Undergraduate Summer Research Awards

Vesela Bikova
Risk Management
The Peter J. Tobin College of Business
“Effects of EDI on Social Inequality in China”
The Research will focus on what reasons and effects of the social existing gap in China are. The final product will be a paper which will examine existing empirical studies about the effects of FDI in China and a statistical model.
Mentor - W. Jean Kwon, Associate Professor

Sunil Pandey
Physics
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
“Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics”
The research will consist of studying non-equilibrium states in nature in order to bring about a new understanding of energy and entropy relations for biological systems.
Mentor - Dr. Robert Finkel, Professor

Ramya Sekaran
Government and Politics
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
“The failure of ‘never again’: The legal and political barriers of responding to Genocide”
This research will examine and evaluate the international legal and political response to the current, ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan and the international community’s failure in effectively responding to genocide throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Mentor - Dr. Fred Cocozzelli, Instructor

Nikesh Koirala
Physics and Mathematics
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
“Electric Transport in Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Coating of Silica Fibers”
The purpose of this research is to investigate the electrical properties of carbon nanotube layers in a wide temperature range in the present magnetic field. The ultimate goal is an empirical analysis of carbon nanotubes in order to establish a well defined relationship between temperature change and electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes.
Mentor - Vladimir Samuilov, Associate Professor

Nabintou Sanogo
Economics
The Peter J. Tobin College of Business
"Is Economic growth the cure to poverty? A global perspective”
The research will consists of an in depth analysis of how poverty is perceived worldwide and how it should be cured. The purpose is to undermine the long time argument that economic growth is the remedy for poverty.
Mentors - Dr. Charles Clark, Professor; Dr. Thomas P. Chen, Professor

Amy Furman
Public Relations
College of Professional Studies
“Information and Communication Technologies and the Re-Tribalization of the Global Society”
The goal of this research is to examine the role of information communication technologies in the fragmentation of Middle Eastern and South Asian societies in regards to pre-Islamic and pre-colonial characteristics.
Mentor - Basilio Monteiro, Assistant Professor

Karma Shrestha
Computer Science
College of Professional Studies
“Computational Techniques for Elliptic Functions”
This research consists of using numerical techniques developed for differential equations to understand elliptic functions. The goal for this research is to find new connections of elliptic functions.
Mentor - Dr. Florin Catrina, Assistant Professor

Alexander Knights
Management
The Peter J. Tobin College of Business
“Business Ethics: A much needed standard or a mere oxymoron?”
The objective of this research is to provide a framework for understanding social responsibility of a corporation.
Mentor - Dr. Linda Sama, Professor

Rene Christian
Computer Systems Security Major
College of Professional Studies
“Virtualization: The innovation behind the information technology revolution”
The project consists of in-depth research of Virtualization, which is a new technology, that enables multiple operating systems, platforms and application programs to run on a single machine simultaneously. In addition, the research will consist of studying the vulnerabilities and system security issues that affect this technology.
Mentor - Dr. Ortero

Amalia Maria Melendez
Anthropology
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
“Indigenous Archaeology; Building Bridges between Archaeologists and native people”
The purpose of this research is to get a stronger understanding of the relationship between indigenous people and archaeologists. Amalia will be conducting her research first hand by working on an archaeological dig.
Mentor - Dr. Barrett Brenton, Associate Professor

Rory Quinn
Psychology
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
“Gender Differences in Anger Expression and Self-confidence Levels Among Athletes”
The purpose of this research is to examine a difference in anger expression and self-esteem, between genders and among athletes and non-athletes. The study will consist of four groups; one of male athletes, one of male non-athletes, one of female athletes, and one of female non-athletes. 
Mentor - Dr. Rafael Javier, Clinical Professor

Ubah Hamud
Psychology
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
"In Limbo, The Psychological Impact of INS Detention Centers on African Detainees
The purpose is to systematically examine the psychological impact of INS detention centers on African refugees. She will research the prevalence of African detainees that are incarcerated in INS prisons, and conduct various reports, including interviews with families of detainees.
Mentor - Dr. Tuchscherer, Associate Professor