Summertime Scholars

These students tackled professional research projects, with topics ranging from music to molecules, with faculty sponsors on campus this summer. The Arthur J. Bosch Endowment for Student Research provided housing and financial support for these awardees, who spent their break preparing for graduate school and their chosen careers.

The Arthur J. Bosch Endowment for Student Research was established in 2013 to make possible undergraduate summer research opportunities for Central students across many academic disciplines. Named for chemistry professor emeritus Art Bosch ’51, the endowment provides a stipend and housing for students, allowing them to focus on research projects rather than summer jobs. Each Bosch Scholar is paired with current faculty sponsors who work closely with the students to advance their research projects.

ASHLEY OBLANDER ’16
Hometown: Spillville, Iowa
Major: Biology
Faculty sponsor: Russ Benedict, professor of biology

WHAT I DID:
I worked with Dr. Benedict to advance his Prairies for Agriculture project, which aims to show Iowa farmers the benefits of planting native prairie. Our work this summer was a small part of finding answers to big questions.

WHY THIS PROJECT:
The 10-week fellowship was more in-depth and hands-on than what I can experience during the school year. I was amazed how much I learned this summer.

MY HIGHLIGHT:
One of the best things about coming to Central is that you can get to know your professor. When you spend all summer with them, it’s like you’re part of their family.

ANDREW JOHNSON ’15
Hometown: Rockton, Ill.
Major: Chemistry and physics
Faculty sponsor: Jay Wackerly, assistant professor of chemistry

WHAT I DID:
I conducted research on oxaquinonacyclophanes, which are large, multi-atom molecules capable of binding other molecules inside them. Their structure is why my research is interesting, because the cavity in the molecule can bind different molecules, and we can chemically alter the molecule to release bound molecules at a later time. My research this summer involved optimizing this reaction, blocking an unwanted side reaction and trying to force the macrocycle to stay in a certain state. I am continuing this research throughout this year for my honors thesis, and hopefully we will be ready to publish a paper soon.

WHY THIS PROJECT:
I have been involved in research in this field with Dr. Wackerly since I was a freshman, so it was only natural that I would want to work full time this summer and try to advance the research as far as possible before I have to leave Central. I also wanted to experience a full-time academic research lab before I go to graduate school next year.

MY HIGHLIGHT:
My favorite part of this summer was getting to present at a national American Chemical Society conference in San Francisco. I presented a poster on my research with two colleagues, and I was able talk to a lot of undergraduate and graduate students and hear about their struggles and successes while sharing my own.

ALEXANDRIA SAVOLT ’15
Hometown: Dyersville, Iowa
Major: Psychology
Faculty sponsor: Ashley Scolaro, assistant professor of psychology

WHAT I DID:
I continued to build research on cognitive control and handedness. I wanted to learn whether there are significant differences in individuals’ performance of cognitive tasks based on whether they are right- or left-handed.

WHY THIS PROJECT:
I am left-handed, and I’ve always heard things like, “left-handed people die earlier, but they are better at sports and more creative.” I was interested to see if anyone had done research in this area, and I set out to investigate conflicting findings. Together, Ashley Scolaro and I studied various factors that could account for these differences.

MY HIGHLIGHT:
This experience has allowed me to grow as a researcher. Before this project, I had only classroom experience with research, so it was new and exciting to do research full-time for a summer. I was also able to pull apart data and look at it in many ways, and I had more time to truly understand the findings.

BRANDON MENNENOH ’15
Hometown: Audubon, Iowa
Major: Vocal music education
Faculty sponsor: Cynthia Doggett, associate professor of music

WHAT I DID:
I examined cultural issues in Bizet’s “Carmen,” a French opera, and Strauss’ “Salome,” a German opera.

WHY THIS PROJECT:
I wanted to explore the possibility of studying musicology in grad school.

MY HIGHLIGHT:
I discovered how “Carmen,” which premiered during the communist rise in Paris, portrays the gypsy life, gender power and racism, and how “Salome” addresses homosexuality and anti-Semitism. I was impressed by these artists’ careful consideration of how to express themselves and the needs of society at that time.

EMILY SAVILLE ’15
Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Major: Psychology
Faculty sponsor: Ashley Scolaro, assistant professor of psychology

WHAT I DID:
I continued building my research on reminiscence and its therapeutic benefits to older adults. My participants discussed prompts relating to the past (reminiscence group) or their current life (my control group). What I found was that people’s moods improved after talking with me about both topics. This shows the significance of social interaction for older adults. Another very interesting finding was that every individual benefited from the conversation, no matter his or her level of cognitive ability.

WHY THIS PROJECT:
This fellowship was a great opportunity to expand my research from the spring. I was able to include more participants and dive deeper into questions relating to cognitive ability. This experience will be a huge advantage for applying to grad school. I want to get my master’s of social work and pursue a career in counseling.

MY HIGHLIGHT:
I got to hear some great stories from the older generation, and I discovered the value of listening to an individual. If we can all just take a little bit of time out of our day to give our loved ones a call or visit, loneliness and depression may not be such an issue. I also think I gained a few more grandparents throughout the process!