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Will Sediment Sluicing Solve the Sedimentation Problem in
Smith College’s Paradise Pond?
Marcia Rojas
Faculty Mentor: Robert Newton
The ultimate goal of this project is to address the issue of sediment build up in
Smith College's Paradise Pond in a more environmentally safe and cost
effective way. Through geological field and lab work we attempt to determine
if opening the dam during a high water event is the appropriate option.

Giant Ooids in Death Valley
Elizabeth Stephani
Faculty Mentor: Sara Pruss
The main focus of my project is to examine giant ooids, enigmatic round
structures made of calcium carbonate that commonly formed in the ocean
more than 500 million years ago. These were collected by our research team
this past January in Death Valley National Park, and in my work, I hope to
examine these structures closely using the SEM (Scanning Electron
Microscope) and light microscope to provide some insights into their
abundance and significance at this interval in Earth's history.

Changing Parameters and The Global Environment:
Microcosm Experiments
Cameah Wood
Faculty Mentor: Laura Katz
My presentation will be explaining one chapter of my honors thesis. For this
chapter, I examined the grazing habits of copepods on ciliate communities.
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Ring Launcher
Jocelyn Yax
Faculty Mentor: Joyce Palmer-Fortune
This project presents an electromagnetic ring launcher as a tool to
demonstrate the properties of induced electrical current which is the electrical
current transmitted through space to an object, such as a ring in this case.
The Sixth Annual
AEMES RESEARCH
SYMPOSIUM
Thursday, March 5th, 2015

Uncovering a linkage between How and Why children draw:
Longitudinal Case Studies of Emma and Leo's drawing
Joanna Bagienska and Maria Lopez
Faculty Mentor: Peter Pufall
To investigate a linkage between how and why children draw we conducted
longitudinal case studies of Emma’s and Leo's drawings. We analyzed over
400 works from their first to ninth year of school. How each was drawn was
coded on a six Level of Drawing Scale: Symbolic, Schematic, Connected,
Conventional, Realism, and Beyond Realism. Why each was drawn was
coded in terms of whether it was Descriptive or Narrative. The development
of how they drew varied as a function of why they drew. However, earlier
levels of drawing persisted for several years and functioned in parallel with
letter levels.

The Physics Behind Granular Materials
Jenny Banh
Faculty Mentor: Nalini Easwar
Granular materials constitute a complex state of matter which many physicists
would compare to a fluid despite having different characteristics and
properties. In this research, we observe one characteristic, force chains, and
use it in an application involving a robotic gripping arm.

The Composition of Common Aerosols
Tara Bhat
Faculty Mentors: Andrew Berke
In order to support the work of the development of an instrument that detects
aerosols in the air, I am researching the presence and composition of aerosols
and the possible impact on human health.

Presence of Sibutramine and other unmarked compounds in
Weight - Loss Supplements
Dardalie Brooks
Faculty Mentor: Mona Kulp
The purpose of the research is to identify the presence of sibutramine,
schedule 4 stimulant, in OTC (over the counter) weight loss supplements. We
are using mass spectroscopy to accomplish this. Sibutramine has been banned
by the FDA due to its proclivity for increasing cardiovascular issues. Because
many of these supplements are targeted to females, a women's health issue is
of relevance.

Using a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning
Environment (CCLE) to Promote Knowledge Building
Pedagogy in an Undergraduate Strength of Materials
Course
Anjali Desai
Faculty Mentor: Borjana Mikic
I researched whether or not a collaborative learning environment proves
to be a more productive environment for Knowledge Building. The
research was conducted by an AEMES scholar, a STRIDE scholar, and
an engineering faculty member. We used the view of a Strength of
Materials course on a computer-based forum to confirm this theory. A
rubric was made to analyze posts on this forum in order to prove our
theory that collaborative learning better improves group knowledge than
individual learning. [Unable to present today]

Stimuli-Responsive Block Copolymer Micelles for
Controlled Drug Release.
Sigal Eini
Faculty Mentor: Maren Buck
The Maren Buck Lab, an organic polymer chemistry lab, synthesizes
azlactone-functionalized core-crosslinked micelles to develop stimuliresponsive drug carriers that prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm
growth. We utilize a controlled form of polymerization to form
amphiphilic block copolymers that self-assemble into size-determined
nano-particles or micelles.

Where are the Women? Representation in STEM trade
publications
Courtney Lowe
Faculty Mentors: Lauren Duncan & Kate Queeney
My research analyzes the representation of women in psychology and
chemistry trade publications. We want to see if the actual diversity of the
fields is reflected through the media they produce. Our analysis includes
representation of women and people of color as well as the status
afforded various individuals.
The AEMES (Achieving
Excellence in Mathematics,
Engineering, and Science)
Programs were launched at Smith
College in 2007 to address the fact
that historically underrepresented
students were overrepresented in
life science gateway courses but
underrepresented in related majors
and independent research
experiences. Since the inception of
AEMES, Smith College has seen
successes in this area such as the
"GPA gap" closing between
underrepresented and majority
students and higher rates of
persistence in STEM majors and
research.