SPARTANBURG, SC — More than a dozen groups of Wofford College students and faculty have received research funding to pursue collaborative summer projects. In addition to receiving external grants, these groups also received $100,000 internally through Wofford’s faculty-student collaborative summer research program.

This summer’s research projects range from the correlation between Buddhist nominalism and mathematical non-realism to research on improving outcomes for youth in Spartanburg to research of the demographic history surrounding Wofford.

“The faculty-student collaborative summer research program plays a critical role in providing unique opportunities for our students to closely work with a faculty member at Wofford to address an important research question,” says Dr. Ramón Galiñanes, director of undergraduate research and post-graduate fellowships. Galiñanes is passionate about the transformative power of faculty-student collaborative research because he has experienced the effects of similar programs.

“I would not be here today as a first-generation college graduate-turned-academic had it not been for the opportunities that were provided to me by dedicated and talented faculty members – just like the ones found here at Wofford – who helped open doors that I did not even know existed,” he says.

Wofford students will present their project findings this fall at the fourth annual SoCon Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF) along with other students from Southern Conference colleges and universities. SURF is hosted by Wofford and is sponsored by Milliken & Co.

Below is a list of the research projects taking place this summer:

Faculty Member(s) Student(s) Project Title
Dr. Anne Catlla, associate professor of mathematics, dean of Center for Innovation and Learning Mathematics Eli Horner, mathematics major, Chapin, S.C. Mathematics of Gerrymandering
Dr. Stefanie Baker, associate professor of biology Emily K. Moore, computer science major, Inman, S.C. Effects of Ebola Secreted Glycoprotein of Dendritic Cells
Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell, assistant professor of biology Joseph Zavell, biology major, Florence, S.C. Identifying Genes that Regulate Cell Division in Symbiotic Algae that Reside within Coral Cells
Dr. Carolyn Martsberger, assistant professor of physics, and Dr. Kimberly Hall, assistant professor of English Claire Minter, Charlotte, N.C. Evaluating Collaborative Summer Research at Wofford College
Dr. Zach Davis, assistant professor of chemistry Nolan Lory, psychology major, Hickory, N.C. Wofford Spirits Lab
Dr. Jeremy Henkel, assistant professor of philosophy David Hickman, history and philosophy major, Waynesboro, Ga. Can Buddhist nominalism help explain mathematical non-realism?
Dr. Christine Dinkins, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Philosophy, and Dr. Laura Barbas Rhoden, professor of modern languages, literatures and cultures Mariana González, , psychology major, Hickory, N.C.; Mayra Lomeli-Garcia, psychology major, Charleston, S.C.; Sandra López, fianace major, Enoree, S.C.; Hector Ortiz, biology and Spanish major, Saluda, S.C.; and Jay Stevens, Spanish major, Spartanburg, S.C. Community-engaged qualitative research: improving outcomes for children and youth in Spartanburg, S.C.
Dr. Jim Neighbors, professor of English Calin Wharton, accounting major, Abbeville, S.C.; Catherine Todd, Camden, S.C.; Jara Dogan, English major, Rock Hill, S.C.; and Alex Rizzo Banks, economics major, Asheville, N.C. Back of the College Project
Dr. Katherine Steinmetz, associate professor of psychology Maddie Schutte, chemistry major, Sullivan’s Island, S.C.; Jonathan Carter, psychology and sociology and anthropology major, Clinton, S.C.; Jenna Vroman, biology and Spanish major, Daniel Island, S.C.; and Mary Claire Kinnas, French and psychology major, Perry, Ga. Exploring the influence of social and physiological stress on electrophysiology memory
Dr. Tracie Ivy, assistant professor of biology Ethan DiBlasio, chemistry major, Moore, S.C.; Peyton Godwin, biology and German major, Raleigh, N.C.; and Marcus Stallings, biology and Spanish major, Fort Mill, S.C. Living in a Microbial World
Dr. Deidra Coleman, assistant professor of mathematics Alexis Tomlin, biology and mathematics major, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Modeling Zika Virus Case Dara in Colombia
Dr. Ramin Radfar, professor of chemistry Daniela Samaniego-Gonzalez, chemistry major, Quito, Ecuador Extraction, purification, and kinetic properties of nickel-containing enzyme urease
Dr. Terry Ferguson, associate professor and senior researcher for the Goodall Environmental Studies Center Payton Stott, Columbus, N.C.; Max Lefebvre, history and German major, Spartanburg, S.C.; Blake Bagwell, biology major, Greer, S.C. Geological and Archaeological History of the Glendale Mill Area