2023 REU in Review

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in Engineered Bioactive Interfaces & Devices program at the University of Kentucky (UK) concluded on Thursday, July 27th, 2023, with a poster competition and awards ceremony. The event was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), UK VP for Research, UK College of Engineering and UK Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering.

The 10-week intensive research program sponsored by the NSF attracted talented undergraduate researchers from across the US and gave them an opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of faculty and UK graduate students.

Kim Anderson, professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering and director of this REU program from 2009-2021, provided the keynote address for the awards ceremony.

A full list of the poster competition participants is given below. Poster competition awards went to:

• 1st Place Poster Competition – Alexandra Bradbury, Columbia University
• 2nd Place Poster Competition – Nika Recto, San Diego State University
• 3rd Place Poster Competition – Ross Rodriguez, Austin Peay State University
• Best Oral Presentation – Ava Huth, Iowa State University
• Best Blog – Michelle Kryl, Roger Williams University

In addition to UK faculty who advised REU participants, outside the lab graduate student mentors Jamie Ahmed, Ryan Hill, Emily Ingram, Victoria Klaus, Mara Leach, David Lu, Rollie Mills, Ebuka Ogbuoji, and Claire Rowlands contributed to the program’s success. A full list of the participants in the poster competition, as well as their faculty mentor(s) is below.

Amanda Bastian
University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering
Embedding Coated Silver Nanoparticles in a Membrane for Water Filtration  
Dr. Isabel Escobar, Dr. Brittany Givens
 
Jordan Berezowitz 
University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering
Copper Oxide as an Anti-Neoplastic Agent in Endometrial Carcinoma 
Dr. Brittany Givens, Dr. Daniel Pack

Alexandra Bradbury
Columbia University, Chemical Engineering
Stillage: A New Source for Biodegradable Plastic
Dr. Gosia Chwatko, Dr. Tyler Barzee
 
Celeste Busch
University of Colorado Boulder, Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Disulfide Containing Poly(β-Amino Ester) Hydrogels for Inhibition of 
Glutathione Reductase in Cancer Applications 
Dr. Tom Dziubla, Dr. Brittany Givens
 
Catherine Cox 
Centre College, Chemistry
Membranes for Nano-sized Participles Separation 
Dr. Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Dr. Gosia Chwatko
 
Anthony Crespo
University of Puerto Rico, Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Antimicrobial Peptide Design Using Large Language Models  
Dr. Qing Shao, Dr. Brad Berron
 
Helen Garner
Cornell University, Mathematics 
 A Review and Proposal of Membrane Models for Tortuosity Characterization 
Dr. Dibakar Bhattacharyya
 
Yasamin Hashemi 
University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering
Synthesis of Model Virus Nanoparticles for Charge-Driven Separations 
Dr. Gosia Chwatko, Dr. Barbara Knutson
 
Ava Huth
Iowa State University, Materials Engineering
Understanding First-Year Engineering Student Mental Health and Beliefs about Help-Seeking 
Dr. Sarah Wilson
 
Michelle Kryl
Roger Williams University, Environmental Engineering 
Investigating the Impact of Dope Solution Composition on PVDF Membranes 
Dr. Isabel Escobar
 
Logan Martin
University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering 
Heparin Functionalization of AAO Membranes for Biomolecule Separation
Dr. Barbara Knutson, Dr. Stephen Rankin
 
Marissa Nicholson 
University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering
Development of biodegradable polymers poly(β-amino ester) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) 
for the controlled release of bupivacaine 
Dr. Zach Hilt, Dr. Brittany Givens, Dr. Nikita Gupta
 
Kai Oddo
Centre College, Chemistry
Biodegradable magnetic hydrogel nanocomposites for remote controlled drug release 
Dr. Zach Hilt, Dr. Anastasia Hauser
 
Katie Osborne
University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering
Development and Characterization of Synthetic and Biohybrid Hydrogel 
Enterosorbents for Removal of PFAS Through the GI Tract 
Dr. Zach Hilt, Dr. Kevin Pearson
 
Saloni Patel
University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering
Size and Charge Selective Separation of Virus-mimicking Particles 
Dr. Stephen Rankin, Dr. Barbara Knutson

Nika Recto
San Diego State University, Cell and Molecular Biology
Piezoelectric Foams with Organic Inorganic Hybrid Materials (OIHMs) 
Dr. Aron Huckaba

Ross Rodriguez 
Austin Peay State University, Engineering Science Mechanics & Physics
Nanoparticle Diffusion in Biofilms
Dr. Martha Grady
 
Paige Skaff
Trine University, Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering
Surfaced-Functionalized Polymeric Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery 
Dr. Brittany Givens, Dr. Brad Berron