2011-2012 Theory-to-Practice Grants

The following is a list of the Theory-to-Practice Grants awarded in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Music Study Intensive at the Salzburg Music Festival
Submitted by assistant professor of music Jason Heister. Students will attend Austria’s Salzburg Music Festival in July and August, where they will experience operas, chamber ensemble concerts, solo lieder recitals, and master classes from faculty at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg.

Comparative Healthcare Study
Submitted by student Christina Trusty. She will travel to London in March to analyze and compare national public health programs in Great Britain and the United States. Learn more.

Cultural Immersion in McLeod Ganj: A Study in Cultural and Political Change
Submitted by student Lisa Taylor. She and student Kamila Goldin traveled to India over winter break to explore the cultural and socio-political status of a refugee community in McLeod Ganj. Learn more.

Phylogenic Elucidation of Sect. Stenoxylopia within Xylopia (Annonaceae) through Molecular Systematics
Submitted by student Jenna Reeger. She traveled to Florida earlier this month to conduct research in the Soltis Lab at the University of Florida. Reeger studied the molecular systematic protocol for DNA sequencing of plant samples of the clade Stenoxylopia of the genus Xylopia.

The Spaces of Santeria
Submitted by student Nyssa Berman. She will travel to Cuba in March with junior Margaret Argiro of Hilliard, Ohio, and sophomore Yarima Valenzuela of El Paso, Texas, to examine the creative, spiritual, and medical spaces Santeria occupies in Havana.

Preventing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: A Pharmacological Approach
Submitted by student Kellie Gross. She will work with assistant professor of psychology Jennifer Yates for more than two months this semester to evaluate the efficacy of a specific pharmacological intervention, neuropeptide Y, in preventing the onset of PTSD-like symptoms in an animal model. The results will have implications for theories of PTSD etiology and for its possible prevention.

OWU/Aoyama Gakuin Joint Habitat Build
Submitted by professor of management, Barbara MacLeod. Ohio Wesleyan will host 15 to 20 students from its sister university Aoyama Gakuin in Tokyo, Japan, in March to complete a joint service-learning project on poverty and build homes in Delaware for Habitat for Humanity.

OWU and the Juneau Icefield Research Program
Submitted by assistant professor of math and computer science, Craig Jackson. Jackson and junior Zeke Brechtel of Arvada, Colo., will travel to Alaska from May to August to participate in the Juneau Icefield Research Program. This one-of-a-kind summer research experience involves eight weeks of work on one of North America’s largest icefields.

The Rehabilitation and Release of Chacma Baboon Troops in South Africa
Submitted by student Tessa Cannon. She and student Ariel Hively will travel to South Africa in May and June to volunteer for the Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education (CARE)—a rehabilitation center for Chacma baboons and other African wildlife. While there, the OWU students also will research pre-existing sensory bias in the Chacma baboon. Learn more.

Islam in France
Submitted by assistant professor of religion, Susan Gunasti. She will travel to France in March with juniors Ashley Madera of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Stephanie VanVliet of Dublin, Ohio, to study the practice of Islam in France to better understand how the Islamic religious tradition has maintained and evolved in France.

Can 26+6=1? How the 6 Counties of Northern Ireland are Educating the Next Generation
Submitted by student Katherine Buckingham. She will travel to Ireland in March to study differing education systems in Northern Ireland and their potential power to desegregate the area. Her research seeks to determine whether integration has eased social tensions or added to issues faced by the still-separated communities.

The Effect of Age on Type of Search from Semantic Memory
Submitted by student Emily Kiourtsis. She will work with psychology faculty Harry Bahrick, Lynda Hall, and Mindy Baker from January through April to research ways to stabilize access to information people have learned previously by testing older and younger adults on the names of famous people.

A Comparative Study of Public Health Systems and Policies in Sweden and Spain
Submitted by student Kassel Galaty. She traveled to Sweden and Spain with sophomore Katharine Johnson of Ashville, N.Y., in December and January to research public health systems in both countries along with the perceptions that individuals, medical professionals, scholars, and public health officials have of the systems and policies.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay: a global investigation
Submitted by student Bradley Turnwald. He will travel to Heidelberg, Germany, from May to August to complete a research experience at European Molecular Biology Laboratories, where he will examine nonsense-mediated mRNA decay in the laboratory of world leaders in the field.

A Greener Tree House
Submitted by student Melissa Guziak. She will work through April to transition OWU’s Tree House small-living unit into a sustainability showcase, including open houses to show the results to the Ohio Wesleyan and Delaware communities. Learn more.

Graeco-Canadian Summer Field School
Submitted by student Danielle Bernert. In June and July, Bernert will travel to Asprovalta to participate in an archaeological field dig on Greece’s north Aegean coast. The six-week program, sponsored by the University of Montreal, will include visits to other sites and museums as well as opportunities to catalog and organize artifacts.

Child Development in Romanian Institutions
Submitted by assistant professors of psychology, Sarah Bunnell and Andrew Brandt with students Nicole Kaeser and Riane Ramsey. The group will travel to Romania, where they will connect classroom knowledge of atypical development with current advances in behavioral science and first-hand experience with developmentally impaired children. They also will attend an international research conference to learn about advances in assessing and treating children with developmental disabilities.

Examining AIDS Policy in South Africa and Tanzania
Submitted by student Kimberly Eckart. Eckart will travel to Africa in May and June to explore the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in HIV/AIDS policymaking and policy advocacy. She will compare policies in the two countries to policies in the United States, using the information for future post-graduate research.

Rephotography for Assessing the Effects of Mass Transit on Urban Development
Submitted by student Christopher Henchey. Henchey will spend a year examining the use of rephotography to assess urban development. The technique involves studying historical photographs and then taking new photographs at the same site. Henchey will visit Boston, Columbus, Seattle, and Portland to assess the limitations and potential of rephotography as a research method.

Climate Change and Community Building – The Japanese Quest for Sustainable Development
Submitted by students Lydia Hoefel, Sriharsha Masabathula, and Anuk Yingrotetarakul. The students will travel to Japan in May and June to study it in an academic, cultural, and global context to better understand Japan’s perspective on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While there, the group will volunteer to aid those impacted by the March 2011 earthquake.

Elevate Dance Intensive
Submitted by student Lauren Holler. She will travel to Detroit in July to study the competition dance world versus the modern dance artistry. Following the experience, Holler plans to conduct master dance classes for the entire OWU campus in the fall.

Tim Miller Residency at OWU
Submitted by faculty member Edward Kahn. Miller, an internationally acclaimed performance artist, will be in residence from February through May, conducting workshops with Ohio Wesleyan students that culminate in public performances of their resulting works as well as a public performance by Miller himself.

Effects of Genetics and Exercise on the Incidence and Progression of Colorectal Cancers
Submitted by faculty members Scott Kelly and David Markwardt. For three years, they will lead a collaborative effort investigating the ability of voluntary exercise to prevent or delay the onset and severity of colorectal cancers. The program will provide opportunities for students to engage in applied biomedical research related not only to classroom concepts, but also to a global research effort.

Appalachia: The Intersection of Faith, Service, and Health Care
Submitted by student Amber Kimberling. In May and June, Kimberling, a microbiology major and religion minor, will serve with in the Christian Appalachian Project’s children’s unit and then in the Remote Medical Kentucky free clinic. She will seek to better understand the intersection of faith and service as well as learn to work effectively with the region’s residents.

HaitiOWU
Submitted by staff member Sean Kinghorn, OWU’s energy conservation and sustainability coordinator. In August, Kinghorn and six students will travel to Haiti to serve Pwoje Espwa, an orphanage in Les Cayes. A HaitiOWU team visited the orphanage in May 2011, helping to renovate on-site facilities, teach English, and build the foundation for a long-term relationship.

Differentiated and Multi-Age Instruction in an Indian Orphanage
Submitted by student Sophia Lewis. In June and July, Lewis will travel to the Pumpkin House orphanage in Ahmednagar, India. An early education major, Lewis anticipates teaching English at the orphanage while assessing the effectiveness of the school’s multi-age classroom. She will present the results of her research to classmates and donate it to the University’s education library.

Dubai: Globalization and Geography
Submitted by students Addison Miller, Iftekhar Showpnil, and John Bieniek. In December, the students will travel to United Arab Emirates, where they will use Dubai as a case study of globalization—examining how economic, political, and cultural globalization has impacted the development of the city. Learn more.

Exploring the Nuance of African Globalization through the Study of Afro-Brazilian Culture in Salvador da Bahia
Submitted by student Samuel Monebi. In July and August, Monebi will travel to Brazil, where he will study African globalization by analyzing Yoruba-influenced cultural practices in Salvador Bahia. His research will include an analysis of religion, music, dance, food, garments, art, and architecture.

Virginia Quarterly Review: Internship
Submitted by student Megan Pinto. In May and June, two OWU creative writing students will intern at the Virginia Quarterly Review literary journal to gain professional and artistic experience.

Learning and Leading through Diversity and History
Submitted by student Felicia Rose and staff member Terree Stevenson, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. During fall semester, 62 students will engage in a live re-enactment as a runaway slave traveling through Ohio on the Underground Railroad. This will coincide with the history department’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. During spring semester, participants will experience being a Native American sent along the Trail of Tears traveling through Southern Ohio.

The Scientific Process from Start to Finish: Characterization of the Poeciliopsis Placental Gene A2M
Submitted by student Kristen Schwacha and faculty member Tami Panhuis. From June 2012 through May 2013, Schwacha will work to characterize the fish placental gene A2M and relate this to the maternal fetal conflict model of evolution. She will seek to co-author a scientific publication of the collected results to present at Ohio Wesleyan and scientific conferences.

Investigation of Interaction Between Fluoxetine and Environmental Enrichment on Hippocampal Neuroplasticity and Functional Memory
Submitted by student Victoria Sellers. Between August 2012 and February 2013, Sellers will assess the effects of antidepressant drugs and enriched activity on memory function and neuron growth in healthy mice. The project will reflect core neurobiology principles and be assessed by an examining board for departmental honors in neuroscience.

Zimbabwe
Submitted by students Gene Sludge and Magdalena Jacobo, with residential life coordinator Tracey Walterbusch and University Chaplain Jon Powers. In July, the group will travel to Zimbabwe to explore British colonialism and the impact of post-colonialism on Zimbabweans, including links to the A.M.E. Church, adult literacy and poverty, and sexually transmitted diseases. They also will examine the ties between Africa University in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, and Ohio Wesleyan.

Dentists All Around the World
Submitted by student Eri Takeuchi. In June and July, Takeuchi will travel to Asia to compare and contrast differences in dental care among Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Vanuatu, and Vietnam. She will interact with local dentists, patients, and researchers to gain further insight on the different dental care systems and patient needs.

Presentation of Culture in Oahu: Influences of Americanization and Tourism on Hawaiian Culture, and the Challenges Faced by Local Professionals when Representing its History
Submitted by student Rachel Vinciguerra. In July, Vinciguerra—who anticipates a career in cultural and historical studies—will travel to Hawaii to research Hawaiian culture as presented by professionals responsible for representing the region’s history faithfully. She will place special emphasis on the Americanization of Hawaii and the impact of tourism on Hawaiian and Polynesian traditions.

Cultural and Volunteer Experience in Tel Aviv, Israel
Submitted by student Tamara Winkler. In May and June, Winkler will travel to Israel for a cultural immersion and volunteer experience in Tel Aviv. She will participate in a program called Oranim that intertwines the values of leadership and service and volunteer at Save a Child’s Heart, an international humanitarian project that works to improve the quality of cardiac care for children from developing countries.