Student Research & Activities
Student Research & Activities
Biology Students at Wartburg College have many opportunities to conduct research. Students can work with individual faculty on projects related to a faculty member’s research interests. Students can work a few hours a week with a professor to “learn the ropes,” even in the first year! Upper class students can receive academic course credit through BI 450, Independent Study or students can apply for an Undergraduate Research Fellowship wherein they can work with a faculty member during the summer or academic year.An integral part of the Biology major is the opportunity for students to propose and carry out a research project in their junior or senior year in BI 455-456. During the first term, students research the topic, write a research proposal and determine equipment needs and a budget for the project. During the second term, they conduct the research, prepare a manuscript, and present a poster of their research on campus at Wartburg’s RICE Day. Students may also present their data at off-campus venues.
Beta Beta Beta Honor Society
Beta Beta Beta Biology Society admits students with a B average in at least three biology courses. Those with an interest in biology can become associate members. The honor society organizes community service projects, attends professional presentations, and sponsors social events.
Off-Campus Research
In recent years, biology majors have had the opportunity to conduct research at University of California at Berkley, University of Iowa, Iowa State University, University of Minnesota Hormel Institute, University of Missouri, the Mayo Clinic, the Minnesota Zoo, and several state natural resources departments to name a few.
Students: Natalie Ehlinger and Sydney Stout
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Title: Isolating and Characterizing Antibiotic-Producing Brucella Intermedia from Soil
Presented at: Tiny Earth Summer Symposium, June 13-14, 2023, Madison, WI
Student: Zee Naba
Faculty: Dr. Eric Emmons, Dr. Michaeleen Golay, Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet, Eric Berns, and Dr. Stephanie Toering Peters
Title: A CURE for the Cookbook Lab – Tigriopus californicus as a Model for Realistic Research Experiences in Undergraduate Lab Courses
Presented at: Iowa Academy of Sciences (IAS) Conference April 21-22, 2023, Cedar Falls, IA
Students: Ashley Bloomquist, Gabby Corday, Genoa Gregg, and Olivia Hobson
Faculty: Dr. Michaeleen Golay, and Dr. Stephanie Toering Peters
Title: Extracting RNA from Hydrophyllum virginianum
Presented at: Iowa Academy of Sciences (IAS) Conference April 21-22, 2023, Cedar Falls, IA
Student: Roberto Munoz
Collaborators at the University of Iowa: Caitlin Lemke-Miltner, Sue E. Blackwell, Travis Fischer, and George J. Weiner
Title: Vidutolimod Uptake by Leukocytes: Elucidating the Role of Granulocytes & the Impact on Their Activation
Presented at: Iowa Academy of Sciences (IAS) Conference April 21-22, 2023, Cedar Falls, IA
Student: Robby Munoz
Collaborators at the University of Iowa: Caitlin Lemke-Miltner, Sue E. Blackwell, Travis Fischer, and George J. Weiner
Title: Vidutolimod Uptake by Leukocytes: Elucidating the Role of Granulocytes & the Impact on Their Activation
Presented at: National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 20-22, 2023, Eau Claire, WI
Student: Pedro Martinez, Jr.
Collaborators at University of Illinois-Carle Hospital: Daniel Ng, Hacene Serrai, Mark D. Whiting
Title: Enlarged Perivascular Spaces in Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Characterization with 7T MRI and Relationship with Neurobehavioral Outcome
Presented at: National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 20-22, 2023, Eau Claire, WI
Student: Lindsey Spolidoro
Faculty: Dr. Stephanie Toering Peters
Title: Analysis of LNS2 Protein Domain Conservation Through Bioinformatic Annotation of Lpin in Drosophila Species
Presented at: National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 20-22, 2023, Eau Claire, WI
Students: Emma Hickman and Ashton Camper
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Title: The Study of a Bacteriophage on the Wartburg College Campus
Presented at: National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 20-22, 2023, Eau Claire, WI
Students: Zefanias Ngove, Chaitrali Reddy, and Gretchen Guettzlaff
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Title: Isolation, Characterization and Host Range of Novel Microbacterium foliorum Bacteriophages
Presented at: National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 20-22, 2023, Eau Claire, WI
Students: Victoria Breitbach, Maeve Dunne, Hidaly Hernandez, and Natalie Paulson
Faculty: Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet
Title: The Effects of Voluntary Exercise on Memory and Anxiety in Young Adult Female C57BL/6 Mice
Presented at: National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 20-22, 2023, Eau Claire, WI
Students: Lexi Brown and Alex Holden
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Blapticomposting in the Classroom
Presented at: Science Education Update Conference, March 31, 2023, Cedar Falls, IA
Students: Annie Dietz and Keli Potter
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: The Effects of Biophilia on Secondary Science Students’ Achievement, Motivation and Retention
Presented at: Science Education Update Conference, March 31, 2023, Cedar Falls, IA
Students: Rose Larson and Kate Heithoff
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Three Gallon Living Learning Systems
Presented at: Science Education Update Conference, March 31, 2023, Cedar Falls, IA
Student: Hidaly Hernandez
Collaborators at the University of Iowa
Title: Effects of Avasopasem Manganese (GC4419) in Mouse Models of Disease
Presented at: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska STEM Partnership for Innovation in Research and Education (IINspire) Conference February 10-11, 2023, Iowa City, IA
Student: Robby Munoz
Collaborators at the University of Iowa: Caitlin Lemke-Miltner, Sue E. Blackwell, Travis Fischer, and George J. Weiner
Title: Vidutolimod Uptake by Leukocytes: Elucidating the Role of Granulocytes & the Impact on Their Activation
Presented at: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska STEM Partnership for Innovation in Research and Education (IINspire) Conference February 10-11, 2023, Iowa City, IA
Students: Michaela Dehli and Chloe Zierke
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Educator Professional Development with Ioponics (Iowa Aquaponics)
Presented at: Iowa Agriculture in the Classroom Learning Conference, November 17, 2022, West Des Moines, Iowa
Students: Joseline Robles Rosales, Autumn Derifield, and Spencer Dodgen
Faculty: Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet
Title: Effect of Maternal Parity on Cognition of Mus musculus pups
Presented at: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) November 10-12, 2022, Anaheim, CA
Students: Carrington Bush, Caylee Garcia, Grace Roseen, and Missy Shockley
Faculty: Dr. Eric Emmons
Title: Effects of Induced Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries on Working and Spacial Memory in Mice
Presented at: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) November 10-12, 2022, Anaheim, CA
Student: Noah Christians
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Biophilia Effects on Long-Term Concept Retention, Academic Achievement, and Intrinsic Motivation in Secondary Science Classrooms
Presented at: National Association of Biology Teachers’ (NABT) National Conference, November 10-13, 2022, Indianapolis, IN
Students: Jenna Smuszkiewicz, Bryce Butler, Aaron Frohner, and Gianna Witmer
Title: Synaptic Gene RNAi Knockdown Effects on Behavioral Homeostasis in Drosophila
Faculty: Dr. Stephanie Toering Peters
Presented at: Midbrains Conference (Midwest Regional Neuroscience Conference) October 22, 2022, Eau Claire, WI
Student: Pedro Martinez, Jr.
Collaborators at University of Illinois-Carle Hospital: Daniel Ng, Hacene Serrai, Mark D. Whiting
Title: Enlarged Perivascular Spaces in Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Characterization with 7T MRI and Relationship with Neurobehavioral Outcome
Presented at: Midbrains Conference (Midwest Regional Neuroscience Conference) October 22, 2022, Eau Claire, WI
Students: Halle Van Roekel and Rainy Kock
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Title: Discovery and Characterization of Microbacterium foliorum Bacteriophage ‘Burgy’
Presented at: American Society of Microbiology (ASM) North Central Branch Conference October 21-22, 2022, Grinnell, IA
Students: Zefanias Ngove, Chaitrali Reddy, and Gretchen Guetzlaff
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Title: Isolation, Characterization and Host Range of Novel Microbacterium foliorum Bacteriophages
Presented at: American Society of Microbiology (ASM) North Central Branch Conference October 21-22, 2022, Grinnell, IA
Student: Ella Brase
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Into the Wild: Teaching Core Subjects through and Environmental Lens
Presented at: Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC) September 30, 2022, Des Moines, IA
Students: Jonah Thomas and Blake Zimmerman
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Title: The genus Pseudomonas Produces Antibiotics that Inhibit the Growth of Staphylococcus epidermis, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus casseliflavus
Presented at: Tiny Earth Summer Symposium, May 24-25, 2022 -virtual
Students: Caleb Lines, Tsering Tashi, Tanner Shields, and Tristan Voelker
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Title: A Bacillus species is Able to Produce Antimicrobials that Can Inhibit the Growth of ESKAPE Pathogen Relatives
Presented at: Tiny Earth Summer Symposium, May 24-25, 2022 -virtual
Students: Michaela Dehli and Chloe Zierke
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Amazonian Ecology and Culture; Citizen Science Projects
Presented at: NSTA (National Science Teaching Association) conference (Houston, TX), March 30-April 3, 2022
Students: Students: Jenna Smuszkiewicz, Hanna Schmitt
Faculty: Dr. Sean Coleman
Title: Wartburg College Tiny Earth Pilot Program: Soil Bacteria and Antibiotic Discovery
Presented at: (or Published in:) Cell Biology Education Consortium Conference (Virtual), December 2021
Students: Michaela Dehli
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Ioponics in the Elementary Education Classroom
Presented at: ISTS (Iowa Science Teaching Section) at DMACC (Ankeny, IA), October 4, 2021
Students: Hanna Schmitt and Genoa Gregg
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Raising, Maintaining, and Breeding Poison Dart Frogs as an Educational Experience
Presented at: ISTS (Iowa Science Teaching Section) at DMACC (Ankeny, IA), October 4, 2021
Students: Noah Christians and Ryan Dalton
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Biophilic Effects on Long-term Concept Retention, Academic Achievement, and Intrinsic Motivation in Secondary Science Classrooms
Presented at: MEEC (Midwest Environmental Education Conference) at Luther College (Decorah, IA), July 26-29, 2021
Students: Hanna Schmitt and Genoa Gregg
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Dart Frogs: A TOADally UnFROGettable Classroom Pet
Presented at: MEEC (Midwest Environmental Education Conference) at Luther College (Decorah, IA), July 26-29, 2021
Students: Sidney Baumgartner and Becca Montgomery
Faculty: Dr. Michael Bechtel
Title: Ioponics: Iowa Education Aquaponics and Using NGSS-Aligned Lessons
Presented at: NAITC (National Agriculture in the Classroom) conference (Des Moines, IA), June 28-July 1, 2021
Students: Sanah Munir
Faculty: Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet
Title: The Role of Parenting on Physiological and Psychological Stress Response
Presented at: The Association for Psychological Science annual convention (online), May 2021
Students: Jenna Smuszkiewicz, Hanna Schmitt
Faculty: Dr. Sean Coleman
Title: Wartburg College Tiny Earth Pilot Program: Soil Bacteria and Antibiotic Discovery
Presented at: Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium and Minnesota Academy of Science Annual Meeting (Virtual), April 2021
Students: Katheryn Opperman
Faculty: Dr. Stephanie Toering Peters
Title: Annotation of Three Insulin Signaling Pathway Genes in Drosophila Species
Presented at: GEP Regional Node Event for MN, IA, and the Dakotas (Virtual) December 11, 2020
Students: Susana Melgar Pérez, Logan Nelsen
Faculty: Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet
Title: Effects of tryptophan supplementation on anxiety and learning
Presented at: The Animal Behavior Society annual conference (online) August 2020
Students: Melanie Muller, Emily Banken, Sae Niimura, Kelsi Tidwell
Faculty: Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay
Title: The effects of climate change on the phenology of three early-flowering forest perennials. Ecological Society of America.
Presented at: Ecological Society of America, August 2020
Students: Logan Nelsen, Grace Roseen, Brandon Merritt, Alexandria Nicolaus
Faculty: Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet
Title: Correlations between anxiety and learning in mice
Presented at: Midbrains Midwest Regional Neuroscience annual meeting (Rock Island, IL), September 2019
Students: Hannah Nyman, Sara Ashar
Faculty: Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet
Title: Effects of repeated testing in the elevated plus maze: Measuring anxiety in Syrian hamsters
Presented at: The Iowa Academy of Sciences annual meeting (Cedar Falls, IA), April 2019
Students: Jacob Buchheim
Faculty: Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay
Title: Phenology and climate change: Use of digitized data to understand plant responses
Presented at: Iowa Academy of Sciences (Cedar Falls, IA), April 2019
Students: Grace Morningstor, Worm-Beneke Kelly Worm-Beneke
Faculty: Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay
Title: Leaf morphology of the forest perennial Hydrophyllum virginianum throughout the growing season
Presented at: Iowa Academy of Sciences (Cedar Falls, IA), April 2019
Students: Samantha Braundmeier, Adriana Gordon, Brian Hamilton
Faculty: Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet
Title: The effects of enriched environments on male and female C57BL/6 mice
Presented at: The Iowa Academy of Sciences annual meeting (Cedar Falls, IA), April 2019
Students: Brooke Klostermann, Paige Shafer
Faculty: Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay
Title: Seasonal storage of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in two perennial forest herbaceous plants
Presented at: Iowa Academy of Sciences (Cedar Falls, IA), April 2019
Students: N/A
Faculty: Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay, Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet, Dr. Stephanie Toering Peters, Dr. Jay Garaycochea
Title: Linking lecture and lab in a classroom-based undergraduate research experience (CURE)
Presented at: The National Association of Biology Teachers annual conference (San Diego, CA), November 2018
Students: Johanna Kluck, Teylor Jones, Hailey Schmitz
Faculty: Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay
Title: Seasonal variation of leaf morphology in Hydrophyllum virginianum
Presented at: Botany (Rochester, MN), July 2018
Students: Maddie Kemp, Joel Toppin
Faculty: Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay
Title: Fertilizer effects of nitrate concentration in beet roots and leaves
Presented at: Iowa Academy of Sciences, April 2018
Students: Monica Crawford, Riley Woods
Faculty: Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet
Title: The effects of social enrichment on anxiety in C57BL/6 mice
Presented at: Midbrains Midwest Regional Neuroscience annual meeting (St. Paul, MN), September 2017
Students: Spencer Dodgen and Marin Stowe
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Collaborators at SEA-PHAGES: S. Tolsma, R.A. Garlena, D.A. Russell, D. Jacobs-Sera, G.F. Hatfull
Title: Accession No. OP068333 Microbacterium Bacteriophage Pavlo
NCBI Genome Submission, National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/OP068333
Students: Jacob Georgen, Rainy Kock, and Halle Van Roekel
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Collaborators at SEA-PHAGES: V.A. Delesalle, R.A. Garlena, D.A. Russell, D. Jacobs-Sera, G.F. Hatfull
Title: Accession No. ON755188 Microbacterium Bacteriophage Burgy
NCBI Genome Submission, National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/ON755188
Students: Jacob Georgen, Rainy Kock, and Halle Van Roekel
Faculty: Dr. Sean T. Coleman
Title: Genome Sequence and Characteristics of the Microbacterium foliorum Cluster EE Bacteriophage Burgy.
Published in Microbiology Research Announcements, 11:11 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00912-22
Student: Hannah Hart
Collaborators at GlycoScience Research and University of South Dakota: Aaron F. Harmon, Larry D. Holler, Susan W. Holler, Madeline A. Valetin, Hongmin Wang
Faculty: Dr. Stephanie Toering Peters
Title: The cytoprotective role of GM1 ganglioside in Huntington disease cells.
Published in Molecular Biology Reports 49:12253-12258, 2022. doi: 10.1007/s11033-022-07830-2.
Students: Paige Shafer
Faculty: Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay
Title: Seasonal storage of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in two perennial herbaceous plants.
Published in: Flora 271. doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2020.151687 2020
Students: Daniel J Bonthius
University of Iowa collaborators: Todd D, Sabalo LM, Roghair J, Karacay B
Faculty: Dr. Samantha Larimer Bousquet
Title: Regional patterns of alcohol-induced neuronal loss depend on genetics: Implications for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Published in: Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 42(9): 1627-1639. 2018