Supervisor Department Student Funded by Project Title and Abstract

Bebej, Ryan Biology Alexandra

Kuipers

Jansma Family Research

Fund in the Sciences

and Business Fellowship

Hind limb form and function in terrestrial and semiaquatic mammals: insights into locomotor evolution in early

cetaceans The evolution of modern whales from terrestrial ancestors required many drastic anatomical, physiological, and

behavioral changes. The development of an efficient swimming mode in the earliest cetaceans is one key to understanding

this remarkable transition. This behavioral change from limb-powered to tail-powered swimming can be inferred from the

anatomies of fossil whales, but it requires careful comparison with the anatomies of modern mammals, whose behaviors can

be directly observed and correlated with their anatomies. This project continues work begun in the summer of 2015. The

goal is to develop a quantitative framework for understanding the functional implications of hind limb morphology

(particularly of the pelvis and femur) in fossil whales in the context of modern mammals. It will involve working with

zoological and paleontological museum specimens to document and quantify differences in hind limb form and function.

Analytical techniques will incorporate multivariate statistical analyses (e.g., principal component and discriminant function

analyses) and possible exploration of geometric morphometrics. Student-initiated approaches to analyzing data will be

encouraged. Research will involve one or more trips to the University of Michigan Museums of Zoology and Paleontology,

work with modern and fossil skeletal material, and introductions to specimen photography and data analysis

DeJong, Randall Biology Harry Ervin;

Luke Tilma

Jansma Family Research

Fund in the Sciences

and Business

Fellowship; Michigan

Dept of Environmental

Quality

Tracking Geographic and Taxonomic Sources of Fecal Microbes in Plaster Creek Tributaries E. coli levels in Plaster

Creek consistently exceed state standards for total and partial body contact (some samples have revealed levels 50x higher

than what is considered safe for partial body contact). Most of these samples were collected from the main channel of

Plaster Creek, and this sampling shows large fluctuations over time. As is often the case, it has been difficult to specify the

primary source(s) of bacterial contamination. Research in 2015 examined the relative contributions of E. coli loading by 10

Plaster Creek tributaries and prioritized the five highest. We also used molecular markers and quantitative PCR (qPCR) to

identify taxonomic sources of the bacteria, finding evidence for bovine and human fecal contamination in some tributaries.

The goal of further research is to pinpoint E. coli loading locations using a combination of map and survey work in the

field, qPCR with old and new molecular markers, and scent-trained canines. Students will also help to assemble, organize,

and interpret the resulting dataset of E. coli concentrations (CFUs/100 ml), under both wet and dry conditions, from the

tributaries of interest, and to continue integrating this data with other sources.

Dornbos, David Biology Philip

Simonton

Science Division Invasion Physiology: Light Use Efficiency of Common and Glossy Buckthorn Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

and glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) are non-native, invasive plant species invading much of the U.S. Midwest and by

all appearances are highly successful on the Calvin College campus. Along with other non-native invasive plant species,

these buckthorn "sisters" complete effectively for the light, water, and nutrients required for the growth of native plants

effectively displacing many and compromising ecosystem resistance and resilience. Common buckthorn seems to

predominate sun-rich environments like open meadows and habitat edges while glossy buckthorn prefers moist habitats and

tolerates shade well. These habitat preferences do not seem to be absolute and the two species can be found intermixed with

some native plant species as well. The extensive distribution and high densities of the buckthorns around campus, however,

clearly indicate that these species continue grow successfully. The objective of this project is to compare the growth rate

and photosynthetic light use efficiency of the buckthorn species with one another and key native competing plants in two

distinct habitats, open sun and shaded understory. These results will characterize physiological traits contributing to

buckthorns ability to invade natural habitats and could provide insight supporting the identification of more effective

control strategies from invasion for natural area stewards.

2016 On-campus Summer Research Projects

Grasman, Keith Biology Sarah Hughes;

Rachel Warners

U.S. Fish & Wildlife,

William H. and Celia I.

Dornbush DeVries

Family Student

Research Fellowship

Fish-Eating Birds as Sentinels for Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystems Fish-eating birds are important upper-level

predators in aquatic ecosystems and as such are often vulnerable to environmental stressors including pollution. These

species are effective “sentinel species” for measuring ecosystem health, which can be assessed and monitored through a

variety of ecological, physiological, and cellular methods. Two related projects will investigate the effects of pollution on

fish-eating birds such as gulls, terns, and loons in Michigan and New York. 1) Our previous studies have shown

associations between pollutants and suppressed immune and hormonal functions in gulls, terns, and herons of the Great

Lakes. The objective of the current study is to continue the assessment and monitoring of these health effects at

contaminated sites around the Great Lakes. Specifically, this project is funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service under

the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to measure the current health and population status of birds at specifically designated

Areas of Concern. The data from this and other studies will help help the USFWS and other government agencies determine

whether water quality at these sites has improved enough to remove them from the list of impaired sites, or whether they

should remain designated as Areas of Concern. This project involves travel and boating for field work around the Great

Lakes and follow-up laboratory work at Calvin. Students will have the opportunity to interact with USFWS scientists. 2)

The deposition of airborne mercury into lakes in the northeastern US and Canada presents significant health risks to fish-

eating wildlife such as common loons. This mercury comes primarily from coal-fired power plants and cement kilns. In a

previous laboratory study, dietary mercury exposure suppressed immune function in young loons. Previous field studies

conducted suggest significant immunological effects in young wild loons but minimal effects in adults. This study will

continue investigations into immunological effects in wild loons living in New York's Adirondack Park. Loons will be

captured at night by spotlighting and netting them from boats and canoes. White blood cells will be isolated from blood

samples and cryopreserved for transport back to the laboratory at Calvin. Immunological functions of these white blood

cells will be assessed using cell culture assays in the laboratory. Students will have the opportunity to work with biologists,

rangers, and veterinarians from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the Bronx Zoo, and the

BioDiversity Research Institute.

Koetje, David Biology Leah Baas Biology Department Developing Investigative Labs for Biology 230 In the fall of 2016 the Biology Department will launch a new Physiology

course that will precede Biology 250 in the biology program. This course will explore foundational principles in plant and

animal physiology and continue the development of laboratory competencies. To that end, we need to develop laboratory

modules that facilitate the development of essential skills, promote mastery of prevailing methods, and then apply these

towards investigatory projects that address physiological questions. Students with an interest in pedagogical research and

experiential learning are especially encouraged to apply.

Shen, Anding Biology Mackenzie

Geels; Derrick

Kamp; Bo Ram

Kim

Clarence (Bud) Star and

Arlene Talen Star

Student Research

Fellowship; National

Institutes of Health

(NIH)

Roles of endothelial cells on HIV-1 infection and latency in resting CD4+ T cells In many patients with HIV-1 infection,

highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) successfully suppresses viral loads and restores CD4+ T cell numbers.

However, a major latent reservoir identified in resting CD4+ T cells poses a great barrier to eradication and ensures viral

persistence in patients. The understanding of how such a latent reservoir is formed is quite limited. A more complete

understanding of the mechanisms contributing to the establishment of the reservoir will influence the strategies in battling

viral persistence. The overall goal of this study is to investigate the roles of endothelial cells on HIV-1 infection and latency

in resting CD4+ T cells. Students will be working with human blood cells and a non-infectious pseudotyped virus.

Ubels, John Biology John Leerar National Institutes of

Health (NIH)

Protection of the cornea from UVB radiation by elevated potassium in tears.

Ubels, John;

Haarsma, Loren

Biology, Physics

& Astronomy

Peter Boersma Arnold and Mabel

Beckman Scholars

Program

Investigating how UV exposure activates K+ channels in corneal epithelial cells using electrophysiology

Warners, David;

Van Dragt,

Randy

Biology Joseph Choi,

Nathan Jansen

Fritz and Carol Rottman

Biology Fellowship

Ecosystem Response to Fire and Climate Change at Flat Iron Lake Preserve This project will take place at Flat Iron

Lake and offers a combination of research and management experiences. Assessments will be made after spring controlled

burning is done to evaluate the impact of periodic fires on the diversity and productivity of plant and insect communities.

These students will also include an ongoing flower phenology study, investigating the timing of flowering period for a

variety of native prairie plants. Through this long term field study our objective is to document the variety of responses to

climate change exhibited by the diverse assemblage of plants at the Flat Iron Lake Preserve. In addition the students will

collect data to help understand why some of the prairie areas seem to be flourishing while others are less diverse and

productive. Students selected for these positions will live at a Calvin owned house on Flat Iron Lake and also assist in the

day to day management of this beautiful preserve which is located approximately 45 minutes north of Grand Rapids.

Warners, David;

Heffner, Gail

Biology Leira Lew,

Micah Warners

USEPA Urban Waters

Division, Plaster Creek

Stewards

Habitat Restoration with Green Team High School Students These two college students will help supervise and work

alongside the Plaster Creek Stewards summer Green Team, a group of urban high school students from Grand Rapids who

gain experience learning how to implement and maintain green-infrastructure development projects. Responsibilities will

include greenhouse and nursery management, off campus project installations, seed collecting, and planning and guiding the

high school student activities. This position will afford opportunities for coordinating efforts between the Plaster Creek

Green Team and a more recent Green Team in the Rogue River Watershed (near Rockford, Michigan). Besides helping to

educate high school students this work will also provide opportunities to practice Spanish, engage in cross-cultural

relationships, and become involved in other research and management efforts being done by Plaster Creek Stewards.

Warners, David Biology Maxwell

DeYoung,

Benjamin

Naghtin, Jenna

Van Donselaar

William H. and Celia I.

Dornbush DeVries

Family Student

Research Fellowship,

Brandsen Summer

Research Fellowship,

Michigan Department of

Environmental Quality

Ecological Restoration in the Plaster Creek Watershed Students will work closely with Dr. Warners and Mr. Michael

Ryskamp in the preparation and installation of a variety of restoration projects from small residential rain gardens to large-

scale habitat restorations and bio-retention projects. Additionally, these students will assist in the maintenance of restored

areas, and will become involved in all aspects of plant propagation from seed collecting to out-planting. The project will

include greenhouse and nursery work. This work will provide students with practical, hands-on opportunities to learn about

low-impact development and green infrastructure best practices.

Warners, David Biology Patrick Jonker Biology Department Research and Maintenance of Habitat Restoration Projects For this project, the student will work in Calvin’s

greenhouses, tree nursery, and at sites on and off campus assessing the relative success of native plants that have been used

in habitat restoration projects in the Plaster Creek Watershed. Part of this work will involve collecting and processing data

from an experimental prairie planting near the Prince Conference Center. The student will also work with Dr. Warners to

expand this planting. Additionally, this student will collaborate with staff from Calvin's Physical Plant to maintain and

upgrade native plantings on campus.

Warners, David Biology Alan Stockdale,

Lydia Abma

Calvin Alumni

Association, Hanes

Trust

Botanical Inventory of Kent County Over 100 years ago an outstanding botanist named Emma J. Cole published Grand

Rapids Flora: A Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Ferns Growing Without Cultivation in the Vicinity of Grand Rapids,

Michigan (Cole 1901). Since those “horse and buggy” days enormous changes have taken place within and around Grand

Rapids that have impacted the botanical richness of our region. Yet, Cole’s book remains the most recent comprehensive

botanical inventory of Greater Grand Rapids. The primary goals of this research project are to identify and gain access to as

many of the specific locations described by Cole as possible, evaluating their present-day status compared with her

descriptions from 1901. In some cases, whole natural areas have been lost, but in other places remnant vegetation has

persisted. This will be the second year of the project, which got off to a great start 2015. The work involves visiting local

sites, collecting and identifying the plants growing in these areas, preparing dried specimens for the Calvin College

Herbarium, and sending complimentary specimens to both the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

Students involved in this project will also help to determine the current status of the 34 species listed by Cole that are

presently considered rare and endangered in the state of Michigan. These students will work closely with Drs. Garrett Crow

and David Warners, and will collaborate with the lead botanist of the Michigan Natural Features Inventory with respect to

rare plants, Mr. Brad Slaughter. The work from this project will eventually contribute to an updated manuscript, Flora of the

Grand Rapids Area.

Wertz, John Biology Matthew

Schepers

National Science

Foundation (NSF)

Metabolic Congruence or Divergence in Ant Gut Bacteria? It is known that insects experienced rapid speciation upon

developing an herbivorous life-style. However, how these insects are able to thrive on such a nutrient-poor, typically

indigestible diet is a conundrum. This seeming contradiction can be resolved if the gut bacteria associated with these insects

are accounted for. The gut bacteria may have a major role in digesting plant molecules and providing the insect with

essential nutrients. Further, because microbes can adapt to a changing environment more quickly than their host, they may

help the insect survive the transition to a new food source during times of predation, competition, or food scarcity. Hence,

gut bacteria are thought to have had a major role in insect nutrition, survival, and species diversi-fication. To test this,

multiple species of the herbivorous turtle ants are used as a model system. From these ants we have amassed an extensive

library of gut bacteria. Using these bacteria, we seek to answer three primary questions: 1. Do related bacteria from different

turtle ant species share metabolic capabilities? 2. Do unrelated bacteria across and within ant species have similar metabolic

capabilities? 3. How can the metabolic capabilities of the bacteria support the nutritional needs of the ant? Answering these

questions will require deep characterization of different bacterial isolates, including analysis of growth substrates and

metabolic endproducts (via HPLC), growth assays, enzyme assays, and detection of gene transcripts via RT-PCR.

Wilstermann,

Amy

Biology Abigail

Stearns, Ryan

Toering

Ruth and Gladys

Wierenga, Helen DeVos

Children’s Hospital, and

the Calvin Alumni

Association

CancerEd: Tools for Teaching Kids about Cancer The goal of CancerEd is to develop a library of quality, engaging, age-

appropriate materials for children in grades K-12 focused on the topic of cancer for use by classroom teachers and hospital

educators. A student working on this project will assist in the development of educational materials and assessment tools;

maintain a website to facilitate dissemination of resources; communicate and work alongside collaborators at Helen DeVos

Children’s Hospital; and help organize, facilitate, and analyze parent focus groups and surveys designed to assess parent-

adult communication about cancer and resource needs. A student that is able to continue work into the academic year will

assist in classroom visits, assessment analysis, and continued website maintenance.

Anderson,

Carolyn

Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Abigail Frndak National Science

Foundation (NSF)

Organic Chemistry: Asymmetric Gold-catalyzed Rearrangement of N-Propargyloxypyridines Organic synthesis is a

powerful technique that allows access to a wide range of different structural motifs. In this project, we are working to

advance a method for the synthesis of chiral N-substituted pyridones; an interesting functional group found in a series of

pharmacologically interesting compounds. To date, we have developed a gold(III)-catalyzed method for accessing this motif

by rearranging a related system in a racemic fashion. The student working in this area will be responsible for trying to

develop an asymmetric version of this rearrangement. The student will gain experience with synthetic organic chemistry and

analytical techniques, including: running reactions, purification, organic spectroscopy, chiral HPLC, experimental design

and working in the inert atmosphere glove box.

Anderson,

Carolyn

Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Evan Romero National Science

Foundation (NSF)

Organic Chemistry: Microwave Assisted Gold-catalyzed Rearrangement of N-Propargyloxypyridines Organic

synthesis is a powerful technique that allows access to a wide range of different structural motifs. In this project, we are

working to advance a method for the synthesis of N-substituted pyridones; an interesting functional group found in a series

of pharmacologically interesting compounds. To date, we have observed a new gold(I)-catalyzed method for accessing this

motif by rearranging a related system, and have discovered that this reaction is greatly accelerated under conditions of

microwave heating. The student working in this area will be responsible for exploring the scope of the gold(I)-catalyzed

rearrangement, and will gain experience with synthetic organic chemistry techniques, including: using the microwave

reactor, running reactions, purification, organic spectroscopy, experimental design, and working in the inert atmosphere

glove box.

Anderson,

Carolyn

Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Emily Zerull National Science

Foundation (NSF)

Synthesis of Beta- and Gamma-Amino Acids Containing N-Alkyl Pyridones Organic synthesis is a powerful technique

that allows access to a wide range of different structural motifs. In this project, we are working to develop a method for the

synthesis of beta- and gamma-amino acids containing N-alkyl pyridones, which are homologues of natural amino acids and

contain an interesting functional group found in a series of pharmacologically active compounds. To date, we have

discovered an important intermediate in route to these species and have begun to optimize its synthesis. The student

working in this area will continue to seek conditions for the preparation of this intermediate and its conversion into the

desired amino acids. The student will gain experience with synthetic organic chemistry techniques, including: running

reactions, purification, organic spectroscopy, and experimental design.

Baker, Rachael Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Alexandra

Bogner, Ali

Nasir,

Cambrynne

Rietberg

Ken and Marcia Wierda

Summer Research

Fellowship, Dr. Daniel

J. Visser Student

Research Fellowship in

the Medical Sciences

The Role of Ubiquitination in Ras-Driven Signaling More than one third of all human cancers are caused by small

changes in the protein Ras. Recently, Ras was shown to be modified by a second protein, ubiquitin, in a process called

ubiquitination. Intriguingly, pancreatic Ras-driven tumors are smaller in the absence of ubiquitination. These findings

suggest that ubiquitination may be important for how Ras causes cancer. I previously developed a novel method to add

ubiquitin to Ras in vitro and performed detailed studies that showed how ubiquitination alters Ras activation. However,

questions still remain about the role of ubiquitination in Ras signaling in vivo. One challenge impeding progress is that Ras

regulation and signaling in human cells is complex, making it difficult to isolate the effect of a single event like

ubiquitination. We will study Ras ubiquitination in the yeast model system, where signaling pathways are conserved, yet

simplified, and powerful genetic tools are available. We hypothesize that site- and isoform-specific ubiquitination of Ras

will be important for pathway activation. Students working on the project will gain experience with experimental techniques

including cloning, western blots, yeast cell culture, protein purification, biochemical assays, and experimental design. There

may be additional opportunities for using enzymatic assays to measure effects of inhibitor compounds.

Barbachyn,

Michael

Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Jacob Bruinius,

Robert

Hohlman

Brummel Chair Design and Synthesis of Novel Antibacterial Agents Targeting Bacterial DNA Gyrase: Series 1 We will employ

organic synthetic methodology to prepare novel putative inhibitors of bacterial DNA gyrase. This tetrameric type-II

topoisomerase is a clinically validated bacterial target by virtue of the past clinical success of marketed fluoroquinolone

(FQ) antibacterial agents, exemplified by ciprofloxacin. Unfortunately, bacterial resistance to currently available

antimicrobial agents, including the FQs, continues to be a growing threat to public health. Multidrug-resistant (MDR)

strains of the so-called ‘ESKAPE’ pathogens are of particular concern because of their association with considerable

morbidity and mortality in the hospital setting. The Gram-negative ‘KAPE’ organisms - Klebsiella pneumoniae,

Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp. – are especially problematic because of the

dearth of new and effective agents found in the existing clinical development pipeline. This research project will identify

new scaffolds leading to antibacterial gyrase inhibitors that retain activity against FQ-resistant pathogens, including

problematic Gram-negative organisms. Students working on this project will gain relevant experience with synthetic

organic chemistry techniques, including: basic experimental design, running reactions under an inert atmosphere,

purification, and structural characterization via NMR, IR and MS spectroscopy. A multi-year collaboration with The Henry

M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, funded by a Department of Defense (DoD) Proposal,

Combating Antibiotic Resistance, is in the final approval stages. Biochemical and microbiological profiling of synthesized

compounds will potentially take place at both Calvin - Rachael Baker’s lab - and DoD facilities, including the Walter Reed

Army Institute of Research (WRAIR).

Barbachyn,

Michael

Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Lea Wassink,

Shiyuan

(Sherrice)

Zhang

Brummel Chair Design and Synthesis of Novel Antibacterial Agents

Targeting Bacterial DNA Gyrase: Series 2 We will employ organic synthetic methodology to prepare novel putative

inhibitors of bacterial DNA gyrase. This tetrameric type-II topoisomerase is a clinically validated bacterial target by virtue

of the past clinical success of marketed fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibacterial agents, exemplified by ciprofloxacin.

Unfortunately, bacterial resistance to currently available antimicrobial agents, including the FQs, continues to be a growing

threat to public health. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of the so-called ‘ESKAPE’ pathogens are of particular concern

because of their association with considerable morbidity and mortality in the hospital setting. The Gram-negative ‘KAPE’

organisms - Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp. – are

especially problematic because of the dearth of new and effective agents found in the existing clinical development pipeline.

This research project will identify new scaffolds leading to antibacterial gyrase inhibitors that retain activity against FQ-

resistant pathogens, including problematic Gram-negative organisms. Students working on this project will gain relevant

experience with synthetic organic chemistry techniques, including: basic experimental design, running reactions under an

inert atmosphere, purification, and structural characterization via NMR, IR and MS spectroscopy. A multi-year

collaboration with The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, funded by a Department

of Defense (DoD) Proposal, Combating Antibiotic Resistance, is in the final approval stages. Biochemical and

microbiological profiling of synthesized compounds will potentially take place at both Calvin - Rachael Baker’s lab - and

DoD facilities, including the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR).

Benson, David Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Adam

Hilbrands,

Terryce

Nederhood

Luke and Pauline

Schaap Summer

Research Fellowship,

The DeKock Chemistry

Summer Research

Fellowship

Anti-Oxidant Nature of Tyrosine-Cysteine Crosslinks in BF4112 Anti-oxidants provide a cellular defense from

damaging oxidants produced during immune responses or uncontrolled catalysis. We are interested in a molecule formed

from a modification of two amino acids from an intact protein (tyrosine and cysteine) whose sidechains are crosslinked by a

coolant bond. This molecule (attached to the protein or out of the protein) can engage in redox chemistry and we believe it

can function as a protein-bound anti-oxidant. We can form this molecule in an orphan protein (BF4112) using

copper/dioxygen chemistry. We have developed a fluorescence assay to assess how much of this molecule is formed. We

need to now assess how much of this molecule forms with other chemistries iron/dioxygen, Cu/peroxide, etc. In addition to

these assays we will be examining the use of NMR and X-Ray crystallography to structurally characterize the molecule

formed on BF4112.

DeKock, Roger Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Lucas VanLaar The Camille and Henry

Dreyfus Foundation

Trends in the Electronic Structure of Atoms We plan to complete theoretical studies on several atomic systems in order

to obtain insight into the electronic structure of atoms. Specifically we aim to provide: 1) a theoretical underpinning as to

why the experimental sequential ionization energies of atoms roughly follow an arithmetic progression, 2) a theoretical

understanding of the trends observed in the experimental K(alpha) X-ray emission energies as initially observed by Moseley

more than 100 years ago, and 3) a theoretical interpretation of the relationship between atomic size and sequential atomic

ionization energies. We employ the GAMESS software, and the Constrained Unrestricted Hartree-Fock (CUHF) model

within GAMESS (General Atomic and Molecular Electronic Structure System).

Fynewever, Herb Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Jooyoung Kong William H. and Celia I.

Dornbush DeVries

Family Student

Research Fellowship

Faculty and student communication in science classrooms in Nepal Usually when students are learning science they

reveal their thinking to the instructor and the instructor uses this information to give feedback to the students. Often,

however, this two-way communication is limited to formal assessments such as quizzes and exams, which happen after most

of the learning has happened. Research has shown that there are many effective ways to better integrate this communication

into the learning process (e.g. interactive classroom delivery and activity) realizing significant gains in student learning. In

our research we will evaluate these feedback processes using interview data from Nepali science instructors at Kathmandu

University. We will compare our results with previous work with American instructors. The student researcher selected for

this project will also work on the project titled "Kathmandu University's response to the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal."

Fynewever, Herb Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Heidi (Schreur)

Nykamp

Thedford P. Dirkse

Summer Research

Fellowship

Kathmandu University's response to the 2015 earthquakes In the spring of 2015 there were massive earthquakes in

Nepal with killed many thousands and disrupted the lives of many millions of Nepali people. In this research, the student

researcher will review data taken from student and faculty interviews at Kathmandu University in the months following the

earthquake. These data will be summarized and compared with similar data taken from university faculty and students at the

University of Canterbury in New Zealand following their 2011 earthquake. This research will reveal differences and

similarities between first-world and developing-world responses to natural disasters within the university context.

Looyenga,

Brendan

Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Camille Barnes,

Emily Roloff

National Institutes of

Health (NIH)

Cell Signaling Dysfunction in Renal Cancer My lab studies the role of cell signaling in normal and disease contexts,

particular that of cancer. This coming summer we will be continuing work on a form of kidney cancer called papillary

renal cell carcinoma, which is caused in part by genetic amplification of two kinases, LRRK2 and MET. This project will

involve a significant amount of cell/tissue culture, protein biochemistry and data analysis of cell growth trends in the

presence or absence of various therapeutic drugs or genetic perturbations.

Students who have already taken Cell Biology (BIOL-141 or 161), Quantitative Analysis (CHEM-201) and Biochemistry

(CHEM323/324 or 303) are the best candidates for this work. It is also desired that students be able to contribute to this

ongoing project during the following academic year as paid interns.

Louters, Larry Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Brianna

Busscher

National Institutes of

Health (NIH)

Effects of glucose uptake activators on the membrane distribution of GLUT1 Acute activators of glucose uptake such as

hydroxylamine or berberine treatment appear to activate the glucose transporter, GLUT1, without changing the surface

concentration of the transporter. However, the activation may cause a redistribution of the transporter into lipid rafts. We

will explore this possibility by the biochemical isolation of lipid raft protein pre and post activation and determine is altered

when lipid rafts are disrupted. The research groups of Professors Arnoys, Looyenga and will be integrated into a single

team.

Louters, Larry Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Lauren

Strohbehn,

Jeremy

Wodarek

National Institutes of

Health (NIH)

Relationship of the activity of GLUT1 to its tethering to the cytoskeleton GLUT1, like many membrane proteins, can be

tethered to the cell cytoskeleton by connector proteins. Typically this tethering is involved in the recycling of the protein to

and from the membrane surface. We will measure the fraction of GLUT1 tethered to the cytoskeleton and determine if that

fraction changes when GLUT1 is activated. The research groups of Professors Arnoys, Looyenga and will be integrated into

a single team.

Muyskens, Mark Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Joy Yoo The Rollin M.

Gerstacker Foundation

Student Research

Fellowship

Efficiency and rate of fluorescence in scopoletin and related coumarins We will study the efficiency (quantum yield) and

rate (lifetime) of selected coumarins, focusing on scopoletin and closely related coumarins. Scopoletin has been identified

as the major fluorescent compound in sycamore wood aqueous extract, but its photophysical properties are not well

characterized.

Tatko, Chad Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Mason Swartz,

Philip

Tubergen

Pfizer Student Research

Fellowship, The Enno

Wolthuis Summer

Student Research

Fellowship

Metal Binding Peptides Metals have been implicated in the the pathology of human disease. The presence of metals may

accelerate the rate of oxidative damage to proteins and/or engage in redox cycling after incipient insult. A peptide model

system that incorporates unnatural amino acids has been previously developed to interrogate putative metal binding

characteristics. This work will be continued and elaborated by ongoing investigations into the scope of metal binding as

well as chafes to the redox potential of the metal and side chain. This work will involve the synthesis, purification and

characterization of such interactions. Extensive application of NMR, mass spectroscopy, electrochemistry and

spectrophotometric measurements will be utilized.

Tatko, Chad Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Regan Bond Clean Water Institute Assessing the physical, chemical and social status of rural water systems in Ecuador The Ecuadorian government has

mandated that all water systems be chemically disinfected. This effort traveled to Ecuador to perform physical and chemical

tests on rural water sheds in the greater Riobamba area. This assessment will be used to document current practices and

future options to improve water quality and access.

Vander Griend,

Douglas

Chemistry &

Biochemistry

Megan

Aardema,

Andrew

Rylaarsdam,

Nathanael

Kazmerczak

National Science

Foundation (NSF),

Arnold and Mabel

Beckman Scholars

Program

Nanomolecular Building Projects Understanding and controlling the interactions of molecular ensembles is a key goal of

nanotechnology. The students working on this project will use UV-vis spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (at Michigan

State University) to investigate the solution chemistry of various inorganic and biochemical molecular building blocks as

they interact under conditions of dynamic equilibrium to form nanostructures. A significant element of the research also

involves modeling multi-equilibria systems. This includes modeling artificial data to probe the limits of our mathematical

techniques so that we can better evaluate our models of real data.

Adams, Joel Computer

Science

Chris Dilley Kanis Summer Research

Fellowship

Enhancing the Thread-Safe Graphics Library The Thread-Safe Graphics Library (TSGL) is a software package

developed here at Calvin College for creating visualizations of parallel program behavior. Besides the graphics library itself,

the package includes a variety of examples that show how the program's behavior changes as different numbers of threads

are used. Professors at other colleges and universities are beginning to use TSGL, so a student working on this project will

enhance TSGL by (i) making it easier for others to install, and (ii) creating new visualizations that illustrate common

examples of parallel/concurrent program execution.

DeJong, Richard Engineering Nate Zylstra,

JT Lu

Toyota Technical Center Vehicle Wind Noise Studies

DeJong, Richard Engineering Dan Wharton,

Jon Sager

Mackinac Technologies Window Insert Development and Testing

Kim, Yoon Engineering Shurjo Maitra Calvin College

Sustainability Initiative

Design of a solar power system demonstration unit

Sykes, Aubrey Engineering Timothy Bosch Program for

Sustainability

Engineering

Design of a Water Supply for Calvin Gardens

Sykes, Aubrey Engineering Chinelo

Ezenwelu,

Temitope

Ogunnoiki

Program for

Sustainability

Engineering

Applications of Piezoelectric Technology for Renewable Energy

Sykes, Aubrey Engineering Matthew

Boelens

Science Division Pressure Drop Through Tube Bundles Tube bundles have numerous applications in engineering. A tube bundle

constructed for flow through the tubes is often used to reduce the turbulence eddies in flow streams (to "laminar-ize the

flow some). The energy cost for these bundles is important in design. Published literature is minimal for these systems--

although proprietary design guides are available in some firms. This project proposes to build a systematic set of tube

bundles and to determine the pressure drop--and this energy cost--using the wind tunnel in the Engineering Building. The

intent is to test and analyze the data, to develop suggested guidelines for design of such tube bundles, and to publish the

results.

Wunder, David Engineering Jennah Maier,

Heidi Ledford

Clean Water Institute Best practices and sustainability factors for community-scale drinking water disinfection in rural Ecuador

Wunder, David Engineering David Kang,

Shiny Samuel

Clean Water Institute Performance, operation and sustainability factors for home-scale slow sand filters used in developing global regions

Wunder, David;

Tellinghuisen,

Don

Engineering,

Psychology

Breanna

Pennings,

Angie

Tiemeyer

Clean Water Institute Factors effecting palatability of chlorinated community water supplies in rural Ecuador

Aay, Henk Geology,

Geography &

Environmental

Studies

Matthew

Raybaud

Van Raalte Institute,

Christian Schools

International and

Science Division

Mapping (Reformed) Christian Day Schools This research is part of a larger project, namely, an Atlas of Dutch American

History and Culture; this atlas will include a section on Dutch Americans and education, a large part of which will focus the

Christian Day Schools that were initially established by Dutch immigrants in the late 19th century. Even today, in this

system of Christian day schools, the majority of students, teachers, and board members are of Dutch American ancestry. The

researcher will scan summary tables in the yearly CSI directories to OCR and Excel data bases, add addresses and

geographic coordinates, and use GIS to produce maps at a variety of scales, as well as other visuals and statistical analysis.

The student will also become familiar with the large archive on Christian schools in the college's Heritage Hall. The results

will become part of a stand alone professional publication and key components will be used in the atlas.

Bjelland, Mark Geology,

Geography &

Environmental

Studies

Janaya Crevier,

Alicia DeJong

Science Division,

McGregor

Case Studies of Brownfield Redevelopment Projects in Michigan Brownfields are former factories or warehouses that lie

vacant and likely contain environmental pollution. Michigan has an exemplary program to subsidize and streamline the

cleanup of brownfield sites so they can be redeveloped into housing, commercial uses, or parks. In a 2014 Science Division-

funded research project, we found that brownfields redevelopment activity is highly uneven across Michigan. Recreation-

oriented cities along Lake Michigan such as Traverse City have received a disproportionate share of public subsidies for

brownfields work. On the other hand, brownfield redevelopment appeared to lag in Flint and Detroit. This project will

conduct detailed case studies of brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects, categorizing them based on the type of

cleanup work performed and the previous and final land uses. The work will involve visiting completed brownfield

redevelopment projects from around the state and compiling and summarizing project reports.

Sparks, Renee Geology,

Geography &

Environmental

Studies

Daniel

Blakemore,

Nathaniel Bos

Davis Young Research

Fellowship in Geology

Cation substitution in Cu-bearing minerals In addition to the native metal mineral of copper, there are several copper-

bearing minerals that are sulfides including chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite, and chalcocite. The most abundant ore of Cu is

the mineral chalcopyrite, which is a copper-iron-sulfide mineral found in the Keeweenawan peninsula of Michigan and in

Butte, Montana, and numerous other settings. Due to the fact that cations in chalcopyrite can take on +1, +2, or +3

valences, there is a great deal of substitution that can occur. In some cases, the substitution may prove to be economically

beneficial (Au, Ag, Pt, Ni) but in other cases it can be environmentally hazardous (As, Pb, Hg). When precipitated within

limestone or dolostone host rocks, these sulfide minerals are accompanied by copper-carbonate minerals in the exterior

oxidized zone of the mineral deposits. Copper-carbonate minerals include azurite and malachite. The focus of this work

will be to analyze crystalline mineral specimens from the Dice Museum Mineral collection and identify the concentration of

trace elements occurring within those mineral samples to understand the distribution of trace metal ions that substitute for

copper or iron. These trace metal ions provide understanding of the naturally occurring geochemical processes and

geochemical pathways.

Jung, Hyunyi Mathematics &

Statistics

Ju Hye (Joyce)

Park, Sarah

Strikwerda

The Jack and Lois

Kuipers Applied

Mathematics

Endowment, Jansma

Family Research Fund

in the Sciences and

Business Fellowship

Pre-service teachers’ views on their opportunities to learn about algebra This project will provide the opportunity for

you to analyze data and be an author on conference presentation(s) and journal article(s). The interview data have already

been collected by future mathematics teachers who were asked to provide examples of opportunities to learn about algebra

that they experienced in their teacher education programs. We will identify the characteristics of opportunities that these

future teachers remembered and valued from their programs. The findings will help other mathematics educators reflect on

and improve their own practice related to teaching algebra. You will also learn algebra content and pedagogy as it is taught

in five other universities.

Moseley, Chris Mathematics &

Statistics

Shamuel

Auyeung

The Jack and Lois

Kuipers Applied

Mathematics

Endowment

Minimal surfaces and mean curvature flow A minimal surface is a two-dimensional surface in 3-space with zero mean

curvature. These surfaces have interesting geometric properties and also occur in nature, such as in lipid boundaries studied

in biophysics. This project will investigate geometric properties of minimal surfaces and ways in which a minimal surface

can undergo transitions into other surfaces under mean curvature flow. A background in differential geometry (Math 305)

and complex analysis (Math 365) is desirable.

Turner, James Mathematics &

Statistics

Kimberly

Oesman, Isaac

Zylstra

The Jack and Lois

Kuipers Applied

Mathematics

Endowment, National

Science Foundation

(NSF)

Exploring Polynomial Algebras through Hilbert Series Polynomials have a long history, since Descartes, of modeling

geometric phenomena (such as conics and quadrics) and have been used in modeling physical phenomena, such as the

workspace for the motion of a robotic arm. Algebraically, polynomials are studied through the concept of ideals. One way

to characterize and analyze an ideal is by measuring its growth through its Hilbert series. In this project, we will seek to

characterize polynomial ideals by first assuming restrictions on the Hilbert series. In particular, we will focus on

establishing further cases of a conjecture of Froberg. It is recommended that students interested in participating in this

project have some experience in abstract algebra.

Ayoola, Adejoke Nursing Elise Veurink,

Josie Granner,

Marianna Pèrez

Robert Wood Johnson

Foundation, Science

Division

Preconception reproductive knowledge promotion (PREKNOP) Intended pregnancies decreased and unintended

pregnancies increased between 2001 and 2008 in the U.S., this is a shift that was previously unobserved. A Healthy People

2020 goal is to increase the percentage of intended pregnancies to 56%. It is essential to increase the percentage of

intended pregnancies considering the numerous risks and undesired consequences associated with unintended pregnancies.

Unintended pregnancies are associated with delayed recognition of pregnancies, and adverse birth outcomes such as preterm

birth, low birth weight, and negative physical and mental health effects in children. Unintended pregnancy rates and their

adverse effects are even worse among minority and low-income women. The long-term objective of this project is to

promote women’s reproductive health and positive pregnancy outcomes by examining the effectiveness of the

“Preconception Reproductive Knowledge Promotion (PREKNOP)”, an intervention to increase women’s knowledge of

their body, while reducing the risk of unplanned pregnancy and delayed pregnancy recognition. The hypothesis is that the

PREKNOP program will reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancy and improve women’s ability to manage their reproductive

health. Teams of nursing students and community health workers administer the 12 month intervention and six surveys in

face-to-face interviews.

Balili, Ryan Physics &

Astronomy

Jacob Hartman Jansma Family Research

Fund in the Sciences

and Business Fellowship

Optical Measurement of Polariton Strong Coupling in Semiconductor Microcavities This project is a collaboration

with the University of Pittsburgh where most of the research will be done. Optical experiments will be made at liquid

helium temperature on semiconductor microcavities to measure the strong coupling of light with semiconductor excitations.

An interested Calvin student will be doing spectroscopic experiments at a graduate laboratory in Pittsburgh for 10 weeks,

implementing the differential reflectivity measurement techniques developed in Calvin the previous summer and taking

photoluminescence excitation spectra of ultra-high quality optical microcavities to determine the properties and energy

signatures of polaritons.

Harper, Paul Physics &

Astronomy

Aaron Abma,

Andrew

Folkerts

The Jack and Lois

Kuipers Applied

Mathematics

Endowment; Michigan

Space Grant

Consortium, Science

Division

Structural and kinetic studies of the lamellar, cubic and hexagonal phases in lipids Lipids in the lamellar phase are the

fundamental underlying structure for all cell membranes. In addition to this biologically essential phase, they also form a

beautiful variety of shapes, including curvy, complex minimal surface based phases and the rolled up cylinders of the

inverted hexagonal phase. We’ll be looking at these structures and the transitions between them using DSC (differential

scanning calorimetry), PLM (polarized light microscopy) and X-ray diffraction.

Molnar, Larry Physics &

Astronomy

Evan Cook,

Byoungchan

(Chris) Jang

The Dragt Family

Fellowship, The John

Van Zytveld Student

Summer Research

Fellowship

Merging Contact Binary Stars Though they often appear as a single star, even when magnified, binary stars are two stars

held in mutual orbit around one another by gravity. Contact binary stars orbit so closely that they share a single atmosphere.

After long, stable lifetimes, contact systems are thought to merge together dramatically, although there is no consensus on

the mechanism that drives this. The approach to merger can in principle be detected by precise monitoring of orbital period

changes. This summer's work will focus on detailed study of one star we have found that seems just a few years away from

merger. We will also search systematically for evidence of pending merger in other stars.

Molnar, Larry Physics &

Astronomy

Kenton Greene Michigan Space Grant

Consortium, Andrew

Family Foundation, and

the Science Division

The Orbital Eccentricity of Algol Due to strong tidal effects, binary star systems with short orbital periods (less than a few

days) become circular. When orbited by a third star in a plane perpendicular to their own orbital plane, binary star systems

are driven to become highly eccentric. The eclipsing binary star Algol (orbital period = 2.87 days) has both a short period

and a third star companion in a perpendicular orbit, so it experiences conflicting forces. Its orbit has been observed to be

approximately circular and is generally assumed to be precisely circular. With careful measurement of the relative timing of

its primary and secondary eclipses, it may be possible to measure a small, but nonzero eccentricity. Knowing how Algol

balances the conflicting forces acting on it would provide valuable information on the dynamical physics involved.

Smolinski, Jason Physics &

Astronomy

Zachary Bruce Hubert A. Vander Plas

Memorial Student

Research Fellowship

Distinguishing Stellar Populations within Milky Way Globular Star Clusters Globular star clusters have long been

considered simple stellar populations – organizations of stars that all formed at once and evolve together. This assumption

has allowed astronomers to study stellar evolution with great success. Over the past two decades, evidence has accumulated

which suggests that globular clusters (GCs) may not actually be single population groups, but rather appear to have

undergone multiple epochs of star formation on cosmologically short timescales. While theoretical work is somewhat

divided on the issue, fewer than half of the ~160 GCs in the Milky Way have been studied observationally. In this project,

we will obtain and analyze data from clusters that have not been thoroughly studied within the Milky Way that may

continue to shed light on the evolutionary history of individual clusters and the population of Milky Way GCs as a whole.

This project is a continuation of work begun previously.

Totals 55 projects 40 % externally funded by grants from outside Calvin College

41 professors 34.8 % funded by private donors

8 % funded from within Calvin College

88 students ( 48 men, 40 women)

Student Supervisor Funded by

Tom Greidanus Dr. Daniel

Armstrong

Rachel House Ning Wu, Ph.D. Meijer

Foundation

Jonathan Ismond Arul J.

Duraisamy, Dr.

Renu A. Kowluru

National Eye

Institute,

Kresge Eye

Institute, and

The Thomas

Foundation

Kelly

McCormick

Dr. Daniel

Michele

Calvin College

Biology

Department,

University of

Michigan

Elizabeth

McKay

Dr. Grace

Wilkinson, Cal

Buelo, Jason

Kurtzweil, Dr.

Michael Cramer,

Dr. Gary

Belovsky

Bernard J.

Hank Family

Endowment

Project Title and Location

Saving Avulsed Teeth for Reimplantation: Storage Solution Analysis Health Intervention Services, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Chemical and mechanical isolation of mouse RPE Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Damaging Effects of Oxidative Stress, and Hyperlipidemia on Retinal Structure in Animal Models of Diabetic Retinopathy Wayne State

University, Detroit, Michigan

Developing Bulk Wounding Methods to Study Plasma Membrane Repair in Skeletal Muscle Fibers University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,

Michigan

Origin of organic carbon as a driver of variability of carbon decomposition and storage in lakes University of Notre Dame Environmental

Research Center (UNDERC-East Program), University of Notre Dame, Indiana

2016 Off-campus researchers who presented posters at the Science Division Summer Research Poster Fair

departments represented 21.94

Anna

Michmerhuizen

Dr. H. Robert

Bergen III, Dr.

Nancy L.

Wengenack

Beatrice and

Reymont Paul

Foundation, the

Department of

Loboratory

Medicine and

Pathology at

the Mayo

Graduate

School

Rebecca Voogt J. Brian Byrd,

MD, MS

NIH, Esperance

Family

Foundation

Elianna Walters Professor Dianne

M. Walters, PhD.

East Carolina

University

Effect of calcineurin inhibition on V2O5-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in C57BL/6J mice Brody School of Medicine at East

Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina

Characterization of the Histoplasma Capsulatum Glycans Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Unlocking the secrets of urine: assaying urinary extracellular mRNA in healthy volunteers Byrd Lab, University of Michigan