Meet Some of the Incredible Students Behind the Research being Presented at ICUR 2023
LACEY HUNT
"My research has the potential to positively impact the sustainability and profitability of modern farming by studying the reliability, cost effectiveness, and usability of a newly-developed remote sensing system which gives farmers access to vital weather and environmental data occurring on their fields. This system's modularity and extensibility will open the door for farmers to step towards adopting more beneficial precision agriculture systems such as this."
Home Town: Coeur d'Alene, ID
Major: Computer Science
Research Topic: Precision Agriculture Adoption and Integration Case Study
Lightning Talk presenter, July 19
Poster presenter (Poster Session 1), July 20
LEONARDO OHATA
"By studying molten salts, I hope to further research on molten salt nuclear reactors, bringing safer and cleaner energy to the world."
Home Town: Bellevue, WA
Major: Chemical Engineering
Research Topic: Thermal conductivity of 3 LiCl - 2 KCl molten salt by equilibrium classical molecular dynamics
Inspiration for my research: I dream of studying cutting-edge technology that contributes to the fight on climate change.
Poster presenter (Poster Session 1), July 20
ABIGAIL CARD
"My research is important to the archaeology community because it informs our understanding of the processes that ancient people used to develop stone tools. It gives us insight into how they were able to maintain such a significant level of consistency and relative uniformity within stone tool creation."
Home Town: Meridian, ID
Major: Anthropology
Research Topic: How Did Ancient People Soak Rocks in Water to Make Better Stone Tools?
Lightning Talk presenter, July 19
KYLIE WILSON
"Air pollution kills millions of people each year, so we aim to monitor and interpret key air indicators in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley to distinguish different trends. This can help to better understand where the largest source of air pollutants come from, and how they get flushed out."
Home Town: Nampa, ID
Major: Earth Science
Research Topic: Multi-year Analysis of Aerosols, PM2.5, and Local Sulfur Species in the Lewis Clark Valley
Inspiration for my research: Dr. Nancy Johnston inspired my interest in researching air pollutants in the LC Valley. I've always wanted to do some sort of environmental research, and this has been an incredible opportunity.
Lightning Talk presenter, July 19
Poster presenter (Poster Session 1), July 20
EVAN ANTHOPOULOS
"My research will improve cybersecurity by helping to better detect cyber attacks."
Home Town: Manhattan Beach, CA
Major: Applied Math
Research Topic: Improving Graph Neural Network Applications
Inspiration for my research: My computer science background and my previous data-analysis research experience
Poster presenter (Poster Session 1), July 20
ZOE LOWDER
"To find a new method in collecting data, and using visual images to supplement all sorts of data."
Home Town: Boise, ID
Major: Geoscience
Research Topic: Water Quality Through A Trail Camera Lens
Inspiration for my research: I really like hydrology, and got involved in undergraduate research last summer. My advisor had an idea for this project and it sounded really interesting to me.
Poster presenter (Poster Session 3), July 20
TERESA FONG
"My research further demonstrates how urban infrastructure and invasive plant species like goatheads can facilitate inequitable conditions for bicyclists, human traffic, and dog walkers. We found community collaboration can reconstruct a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable urban ecosystem. Through science and community we can effectively tackle goathead removals!"
Home Town: Meridian, ID
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
Research Topic: Goathead & Land Cover Classification
Inspiration for my research: What inspired my research endeavors initially was the opportunity to enhance my Urban Studies skillset by using GIS and to explore more research within the environment that I wouldn’t have gotten in my degree plans otherwise. The SARE opportunity has profoundly exceeded any expectations I had and it’s been a wealth of amazing experiences and support.
Poster presenter (Poster Session 1), July 20
BELEN EDGAR
"We are aiming to understand parent's threat intelligibility when their children use technology in comparison to their methods of addressing these threats. Understanding this landscape will help inform what resources need to be created for parents to keep their children safe while they use technology."
Home Town: Boise, ID
Major: Computer Science
Research Topic: Creating a Pipeline to Standardize and Analyze Qualitative Data Regarding the Digital Ecology of Fear
Poster presenter (Poster Session 3), July 20
AUDREY JORGENSEN
"Understanding impacts of geographical or habitat changes in fish"
Home Town: Smithfield, UT
Major: Biology
Research Topic: Optimization of DNA extraction methods for sequencing of the NADH Dehydrogenase Subunit 2 (ND2) gene in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Inspiration for my research: The need for learning and hands-on experiences
Poster presenter (Poster Session 3), July 20
GRACE CAIN
"My goal is to create a more refined gene database for the Blue Banded Goby."
Home Town: Boise, ID
Major: Biology
Research Topic: The Expression of Aromatase in Lythrypnus dalli During Protogynous Sex Change
Inspiration for my research: I've always wanted to do research because I have a large passion for learning, and this summer I had the opportunity to meet with two amazing professors who were interested in mentoring me through the SARE program.
Poster presenter (Poster Session 2), July 20
CARLOS DANIEL MORA PATINO
"My research can change the world because it has so many high-technology applications such as bioanalysis, development of therapeutic agents, and drug delivery. You can use this technology to improve patients’ lives around the world."
Home Town: Mexico City, Mexico
Major: Chemistry
Research Topic: Kinetics of DNA functionalized gold nanoparticle aggregation toward colorimetric sensing
Inspiration for my research: I am at Boise State University researching because I was inspired by my cousin Priscila Santiago-Mora. She is a Post Doc at the Department of Chemistry at BSU and she encouraged me to come here and do this summer research experience. At my University in Mexico City, I had previous experience to research and working with nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes). I am so interested in the applications of nanomaterials and nanoscience in the world.
Poster presenter (Poster Session 2), July 20
ABBIGALE BAILEY
"This research can help conservation efforts in the future for freshwater mussels."
Home Town: Nampa, ID
Major: Conservation Biology
Research Topic: Developing methods to assess growth morphology in fresh water mussels in relation to environmental factors
Poster presenter (Poster Session 1), July 20
BEVERLLY VICTORIA
"Studying the aggression of the bluebanded goby will help understand its role in sexual plasticity and social status resolution, which could help in the study of other bidirectional sex changing fish."
Home Town: Pocatello, ID
Major: Biology
Research Topic: Dorsal fin raises and hierarchy resolution during early protandrous sex change in the bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli.
Inspiration for my research: Watching animal documentaries as a kid really inspired me to study animal behavior.
Poster presenter (Poster Session 3), July 20
RYAN WILD
"My research will aid in raptor conservation efforts across Idaho."
Home Town: Castle Rock, CO
Major: Biochemistry/Biology
Research Topic: Presence of Blood Parasites in the Nestlings of American Kestrels (Falco sparverius)
Poster presenter (Poster Session 3), July 20
ABIGAIL SHAW
"Sage grouse are a threatened species whose habitat was burned during the Soda Fire in 2015. These birds primarily consume sagebrush for their diet and also live and breed under the sagebrush foliage. The type of sagebrush they consume was burned during this fire, so our goal is identifying what species of sagebrush need to be replanted so the grouse return to the Soda Fire site."
Home Town: Meridian, ID
Major: Chemistry
Research Topic: A novel protocol for monitoring metabolism of xenobiotics by CYP and UGT enzymes
Inspiration for my research: My professor, Dr. Dadabay, presented this wonderful opportunity to me, which sparked my interest in participating in research. I have always wanted to engage in research, but I became much more interested when Dr. Dadabay told me about her research.
Lightning Talk presenter, July 19
Poster presenter (Poster Session 1), July 20
