22 students research alongside professors during summer

Twenty-two Goshen College students are spending their summer working with professors on various research projects during the college’s eight-week Maple Scholars program.

The Maple Scholars program gives students the opportunity to participate in independent research projects alongside Goshen College faculty of various disciplines. Each scholar works with a faculty member who serves as both a colleague and a supervisor.

The college’s Maple Scholars program began in 1998. Unlike undergraduate research projects at many larger universities where students work only with graduate students, Maple Scholars work with professors who can answer their questions and guide them in their research and learning. Students also get the chance to share their work together in a colloquium each Friday and engage other students across disciplines.
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Martin Banda, a sophomore molecular biology and biochemistry major from Mishawaka, Ind., is working with Assistant Professor of Biology Kris Schmidt on cell migration and its wide variety of processes, including formation of the nervous system and abnormal cell migration contributing to diseases such as cancer.

 

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Suman Bhandari, a 2013 graduate who majored in molecular biology and biochemistry from Goshen, Ind., is working with visiting Adjunct Professor of Biology Richard Manalis and Jessica Davila, a Goshen College molecular biology/biochemistry and mathematics double major, to research fundamental aspects of learning and memory by recording muscle contractions observed in a frog’s nerves.
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Dennis Chavez, a 2013 graduate who double majored in physics and mathematics from Barnesville, Ohio, is working with Professor Emeritus of Physics Carl Helrich to research the formations of cholesterol supported nystatin channels in relation to membrane biophysics.
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Matthew Chen, a junior physics major from Taiwan, and Aaron Shelly, a 2013 graduate double majoring in physics and mathematics from Bluffton, Ohio, are working with Professor of Physics John Ross Buschert to create a tuning graph for marimba bars.  ____________________________________________________________________________

Liz Core, a senior communication major from Pella, Iowa, and Ariel Ropp, a 2013 graduate double majoring in psychology and communication from Schaumburg, Ill., are working with Professor of Communication Duane Stoltzfus to evaluate the first year of publication of the Goshen Commons website (www.goshencommons.org). Goshen Commons, a community news and blog site, is published by the Goshen College Communication Department.
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Abby Deaton, a junior psychology and communication double major from Indianapolis, Ind., is working with FiveCore Media General Manager Kyle Hufford to research the use of video on community blogs.
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Micah Detweiler, a junior music major from Goshen, Ind., is working with Assistant Professor of Music Christopher Fashun to research and apply the pedagogical approaches of the Comprehensive Musicianship Project of Wisconsin (CMP) and the Teaching Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance series to the marching arts.
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Lucas Godshalk, a 2013 graduate who majored in physics from Plymouth, Ind., is working with Associate Professor of Physics Paul Meyer Reimer to research and construct apparatuses to detect and measure elastic waves in thin sheets for comparison.
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Martin Hofkamp, a senior peace, justice and conflict studies major from Peabody, Kan., and Marita Beachy, a 2013 graduate double majoring in elementary education and special education from Shaker Heights, Ohio, are working with Associate Professor of Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies Carolyn Schrock-Shenk to prepare an “Inside-Out” curriculum, which brings college students together with incarcerated men and women to study as peers in a seminar behind prison walls. This is the first prison course implementation in Elkhart County.
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Oscar Kirwa, a senior business major from Kenya, is working with Professor of History Jan Bender Shetler, to learn more about the Mara Cultural Digital Library (MCHDL) to connect with schools and communities in Tanzania. He is digitizing interviews and learning about the community’s history, culture, language, education and community development.
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 Theodore Kuchar, a sophomore biology major from Ann Arbor, Mich., is working with Assistant Professor of Biology Andy Ammons to set up bee colonies on campus and at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College to perform basic techniques of bee keeping, skilled marking and observing living bees.
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Andrea Moya, a senior social work and psychology double major from Quito, Ecuador, is working with Professor of History Steve Nolt and Associate Academic Dean Tom Meyers to research the Amish population of Northern Indiana through data programs to create a single profile of the community.
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Aradhana Roberts, a 2013 graduate from Mussoorie, India who double majored in biology and environmental science, is working with Assistant Professor of Sustainability and Environmental Education Jonathon Schramm to identify and prioritize emerging invasive plants at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College.

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Peter Schrock, a junior mathematics major from Goshen, Ind., and Andy Clemens, a senior math and physics double major from Baltimore, Md., are working with Professor of Mathematics David Housman to research fair allocation by developing a mathematical model of a situation and then defining the fairness properties to suggest allocation methods to aid in determining whether the allocation methods satisfy the defined fairness properties.
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Tessa Yoder, a junior biology and environmental science double major from Goshen, Ind., and Aaron Kauffman, a senior molecular biology and biochemistry major from Goshen, Ind., are working with retired Professor of Biology Stan Grove to test activities and develop protocol for growing multiple strains of algae. Read more about their AlgaeTown project.
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Carina Zehr, a senior environmental science and sociology double major from Foosland, Ill., and Twila Albrecht, a junior journalism and sociology double major from Goshen, Ind., are working with Associate Professor of Sociology David Lind to research the association between relative adherence to agrarianism and other potentially relevant dimensions of people’s lives.

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–      By Lexi Kantz