Undergraduate Student Work (Complete)
This collection contains works by undergraduate students in the Department of Biology at the University of Northern Iowa. All student works require department, unit, or individual faculty review.
To go to the Department of Biology page, click here.
Events from 2024
Using GIS to Evaluate Habitat Connectivity Among the Pollinator Conservation Reserve Program Restorations, Ethan Dickey Poster Presentation
Examining the Credibility of Social Media Posts, Makayla Hall and Jordan Neely Poster Presentation
Entrance to Entrance: A Hunt for Astrobiological Analogs at Wind Cave, Jacqueline Heggen Poster Presentation
Education, Empathy & Empowerment: Reflection on the World of Dementia, Samantha Heyer, Jordan Neely, and Sarah Stegge Poster Presentation
Sequence and Characterization of the Fragmented Mitochondrial Genome of the Chewing Louse, Geomydoecus centralis, John Lehmkuhl and Grace Mraz Poster Presentation
Submissions from 2023
The Utility of Tallgrass Prairie Reconstructions as Bioenergy Feedstocks, Jessica Abernathy and Mark Sherrard Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Evaluation Of Methods To Analyze Microbial Composition In Soils, Joseph Correa Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Changes in Floral Resources and the “Bee Plants” within CRP-42 Restorations in Northeast Iowa, Ethan Dickey and Ai Wen Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Monitoring Archaeal Persistence in Cultivation, Payton Hall Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Enterococcus faecalis Persistence in the Insect Midgut, Samantha Heyer, Geneva Bell, and Jerreme Jackson Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Iowa’s agricultural landscape: Is tef a viable option?, Kyran Hines and Tilahun Abebe Open Access Poster Presentation
Comparison of Gut and Leg Pollen Composition in female Halictus ligatus with Flower Source, Sriya Kalala and Ai Wen Open Access Poster Presentation
Assessment of DNA Concentration and Degradation from Extracted Bumble Bee Thorax Muscle 2023, Joel Lado, Ai Wen, and Kenneth Elgersma Open Access Poster Presentation
Analysis of the role of gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) in drought tolerance in barley using virus-induced gene silencing, Thomas Manternach and Tilahun Abebe Open Access Poster Presentation
Exploring the Microbial Composition of Moonmilk in Wind Cave National Park, Emma Pellegrino Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Forming a Comprehensive Pollen Library for the Purpose of Native Bee Pollen Identification and Analysis, Madeline Roubik and Ai Wen Open Access Poster Presentation
Functional Analysis of Spermidine Synthase (SPDS) using Virus-Induced Gene Silencing in Barley, Ammar A. Shaikh and Tilahun Abebe Open Access Poster Presentation
The Effect of Gibberellic Acid Concentration on Gentiana andrewsii Germination, Laura Spies Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Impact of Exercise on Mental Health: The Use of Exercise as Prevention and Treatment for Mental Health Disorders, Abigail Stivers Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2022
Analysis of phylogenetic-based variation in enamel thickness in vertebrate teeth, Carly Jewel Baker Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
How exercise affects the musculoskeletal system in the biological sexes: A literature review, Lauren Connolly Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Water depth selection by Iowa wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) during seasonal activity periods, Jessica Haugen Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) to Assess Pollinator Communities in Cedar Valley, Mila Haynes, Brody Jack, and Ai Wen Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Evaluation of Methods to Extract Genetic Material from Wild Bees, Brody Jack, Mila Haynes, and Ai Wen Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Optimization of micro-ct protocols for non-destructive identification of ligament ultrastructure in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, Spenser Jared Richard Larson Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Developing Methods to Assess the Role of Lumbricus Terrestris on Seed Predation In Prairie Restoration [Poster], Jacey Meier and Laura L. Jackson Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Developing methods to assess the role of Lumbricus terrestris on seed predation in prairie restoration, Jacey R. Meier Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Characterizing Selected, Durable Bacillus Cereus/Anthracis Bacteriophages, Walderlande Nicolas and Michael H. Walter Ph.D. Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Curating a Global Collection of Grapsoid Crabs for the American Natural History Museum, NYC, Taylor Pruisman, Amber Finke, and Carl Thurman Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Why do Effective Science Teachers Persist?: A Mixed Methods Approach Exploring Post-Induction Effective Science Teachers' Experiences, Molly Ella Ramker, William Raymond Lange, Jesse Wilcox Ph.D., and Dori Clausen Open Access Poster Presentation
Soil organic carbon accumulation in restored native prairies over time, Samrin Shahnaz Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Exploring Microbes at Wind Cave as an Analog for Exobiological Environments off Earth, Abby K. Sliwiniski, Emma W. Pellegrino, Nicole Geerdes, and Marek K. Sliwinski Open Access Poster Presentation
Evaluation of the Performance of Tef Crop in Iowa, Kyle Trunnell and Tilahun Abebe Ph.D. Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Assessing Methods for Enhancing Monarch Habitat in Re-enrolling CRP Sites, Eva Van De Mortel, Tristan Murphy, and Laura L. Jackson Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
The development of a photographic atlas of plant adaptations for pollination, Bethany Van Dusseldorp Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparison of Plant Richness and Density in CRP-42 Fields Between 2018 and 2022, Liz Wilgenbusch and Ai Wen Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Events from 2021
Characterization of the Intestinal Mucin Role in Colonization of the Spodoptera frugiperda Midgut, Noah Bond and Jerreme Jackson Ph.D. Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Landscape genetics of Iowa's threatened black redhorse, Morganne C. Borsh Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Bacillus bacteriophage Q11 may have a 5' covalently attached protein, Emily Cornelius Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Evaluation of Pre-Lysis Rinses To Improve DNA Yield and Purity, Joseph Correa, Emma Pellegrino, and Marek K. Sliwinski Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
A review of the molecular mediators of host-baculovirus interactions in Lepidoptera, Olivia Crouse Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Mitochondrial Genome of the Spiny-Wristed Fiddler Crab, Leptuca Spinicarpa Rathbun 1900, Amber Finke, James Demastes Ph.D., J. Antonio Baeza, and Carl Thurman Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
The search for life in extreme environments: Measuring diversity and quantity of Archaea in Wind Cave National Park, Nicole Geerdes Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of fluoride on macrophage THP-1 cell apoptosis, Jessica Heims Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Curating a Global Collection of Fiddler Crabs for the American Museum of Natural History, NYC, Samantha Heyer, Dee Dee Pitzen, Amber Finke, Frank H. Barnwell, and Carl L. Thurman Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Enterococcus faecalis Colonization of the Helicoverpa zea Midgut Epithelium, Sierra Hill and Jerreme Jackson Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Comparison of Expiring CP-25 and 3-Year Old CP-42 Plantings for Monarch Habitat Quality, Schuyler Hop and Laura L. Jackson Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Fiddler Crabs from the Shore of the Western Atlantic Ocean, Claire Kipp and Carl L. Thurman Ph.D. Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Evaluation of archeal growth on complex media and antibiotic regimes, Melanie Miller Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Selecting for Durability in Bacillus cereus/anthracis Bacteriophages, Alexis J. Moore and Michael H. Walter Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Measuring the Microbial Limit of Detection for a Modified DNA Extraction Protocol, Emma Pellegrino and Marek K. Sliwinski Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Curating a Global Collection of Fiddler Crabs for the American Museum of Natural History, NYC, Dee Dee Pitzen, Samantha Heyer, Amber Finke, Frank H. Barnwell Ph.D., and Carl L. Thurman Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation in Restored Native Prairies Over Time [Poster], Samrin Shahnaz and Kenneth J. Elgersma Ph.D. Open Access Poster Presentation
Correlation between Forb Frequency and Grass Frequency in Expiring CP-25 Plantings, Gretchen Steffensmeier and Laura L. Jackson Ph.D. Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Evolution of pocket gophers and chewing lice as ring species across the Upper Mississippi Valley, Isabel Louise Wolf Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2020
Histological morphology and structural integration in the four major morphologies of the Cypriniform Weberian apparatus, Jeremy Raymond Abels Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Supplemental seeding and seed predation in a newly planted tallgrass prairie, Isabella Betzer Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Genetic variation within a broadly distributed chewing louse genus (Thomomydoecus), Clarissa Elizabeth Bruns Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Examining variation in tooth morphology using micro-CT analysis, Luke Thomas Butikofer Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Characterization of a New mtDNA Minicircle in a Chewing Louse, Geomydoecus aurei, Ashley L. Campbell, Dino Bolic, James W. Demastes, and Theresa A. Spradling Open Access Poster Presentation
Identification of genome-linked bacillus bacteriophage proteins, Katherine Dyer Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Assessing CP - 42 Habitat Value for Bees using the Floral Resource Index, Allison Eagan Open Access Poster Presentation
Association between wild bee communities and floral resources in the Conservation Reserve Program, Allison Eagan Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Preparation of the CRISPR Cas-9 system for directed mutagenesis of the FSR1 gene of the filamentous fungi Fusarium verticillioides, Jacob Horn Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Sacrificial seed’s impact on native seedling establishment in prairie restoration, Jacey Meier, Isabella Betzer, and Laura Jackson Open Access Presentation
Insect Community Diversity On Campus Prairies With Different Ages, Taylor Murray and Ai Wen Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Construction of a target-specific CRISPR-Cas9 vector for the purpose of introducing mutations into the FUM1 gene of Fusarium verticillioides, Jennifer Petsche Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Inactivation of pathogenicity genes of the corn pathogen Fusarium verticilloides using CRISPR gene editing, Jennifer Petsche Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Editing Fusarium graminearum using CRISPR/Cas9, Grace Marie Sack Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Seasonal habitat usage of Iowa wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta), Amanda Stewart Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Blood Pressure Awareness Among University of Northern Iowa Students, Abigail Weekley, Theresa Spradling, and Robert Good Open Access Presentation
Submissions from 2019
Construction of CRISPR/Cas9 vectors for directed mutagenesis of Fusarium graminearum, Rebekah Akers Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Bacillus bacteriophage Q11 may have a 5' covalently attached protein [Poster], Emily Cornelius and Michael Walter Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Analysis of leukocytes in Ebola infected skin explants, Alyssa J. Deuso Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Assessing CP - 42 Habitat Value for Bees using the Floral Resource Index, Allison Eagan, Gabrielle Brown, and Ai Wen Open Access Poster Presentation
Does Preparation Method Affect Size-Type Distribution in Bacteriophage Population Images?, Annissa Ferero and Michael Walter Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Seed mix design and first-year management influence ecological outcomes in prairie reconstruction [Poster], Alec Glidden Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Sown and Unsown Floral Resources Both Support Bee Abundance, Pryce Johnson, Kenneth Elgersma, and Ai Wen Open Access Poster Presentation
The effects of fluoride on macrophage THP-1 cellular functions, Ashlee Renee Osier Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Editing Fusarium graminearum genome with CRISPR/Cas9 [Poster], Grace Marie Sack and Tilahun Abebe Open Access Poster Presentation
Local and Landscape Effects on Butterfly Abundance in CP-42 Plantings, Emma Simpson, Kate Sinnott, and Mark Myers Open Access Poster Presentation
Effects of seed mix and surrounding land cover on Asclepias syriaca density in the Conservation Reserve Program's Pollinator Habitat plantings, Kate Sinnott, Emma Simpson, Kathleen Madsen, and Laura Jackson Open Access Poster Presentation
Induction of Lipid Bodies in Leishmania infantum-infected C57BL/6 macrophages of male versus female origin, Victor A. Soupene, Ryan D. Lockard, Mary E. Wilson, and Nilda E. Rodriguez Open Access Poster Presentation
Genetic analysis of a parasite contact zone in the southwestern United States, Tanner Storbeck Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Impact of Soil Water Storage Capacity on Species-specific Forb Establishment in CP42 Fields, Ervina Tabakovic, Mark Sherrard, Kathleen Madsen, and Allison Eagan Open Access Poster Presentation
Inhibition of the P2X7 receptor and its effects on epithelial cell actin distribution and fiber size, Shayla Warrick Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2018
Native Grass Cover Influences Forb Density in CP-42 Pollinator Plantings, Alyssa Burgert and Laura Jackson Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Floral Resource Dynamics for Pollinators in a Central Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Restoration, Lily Conrad, Ben Hoksch, and Mark C. Myers Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Bee and Butterfly Response to Floral Resources in Central Iowa Prairie Restorations, Chandler Dolan, Kathleen Madsen, Mark Myers, and Ai Wen Open Access Poster Presentation
The Effects of Varying Nitrogen Amounts on the Growth and Leaf Morphology of Cattail Species, Anissa Forero and Kenneth J. Elgersma Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Effect of extracellular ATP on cellular actin fibrils' location and characteristics, Dianna Huisman Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Extracellular ATP Effects on Intracellular Actin Fibrils' Location and Characteristics [Poster], Dianna Huisman, David McClenahan, Ali Tabei, and Joseph Tibbs Open Access Poster Presentation
Does folic acid compete with glutamic acid at the postsynaptic membrane NMDA receptor?, Amanda Nicole Koenig Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Nitrogen resorption in prairie biomass feedstocks with different diversity, Michael Lashbrook Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Floral Resource Availability and Butterfly Community Characteristics in CP-42 Pollinator Habitat Plantings, Ethan Marburger, Corinne Myers, and Mark Myers Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Biogeography of Southwestern Pocket Gophers in the Genus Geomys, Courtney Massey and James W. Demastes Open Access Poster Presentation
Literature review: Analyzing the reasons behind the long-standing debate of evolution and religion in America, Michelle Kathryn Matchell Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Anti-fungal Compounds from Native Prairie Plants, Sarah McMichael and Kirk Manfredi Open Access Poster Presentation
Soil Characteristics Affecting Weed Invasion on Conservation Reserve Program Pollinator Habitats, Jennifer Pauley Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Rates and Patterns of Evolution in a Duplicated Genome in the Family Catostomidae [Poster], Megann Michelle Schmidt, Zachary Sperstad, and Peter Berendzen Open Access Poster Presentation
