Two DSU HBCU-UP Students Excel at ERN Conference
DSU made its mark at the recent Emerging Researchers National Conference in Washington, D.C., as two of the University’s HBCU-UP students brought back 1st place and 2nd place finishes in the competitions that were held.
Andrew Blake Jr., a senior biological sciences major from Dover, surpassed more than 60 other competitors and won first place in the Undergraduate Research Poster competition in the biochemistry, biomedical, cancer and physiology disciplines.
Mr. Blake – who is the son of Dr. Andrew Blake Sr., an associate professor in the DSU Department of English and Foreign Languages – took first place with his poster titled “The Role of Acetylcholine Release in the Locomotion of Drosophila Larvae.” His advisor is Dr. Hakeem Lawal, associate professor of biological sciences.
He said that acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter present in many animals, including humans. “It is responsible for movement, memory, and aging,” Mr. Blake said. “Declines in acetylcholine in humans have been found to be associated with Alzheimer's disease.”
LaTaijah Crawford, a junior biological sciences major from Baltimore, Md., took second place in the Oral Presentation/Biological Sciences competition on “Mycorrhizae in Abiotic Stress Tolerance.” Her advisors are Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay, professor of natural resources, and Dr. Karuna Chintapenta, a post-doctoral associate in the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Ms. Crawford said her study examined the use of mycorrhizal as a bio fertilizer and the role it can play in countering the challenges drought and salinity present to crops. She added that such solutions will be critical as the predicted negative effects of global climate change make food production more challenging worldwide.
“Mycorrhizae can efficiently uptake nutrients even under stress conditions (such as drought and salinity) and is one of the key factors for sustainable agriculture,” Ms. Crawford said.
Held on Feb. 25-27, the Emerging Researchers National Conferences is one of the largest gatherings for undergraduate STEM researchers in the nation. Eleven DSU student researchers attended and competed at the event.
The students’ involvement in the conference was made possible by the National Science Foundation funding of the DSU HBCU-UP Program. Dr. Mazen Shahin, professor of mathematics and Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) director, and Dr. Tomasz Smolinski, associate professor of computer and information science, were instrumental in facilitating the trip.