Academics
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2008 Richter Symposium Schedule All events take place in and around Donnelley and Lee Library, Room 221 Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Session A: 12:00-12:40: Self-Cannibalizing Yeast: Need We Say More! Julian McLain and Alina Konnikova Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that affects over one million Americans. The misfolding and aggregation of the alpha-synuclein protein is a suspected culprit. Autophagy—a self-eating mechanism used to break down old or damaged material within cells—functions as a protective mechanism against several diseases. However, a direct genetic link between autophagy and PD does not yet exist. We hypothesized that cells can employ autophagy to eliminate alpha-synuclein and protect themselves from its harmful build-up. To test it, we are evaluating if alpha-synuclein accumulation and toxicity increases in autophagy-deficient yeast, which will serve as our preliminary data.
Ioana Sirca Belintan The Armenian genocide is a disputed issue today and in the past. What came to be the first genocide of the 20th century (1915-1921) has never been officially recognized by the Turkish aggressors, and it not widely known. This presentation will discuss how the Armenian genocide affects the identity and memory of Armenians today, through interviews and analysis of a community of Armenians in Evanston: How does this issue play in shaping the memory and the character of individuals and of a people? Allie Adreeva and Gilbert Reynders Woodrow Wilson was president from 1913-1921. During his time in office, he was responsible for government and economic reforms that sought to produce a more transparent system of oversight for both Congress and American business. He is perhaps best known, however, as the first true liberal, internationalist American president. A man of deep moral convictions, Wilson has often been characterized as a naïve idealist in a time when his nation and the world needed him to be a pragmatic realist. Our presentation will convey not only Wilson’s passionate idealism, but also the quiet realism that guided his reform policies. More profoundly, we will show that idealism and realism are not always in direct opposition, and that the balance that Wilson sought between the two is crucial in a leader. Karen Larson
Kelsey Parks In the late 1850’s, Charles Darwin proposed and provided scientific evidence that all species of life derived from a common ancestor through a process he called natural selection. During the summer of 2008, I had the exciting opportunity to conduct experiments and collect data on the mate choice of guppies with Professor Houde, a primary figure in guppy research, and got a first-hand look at evolution’s role in nature. This presentation will discuss the significance of the data collected from years of guppy research, as well as my personal experience during the summer of 2008 as a liberal arts student peeking at the world through Darwin’s eyes. Mario Baldassari Are our behaviors, attitudes, knowledge, emotions, and actions our own doing? Are we born as we are meant to be, or are we made? Are all these attributes innate or learned? To find out, we are looking in depth at the tree of life, from crayfish to lab rats to people (hence the phylogenetics). Are people just another species of animal or something more? What do we have in common with the “lower animals” and how do we diverge from them? What can a crayfish learn, how much can it remember, and how does that relate to its survival instincts (defensive and aggressive) wired in by evolutionary natural selection? Of course, the same questions can be asked about us humans. Crayfish appear to have complicated digging processes as well as some type of habitat preferences and memories. We are studying crayfish in empirical experiments in the lab, following up on work done by earlier Richter scholars Marina Pinayeva and Stephanne Levin. At the same time, we are reviewing a recent theoretical study of human evolution of social behavior by Peter J. Richerson and Robert Boyd, titled Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution. Ashleigh Porter C. elegans are microscopic worms that are often used as a model to study organ development. Our lab focuses on the specific genes involved in the development of the pharynx, an organ essential for the ingestion and breakdown of food. In a mutagenesis screen of over 200 pharyngeal mutants, 20 mutants were found with a similar “blunt pharynx” phenotype. mor-1, a gene responsible for the shortened pharyngeal phenotype, was found to be located on chromosome III by performing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mapping. Two other genes, mor-2 and mor-3, the former of which is located on chromosome IV, are thought to be responsible for the production of similar phenotypes as mor-1, as well as causing abnormal pharyngeal development. Additionally, sma-1, a gene required for the elongation of the pharynx, also produces a similar shortened pharynx phenotype. We hypothesize that these various mor and sma genes work in a common molecular pathway, and the remaining blunt phenotypes result from a possible defect in the development of mutations. Liza Pahomov C. elegans, microscopic nematodes, have been used as model organisms in labs due to their ability to aid in our understanding of cell differentiation. The goal of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms orchestrating organ development—organogenesis. Specifically, we are investigating the pharynx of C. elegans because it is a complex organ, which shares similar characteristics to the human heart and kidney. The location of genes that cause worms to have pharynx cells outside the pharynx boundaries will be identified. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which is a type of genetic mapping technique, will be utilized in order to identify the physical location of the mutation. We are planning to identify the location of eight different mutations in the worm genome. Back to top
Paul Henne This presentation will introduce audience members to the “mystical fiction” of Evelyn Underhill, a twentieth-century British mystic, amateur philosopher/theologian, novelist, and poet. In my presentation, I will first explain what Underhill means by “mysticism,” how she distinguishes it from other major philosophical and religious views of reality, and why she defends it against those alternative perspectives as the “truest representation of reality.” Also, I will present an argument about her fiction (three novels and several short stories), examining how she adapts traditional genres (novel, short story) to convey her mystical ideas and taking a position on some of the central aesthetic and philosophical debates about her fiction. Stephen Beeaker This presentation will introduce audience members to the twentieth-century British novelist, Iris Murdoch, a novelist known for her unique blending of “realist” and allegorical modes of fiction to explore moral and religious questions. In particular, I will discuss her novels The Bell, Green Knight, and Nuns and Soldiers to present an argument about how Murdoch’s treatment of the cloistered life (life in convents, monasteries) has evolved over her long fictional career and shaped her religious perspective. My study will contribute to a larger examination of the “modern convent novel,” a project that examines the novels of writers such as Ron Hansen, Mark Salzman, Marele Day, and Edna O’Brien. Back to topThursday, July 10, 2008 Session E: 9:15-10:35: Privatization, Lending, Play Ball! Deepika Ramachandran With more than 4 billion people living on $2 or less a day, financial services are vital to eradicate poverty. In most developing economies, banks and financial services are not available to the poor. To meet financial and economic needs, ROSCAs (Rotating Savings and Credit Associations) have developed. Sometimes called “the poor man’s bank,” a group of individuals agree to meet for a defined time period to collectively save and borrow. ROSCAs, a type of microfinance, are informal lending circles operating under a variety of names in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Xin Fan The prospect of public-private partnerships as a means of generating capital and ongoing revenue is receiving growing interest in the United States, especially with respect to public infrastructure and state lotteries. Recently, especially for the toll roads in different states, the government has started to consider privatizing the toll roads. In this presentation, I will explain the broad definition of the privatization and P3 (public-private partisanship). I will also talk about its benefits, risks, and my Richter research with relevant data and statistics. Matt Leonard and Kelly Tlhokwane
Michael Mackin Ansa-zirconocenes are an important class of catalysts in the chemical industry responsible for the formation of extremely long polymer chains and plastics. The current synthesis of ansa-zirconocenes results in a product mixture of structurally distinct compounds known as isomers. Because of specific properties of each compound, the separation of each form is of particular interest. Our goal is to determine the impact of subtle changes in geometry in order to find the most stable form of these compounds. By using various computer programs, we are able to calculate hypothetical stabilities using quantum mechanics. After determining these stabilities, results are given to the University of Chicago to test experimentally. By finding the most stable form we will be able to selectively synthesize only the desired structure. Daysi Vargas The telomere is a nucleoprotein complex that caps and protects the chromosomes ends. The length of the telomeric DNA can extenuate or limit cells replication capacity, and thus is associated with cell population for aging and cancer. Previous research shows that telomere length is longer in cells with high replication capacity such as germ cells. In this summer research project we have used a molecular approach that includes fruiting body purification, DNA isolation, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to measure the telomere length of the sexual spores of Aspergillus nidulans. A. nidulans is a filamentous fungus with the capacity to reproduce sexually and asexually in distinct cell types. We hypothesize that the telomere length of A. nidulans sexual spores is longer than that of the fungal somatic cells. Chase Cook Art Nouveau, or “new art” in French, is an art movement that blossomed at the beginning of the 20th century. It is an organic, nature-inspired style of art that is easily identified by curvilinear lines and floral motifs. My research focuses on Art Nouveau architecture, interior design, and fashion-design themes and their application in set designs and costumes designs for Lake Forest College’s November production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Natalia Wilkins Bird banding is one of the main techniques to gather information about birds and the thousands of miles journey they take each year. By capturing the birds, banding allows us to look at different traits: including age, sex, wing cord, body molt, feather wear, fat, feather mites and any other markers of bird condition. I will be contributing to a previous project that hypothesizes that males migrate faster than females in order to reach the breeding grounds earlier. We tested two different plumage-sexable wood warblers— Common Yellowthroat and American Redstart—comparing their arrival and capture dates, as well as other relevant factors. Back to topSession G: 12:30-1:30: Abortion, Family Power, and Science: Three Studies of Female Power and Professionalism Anum Haider This presentation discusses the reasons behind the number of children a couple decides to have, focusing on the power relationship between the spouses. There are many factors that play a part in marital decision-making and how gender roles relate to intra-household power. These include culture, individuals’ income, and the wife’s employment. Besides who is making the decisions in the family, other factors also play into family size including religion, gender preference, and social pressure. This project extends from work about the distribution of resources to children with regard to power. Keziah Tetteh
Maris Benz and Emily Lauten What is an intellectual? How has the term’s usage varied in the past hundred years? What role have intellectuals taken in the public sphere and what roles have the media played in the formation and sustenance of the role of the intellectual? One area of research here concerns the uses of the term “intellectual” in the U.S., as it first evolved in the late 19th and early 20th century. The other area of research address the publishing house called The Free Press, and how its operation highlights certain aspects of the public intellectual role. Back to top
Karla Avila-Peregrina David Hume’s essay, “Of Miracles,” was published in 1748 as part of his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. He received responses from many prominent figures, such as George Campbell, Thomas Reid and Lord Kames. My research is devoted to the reception of those texts and how the argument regarding the miraculous becomes a site of controversy during the eighteenth century. By reading “Of Miracles” and its responses, one can start to analyze questions such as, ‘who gets to talk about the miraculous?’ and ‘what constitutes proof of the miraculous?’ Jessica Kuchinski My presentation examines the modern miracle, and the ways in which the scientifically-provable miracle has created an intersection between the fields of science and religion. Today, the term miracle can refer to an unexpected casual occurrence as well as to a complete violation of natural law, and within that range, the miraculous has taken on a great variety of forms, even across the United States. These modern miracles viewed through the 21st-century lens, which seeks out empirical evidence for reliable proof, constitutes an attempt to erase the boundary distinctions between science and religion. A shifting of fields occurs—the evidentiary criteria of religion are pushed aside to allow science to step in. I focus on two practices where this movement occurs. First are “prayer studies,” experiments designed to measure the effect of intercessory prayer; second, the Vatican’s use of the latest advances in medicine and technology to validate miraculous cures, which only follows when science cannot provide an answer. Thus, on one hand, a scientific explanation determines the legitimacy of a belief—that prayer has the power to heal; on the other, the lack of a scientific explanation serves as proof to a belief—that miracles exist. William James, brother of renowned novelist Henry James, was one of the most prominent members of Harvard in the early 20th century, holding positions in the departments of anatomy, philosophy, and psychology. His most profound contributions, however, came in his work with religious thought. Through his psychological approach to religion, James created The Varieties of Religious Experience, one of the most influential books in religious literature. In this project, working with Professor Miller, we aim to select passages from a highly dense scholarly work, making it more accessible to an undergraduate audience. In addition, each passage will have a facing page commentary to further engage the ideas. With the influx of contemporary criticism of religious faith, it is all the more important that James’s defense of religion—the defense of a pragmatist—reach a broader audience. Back to top |
Wed., July 9 Session B Session C Session D Thurs., July 10 Session E Session F Session G Session H Session I |