WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., July 25, 2018 — West Liberty University’s student researchers shared their summer work with campus on Friday, July 20 in Boyle Conference Center. In attendance were family, friends, faculty and the public.

Jacob Pancake explains his research.

“Our science majors gain great experience and hands-on education through the SURE program. It takes them out of the classroom and into the laboratory and field for work that is valuable as they apply for graduate school and prepare for professional fields,” said Dr. Karen Kettler, interim dean of the College of Sciences.

After faculty mentors described the summer research of each student participating and shared video images of the action, the students took their places by their research papers and computers to describe the facts and conclusions of their projects.

Topics of study included things like neurosurgery and skulls, infections and antibiotics, water quality in streams, crayfish and snakes and vascular variations.

Eleven students participated and project descriptions and faculty mentors follow:

• Noah Teaff, 21, Follansbee, W.Va. and Jacob Pancake, 21, New Martinsville, W.Va. – Understanding susceptibility of Francisella tularensisto novel antibiotics, Dr. Deanna Schmitt.
• Jennifer Myers, 20, of Wellsburg, W.Va. and Rhiannon Macom, 19, of Wellsburg, W.Va. – RBC Invasion by Francisella tularensis, Joseph Horzempa.
• Allegra Gossett, 25, of Moundsville, W.Va. – Crayfishes of the Potomac River Basin in Pennsylvania, Dr. Zachary Loughman.
• Elijah Henderson, 20, of Shadyside, Ohio – Habitat preference of local semiaquatic snakes, Dr. Zachary Loughman.
• Colleen Hoselton, 20, of Mineral Wells, W.Va. – Growth optimization in juvenile snakes, Dr. Zachary Loughman.
• Andrew McGlynn, 20, of Wheeling, W.Va. – Assessing water quality using aquatic macroinvertebrates, Dr. James Wood.
• Brianna Ritz, 20, of New Martinsville, W.Va. – Identification of vascular variations in skulls, Dr. Matthew Zdilla.
• Emma McClelland, 21, of Kingwood, W.Va. – Assessing water quality in local streams, Dr. James Wood.
  

  Dr. James Wood’s student Emma McClelland tests stream water.

• Nicholas Nestor, 20, of Wheeling – Studying variations in skull anatomy: implications for neurosurgery, Dr. Matthew Zdilla.
• Hogan Wells, 20, of Sistersville, W.Va. – Gastric Lavage on West Virginia Stocked Trout, Dr. Zachary Loughman.

The student researchers involved in health science research will move on to the upcoming WV-INBRE Summer Research Symposium in Morgantown, W.Va. and present their findings to a statewide audience.

SURE, which stands for summer undergraduate research experience, is funded with support from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Science and Research. Topper-SURE offers each student researcher a $3,000 stipend along with a valuable research experience for their resume.

WLU’s College of Sciences offers many opportunities for research in a variety of labs. Just last year one of its professors, Dr. Joseph Horzempa was selected as West Virginia Professor of the Year by the Faculty Merit Foundation. 

West Liberty University is steeped in a rich heritage as West Virginia’s oldest institution. Today it offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, plus a growing number of graduate programs including master degrees.

For more information, please visit westliberty.edu or call 1.866.WESTLIB.

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