If you are interested in applying to the RISEUP Program, please review the following list of mentors and their research projects to identify which research project you prefer to work on during the summer. You will be asked to provide your top 3 choices in the online application.
Steven Hall
Assistant Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Research Description: Our group works at the interface of Biology and Earth Science, improving our understanding of how biological and chemical processes in soils impact climate change, water quality, and food production. Typically, undergraduate students in our group conduct a mix of fieldwork and lab work, according to their interests, and gain skills using a wide variety of lab instrumentation. Check out: stevenhallecology.com for more information
Gustavo McIntosh
Professor, Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology
Research Description: My laboratory is interested in understanding how plants interact with pests, particularly insects. These interactions can result in significant loss of plant productivity (when the plant is susceptible to insect attacks) or can result in insect repulsion or death (when the plant is resistant). Understanding how plants defend themselves and how insects can overcome these defenses is important for food security. We use physiology, biochemistry, and genetics approaches to answer these questions. Students in my laboratory will be able to select the specific question to study and, with our help, define the best approach to do it.
Derrick Rollins
University Professor, Chemical & Biological Engineering and Statistics
Research Description: https://drollins.public.iastate.edu/index.htm.
Don Sakaguchi
Morrill Professor, Genetics, Development and Cell Biology; Neuroscience
Research Description: This highly interdisciplinary project seeks to develop approaches to facilitate repair and regeneration of the damaged nervous system. We will use a combination of biomaterials in the form of polymer conduits and/or scaffolds, adult stem cells seeded on the biomaterials, and use of physical, chemical, biological and/or electrical cues to orient cell growth, control stem cell differentiation and facilitate neuroregeneration using in vitro models. The intern will have the opportunity to observe and learn the following techniques: general laboratory procedures, data collection and analysis, cell culture, animal models, immunocytochemical procedures, fluorescence microscopy, image analysis, and tissue engineering strategies.
Elizabeth Shirtcliff
Associate Professor, Human Development Family Studies
Research Description: The SPIT lab does a variety of research studies related to how the social environment shapes biobehavioral processes. For more information, see https://research.hs.iastate.edu/spit-lab/. In 2019, we will most likely be doing research related to how virtual reality shapes biomarkers. https://www.hs.iastate.edu/news/2017/04/11/virtual-reality-stress-response/.
Igor Slowing, Scientist/Adjunct Professor
Ames Lab/Chemistry
Research Description: Nanostructured materials for catalysis and CO2 capture Nanoparticle catalysts for biomass conversion 3D printing of chemically active devices. Website: http://islowing.wixsite.com/slowing-lab
Elizabeth Stegemoller
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology
Research Description: www.neuromotorlab.com
Sharma Sugam, Systems Analyst III
Center for Survey Statistics & Methodology (CSSM)
Research Description: Data collection, curation and harnessing the data revolution to reduce food hunger through eFeed-Hungers: The static receiver point is a physical location or facility, which is a known entity in its region which donates food such as food pantries. It is very likely to be a permanent and fixed location and is accessible by donors and consumers. A donation at a static receiver point is expected to be long-lived and regular and follows almost a similar pattern in every recurrence. Food pantries and churches are primarily the focus of data collection. Every village, town, and city is likely to have such receiver points. And as we scale up, it is very important to collect the required data about such receiver points and feed them into a central database to provide better coverage for both, donors and consumers. As we explore to include a new geographical region into the system, we have to hire a new cohort of people, more likely students in that region, who will do outreach activities as well as collect the data about static receiver points in that region. And after the data quality is checked, it will load into the central database, where it is readily available in the system.
Martin Thuo
Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Research Description: My research is focused on frugal engineering. We are interested in using soft materials to solve some of our big challenges in housing, water, and energy. Specifically, we are interested in building different materials, one molecule at a time, in the most energy-efficient way.
U. Sunday Tim
Associate Professor, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
Research Description: Water quality modeling, spatial decision support systems, environmental modeling, geographic information systems, virtual reality technology, environmental forensics, precision agriculture, and bioinformatics.
Javier Vela
Professor, Chemistry
Research Description: Synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline semiconductors for applications in energy and catalysis.
David Webber
Associate Scientist, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
Research Description:
- ArcGIS Applications
- Hydrology
- Hydrologic & Terrestrial Landscape Modeling
- Nutrient/Sediment Transport Mechanisms
- Runoff Management
- Water Resources
