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Undergrads part of scholar showcase
While student research is more often associated with graduate work, the opportunity to conduct research as an undergraduate is a strong draw for many students at UB.
It was the reason Ravinder, a senior from Delhi, India, chose to come to UB.
“The opportunity to assist in research as an undergraduate student was perhaps the most important reason why I chose UB to further my education,” said Ravinder, who goes by just one name.
He is one of four UB undergraduates who have been selected to participate in “SUNY Undergraduates Shaping New York’s Future: A Showcase of Scholarly Posters at the Capitol,” to be held April 13 in the Legislative Office Building in Albany.
The program is designed to bring some of SUNY’s most talented undergraduate scholars together with system administration officials and members of the New York State legislative delegation and their office staff. The UB students and their faculty mentors will be recognized for their outstanding work and contributions to their respective fields.
Since his sophomore year, Ravinder has worked with Peter Horvath, UB associate professor of exercise and nutrition sciences, studying the benefits of supplements, such as vitamins and minerals, in cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.
“Research universities like UB offer the facilities, support and scholars necessary for conducting scientific research,” said Ravinder, a biomedical sciences and medical technology major. The title of the poster he will present in Albany is “Nutritional Status and Intake Post-nutritional Supplementation vs. Placebo in Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy.”
“I believe that it is very important to have the opportunity to conduct research at the undergraduate level,” he said. “Research experience is valuable at many levels. It diversifies your college experience, it teaches you how scientists apply the knowledge in the classroom to real-world questions and it even enhances your resume.”
When the time comes to apply to graduate schools and jobs, the research that UB students conduct as undergraduates sets them apart from other students, explained Michael E. Ryan, vice provost for undergraduate education. “It’s an added edge in a competitive academic climate. A student’s resume rises to the top of the stack because of the hands-on experience. They’re that much better prepared for graduate school and jobs,” he said.
For Jasmine May, conducting research as an undergraduate is an opportunity that provides a framework for planning her future.
A sophomore from Sanborn, N.Y., she is majoring in medicinal chemistry and conducting research under the guidance of Mark T. Swihart, professor of chemical and biological engineering and director of the UB 2020 strategic strength in Integrated Nanostructured Systems.
“I feel it is very important that undergraduates have these research opportunities, because they can affect the choices that students make with their career,” she said. “It seems that many students focus too much on the coursework and don’t really think about application of their knowledge. By being introduced into the research world early, students can make better career decisions. Also, when working in the research world, students get lessons that they cannot normally get from a classroom or regulated lab.”
May will present a poster on “Biocompatible Luminescent Silicon Quantum Dots for Multiple Cancer Applications” in Albany.
“I was drawn to this topic because of its possible applications,” she said. “In the future I wish to do research into brain cancer treatments. Since the ‘blood-brain barrier’ is one of the biggest difficulties when dealing with the brain, the best method is to work on the smallest scale possible. If I become familiar and comfortable with the nano scale, hopefully I'll be able to carry that work over to the angstrom scale and push those boundaries.”
Conducting research has taken senior Amber Dewey of Kenmore in a direction she may not have otherwise pursued. A psychology major working in the lab with Jennifer L. Temple, a neurobiologist and assistant professor of exercise and nutrition sciences, Dewey began working in Temple’s Nutrition and Health Research Laboratory because of her interest in working with children.
“Through the hands-on experience and the daily routine of conducting research, being able to see all aspects of the process—writing, running participants, presenting findings—I decided to pursue further education in research,” Dewey said.
Her next goal is to obtain a doctorate in developmental psychology.
“Without the experiences I have had as an undergraduate to get involved in research, I don’t believe that I would have ended up pursing research as a profession. I also do not think I would have been accepted to graduate school without having gained as much experience as I have been able to here at UB,” Dewey said.
“Professors and labs are constantly sending out e-mails looking for research assistants. My advice to anyone even slightly interested in research would just be to apply—even if it is not the lab you ultimately want to end up in, you will gain valuable experience from it.”
Dewey, a senior, will present on “Sex Differences in the Physiological Effects of Acute Caffeine Administration in Adolescents.”
The fourth student, Mee Rim Choi, a senior from Korea majoring in biomedical science, is working on research with faculty advisor Piero R. Bianco, associate professor of microbiology and immunology. Choi will present on “Purification and Characterization of Active, Fluorescent Protein-tagged SSB Proteins for In Vitro, In Vivo and Single Molecule Fluorescence Studies.”
These four students also were recognized on April 1 as part of UB’s annual Celebration of Academic Excellence.
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