Honors Research
The Honors Program at Moravian College allows exceptional students the opportunity in their senior year to carry out an independent research project with a faculty mentor. This experience is excellent preparation for those students who are interested in pursuing graduate or professional studies.
Since the program's inception in 1960, the Department of Biological Sciences has the distinction of having sponsored more Honors students than any other at the College. Here are the most recent students who graduated with Honors in Biology or Biochemistry, along with their faculty mentors and the titles of their projects:
Class of 2009
Debra Evans (Dunham) – "Isolation and Identification of DNA Adducts Formed by Rhodium Antitumor Agents"
Tyler McCambridge (Fox) – "Does Dietary Selenium Protect Dopamine Levels and Improve Motor Behavior in the 6-Hydroxydopamine Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease?"
Class of 2008
Andy Goodbred (Fox) – "Selenium as a Neuroprotective Agent in a 6-hydroxydopamine Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease: A Behavioral Study"
Simon Tabchi (Jones) – "Genetic Mapping of the bas Mutation in Drosophila melanogaster" [.pdf file of poster]
Anastasia Yemelyanova (Jones) – "Transformation of Drosophila with Mutated Presenilin via φC31 Integrase-Mediated Cassette Exchange" [.pdf file of poster]
Class of 2007
Thad Miller (Mitchell) – "The Histological and Cytological Variance in Dental Follicles and Dentigerous Cysts"
LeeAnna Roberts (Jones & Kuserk) – "Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphyloccus aureus (CA-MRSA) among Division III Football Players at Moravian College" [.pdf file of poster]
Valerie Phillips (Dunham & Dunham) – "Characterization of DNA Adducts Formed by Dirhodium (II, II) Carboxylates"
Peter Slivka (Salter) – "Synthesis of a Potential Molecular Indicator: N-Azuleneiminodiacetic Acid"
Class of 2006
Sarah Mueller (Fox) – "Long-Term Selenium Administration as a Protective Agent in 6-Hydroxydopamine Lesion Model"
Class of 2005
Margaret Benny (Kurvink) – "Societal and Scientific Views of Human Genetic Difference"
Jana Havranova (Jones) – "Using RNAi to Investigate the Function of the Thiodredoxin Reductase Genes trxr-1 and trxr-2 in Drosophila melanogaster" [.pdf file of poster]
John Loughney (Jones) – "Characterizing the Phenotype of the slamdance Gene in Drosophila melanogaster Using RNAi" [.pdf file of poster]
Tara Kiss (Jones) – "Transferring the Presenilin Gene from Arabidopsis thaliana to Drosophila melanogaster" [.pdf file of poster]
Rachel Paroby (Kurvink) – "A Review of In Vitro Fertilization and Retrospective Evaluation of Z-Scoring as a Predictor of Embryo Morphology" (not pictured)
Class of 2004
Adrienne Kleintop (Jones) – "The Application of RNAi to the Study of the Drosophila melanogaster Presenilin Gene"
Renee Balliet (Kurvink) – "Mutational Analysis of Possible Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene BRCC45 in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Negative Kindreds"
Nicole Sabaliauskas (Jones) – "Behavioral Characterization of the Drosophila Bang-Sensitive Mutant slamdance (sda)" [.pdf file of poster]
Class of 2003
Amrita de Zoysa (Jones) – "Can the Arabidopsis thaliana presenilin Gene Substitute for the Drosophila melanogaster presenilin Gene?"
Alyson Dobracki (Kuserk) – "Isolation and Identification of Chitinolytic Bacteria from the Northern Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea, and the Characteristics of the Related Enzymes"
Stephanie Gervasi (Mitchell) – "Effects of Artificial Lighting on Seafinding Orientation of the Hatchling Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)"
Class of 2002
Monica Bartholomew (Hosier) – "Studies in Continuous Quality Improvement at St. Luke's Hospital, Bethlehem, PA"
Douglas Becker (Kuserk) – "The Impact of Human Activity on the Diversity, Abundance, and Behavior of Shorebirds"
Class of 2001
Amy DePuy (Kuserk) – "GYN Care: A Disease-Based Management Program"
Class of 2000
Jane Knisely (Jones) – "The Effects of Presenilin Overexpression on the Development, Morphology, and Behavior of Drosophila melanogaster"
Christy Scholtes (Kuserk) – "Enumeration and Identification of Proteolytic Bacteria Inhabiting the Leaves of the Northern Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea"
Colleen Walsh (Hosier) – "Effects of Glutathione and Strenuous Exercise on Immunoglobulin Production in Female ICR Mice"
