2011 Smart Scholar: Keia Faison

My Experience as a 2011 SMART Scholar 

My name is Keia Faison and I am a sophomore Biology major and Chemistry minor. Since a very early age, my goal has been to pursue a career in the scientific field. Although I have life science views about social change, the environment and how to change the world, I also have a physical science drive inside of me that wants to find out why things happen and how things work. My purpose for choosing UNC-Chapel Hill was not only because of its position as one of the leading liberal arts institutions in the nation but also its potential for opportunities that would allow me to intimately explore issues from all angles. To this end, I have specifically sought out competitive educational opportunities, including research, in order to obtain a foundation in lifelong learning tools, such as critical and analytical thinking, problem solving, and a firm grasp of the scientific process. The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) planted the seed of my current research today.

I started my research journey with OUR the summer before my freshmen year in 2010 through the Duke Energy Biosciences Scholar (DEBS) Program. I enrolled in my first college course during the summer and spent at least 20 hours per week over the course of 8 weeks, shadowing and participating in research under my undergraduate SMART mentor, Michelle Ajumobi, my graduate mentor, Alice Pilo, and my Principal Investigator Dr. Gary Glish. We focused on the CID of Sodiated Peptides using Tandem Mass Spectrometry. More specifically, we compared the peptides, NaYGGFL and NaYGGFLX, using different analytical techniques. Apart from introducing me to advanced areas of science that I would eventually study in more depth in the coming years, my experience in the lab taught me a lot of valuable mental lessons. For one, patience is key and every little action counts in the lab. I had never really done, nor did I realize this type of abstract research existed.  I learned that research does not always entail making ground breaking discoveries. Uncovering small details brings us that much closer to understanding larger concepts. For example, we often think of the general umbrellas of topics such as “Cancer Research,” but never really think of the thousands of undergoing projects that have or will have an impact on our knowledge of such a vast and complex system. It was interesting to learn that so many areas of research are connected in a sense.

The next summer I, myself, became a Science and Math Achievement and Resourcefulness Track (SMART) scholar/mentor. SMART provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in the STEM disciplines. I was able work a lot more independently in the Chemistry Department under the direction of my graduate mentor, Michael Tycon, and my faculty advisor, Dr. Christopher J. Fecko. Our lab explores the physical properties of biological systems using microscopy techniques. Overall, we wish to develop a greater understanding of the impact of the cellular environment. In addition to my independent project investigating the effects of fluorescent YOYO-1 dye on DNA under single-molecule conditions, I was able to mentor another DEBS student. Through this research, we were able to conclude that staining biological specimens, a common small step in most scientific procedures, is damaging and can lead to an entirely skewed experiment. I definitely developed an appreciation for accuracy and precision through this project and was able to apply almost everything I’ve learned in my chemistry courses to my experiences in the lab.  It is noteworthy that our findings have been submitted for publication to the Biophysical Journal. In addition, I really felt like I was a part of an exclusive yet close-knit community in my lab, which was great to have, especially on such a large campus!

I would recommend anyone who is interested in seeking answers to their questions to consider undergraduate research. Not only questions in subjects of STEM fields, but with questions about ANYTHING. Research is limitless and there are so many topics to choose from. Seek out professors who have similar questions and passions as you that will guide you in the path to finding out those answers. Be persistent and don’t let those questions go unanswered. If you can’t find someone on campus with the answers, you can start your own project! You will not only challenge your own thinking, but you’ll have a great influence on the world around you.

By chelsey bentley | Posted on: May 8, 2012 at 8:00 am | Posted in Blog | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

OUR Staff Spotlight: Chelsey Bentley discusses her creation of Research Bingo

 Increasing Interaction and Participation through Research…and Bingo

When I started working at the Office for Undergraduate Research last year, I had no idea what a symposium was. I chalked it up to something that my undergraduate self wouldn’t be able to grasp. However, when I attended the Celebration of Undergraduate Research last year, my impression of what I imagined research was changed. My experience with research were those long hours I spent in front of a computer screen looking up musty, yellow paged books for a 12 page paper I had due in a few weeks. I didn’t equate recording hill country music in Mississippi, studying how young women saw the media’s “thin ideal,” or measuring effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine as undergraduate research.  I was awe stuck at the type of research conducted by my peers at Carolina. Seeing so many undergraduates show enthusiasm about the research they pursued out of pure curiosity amazed me. It made me sad to see that not many people were inquiring the students about the research they had done. I designed research bingo to promote interaction about the research between the attendees and presenters.

I thought that if we created a game with a prize it would increase attendance, and the fact that participants had to talk to researchers in order to win made the idea come full circle. I decided to classify posters in the area of study they coincide with: natural sciences, social sciences and arts and humanities. I figured this would help attendees easily find something of interest to them and keep categories in order.

I presented the idea at an office staff meeting and everyone was really receptive; I just had to figure out who would donate. I had never solicited donations before, so I took a chance and emailed stores on Franklin Street and places on campus. I received such a great response.  Kildares, Vespa, Playmakers, Campus Dining, and Morehead Planetarium all donated goods towards the gift basket. Dr. Pat Pukkila donated $100 cash and a UNC Student Stores gift card, making the prize value total over $200.

On the day of the symposium, I was a little nervous that no one would understand or play the game; but I was wrong.  The submission box was almost filled by the second session of the symposium! As I sat at the submission table I looked around the room and couldn’t help but smile. I was happy to see so many researchers discussing their posters. The bustling activity in the Great Hall was definitely amazing to behold. As I went upstairs to the platform sessions, the activity didn’t stop. So many people were asking the presenters questions and listening to them share their experiences.

I’m so happy that many took part in the game and students got a chance to share their research experiences. I’m really proud that the game went well and of the high participation. I hope that research bingo makes an appearance next year, and that there is even more participation.

By chelsey bentley | Posted on: April 25, 2012 at 4:10 pm | Posted in Blog | Comments (1)

OUR Staff Spotlight: Ginnie Hench, HHMI Science Learning Communities Program Coordinator

Connecting it All: How Research Has Impacted Me

I still remember the day I became fascinated with molecular physiology. It was my first semester of college and I was sitting in a big lecture hall. My professor was explaining how factors circulating in blood bind to cell surface receptors, induce a conformational change in those receptor proteins, and set off signaling cascades that result in dramatic physiological changes across the entire system. I was hooked. The whole idea of it seemed key to understanding how my experience with asthma had changed over time.

When I was in kindergarten, I missed being introduced to the letter character that came the week after meeting Mr. M with the munching mouth. I was hospitalized because I could not breathe. I still remember how they made multiple attempts to find a suitable vein for the IV. While the hospitalization obviously left a mark on my memory, I didn’t appreciate how much harder it likely was for my parents until seeing my grown up friends with their own children. Or, perhaps, as Dr. Kevin Tracey details in Fatal Sequence: The Killer Within, the physiological shock reaction erased the memory of fear that I experienced at the time. I do remember being in the ER while they tried to find my vein, but it is a neutral kind of out-of-body memory, not one that makes me tense with fear and anxiety.

Once I left the hospital, my parents learned more about asthma – for my sake and also because my younger brother and sister were soon diagnosed. It is a curious thing how all three of us exhibited symptoms that led to the same diagnosis within a six-month period. Clearly, we shared similar gene sets, but if the disease were purely genetic (very few diseases are), then we should have each experienced disease onset around the same age, not within the same time period. So, it is likely that we were each exposed to a similar trigger during a certain window of time preceding the onset of symptoms. Perhaps it was a mold allergen in our unfinished basement. Maybe one of us picked up a respiratory virus that triggered our immune systems to go haywire.

I can only speculate on the interchange of environmental and genetic factors that were at play 22 years ago. I won’t ever have definitive answers, but my family’s experience with asthma motivated my interest in biology during college, and later motivated my desire to pursue research at the graduate level. Fast forward from the beginning of grad school to now and one of the most exciting fields of investigation in biology is epigenetics, the study of heritable factors that are not encoded in DNA, but in the way DNA-associated-proteins called histones are modified. While my current research project does not directly address any of the questions inspired by my experience with asthma, I participate in a global community effort to better understand the molecular epigenetic landscape that might one day offer more answers.

Being a postdoc member of OUR allows me to participate in UNC’s research and learning environment, while also guiding undergraduates who are starting the research process for themselves. I started working with OUR in August of 2011, just three weeks after defending my dissertation. I did my graduate work in UNC’s Lineberger Cancer Center in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Now, I am OUR’s HHMI Science Learning Communities Program Coordinator, which means I collaborate with people who lead different parts of the HHMI program. I work most closely with the HHMI Future Scientists and Clinicians Fellows.

Besides working with inspiring people who want to get the most out of their experience at Carolina, the impulse that drives me is very similar to the question embedded in OUR’s website: Where will your curiosity lead you? As an educator, I wonder what my students are curious about. I think about what motivates people to follow different research paths that can lead to exciting and unpredictable life paths. Finally, I think about how all of those seemingly separate, individualized motivations synergize to create a space where people gather together in the name of Learning and Research.

For students who are interested in doing research, my advice is to identify your passions and find someone at UNC who shares your interests. No one can get far on their own. You may not find someone who is doing exactly what you are curious about right now. You just need to find someone who can help you get started.

By chelsey bentley | Posted on: April 24, 2012 at 8:00 am | Posted in Blog | Tagged | Comments (0)

2011 SMART Scholar Tiffany King

My Experience As A 2011 SMART Scholar
This past summer I was a SMART scholar.  I did research within the Mathematics Department under Dr. Laura Miller.  The previous summer, before my freshmen year, I was able to be a DEB Scholar.  In this program you are mentored by a SMART scholar, a year ahead of you, and shadow and participate in undergraduate research.  The purpose of the program is to encourage minority students to get engaged and exposed to research at the undergraduate level here at UNC.  Participating in the DEBS program, I was very familiar with the SMART program which I applied to at the end of my freshmen year.  Although, I enjoyed my research experience as a DEB scholar I wanted to do research in a different field.  During my freshmen year I learned more about mathematical research from some of my professors.  I was intrigued because I was a math major and I had not heard research in mathematics before.
After doing some research on UNC professors and their projects, I was able to get in contact with Dr. Miller and expressed interest in her lab group.  She was very welcoming and allowed me to work on a project during the summer while I was being funded through the SMART program.  The project that I worked on deals with the fluid dynamics and modeling of tubular hearts.  This grasped by attention because embryo hearts begin as having a tubular shape without chambers and valves.  Without these aspects, the heart is still able to pump fluid.  I am also on the pre-med track so I was very excited to find something that encompassed two subjects that I was very passionate about.  During the summer I worked with a species called sea squirts that have tubular hearts.  I studied this species through videos.  I took observations and did analysis to determine amplitudes and pulse frequencies.  I have continued this year with the research.  We are now doing more computer analysis of simulations of tubular hearts.
Dr. Miller is an excellent faculty mentor.  She provides a stress free and open environment for her students.  She has a good balance of direction and openness to new ideas.  Lab group meetings enhance the research experience because you can collaborate on one another’s projects providing tips and exploring solutions to problems.   I feel really lucky to be part of such a relaxing research environment.
My favorite part about the SMART program was leading my own research assignment.  I had responsibility and pride for my work.  I also enjoyed sharing this project and my experiences with research with my DEBS mentee.  I did not realize how much I had known and gained from my first year as an undergraduate that I was able to share with my DEBS mentee.
I did not run into many problems with my research since I was led by my faculty mentor with different assignments.  I did have flexibility to figure out how to go about a specific task and designing my own procedure.  This did have some frustrations that come with trial and error.  I kept a positive attitude and wasn’t afraid to ask for help; this eased these frustrations.
I encourage anyone who is the least bit interested in research to take a leap and look what is out there.  UNC is full of professors conducting research in almost every discipline.  If you express interest and are persistent, research opportunities will come and can be immersed in all that UNC has to offer.  Also if you would like to contact UNC students who have had experiences with undergraduate research contact an OUR ambassador on the OUR site.
By chelsey bentley | Posted on: April 10, 2012 at 8:00 am | Posted in Blog | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Gidi Shemer – Coordinator for Undergraduate Biology Research

Hi everyone,

My name is Gidi Shemer and I am a faculty member in the Biology Department, also serving as the advisor of the biology majors and the coordinator of undergrad research in Biology.

If you are reading this post, you already made the first important step.  You are interested in research. To me, spending four years at Carolina and not getting a research experience is (almost) as bad as not attending a single basketball game during your college years in Chapel Hill.

What I would like to share with you here are some tips vis-a-vis undergraduate research, based on questions that I frequently get from students. While I come from the Natural Science world (and you will see below that I am discussing experiments), I believe that at least some of the information applies also to research done in other fields.

What do I actually do when I perform research? Do I need to come up with the ideas? Does someone tell me what to do?

You will be mentored by a grad student/postdoc/professor. Typically, your project will be a “sub-project” of your mentor’s research. The idea here is to teach you how to walk before you start running. You will learn the techniques, but more importantly, the scientific approach. What can go wrong with my experiment? What are the negative controls that I should use? And so forth.

Having said that, at some point you will “start running” and will be able to design your own experiments.

How do I start? Where can I find a research advisor?

The key word here is – proactive. You shouldn’t wait for professors to post “we are looking for a student” ads. What you should do is to invest in research through the web, to read what different professors/labs are studying, and to compile yourself a list of professors you want to work with. Then, send introductory emails to all those professors. Do not write “to whom it may concern”. Refer to their research. Explain why you are interested in their work.

Many will not respond. Be persistent, yet polite and send a reminder. To get additional tips on how to introduce yourself when contacting a professor, follow this link: http://www.unc.edu/depts/our/pdfs/contact_email_tips.pdf

None of the professors I contacted responded positively. Any helpful tips?

Here are two:

First, stand out in class. Your Genetics professor is probably running a lab. She has 200 students in her class and all she needs to do is cherry-pick the best one for undergraduate research. Be one of them- participate in discussions, meet the professors in their office and stand out.

Second, at least in the sciences, most labs are looking for paid technicians. This is not a hypothesis-driven research project. It is more of a “washing the dishes” type of job, but it is the best way to get you foot in the door. One semester as a lab tech, and you will find it much easier to get a research position in that lab.

 

Finally, for those who are specifically interested in natural science here is a link to help you search for labs. Simply follow a research field of your interest: http://webapps.med.unc.edu/BBSP/BBSPFaculty/research

Good luck,

Gidi Shemer

 

PS Even if you are not starting research yet, don’t forget about that basketball game. You SHOULD go to one.

 

 

By Kayla Wall | Posted on: March 27, 2012 at 8:00 am | Posted in Blog | Tagged | Comments (0)

Hannah Gavin: 2011 SURF

Gut Instincts

I have long been interested in biological processes, and a diagnosis of gluten intolerance in my freshman year sparked a particular curiosity about the digestive system.  When I decided I wanted to participate in undergraduate research, I sought a lab group whose research pursuits aligned with my own interests and was thrilled to discover the Lund Lab’s focus on gastrointestinal health and disease.  Now a senior, I have been working in Dr. P. Kay Lund’s Cell and Molecular Physiology laboratory since the beginning of my junior year at UNC.

In my first year of research I learned my way around the lab, assisting with a number of projects spearheaded by graduate students and postdocs.  During the spring semester, I realized that I wanted to take ownership of an independent project.  With the help of Dr. Lund, my graduate mentor Amanda Mah, and two other graduate students, I outlined a project for the summer that could eventually develop into honors thesis work.

My research evaluates the effects of high-fat diet on the intestine.  The study of GI growth, health, and disease is relevant to everyone because all people need proper digestive function to remain healthy.  Studies on the role of high-fat diet hold particular importance for local citizens.  Western diets are typically low in fiber and high in fat compared to other global diets, and the high fat content is exaggerated in many southern states such as North Carolina.  Consumption of fats and accumulation of excess body weight are known risk factors for diabetes and colorectal cancer development.  Figuring out the mechanisms by which fats adversely affect fitness is essential to the development of health interventions.

I use a number of laboratory techniques for collecting data.  Cell populations can be distinguished by their expression of various genes, so I am using fluorescent microscopy to quantify changes in cell populations.  Preliminary results reveal an increase in intestinal epithelial stem cells (IESC).  IESC are essential to the proper maintenance of the intestine, but an excess may promote the dysregulated cell growth characteristic of tumors.

Histology, or the microscopic study of tissues, is central to physiology studies.  Villi are the finger-like projections in the intestine used for nutrient absorption, and crypts lie at the base of villi housing IESC.  As it turns out, mice on high-fat diet (HFD) have taller villi in the proximal (beginning) part of their intestine than mice on normal diets.  Most likely, this occurs because more surface area is needed to absorb an increased amount of fats entering the intestine.  I expected to see an increase in crypt depth to accommodate an increased IESC population, but surprisingly no such difference is observed.

Working on the above components of the project has translated into many hours looking through microscopes!  Thankfully, it’s one of my favorite parts of lab work because it means concrete visualization of results.  I am also looking forward to working on more of the molecular components of the project.  In the coming months, I will assess the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) in sorted cell populations.  IGF1R is a transmembrane protein that mediates the signal from its preferred ligand, IGF1, to increase cell proliferation and decrease programmed cell death.  An amplification of IGF1R expression might contribute to inappropriate IESC survival or proliferation and potential tumor formation.

Hannah is a Senior Chemistry major. She participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program during the summer of 2011. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post on the discussion board below.

By Kayla Wall | Posted on: March 13, 2012 at 8:00 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Justin Shaffer – Post Doctorate

What do you mean I have to do it again?

 Congratulations! You have obtained a position in a research lab on campus and cannot wait to get your hands dirty (plant biology lab), wet (marine biology lab), or achingly sore (any molecular biology lab = lots of pipetting!). You’ve met with your research advisor (Dr. W) and have a good idea of what your project is and how the semester will go. Dr. W told you that if you put in the time and work hard, you should get X results which have Y implications for the field, and if it all works out as planned (why wouldn’t it?), you might even get to publish a paper, with you as an author!!!

Flash forward eight weeks into the semester. You’ve been putting in a TON of time and working REALLY HARD, but when Dr. W asks you if you got X results yet (which you should have by now), all you have to say is:

“Well, my positive control still doesn’t work, but my negative control works! Then again, every experiment looks like a negative control because I don’t get any results at all (frowny face).”

Welcome to the real world of research! Research isn’t all neat and tidy and like your introductory science textbooks might lead to you believe. To paraphrase a former professor of mine, “Things don’t work all the time in research, and you usually have to do things over again. That’s why they call it ‘research’. If things worked the first time, it would just be called ‘search.’”

 

Research isn’t a linear process and usually doesn’t go completely as planned. Rather, research takes you on twists and turns, loopty-loos, and dead-ends before you get to your destination (if you ever get there at all).

I know you must be frustrated, but there are many positives to take away from this experience. First and foremost, you are actually doing real research and experiencing what it is like to be a scientist! You can learn a lot when experiments go awry: my entire PhD thesis was built on a negative control that kept giving me positive results! So keep your eyes open and your brain churning – you might be on the verge of something new and interesting!

You are also developing some of the most important skills you can have in research: critical thinking, problem solving, and troubleshooting. Because projects and experiments can (and do) go astray, you need to have your thinking cap on at all times to think about why something went wrong, what can be changed to make it work, and what the “wrong” result might mean.

Finally, you are learning valuable scientific knowledge, laboratory skills, and experimental techniques that you can rely on throughout your career. Before this semester, did you know how to do (fill in the blank)? I bet not, but now you do! And that’s something you can talk about during job, grad school, and med school interviews.

While things may not be going as planned, keep your chin up! You are learning a lot about how science and research is done. Remember: there’s still eight weeks in the semester to go!

By Kayla Wall | Posted on: February 28, 2012 at 8:00 am | Posted in Blog | Tagged | Comments (1)

OUR Staff Spotlight: My Interview with Melissa Wrzesien

Connecting Climates One Map at a Time

Written by Chelsey Bentley

Usually when I hear the words “climate change”, I sit reminiscing for a minute. My brain goes back to the high school science classes where I often sat doodling as the teacher tried her best to explain the dangers of climate change. Being from the cold north, most of my fellow students equated climate change with warmer winters, more sun and more dips in the pool. But for 2011 SURF student Melissa Wrzesien, a junior Environmental Science and Applied Math major, climate change was a deeper interest she chose to research. Her project, “The Climate Network: Analyzing the Complex Connections of Earth’s Climate”, replicated a study done in 2009. Melissa used publically available temperature data from around the globe to replicate the study and used a program called Matlab to create programs to transfer the data and create maps showing different network measures. To me, this sounded like the calculus I never understood in high school, until Melissa explained.  Basically, she attempted to replicate the study to see if she would end up with the same results. Once she obtained all the data, she took it a step further and analyzed the climate data and interactions.

Most people don’t notice similarities between weather in Chicago and Hong Kong, but that is what Melissa sought to find. The ultimate goal of her project was to see the connections of how temperatures are related around the world. Her advisor, Dr. Peter Mucha, tailored his specialty of network analysis to fit Melissa’s interest of climate change. “Dr. Mucha is in the math department, but my career goals are more centered on the implications of climate change.  We wanted to do a network analysis, but we picked this one because I am interested in climate change, I was very pleased that he was willing to tailor his specialty to my interests. It is one of the first studies that combines the two,” Melissa said.

One challenge to her research was that Melissa did not know much about programming when she first began. She also had to figure out how to work with the data format  in which the temperature data was presented. Besides the results that she obtained by doing research, Melissa learned how important it is to make connections with different professors outside one’s major. A lot of students avoid connecting with professors outside their major or area of interest, which is something Melissa advises against.  She said, “Dr. Mucha was someone that I would normally go to for math advising. However, now he will be someone that I will go to figure out life plans after undergrad. Professors really are here to advise students. They’ve been in the exact situations that we’re finding ourselves in now”.

Melissa’s advice to future researchers is not to be afraid to get involved. “Email anyone whose research interests you. Make those connections because they will most definitely help you in the future. I learned that I don’t really want to do network analysis, as it was very difficult for me. I gained great skills and a great relationship with my professor as well,” she said.

Melissa hopes to continue with her research in the spring and try to take her research further. “One of the students I worked with this summer wrote programming and we are thinking of combining the two,” she said.

Melissa’s research shows that even when you research something you think you know fairly well, you more than likely will come away from your research with new information or skills. You may find that you really don’t like your topic of study as much as you once thought, or you may enjoy it even more. Research allows you to connect with professors outside your comfort area, and create a close bond. Research can take you as far as your curiosity permits, whether that is across different areas of study or across continents.

By chelsey bentley | Posted on: February 21, 2012 at 7:45 am | Posted in Blog | Comments (0)

OUR Staff Spotlight: My Interview With Crystal Wu and Qiudi Zhang

                                                           An Excursion in Berlin
Written by Chelsey Bentley
        Curry-wurst, sight-seeing in Berlin, classical music…and research? When I was assigned the task of interviewing clarinetist Qiudi Zhang and pianist Crystal Wu, I definitely did not see how those four things went together; especially the research part. The two UNC music majors paired together and traveled to Berlin to commission renowned composer Georg Katzer to write a performance piece for them. Commissioning a work to be made for a musician is something many students do not get the chance of doing, so for Zhang, a senior, and Wu, a junior, this opportunity was not only an experience in research, it was also a once in a lifetime opportunity.

        Wu and Zhang received a SURF in 2011, which made all of this possible. Through completing their SURF research, Wu and Zhang gained valuable insight on their research experience. The two shared their story, from the difficult planning process to reflecting on all they accomplished over a short summer.

       Being a journalism major, I didn’t realize how many steps were involved in getting a song commissioned for a student, but there are a few pretty difficult ones, especially for college students. Zhang and Wu were very lucky everything landed in place. One thing I didn’t understand was how getting a composer to write a song for them was research, but the two explained. Quidi and Crystal had to research composers that could fit their needs and collaborate. They enlisted the help of Professor Litwin, a composer at UNC with many ties to composers around the world. For them, picking Katzer was a pretty easy and opportune decision.

        “We picked [Katzer] because he was experienced in working with young people, and he likes to help people perform his pieces,” Zhang said. Katzer is one of the pioneers of electronic music in Germany. He often uses unconventional learning techniques, such as the one he taught Wu that consisted of hitting the piano keys with a drum mallet. To me, this sounded like something fun to try! I never though music writing would require a contract, but Katzer, Wu and Zhang had to create one, discuss fees and the type of piece they wanted commissioned. It took Katzer around two months to complete the piece. From there Katzer composed the work and emailed the composition to the two students who then traveled to Berlin to perfect the piece.

     Their piece, entitled “Excursions”, was created spontaneously by Katzer. I was really curious as to how their piece was entitled “Excursions”.  Katzer wrote of the performance, “Like a hike, Excursions leads us to different areas, as one goes, one stands sometimes and watches, then goes further.” The two hoped sightseeing in Berlin would inspire their playing, as Katzer is from Berlin. Wu said, “Berlin is modern and industrial, I could see how Katzer got influenced by his city. Just to experience that first hand was amazing.” They hoped the industrial feel of Berlin would help them understand how to properly perform Katzer’s piece. For both of the girls, this experience also marked the first time they had been to Europe. The two spent a jam-packed week in Berlin. They did a lot of sightseeing, but according to Wu, “ a week is not long enough to experience the city fully”. They went to museums, walked the streets, anything to soak up as much of Berlin’s culture as they could.

     After their jam-packed week in Berlin, Wu and Zhang later premiered their piece at Person Recital Hall at UNC-Chapel Hill on October 14, 2011. Wu said it was more personal to perform this piece than any other, as she and Zhang had worked on it for a long time and since the piece was especially written for them. Before the performance, both girls felt anxious about letting the public hear what they had commissioned. “I felt a little bit of pressure, since no one has done this before. We’re setting precedence for the future,” Zhang said. The two still find it difficult to grasp that they had a song commissioned just for them, a huge accomplishment most in music do not get the pleasure of saying.

     I asked the two if they had any advice to give to future researchers. Zhang said,“ Don’t concentrate too much on obtaining some sort of correct results, instead, enjoy the process! That’s the most valuable part!”

      Wu added that by researching something she was interested in, she absorbed more from her experience. “When you are passionate about a subject, the process of researching and carrying out that research is not only more enjoyable but also more beneficial. You will absorb and retain more from your experience. Research something that is important to you and put in the necessary time and effort to complete the project well and the outcome of your hard work will be exceptional,” she said.

        After interviewing these two talented ladies, I learned a few things. I learned that students can do research in any field, doing almost anything; from researching cancer cells to getting a song written for you in Europe. Research is beneficial in so many other ways besides gaining results you were seeking. From connecting with professors and other peers, to getting to perform publicly a song written for you, research is all where you decide to let your curiosity lead you.

By chelsey bentley | Posted on: February 14, 2012 at 8:35 am | Posted in Blog | Comments (1)

Morgan Abbott, 2011 SURF Student

SURF Spotlight

My name is Morgan Abbott and I am a senior double majoring in Public Policy and Religious Studies with a minor in Entrepreneurship.  I traveled to Kenya for 9 weeks with the support of the SURF to study the impact of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions by United States Citizens in Kenya.  The Hague Convention is a policy intervention governing adoption for signatory countries with a goal of minimizing human trafficking and prioritizing the safety of orphans.  My time in Kenya allowed me to collect approximately sixty hours of qualitative interviews for my Honors Thesis in Public Policy.  I also performed documentary research and served as a participant observer in orphanages, adoption agencies and alongside government officials.

My SURF summer was my fourth trip to Kenya.  I spent three previous summers in Kenya working in the New Life Homes through Carolina for Amani and The Amani Children’s Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the New Life Homes through fundraising, advocacy, and an internship program.  Three summers performing legal, social, and clerical work in the New Life Homes allowed me to learn and participate directly in the Kenyan adoption process as Amani implemented new documentation and administrative processes.  My experiences led to my decision to craft my Honors Thesis around the transformation of adoption processes in Kenya.

I conducted key informant interviews selected through purposive sampling with adoption agents, social workers, adoption lawyers, government officials and administrators, members of the Kenyan National Adoption Committee, and orphanage directors.  I also performed documentary research of past, current, and pending legislation.  The results of my interviews will be used to supplement and contextualize existing quantitative data collected by the United States Department of State regarding intercountry adoption trends.  The people I interviewed were very enthusiastic about my work and willing to help in any way.  I left each interview with a business card to stay in contact, a stack of papers, information, or documents for further reading, and the names and contact information of other people who would be willing to talk to me.  Through my research, I was able to meet exciting, knowledgeable, and passionate people, ranging from professors at top law schools and research universities, policy developers, high-ranking government officials, and on-the-ground implementers of adoption who challenged and inspired me to continue my work.

I’d spent almost five years working in children’s issues in Kenya, serving as an advocate for the Kenyan adoption process and the New Life Homes.  The majority of my interactions had previously been with administrative personnel in orphanages and adoption agencies, who fueled my passion for the manner in which Kenya performs adoptions.  Thus, it was extremely challenging for me to compartmentalize my usual role as an advocate and instead approach the topic as an unbiased researcher.  Working alongside and interviewing government officials and lawyers for the first time this summer allowed me to understand a different perspective of the Kenyan adoption process, which was less favorable and more critical than the one to which I had been exposed.  Although I am still an advocate for the Kenyan adoption process, my research exposed many areas of improvement that are still needed in order to perfect the process.  Through my research, I learned various challenges faced by developing countries as they seek to balance the safety, security, and best interests of orphaned children while making their adoption processes accessible and affordable so that children can be placed in loving families.

You can read more about my summer in Kenya and the work of Carolina for Amani in the United States by visiting my personal blog at www.morganabbott.com.

By chelsey bentley | Posted on: February 7, 2012 at 8:00 am | Posted in Blog | Tagged , | Comments (0)