Office of Student Research

Opportunities at Appalachian

The following 12 research opportunities available to Appalachian students have been posted by our faculty. If you would like more information about a project, please contact the faculty listed.

1. Plant and insect community interactions: factors and consequences
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Ray Williams willmsrs@appstate.edu Fall,Spring,Summer Course Credit Apr 15, 2008
Project Description: My primary interest lies in the composition of plant and insect communities at various scales. This includes scales where lots of expertise in plant or insect identification is not necessary. My focus is to ask what factors are responsible for the composition of insect communities we observe in plant communities? That is, what environmental conditions affecting plants determine the associated insects? A particular interest is how the chemical composition of the plants can attract or repel certain insects, thus helping determine the community structure. Students will get practical experience in field biology (most of my work is at the Gilley Research Station a few miles from Boone) and valuable experience in analytical techniques for measuring plant chemicals. None of this work requires any real prior experience. The world of bugs is really cool and I try very hard to arrange projects of interest to students to explore it!
Department: . For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: Biology.

^ Top of Page

2. Fiber type and muscle damage Cycling and performance
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Chuck Dumke dumkecl@appstate.edu Fall,Spring Volunteer Basis Feb 13, 2008
Project Description: Several studies occurring involving blood and muscle samples from exercising subjects. One involving muscle damage from eccentric leg extensions, and others involving prolonged cycling and performance, oxidative stress and immune function.
Department: Accounting. For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: Exercise Science.

^ Top of Page

3. Dissecting Root Development and Root System Formation
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Guichuan Hou houg@appstate.edu Fall,Spring Course Credit,Volunteer Basis www.casmifa.appstate.edu/hou.html Sep 12, 2007
Project Description: Roots play a critical role in growth and yield of vascular plants, such as crops and medicinal plants. Individual root development occurs primarily at the apical meristem while root system formation coordinates with shoot development and the organism as a whole. Research aiming to further our understanding of root development and root system formation has been conducted in my lab using the model species Ceratopteris richardii (triangle waterfern), Arabidopsis, and maize (corn, Zea mays). I welcome new students to join the team.
Department: . For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: .

^ Top of Page

4. Orographic Precipitation in the Southern Appalachian Mountains
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Baker Perry perrylb@appstate.edu Fall,Spring,Summer Course Credit,Volunteer Basis http://www.geo.appstate.edu/faculty/perry.htm Sep 03, 2007
Project Description: Opportunities available to study orographic precipitation (particularly snow) in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Dr. Sandra Yuter (NCSU) and I have installed meteorological instrumentaion, including a MicroRainRadar, PARSIVEL disdrometer, and Pluvio weighing rain gauge on Poga Mountain in Flat Springs, NC. Additionally, Dr. Charles Konrad (UNC-Chapel Hill and Southeast Regional Climate Center), Laurence Lee (NWS), David Hotz (NWS), and I are collaborating on a synoptic classification of snowfall events on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Department: . For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: Geography.

^ Top of Page

5. PRIMO LEVI (tentative title)
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Leon Lewis Lewislh@appstate.edu Fall Volunteer Basis English department Aug 29, 2007
Project Description: The life, thought and writing of Primo Levi
Department: . For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: Chemistry,English.

^ Top of Page

6. Analyzing the Key Schedule of the Advanced Encryption System (AES)
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Wm Bauldry BauldryWC@AppState.edu Fall,Spring,Summer Course Credit www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~wmcb/ Aug 28, 2007
Project Description: We are looking for structure and weaknesses in AES by investigating the key schedule. We have defined a 'norm' that ranks keys and are demonstrating that our norm is a valid measure of key-strength.
Department: . For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: Mathematics.

^ Top of Page

7. Undocumented: Latin American Poets in Spain
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Benito del Pliego delpliegob@appstate.edu To be determined Aug 28, 2007
Project Description: A study and anthology of the most prominent Latin American poets immigrated to Spain since the second half of the XX Century. The study takes into account the drastic immigration status of the country in the last decades, the ambivalent relationship between Spanish national literary approaches and the literary productions of exiled poets in Spanish. The study, conducted in Spanish, is framed in the contemporary debate on cultural repercussions of global mass movements.
Department: . For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: Spanish.

^ Top of Page

8. The effects of sleep deprivation on decision-making.
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
David Dickinson dickinsondl@appstate.edu Spring To be determined http://www.appstate.edu/~dickinsondl/research.htm Aug 28, 2007
Project Description: Quantitative data from actigraphs (wrist-worn accelerometers than record activity data) must be managed and coded for use in the analysis of behavioral decisions. Assistance in management of decision experiment sessions will also be helpful. Experiments will likely start Spring 2008, and are part of a collaborative project between ASU, the University of California-San Diego, and the US Air Force Academy. A student available and interested in assisting this research for more than one semester may be desirable.
Department: . For undergraduates majoring in: Economics,Psychology.

^ Top of Page

9. Creating Identity in the Roman Empire
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Lisa Holliday hollidaylr@appstate.edu Summer To be determined Apr 06, 2007
Project Description: This is preliminary research into how early Christian (1st-3rd centuries) created unique definitions of religious and social identity. At this stage, research will be limited to secondary sources, primarily articles. As part of this project, students will be instructed in the use of electronic research databases. Applicants need to have a rudimentary knowledge of French and German.
Department: . For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: History.

^ Top of Page

10. Extreme Sports and Sensation Seeking Behaviors
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Erik Rabinowitz rabinowitze@appstate.edu Volunteer Basis Feb 05, 2007
Project Description: The advertisement for Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914-17 Trans-Antarctic expedition read: 'Men wanted: For hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.? Once boys were sent out to freezing football and rugby fields to make men of them; now they might assault a half-pipe instead. If extreme sports and sensation seeking behaviors are of interest to you contact Dr. Erik Rabinowitz about research he is conducting.
Department: . For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: All Majors.

^ Top of Page

11. An Analysis of Collegiate Outdoor Programs Utilization of "Leave No Trace" environmental principles and practices.
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Eric Frauman fraumaned@appstate.edu Fall To be determined Aug 24, 2006
Project Description: The student(s) will be surveying administrators of Collegiate Outdoor Programs around the country (ASU's program housed in the Recreation Center leads adventure-based trips and activities around around the country) to gather information regarding program use of "Leave No Trace" principles and/or some other form of environmental ethics in pre-trip meetings and field settings. Surveying will be done electronically and via phone. It is expected the research will result in at least one presentation and publication of which the student(s) will be able to participate in voluntarily.
Department: . For either graduates or undergraduates majoring in: All Majors,Biology,Geography,Philosophy and Religion,Psychology,Recreation Management,Sociology,Student Development.

^ Top of Page

12. Career Progression among Mexican Immigrants in the Hospitaltiy Industry
Faculty Contact Email Available Type URL Date Posted
Rachel Shinnar shinnarrs@appstate.edu Spring,Summer To be determined Feb 03, 2006
Project Description: Qualitative data available (no assistance in data collection needed). Searching a Spanish speaking student to help analyze qualitative data in SPANISH.
Department: . For graduates majoring in: All Majors.

^ Top of Page