Aggie Scientists Present Research on Utah’s Capitol Hill | 2024
Three undergraduate researchers from USU’s College of Science are among 27 Aggies selected to present research posters to state legislators and visitors to Utah’s Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City on Thursday, January 18, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The scholars serve as ambassadors for USU, present cutting-edge studies and highlight the importance of undergraduate research experiences for students, local communities and the State of Utah. Learn more about these exemplary scholars:
Computer Simulation of Water Molecules Around a Charged Particle
Joseph Cooney
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
High School: McKinley Classical Leadership Academy, Missouri (2020)
Major: Physics, minors in Computer Science and Mathematics
Achievements:
- Published in Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society (JAOCS) three times
- 2022 Featured Undergraduate Research Fellow
- USU Presidential Scholarship
- Returning Research on Capitol Hill Presenter
- O. Harry Otteson Award for Excellence in Physics
- USU Honors Program
Researcher’s Statement:
“Ice crystals tend to form around dust particles, which can carry electric charge (like static electricity on a balloon). The mountains in Utah can make these charged particles more common in weather events, but the ice crystals these events can produce are less researched. I am studying how this charge could impact the formation of the ice crystal, by coding a computer simulation of water molecules around a charged particle, and analyzing their behavior.”
Faculty Mentors:
Binold Pokharel, Department of Plants, Soils and Climate
Jon Meyer, Department of Plants,Soils and Climate
Investigation of Protein Arginine Methyltransferase Target Recogntion through Ribonucleoprotein C-terminus Chimeras
Bella Lonardo
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
High School: Salt Lake Center for Science Education, Utah (2020)
Major: Biochemistry, minor in Spanish
Achievements:
- R. Gaurth Hansen Scholarship
- Undergraduate Research & Creative Opportunities (URCO) grant
- College of Science Minigrant
- Hansen Life Sciences Retreat Lightning Pitch Award
- Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Award, Physical Science, SRS 2023
- USU Honors Program
Researcher’s Statement:
“In the Hevel Lab, we study enzymes that play a key role in communication within the cell. Understanding the basic mechanisms that underly cellular processes provides a framework from which to approach treatment of disease, drug design, and scientific methods”
Faculty Mentor:
Joanie Hevel, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Zaharah Rossi
Hometown: Price, Utah
High School: Carbon High School (2017)
Major: Biochemistry
Achievements:
- Associate’s Degree, USU Eastern (2020)
- Undergraduate Research & Creative Opportunities (URCO) grant
- Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Award, Physical Science, SRS 2023
- Hansen Life Sciences Retreat Lightning Pitch Award
- Acceptance, USU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry BS/MS program
Researcher’s Statement:
“The Hevel lab researches enzymes and proteins that play critical roles in intracellular communication. Similar to how humans use language to communicate with each other, important molecules in the body called proteins use chemical modifications to communicate with each other and direct the correct response to keep our cells healthy. A miscommunication between proteins within the cell can lead to disease, so understanding the basis of how proteins are communicating and interacting with each other can help us better understand the pathways of disease causation.”
Faculty Mentor:
Joanie Hevel, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry