiler,聽 instructor of nursing. Emswiler earned a MPH in international health and development from Tulane University School of Public Health and a BA in nursing and biology from 草莓社区 . Emswiler brings international nursing experience in the areas of public health, HIV/AIDS care and support, and maternal child health care. She has taught in Zambia and Tanzania, and at Goshen College and James Madison University

Dana Farrar, instructor of nursing. Farrar holds an MSN and BS in nursing from 草莓社区 . She brings hospital floor experience in medical/surgical units and orthopedics as well as experience as an e-health specialist at Sentara RMH.

Jeanne Heil, PhD, assistant professor of Spanish. A scholar of applied linguistics with the ability to teach both language and linguistics, Heil earned a BA聽 in Spanish from Wittenberg University and an MA and PhD in Hispanic studies from University of Illinois. She will contribute both teaching expertise and administrative experience as a language coordinator to the language and literature department.

Cassandra Kennell, PhD, assistant professor of psychology. Kennell, an experienced substance abuse therapist, holds both a PhD and MA in clinical psychology from the American School of Psychology. She earned an MA in counseling at EMU and a BS in psychology from the University of South Florida. At Shenandoah Psychological Services, LLC, she has provided individual and group therapy for children, adolescents, families and couples, as well as psychological and neuropsychological testing,

Roxann Allen Kioko, instructor of business. Kioko anticipates completion of a PhD in strategic leadership from James Madison University in fall 2016. She earned an MA in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at EMU and a BA in history from EMU. Kioko brings professional and administrative experience in numerous non-governmental organizations along with teaching experience in Ethiopia with Mennonite Central Committee. Kioko has been an adjunct instructor for both undergraduate and graduate courses at EMU.

Eva Pastalkova, PhD, assistant professor of biology. Pastalkova holds a PhD and MS in neuroscience, and a BA in biology from Charles University in the Czech Republic. She has been an innovative researcher, teacher, program developer and administrator to both the undergraduate biology and graduate biomedicine departments. Her expertise in the areas of bioinformatics, neuroscience and biology will add value and breadth in both departments.

Andrew Suderman, instructor of theology. Suderman anticipates completing a PhD in systematic theology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa this year. He earned a BA in philosophy from Canadian Mennonite University and an MT in theological studies from Conrad Grebel University in Canada. He brings international and cross-cultural experience in Costa Rica, Bolivia, Colombia and South Africa.

Paul Yoder, PhD, assistant professor of education. An experienced teacher at several levels, Yoder completed his PhD in curriculum and instruction from University of Virginia. He earned his MA in education and a BA in history and social science from 草莓社区. He has taught social studies, US history and English as a Second Language in Harrisonburg area public schools. In addition, he has been an adjunct instructor at James Madison University and EMU, and taught in the EMU鈥檚 Intensive English Program

Zelijko Mirkovic, instructor of digital media. Mirkovic is an award-winning film and television director who contributes expertise in the areas of producing, scriptwriting, technical skills and new media knowledge. He anticipates completion of his PhD in media and communication from the University of Vienna, Austria. Mirkovic earned a BA from The Academy of Art Bra膰a Kari膰聽 in Belgrade and an MA in media practice from Bournemouth University, United Kingdom.