Sisc Johnson Created an Adolescent Mentorship in Detention Facilities and Alternative Learning Spaces

For my research project, I created a mentorship program to teach photography and text in alternative learning spaces to court involved youth. Desired outcomes include fostering and promoting positive self-esteem by developing new skill sets acquired from learning the technical and creative skills of photography.  This process also results in promoting positive and respectful communication skills as students learn how to write about and critique their work and the work of others.

This summer I spent three days each week working with 3-5 residents at Stepping Stones. Stepping Stones is a community-based, non-secure residential treatment program for male court involved youth, ages 14-17 that is located in Fairfax County, Virginia.

After our first session each resident was provided with a DSLR camera, two lenses, and a portable flash drive. During our sessions the program participants learned how to operate a DSLR camera. They also learned how to select the appropriate lens and the fundamentals of composition and lighting. Lessons also included instructions on how to upload images from memory cards to Adobe Lightroom and how to edit images in Adobe Photoshop.

The first session of each week would typically begin with a critique of their work from the prior week. The remainder of our time was spent photographing, scrapbooking, creating cyanotypes, and/or learning about other camera-based processes and influential photographers. For the final week of my program, we will have an exhibition showcasing their work to their families.

From my observations throughout the project, I feel that to continue my program in the future a few adjustments could be made in the following ways. For instance, it was difficult having only a single laptop when uploading and editing images with a group of five participants. This was time consuming because I could only work with one participant at a time. Also having an assistant would be beneficial for providing more one-on-one time with each participant. Fortunately, the entire staff at Stepping Stones are vested in the success of each resident, and they were not only very helpful with their ideas and suggestions throughout my program, but I learned a great deal from them regarding how to better handle challenging moments. Because the staff supported me and their residents throughout my entire program, this also added to my awareness regarding what things might be of more interest to the participants.

Measuring the long-term success of my program will not be possible for a few years. As for measuring short term success, I observed drastic improvement not only in their work, but in their behavior. They began dressing up for our sessions becoming more confident behind and in front of the camera. The participant’s critique of their work and the work of others was also impressive and very respectful.

In the future, I plan to continue my work with the adjustments noted above. A few years from now I will reach out to each participant to measure the success of my program.

URSP Student Mounia Hammadi Studies the Potential Effects that Endoparasites Have on Feeding Habits of Their Crab Hosts

The survival of a species of mud crab along the East Coast of the U.S., known as the Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Harris mud crab), is being tested by a multitude of factors, including the continued fluctuations in salinity that result from the estuaries it resides in and the ever-changing levels of parasitism in different locations along the coast. The biotic pressure of parasitism is influential on not only the survival of R. harrisii but also the trophic structure of its community. The two most prevalent parasites that cause a significant role in the survival of the Harris mud crab community include the castrating parasitic barnacle, Loxothylacus panopaei, and the lesser-known parasitic entoniscid isopod, Cancrion sp. Parasitic castration means that L. panopaei inhibits the organism’s ability to reproduce. 

However, since Cancrion sp. is considered a new species, there is minimal evidence suggesting complete parasitic castration of R. harrisii. This summer I have been working in Dr. Amy Fowler’s lab at the GMU Potomac Science Center answering the question, do these endoparasites affect the feeding habits of their crab hosts? We suspect that the intense energy drain of being infected with these endoparasites leads to changes in the feeding behavior of R. harrisii. Luckily, the COVID-19 restrictions have begun to loosen, allowing me access to the laboratories to run a multitude of feeding trials on a total of 25 uninfected crabs, 8 infected with entoniscid (Cancrion sp.), and 11 infected with L. panopaei where feeding behaviors are accessed for 45 minutes. The collection of these crabs has been done from three main sites: Boathouse Marina in Colonial Beach, VA, Garrett’s Marina in Dunnsville, VA, and near the Choptank River Bridge in Cambridge, MD. This summer, an interesting observation I had was that the mud crabs can be the host to both parasites at the same time, as shown by an individual crab that acquired L. panopaei externa (sac on the abdomen of the crab that holds thousands of parasitic larvae) as well as released Cancrion sp. larvae. How double infections affect R. harrisii’s feeding habits is still yet to be determined. Another interesting observation was that gravid crabs (those with fertilized eggs) and crab hosts infected with Loxothylacus panopaei in the externa phase will both not molt to minimize loss of its eggs or parasitic externae. However, it has been shown that the crabs infected with the entoniscid do continue to frequently molt where its infection does not inhibit its ability to grow. Although trials are still being run and the data has yet to be properly analyzed, what has been obtained so far is extremely interesting and will further be looked upon during the Fall 2021 semester.

Amanda Graf Studies Multiplexed Antigens on DNA Nanoparticles for Vaccine Development

Vaccines and the technologies used to develop them are more relevant now than ever. If you had asked me or my colleagues a year ago, none of us would have ever guessed that vaccines would be the global hot topic they are now.

After taking Dr. Veneziano’s tissue engineering class, I met with him to discuss the research going on in his lab and discovered that he has been working on DNA nanoparticles with the intention of using them in a vaccine for several years now. The process of making these 3D nanostructure scaffolds begins with isolating and purifying single stranded DNA.  I typically do this right when I get to the lab each morning using an aPCR machine (antisense polymerase chain reaction) and then isolate the single stranded DNA that results from that using gel electrophoresis and a centrifuge with elution buffer to isolate the single stranded DNA from the other byproducts. From there, I fold the protein into the desired shape and test its binding capabilities.  Throughout the rest of the summer and into the fall semester, I will be testing the binding rates of my desired nanoparticle with varied antigen properties and attachment configurations.

 This project has been very insightful and ties directly into my future plans to become a physician, possibly specializing in infectious diseases.  Working with Dr. Veneziano has allowed me to develop a better understanding of not only what it’s like to work in a wet lab but has also compelled me to further explore topics outside of my normal course of study and think more about what advancements could be made through supplementary research in the field of platform vaccine development.

Dhruv Participates in the 2021 COVID-19 Human Behavior Research Project

My name is Dhruv Gandhi, I am a Senior at George Mason University working on a research project titled, “Data-Driven Analysis of Human Behavior in COVID-19 Simulation Models.” I had no idea what this internship would be like, not only because of the coronavirus, but also because this is my first summer being part of a research project. Surprisingly, COVID didn’t affect the internship too much as we always had our scheduled meetings and interacted with all the other team members fairly frequently. At the beginning of the internship, a typical day would start with an hour-long meeting in the morning with each group updating the professors and the other groups about their progress. Then we would have our goals set for the day, which we would work on with our other group members. Most exciting part was the weekly hybrid meeting on Fridays because there was always a stock of donuts and coffee. Working with people with varying background working towards the same goal and learning every week about something you had never heard of before made this internship incredibly exciting. I was able to learn and implement techniques that I had thought to be too complex previously because I had professors and other group members to help me through the process. This internship was able to give me not only confidence about my abilities to contribute in a professional setting, but also taught me how to work in a professional setting and network with others. I believe this internship has done a great job of giving me a taste of what’s to come after I graduate from George Mason.

For the research, my group is developing a location predication algorithm using data from SafeGraph. The data contains 650 different geographical subsections of Fairfax County called census block groups (Tysons, West Springfield, etc.) and over 15,000 POIs which are places of interests such as malls, barber shops, and restaurants. Our goal is to create an algorithm that accurately predicts the number of visitors to a POI from a CBG for the next few weeks. This project is incredibly interesting to me because it applies a lot of the techniques I have learned in classes throughout my time at George Mason.

URSP Student Selassie Fugar Researches Multiple ways to Support the Bailey's Culmore Community

The Culmore neighborhood of Bailey’s Crossroads is an area located in Fairfax County, Virginia. As one of the most disadvantaged places in Northern Virginia, this area consists of many different types of people from the Latinx community as well as other races and ethnicities. Kaiser Permanente plays a big role in fostering the vision to build a better community in Culmore. Due to the grant that was given to George Mason University and CASA de Virginia, creating a vision for Culmore that improves their community based on the social determinants of health is more achievable.

My research focuses on food insecurity and providing what people need and what to eat in the community. My main focus amongst food insecurity is how to make people in the community comfortable with receiving free food and how to reduce unhealthy lifestyles as well. One way of fostering healthy lifestyles is providing access to free or cheaper healthy foods through connections with different farms and gardens with certain faith-based organizations. Another way we could foster healthy lifestyles is to set up cooking classes for people who don't know how to use healthy food.

From this project I have learned how to better communicate with others and how to assume that everyone I interview will be friendly instead of the opposite. Developing conversational skills will improve my outlook on this project and help me remember that it is not what I think is best for the community but what the community wants for themselves.

Reagan Emmerling Researches Gender Differences in those Participating in OSCAR Research Projects

I decided to join a summer research project because I knew how much it would benefit my future. I hope to one day become a college professor with heavy focuses on research and writing. Being part of a summer project was an easy, and highly beneficial, way to know if this career path suited me, and I am happy to announce that it did. I worked entirely virtual this summer in my research project, which completely changed my view on what my work could be and mean. I was able to take my research with me to amazing places, such as Acadia National Park, Myrtle Beach, my home in Ohio, and so much more. My summer would have looked so different had I not been able to work virtually, and I am so thankful that I was able to work remotely rather than being stationary in Virginia.

My original plan for my summer research was to cover on-campus living conditions during the pandemic, but then shifted to issues of housing instability in college student populations. I ended up on a project researching the massive gender difference in who is participating in OSCAR research projects. To briefly wrap up a summer’s worth of work in barely a sentence; roughly 7/10 of researchers in OSCAR over the past 10 years have been women, but George Mason is divided almost 50/50 in terms of gender. This tells us that something is drawing drastically more women to research programs, and we wanted to find out why. It turned out that other universities saw a similar trend in their participation rates as well.

 

My next steps are to return to campus in the fall as a junior, where I am majoring in Integrative Studies with a concentration in Women and Gender studies. I will be working on campus as a MASI peer mentor and as a research assistant mapping the 1926 Religious Bodies Census. I hope to find myself involved with more research projects and gain even more experience in my field. Following graduation, I plan to attend graduate school in Colorado, where I have already started looking at programs with a masters in Women’s History. I am very thankful for this amazing opportunity and hope to work with OSCAR in future projects.

URSP Student Daniel Hernandez Analyzes the Surface Degradation of Additively Manufactured (AM) ABS Polymers for Naval Application.

This summer, I worked with Dr. Ali Beheshti to analyze the surface degradation of additively manufactured (AM) ABS polymers for naval application. The aim of my studies was to determine the viability of AM ABS polymers in a saline environment in comparison to its traditionally manufactured counterpart. As of recently I have been working on a literature review as well as an experimental plan for the project. I also printed 20 rectangular ABS samples and ordered 20 traditionally manufactured parts from a plastic manufacturer. A typical day of research consists of me searching for articles while managing the printing of the ABS samples. In the remaining timeline of the project, the samples will be aged accordingly for a set duration of 4, 8, and 16 days in tanks filled with artificial seawater. The tanks will be heated to 22°C, 27°C, and 105°C accordingly using a water heater. After undergoing the appropriate exposure time, the topography of the sample surfaces will be assessed and compared with the initial data collected prior. If time permits mechanical and tribological evaluations will be done on the ABS samples to observe the change in mechanical strength, wear and friction of the surfaces.

My main interest is robotics with a sub interest of ocean engineering. Additive manufacturing (3D Printing) has had transformative effects on the performance and technology of many industries. In the robotics industries, additive manufacturing has contributed to the development of emerging fields such as soft robotics due to its ability to create flexible and creative designs at high quality. This project was the perfect learning opportunity for me because it has allowed me to gain an in depth understanding of the 3D printing process as well as the corrosive behavior of the ocean. Moreover, since I plan to obtain a master’s in mechanical engineering in the future this research has been an essential step towards that goal.  I have enjoyed learning about the degradation of ABS in a naval application and hope to continue this research in the future.

URSP Student Mounia Hammadi Studies the Potential Effects that Endoparasites Have on Feeding Habits of Their Crab Hosts

The survival of a species of mud crab along the East Coast of the U.S., known as the Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Harris mud crab), is being tested by a multitude of factors, including the continued fluctuations in salinity that result from the estuaries it resides in and the ever-changing levels of parasitism in different locations along the coast. The biotic pressure of parasitism is influential on not only the survival of R. harrisii but also the trophic structure of its community. The two most prevalent parasites that cause a significant role in the survival of the Harris mud crab community include the castrating parasitic barnacle, Loxothylacus panopaei, and the lesser-known parasitic entoniscid isopod, Cancrion sp. Parasitic castration means that L. panopaei inhibits the organism’s ability to reproduce. However, since Cancrion sp. is considered a new species, there is minimal evidence suggesting complete parasitic castration of R. harrisii. This summer I have been working in Dr. Amy Fowler’s lab at the GMU Potomac Science Center answering the question, do these endoparasites affect the feeding habits of their crab hosts? We suspect that the intense energy drain of being infected with these endoparasites leads to changes in the feeding behavior of R. harrisii. Luckily, the COVID-19 restrictions have begun to loosen, allowing me access to the laboratories to run a multitude of feeding trials on a total of 25 uninfected crabs, 8 infected with entoniscid (Cancrion sp.), and 11 infected with L. panopaei where feeding behaviors are accessed for 45 minutes.

The collection of these crabs has been done from three main sites: Boathouse Marina in Colonial Beach, VA, Garrett’s Marina in Dunnsville, VA, and near the Choptank River Bridge in Cambridge, MD. This summer, an interesting observation I had was that the mud crabs can be the host to both parasites at the same time, as shown by an individual crab that acquired L. panopaei externa (sac on the abdomen of the crab that holds thousands of parasitic larvae) as well as released Cancrion sp. larvae. How double infections affect R. harrisii’s feeding habits is still yet to be determined. Another interesting observation was that gravid crabs (those with fertilized eggs) and crab hosts infected with Loxothylacus panopaei in the externa phase will both not molt to minimize loss of its eggs or parasitic externae. However, it has been shown that the crabs infected with the entoniscid do continue to frequently molt where its infection does not inhibit its ability to grow. Although trials are still being run and the data has yet to be properly analyzed, what has been obtained so far is extremely interesting and will further be looked upon during the Fall 2021 semester.

STIP Student Elaine Borresen Creates a Unit Plan and Activities for Physical Education Instruction while Integrating STEM

The goal for this Summer Team Impact Project is to present a unit plan and activities for physical education instruction while integrating STEM content. We found that integrating STEM topics is extremely beneficial for students. Students can get extra time exploring their classroom content. Our hope is that this integration can also pique interest in activities for those who may not usually be as engaged during PE. Using Virginia Standards of Learning, we sought to combine relevant science topics for K-12 students with games to develop their basketball, pickleball and softball skills. This plan is flexible, for teachers to use this unit plan in its entirety, or use lesson activities and games as they see fit. My particular contribution was towards the STEM content in the softball unit.

 This project fits into my future plans as a nurse and an Army officer by contributing how to plan with various factors and reinforcing my knowledge in STEM and biomechanics in particular. An average research day consists of a zoom meeting with all undergraduate and graduate students then breakout sessions with our individual groups to continue work on our unit plans. We had one day in the gym to test out some physical education activities and record ancillary materials for teachers. Something that I have discovered through this project is how complicated it is to create a unit and lesson plans. There are so many things that go into creating them. This project was different than it would have been if it were face to face because a majority of this was done virtually with all of us in different states, this was very cool since we were able to travel and still do research and work on the project. My next steps are to take the knowledge I learned from this project and apply it anyway I can to nursing school and Army ROTC.

Jack Blumstein Studies the Sociodemographic Factors that Impact Vaccine Uptake Across the US

Covid 19 has greatly impacted the world. With the implementation of vaccines, the impact of covid on the world has been greatly reduced, but there are many people who refuse to get vaccinated which allows covid to have a larger impact on the world than it would if those people who refuse to get vaccinated get vaccinated. My research project looks at the sociodemographic factors that impact vaccine uptake across the US. We recently ran a multivariate geographically weighted regression which creates a regression model that takes geographical location and distance into account when making the model. The geographical component causes the model to be more accurate than a simple linear regression. We are planning on using this regression model to predict vaccine uptake on the census block group level and then use a “local indicators of spatial association” analyses to find census block groups that are local outliers in vaccine uptake. We can then look at these local outliers and determine which census block groups are more at risk which should be able to help counties decide where they need to focus their efforts on increasing vaccine uptake.

There were many techniques, such as multivariate geographically weighted regression, that we used to analyze data that I had never heard about before starting this research project. I had a very good time learning about these techniques and implementing them because I have an interest in data analyses and playing with data. This research project has helped me learn more about data analyses in an out of classroom setting which should help me a lot in the future.

An average research day starts off with a meeting in the morning where the members in my group update each other on what has been done and what we want to do next. After this meeting, we separate to work on whatever we need to get done that day by ourselves. Sometimes we will have a meeting towards the end of the day to update the group on our progress.

Lina Alkarmi Conducts Stability Studies of Lipid Nanoparticles Using Analytical Chemistry

Messenger RNA (mRNA) sequences can be engineered to encode certain proteins that can be translated and expressed within cells. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are used to package mRNA payload for delivery in vaccines. The four lipid components of LNPs are an ionizable cationic lipid, a neutral helper lipid, cholesterol, and a PEGylated lipid. My research focuses on the synthesis and purification of ionizable lipids used to formulate LNPs. The storage temperature and time stored play a large role in the stability of LNPs as the mRNA can degrade, rendering the LNPs ineffective. Research suggests that the lipid components of the LNPs may degrade over time as well¹. Over the past semester, I have developed a method to test the stability of the lipid components of LNPs stored at 4°C, 25°C, and 37°C.

After LNPs are formulated, the encapsulated mRNA can be extracted from the nanoparticles for analysis. The extraction method results in an aqueous phase containing the mRNA, as well as an organic phase containing the four lipid components. For my project, I examined the extracts from LNPs stored at 4°C, room temperature (25°C), and 37°C over the course of 3 weeks.

For each week of the 3-week stability study, I used thin layer chromatography (TLC) to qualitatively examine the aqueous and organic extracts from the LNPs stored at each temperature. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) spectra were analyzed to observe the fragmentation of the compounds. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were also used to examine the molecular structure of the compounds.

A typical day of research is arriving at the lab and checking on synthesis reactions set up the night before. Typically I will run three columns each day as well as run my samples on the LCMS. My research experience has been exciting, challenging, and rewarding. I am interested in the field of bioengineering so this project fits into my future plans of attending graduate school.

    1.)European Medicines Agency, Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP);                     Assessment Report, Covid-19 Vaccine Moderna. 2021

URSP Student Sarah Abbas Studies Organizational and Interpersonal Conflict within Correctional Facilities

 Conflict is everywhere. Conflict and it’s resolution contain personal, relational, structural and cultural dimensions. There are several ways one can go about resolving conflict. Some are more constructive than others. It is paramount to analyze and examine the various dimensions of social interactions that lead to conflict situations. Such can be done through theories, models and frameworks for analyzing, engaging and resolving conflict. I have always been interested in creatively and strategically managing conflicts that hinder the performance and organizational improvement among groups because often, dysfunctional organizations do not perform as well.

I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution with an individualized concentration in Law and Justice. Following graduation, I aspire to apply my education to help research and resolve the process of conflict within various criminal justice organizations. 

My summer research specifically takes a look at organizational and interpersonal conflict within correctional facilities. When it comes to organizations like various departments of corrections, it is paramount to ensure that conflicts are constructively managed or resolved, because the services provided directly influence the personal lives of many. My USRP project, The Role of Power in Interpersonal Conflict Between Carceral Residents and Correctional Officers is aimed at taking the critical first step in resolving conflicts, unpacking and examining the deep layers and roots of the problem. I am collecting data through a questionnaire. Ideally my data will allow me to identify patterns and systems of interpersonal conflict in correctional facility settings. I mainly am taking a look at the role of power. My questions aim at measuring the perceived power of inmates and CO’s and examining the role it plays in interpersonal conflict. 

I am working with a research team that is also collecting data for their specific projects. Due to COVID-19, we had to quickly adapt to conducting research in the pandemic. Initially our plan was to collect data by observing, interviewing, and collecting field notes in person. Due to complications with the facilities, such was not feasible. Then, we planned to gather data by holding interviews virtually. That wasn’t feasible either. We had to be very flexible and creative in order to overcome the challenges that come with conducting research with a vulnerable population during the pandemic. Our team met a lot and discussed the best ways to react to this rapidly changing and unpredictable situation. We decided to mail residents who have previously mailed us and consented to receiving mail. We had to submit a new proposal for IRB approval. which delayed our entire data collection process. The new proposal was finally approved late June. Our team met, prepared the envelopes, and mailed them out. Now I am awaiting responses to my section of the questionnaire. I am planning on interpreting the data as it comes in. This experience taught me the importance of flexible, creative problem solving, and working as a team. I did not realize how unpredictable research can be. In school, I learned about how important planning and structure is when conducting research, but I never learned about the fluctuating nature of research in the real world. This experience definitely taught me that

URSP Student Sidney Boakye Conducts a Study on the Surface Degradation of Additively Manufactured (3D-Printed) ABS Polymer for Naval Applications

Additive manufacturing (AM) has recently gained attention due to its ability to transform manufacturing and logistics processes. Additionally, additively manufactured alternatives would provide extra savings and a level of flexibility, especially when it comes to replacement parts, which can not be matched by traditional methods. However, questions remain about the durability of 3D printed components and if trade-offs in durability are worth the cost benefits. My research attempts to tackle these questions by comparing additively manufactured ABS plastic with its traditionally manufactured counterpart. Samples of each would be exposed to an accelerated corrosion environment while being submerged in saltwater. I printed rectangular and dogbone shaped ABS samples and ordered comparable traditional manufactured versions of the same. The rectangular samples were used for wear testing while the dogbone samples were used for tensile testing. Both sample types were placed in containers with varying temperatures (29, 60 and 70 degrees Celsius) and left for 1, 2, and 4-week intervals.

My primary interest is in liquid rocket propulsion. Right now, multiple industries are figuring out ways to better utilize additive manufacturing, including the aerospace industry. Rocket manufacturers are now looking at 3D printing some components. One company, Relativity Space, formed with the goal of 3D printing an entire rocket. 

An average day of research is walking 5 meters from my room to the unoccupied bedroom in my dorm and firing up the 3-D printer. Yes, I am conducting this research in my dorm room. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a lot of adaptions in how students and researcher go about their daily business. This is one of my adaptations. I will test different prints, orientation for printing samples, clean on excess materials, and repeat.  The main adaptation we made was creating the samples in my dorm room and having all the materials purchased for the experiments shipped to my dorm. The next step is to conduct the corrosion test for all the samples.

URSP Student Aditya Pulipaka Studies the Design, Development, and Characterization of 3D Printed PEEK polymer

My research project is the Design, Development, and Characterization of 3D Printed PEEK polymer, which can potentially be utilized in biomedical applications as a solution for defective bone tissue. This project fits into my future plans, as I plan to continue to pursue research for the rest of my undergraduate career. I also plan to pursue a Masters and/or PhD degree. An average research day is researching articles that pertain to our research, as well as printing samples using our 3D printer. Due to Covid, we cannot be in the laboratory as much as we would like for testing, so we are waiting until all the samples are done printing to start the testing phase. So far I have discovered how to use PEEK with a 3D printer, as well as the potential applications that this research could be used for. My project stayed the same during Covid, however the timeline was pushed back. Because we were not in the laboratory, an abundance amount of time was spent searching for new articles and other research that could help us with our manuscript for publishing. The next steps in our research is to finish the 27 horizontal samples and start tribological and mechanical testing. After this, we want to print another 27 samples with a vertical orientation and perform these same tests. Then, the data will be compared and analyzed to determine a correlation, which will eventually lead to publishing of our work.

URSP Student Christopher Veatch Works to Fabricate and Optimize Magnetic Iron Nanorods

This fall, I have been working with Dr. Moran in the GMU mechanical engineering department to fabricate and optimize magnetic iron nanorods for use in medicine, delivering drugs directly to tumors (alleviating the issues associated with traditional chemotherapy). As expected, COVID-19 has presented roadblocks to acquiring materials from distributors and spending time in the lab, but that has not stopped the lab’s research completely. My goal is to develop the apparatus to mass-produce iron nanorods and optimize the process for coating them in polyethylene glycol (PEG). The rods are grown through a process known as electrodeposition which resembles making a batch of cupcakes. First, an aqueous solution containing iron ions fills the cylindrical nanopores of a membrane. The diameter of the pores is the same as the diameter of the eventual rods, and these pores are tiny – about 1/10000th the diameter of a human hair. The membrane serves as our “muffin pan.” The “baking” process occurs when an electric charge is sent through the membrane which reduces the iron in solution into its neutral, solid state. Slowly, the “cupcakes” grow in solid metal form. Removing these iron cupcakes from their membrane pan is achieved by dissolving it and the product is thousands of magnetic iron nanorods. The “toppings” can be any drug that can be loaded on to treat diseases such as cancer. The PEG layer “lubricates” the rods so they can move through tissues more efficiently.

So far, I have aided with the design of the experiment and facilitated contact with suppliers and vendors to acquire materials and ensure our setup would work. I also helped Dr. Moran in preparing figures and graphics related to grant proposals. This semester presented many challenges in the form of COVID-19 but this project allowed me to learn a great deal about myself and my future goals. Throughout this project, I realized that I am far more interested in optimizing the process for creating iron nanorods than I am interested in their potential uses, which is the opposite of what I expected before beginning research.

URSP Student Evalise Pacheco Studies if Hispanic and Latinx Students Feel Racially and Ethnically Included in Higher Education

My name is Evalise Pacheco, I am a junior at George Mason and this is my first semester getting involved in research. I’ve been interested in conducting qualitative research ever since I started a Mason. As an Honors student one of the first courses I took taught me how to formulate a research question and as a Criminology student, I had a particular interest in understanding inequality. I took courses that focused on inequality, discrimination, and more until I came to a course that focused on inequality in higher education, and the rest was history. Drawn by my own experiences as a Latina, I was curious to see how other Latinx students may have experienced the diversity at Mason and so I submitted a proposal to OSCAR URSP. My specific research question is, do Hispanic and Latinx students feel racially and ethnically included in higher education?

When I submitted this proposal the expectation was to conduct in-person interviews. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this was no longer an option. Therefore, for the protection of all participants, I transitioned my interviews to be conducted virtually through Zoom. Surprisingly enough, there are a lot of things that virtual interviews have made easier, for example the distribution of gift cards to participants, the audio and visual recording aspect and even the ability to schedule the interviews. I am both grateful and fortunate that my research has not been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but I can say this was not how I expected my research to be conducted. Regardless, my research has been continuing at a good pace and I am close to completing all my interviews. The next step in my research is to finish transcription of the interviews and analyze them through a process of open coding. After coding is completed, I hope to use analytical memos to look for patterns across the interviewees as a way of understanding similarities and differences in the experiences of Hispanic and Latinx students.

URSP Student Nicholas Lanuzo Researches a Type of Additive Manufacturing Called Selective Laser Melting

My name is Nicholas Lanuzo and for my research I worked with Dr. Amiri to research modeling a type of additive manufacturing called Selective Laser Melting or SLM. The SLM process works by depositing a thin layer of metallic powder onto the work surface then, using a laser, a small portion of the powder is heated to extreme temperatures to melt it. The molten pool of metal, or melt pool, is rapidly cooled into a solid piece of metal. When metals are rapidly heated and cooled it causes residual internal thermal stresses, which is detrimental to the metals overall mechanical strength. My research currently consists of making a numerical simulation to model the laser heating the powder, as the physics behind this interaction are too complex to solve analytically. Once an accurate model has been created, the heating and cooling rate can be found which will be used analytically to find the internal stresses.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic my research is completely based on simulations and has no physical experimental data. The original plan was to use the SLM process to make a design and analyze its internal stresses and its transient temperature as it was being created. Then, the numerical simulation would be created to match this part. Because we can not go into the lab, we instead are basing our numerical model off of data from literature. Now, a typical day of research consists of making changes to the model and running it (which takes around 10 minutes) to see how it affects the overall temperature of the sample. The types of changes to the model can be altering the material properties of the powder, changing boundary conditions, or trying to refine the mesh for our simulation.

USRP Student Kara Crawford Researches the Impact of Gender Representation for College Women in Men-Dominated and Women-Dominated Majors

How do women experience higher education? Is there a significant difference in the experiences of women in men-dominated fields verses women in women-dominated fields? Preexisting sociological research has focused primarily on the differences in how men and women choose their majors, as well as differences in outcomes after college based on gender. However, there has been very little research on college women’s experiences within their major. Over the course of this semester, I have interviewed undergraduate women at GMU in majors with that consist of over 70% women, or less than 30% in order to understand how this gender concentration has affected their academic experience. Due to the pandemic, the interviews have been held over Zoom, rather than in-person. This electronic format poses some unique challenges that I did not anticipate when I first envisioned this project. My participants and I have persevered through internet connection struggles, distractions that come from working from home, and the difficulty of building a rapport in a virtual setting. Nevertheless, my interviews for this project have been successful, thanks to the willingness and honestly of my participants. As I write this, I recently finished conducting all the interviews for this project, so my next step is to have the recordings transcribed, and then to code my transcripts. 

Although I have not yet had the opportunity to analyze my interviews for trends, my hope is that this project will help provide those who work in higher education with a more comprehensive understanding of how to make men-dominated majors more accessible to women. From what I have discovered so far, the experiences of women undergraduates, particularly those in men-dominated majors, could stand to be improved, even at a school as inclusive as GMU. Encouraging more women to join these majors is one possible solution to some of these inequalities.