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.
Submissions from 2019
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
Chiropractic usage among college students: An extended literature review, Elizabeth A. Schwenker Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Occupational therapy in cancer rehabilitation, Cassandra Sells Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Sown forb performance in CP42 fields, Nathan Theel and Mark Sherrard Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Collecting carbon: An analysis of soil carbon in conservation reserve program fields and agricultural fields, Cody Welcher, Destiny Magee, and Kenneth Elgersma Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Correlation between wild bee populations and vegetative resources in the Conservation Reserve Program’s pollinator enhancement plantings, Olivia Willoughby, Alyssa Burgert, Nathan Theel, and Ai Wen Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Submissions from 2017
Developmental analysis of Leea guineensis (Leeaceae), Sally Gray Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The genetic relationship between leaf margin regulation and vascular patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana, Lulua Rawwas Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The effects of hibernation on the time of coagulation of the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, Joshua Samec Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Tracing Ancient Healing Practices through the Hibiscus, Lyn Tackett Open Access Paper 2018 Award
Developmental immunity of the skeletal elements of the Weberian apparatus to the effects of exogenous estrogen (17-β estradiol), a known disruptor of cartliage development, Bailey Jordan Wetherell Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Assessing Productivity in Prairie Biomass Feedstocks with Different Levels of Diversity, Alyssa Williams and Mark E. Sherrard Open Access Poster Presentation
Submissions from 2016
The Utility of tallgrass prairie reconstructions as bioenergy feedstocks, Jessica Abernathy and Mark Sherrard Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Excess folic acid as a potential competitor of glutamate may interfere with neural development, Benjamin Fick Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effect of rearing temperature on somite formation and skeletal development in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, Sarah Jean Freeland Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Isolation Methods and DNA Analysis of Small Bacteriophages of Bacillus Anthracis, Brandon Hoskins Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Prairie Power Project, Sara Judickas Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Optimizing Sucrose Gradients for Small Bacteriophage Purification, Ryan Lode Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Valproic acid activates hyperactivity in cultured neurons: possible support for overconnectivity hypothesis of autism, Alexis McGinley Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Testing for modularity in the axial skeleton of fishes, Emily Meier Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparing Bee Abundance and Diversity in Candidate Biomass Crops, Ben Nettleton Poster Presentation (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Visualizing interactions between Bacillus anthracis bacteriophages and macrophages, Abigail Shew Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Testosterone and Male Susceptibility in Leishmania infantum chagasi Infection, Elizabeth Turcotte and Nilda E. Rodríquez Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Morphometric analysis of simple, lobed, and compound leaf development in the genus Ampelopsis (Vitaceae), Austin Joseph Voves Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2015
Primer efficacy in the DNA barcoding of spiders, Rhennetta Jo Bork Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The effects of hibernation on the hemostatic properties of the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, Kiana Cullinan Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of Ipomoea (morning glory) leaf mutants, Abigail Anne Lee Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Functional analysis of drought-resistant genes in barley using VIGS, Natalie Catherine Martin Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The analysis of diruthenium compounds on human cells as potential chemotherapeutic agents, Elizabeth McCulloch Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The future of restorative dental care, Carl Reitz Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Density and diversity of bees in the midwestern agricultural landscape: Influence of surrounding agricultural land use and biofuel candidate crops, Andrew J. Ridgway, Ai Wen, and Kenneth Elgersma Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Effects of ATP and ATP inhibitors on the P2X7 receptor, Holly Marie Salzbrenner Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Analysis of protein expression for potential biomarkers in human pancreatic tumor cell lines, Jade Ashley Simpson Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Above- and belowground biomass and soil respiration in a low-input perennial biofuel production system, Jordan Young, Jessica Abernathy, and Kenneth Elgersma Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Submissions from 2014
The genetics of bipolar disorder, Laura Cross Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
The effects of hypergravity on development of the heart and behavior of Xenopus laevis, Stacey Howes Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using seed recovery methods to determine causes of failed germination in native prairie species, Paige Leytem Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Ground arthropod abundance in switchgrass and diverse prairie agroenergy crops, Stephanie Paape, Libby Torresani, and Mark C. Myers Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Analysis of the canola lip mutant, Matthew Rafferty Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A preliminary systematic analysis of the species of genus Physaria (Brassicaceae) of Wyoming, Kayla Rethwisch Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The role of KNOX genes during simple and compound leaf development in the genus Ampelopsis (Vitaceae), Allie Marie Simpson Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Grassland bird nest survival in perennial agroenergy crops, Libby Torresani, Stephanie Paape, and Mark C. Myers Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Submissions from 2013
ATP-induced changes in F-actin expression Via P2X7, Taylor Hircock Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Birds and butterflies respond to soil-induced habitat heterogeneity in experimental plantings of native tallgrass prairie species in Iowa, USA, Benjamin J. Hoksch, Mark C. Myers, James T. Mason, Jarrett D. Pfrimmer, and Andrew J. Ridgway Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
A study of the genes TFL1 and LFY as agents in the divergent evolution of the plant species Arabidopsis thaliana and Carica papaya, Ryan Lockard Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Utility of phosphoglucose isomerase (PgiC) intron sequences in the phylogenetics of Physaria (Brassicaceae), Troy Joseph Mensen Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Effects of flooding on the flora and fauna of a reconstructed tallgrass prairie, Andrew J. Ridgway, Mark C. Myers, and Benjamin Hoksch Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
A Population genetic study of the fish Rhinichthys cataractae in northeast Iowa using microsatellite genotype data, Haley Ann Rinehart Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Comparative phylogeography of species across the Mississippi embayment, Matthew James Samec Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Relationships between habitat preference and population size of the declining longnose dace, Erica Anne Scullin Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)
Submissions from 2012
An Evaluation of the Species Status of Physaria intermedia (Brassicaceae), Katie Arp Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Morphological Variation Among Populations of Uca rapax in the Gulf of Mexico and Northern Caribbean, Amanda L. Brase Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Using Ecological Niche Modeling To Resolve Cryptic Taxa Within the Greenside Darter Species Complex, Jack Alphonse Kosmicki Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Bird use of heterogeneous prairie biofuel production plots in Black Hawk County, Iowa, Jarrett Pfrimmer, Mark C. Myers, Benjamin Hoksch, and Drew Miller Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Butterfly Community Dynamics in a Restored Prairie Used for Biofuel Production, Nicholas E. TeBockhorst, Jarrett D. Pfrimmer, and Mark C. Myers Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Pulling Back the Veil on Stem Cell Research: The Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as an Alternative to Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Sara Ternes Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2011
Factors controlling hop flowering and their potential for use in the brewing and pharmaceutical industries, Margaret Nicole Crain Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effects of Hypergravity on Xenopus Embryo Growth and Cardiac Hypertrophy, Bryce Joseph Duchman Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effects of MYD88 Inhibition on Bovine Lung Endothelial and Epithelial Cell Cytokine Expression, Cassandra Kay Hayne Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Effect of Egg-Incubation Temperature on Growth and Selected Temperature of Apalone Spinifera, the Spiny Softshell Turtle, Amy L. Klopfenstein Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Formation of Intercellular Junctions During Secondary Neurulation in the Tail Bud Region of Developing Chick Embryos, Selena Mae Losee Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2010
Towards Cloning a Tyrosinase Gene from Pitayas, Kurt J. Chamberlain Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Butterfly response to floral resources at a heterogeneous prairie biofuel production site, Benjamin J. Hoksch and Mark C. Myers Open Access Undergraduate Student Work
Physical Therapy Availability in the Rural Counties of Iowa, Kelsea Elizabeth Leacox Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Formation of the neural tube epithelium basement membrane during secondary neurulation in the chick embryo, Leslie Ann Mataya Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2009
Treatment Options for Neuropathic Pain, Sara Akre Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effects of Epigallocatechin Gallate on the Structure and Dynamics of Podosomes in Human Macrophages, Vinay Bajaj Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effect of Homocysteine on Development of Contractions and Expression of β-Catenin in Chick Embryo Precardiac Mesoderm, Michelle Lee Formanek Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Assessing the Potential Habitat Value of Biomass Production Fields for Grassland Birds, Mandy Larson Open Access Honors Program Thesis
A light unto our path: Toward a mutual understanding of fundamentalist Christianity and science, Kassidy K. Lyons Open Access Honors Program Thesis
The Effect of Elevated Homocysteine on the Expression of Cadherins 6B, 7, and 11 in Migrating Neural Crest Cells of Chick Embryos, Chelsea L. Reinhard Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Timecourse Analysis of the Effect of Atrazine on Human HepG2 Cells, Erin M. Schrunk Open Access Honors Program Thesis
What's up with Fiddler Crabs: Does Larval Dispersal Render Genetic Similarity in the Disjunct Distribution of Uca minax (Uca: Ocypodidae)?, Alexa Warwick Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2008
Cell Cycle Analysis of Atrazine-Treated Human Cells, Daniel Pelzer Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2007
The Effect of Homocysteine on Neural Crest Cells, N-cadherin, and its Binding Partners, Kacie Rae Callaway Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Assessment of Key Parameters to Achieve Bacteria Transformability in E. coli and A. tumefaciens, Zach Regelin Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Microbiological Enhancement of Phosphorus Sequestration in Iron-Enriched Sediments, Lindsay Marie Sandersfeld Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2006
The Effects of the Herbicide Atrazine on Human Liver Cells, Erin R. Powell Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Cell Cycle Cyclin Expression of Atrazine Treated HepG2 Cells Using Western Blot Analysis, April Dawn Rand Open Access Honors Program Thesis
LTR Retrotransposon Evolution in Wild Sunflowers, Kaitlin Marie Stimpson Open Access Presidential Scholars Thesis
Infectious Diseases of the Eye: Loa Loa, Onchocerciasis, & Trachoma, Lindsay N. Wise Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Submissions from 2005
A Compilation of homologous cancer-related genes in humans and dogs, Julie Susan Brown Open Access Honors Program Thesis
Popular Portrayal Versus Historical Evidence Concerning Mary of Magdala, Robin Ann Yoerger Open Access Presidential Scholars Thesis
Submissions from 2004
The Qi connection: A study in studying Qi, Elizabeth Brooke Barrett Open Access Presidential Scholars Thesis
Senior thesis work, Corey Jansen Open Access Presidential Scholars Thesis
The biopsychosocial model of medicine: Implications for the future of healthcare, Abby M. Luensmann Open Access Presidential Scholars Thesis
