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Students present research at National Conference
November 9, 2004
CARROLLTON, GA - Imagine a creative mind probing to find out how to “Unfry An Egg,” or study the French Bohemian lifestyle or even how computer model experiments work.
For Honors College students at the University of West Georgia, this is nothing unusual. Ten UWG students will present papers at the annual National Collegiate Honors Society Conference in New Orleans Nov. 10-14. The NCHC is the preeminent organization in the country for undergraduate research.
“This is an enormous achievement for our students, the professors who help them and our University for supporting this activity for our students,” said Dr. Donald Wagner, dean of the UWG Honors College
These
10 students are at the top of their class and three of them — Logan
Leslie, Cathy Tran and Dmitriy V. Plaks — have some pretty interesting
papers to present.
Leslie, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry from Carrollton, says his presentation, “Unfrying An Egg,” is based on the examination of a protein in the eye’s tear ducts, aquaporin (AQPO). The AQPO is heated to simulate damage to an eye over a long period of time, he says.
“The aggregation of this protein as it undergoes stress is studied. The protein is also studied while a chaperone is present called alpha-crystallin,” Leslie said. “The difference in the process is being examined to see how alpha-crystallin interacts with the protein. Protein aggregation is the process by which a protein begins to unfold and gets stuck to other parts of the protein changing its form. By having a different form it cannot do its job. To get an idea of what protein aggregation is, when an egg is fried the clear part that becomes white is undergoing protein aggregation.”
Tran, a junior chemistry major from McDonough, enrolled in UWG’s Advanced Academy while she was a student at Eagles Landing High School. She only graduated from there this spring.
Tran’s presentation, “Bohemia: the land of artists, rebels, and youths,” was an independent study based on her fascination with the French Bohemian lifestyle.
“My study is an attempt to explore the origin as well as the development and the impact of this movement, which is most notably influenced by the aftermath of the French Revolution and the rise of the Industrial Revolution,” Tran pointed out. “Although the flamboyant and eccentric individuals of this period seemed to be marginal characters in history, their collective effort to search for truth and beauty caused phenomenal social and intellectual impacts. I am so grateful for having the opportunity to learn about this subject. Dr. Mustapha Hamil, assistant professor of French, has been extremely kind and supportive in guiding me through the course.”
Plaks, a junior math and physics major from Powder Springs, is using the difficulty of physics experiments in the classroom as a basis for his presentation of “The Three Body Problem with a Twist.“
“Some experiments are not suited for the classroom, nor are they feasible in their experimental environment,” Plaks explained. “One of the alternatives is to use a computer simulation. The study of effects of gravity on a rocket interacting with two gravitational bodies is one such case. However, there is a twist to this simulation. An atmospheric layer was added to one of the bodies. Careful considerations were given to air density, temperature and pressure to create an accurate model of a typical planetary atmosphere.”
A member of the Physics and Engineering Club and of the UWG Honors College, Plaks give kudos to his UWG advisors Dr. Javier Hasbun, chair of the UWG Department of Physics, and Dr. James Espinosa, assistant professor of physics.
Dr. Beheruz Sethna, president of UWG, said the University’s commitment to student academic achievement will continue to be a top priority.
“I am very proud that UWG honors students can go up against the best honors students in the country in this annual research competition and beat them year after year,” Sethna said. “If we can consistently do better than major research universities in America, sometimes flagship institutions of a state, that speaks very highly of the caliber of our students, faculty and programs.
“More significantly, it speaks very highly of the commitment that this institution and this faculty has to student success, and provides clear evidence of our shared commitment to our theme of Educational Excellence in a Personal Environment,” Sethna said.
West Georgia began its honors program in 1975, making it the second oldest in the state. Only the University of Georgia has an older program. UWG’s program was converted to an Honors College by the Board of Regents in 1999, and is one of only 70 honors colleges in the country.
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