Research and Creativity Celebration

Keystone College students have the opportunity to present their expertise in their respective fields of study during the annual Spring Undergraduate Research and Creativity Celebration. Students from six academic divisions highlight the findings of their year-long projects.

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2011 Winner of the Keystone Innovation Award

The Keystone Innovation Award is presented to a student who participates in the Spring Undergraduate Research and Creativity Celebration and whose project offers an innovative approach to a research problem.

Congratulations to Thomas Harrington, Visual Arts major, for being the inaugural recipient of this award which was presented at the 2011 Spring Undergraduate Research and Creativity Celebration on April 27, 2011.

Thomas’ project combined art, flash animation, and website design to be used for teaching children about historical figures and events.

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A few projects that were presented at the 2011 Celebration 

Research protein linked to chronic fatigue syndrome and prostate cancer

That’s exactly what Jenna Fancher hopes to accomplish. Jenna has ventured off campus to work with Moses Prabu, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular biology at The Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton. Jenna and Dr. Prabu are making a detailed study of XMRV PR, a protein linked to chronic fatigue syndrome and prostate cancer. “We are making mass quantities of this protein and conducting experiments to learn more about it and how it works,” says Jenna, a senior biology major.

“The whole process is fascinating. I not only enjoy what I’m doing and working with Dr. Prabu, but the results may one day benefit a large segment of society.” 

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Bacteria and tanning beds

Kandi Zapolski is also a senior biology major doing some important research of her own. A former U.S. Navy petty officer who proudly served in both Persian Gulf wars, Kandi is working with Vicki Stanavitch to study how tanning booths may affect human bacteria. “Every person has some type of bacteria on his/her skin. We want to determine if the ultraviolet radiation in tanning booths can cause bacteria to mutate in such a way that it could cause infections not only to the person using the booth but to others with whom that person may come into contact,” says Kandi. Kandi hopes to use her research at Keystone as the basis for further study when she attends graduate school next fall.

“For me, this is just the beginning. Keystone has given me the opportunity to begin this project, and I want to continue to study and research this area.” 

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Blogging for the blind

Keystone seniors John Moran, Mathew Cirba, and Michael Slate are working with Keystone Information Technology instructor Dr. Brian Wentz to determine how blog postings on web sites are used by people who are unable to see. Dr. Wentz explains that blind people, like others, often rely on web blogs to obtain valuable information and to have a chance to learn about the views and opinions of others, as well as to express their own points of view to mass audiences. The technology currently available, such as screen readers, can make this process tedious and difficult. Under the mentorship of Dr. Wentz, these students are conducting studies with 15 individuals who are blind to better understand the limitations and challenges they experience while blogging.

“It’s possible we can suggest a solution that can be implemented by companies,” said John. “That will be a tremendous benefit to blind users and enable the companies to produce better, more useful products.” 

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Creation of sculpted glass

Matt Mroz and Kalli Snodgrass are artists, specializing in the study of the creation of sculpted glass. Together, under the mentorship of art professor Cliff Prokop, the Keystone seniors received an undergraduate research grant to develop a unique process for designing molds into which glass can be cast. “We’re hoping to develop a new process to cast glass and get a cleaner and smoother product and produce attractive designs with less finish work,” says Matt. “We actually found this process by accident, but we think it has some really intriguing possibilities.”

“This has really been interesting work,” adds Kalli. “It’s an experience we can draw on for years to come. It’s a really valuable part of our education.”

Submit a Project - Due April 1, 2011

The deadline for abstract submissions for inclusion in the 2011 Spring Undergraduate and Creativity Celebration is Friday April 1, 2011. Student submissions received after April 1 can still participate but will not be included in the program.

Abstract and Personal Information Submission Form (Word Doc)

Poster Requirements (PDF)

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