Students present research to Board of Visitors

Between committee meetings May 3, Radford University Board of Visitors members had a chance to talk one-on-one with students about research projects they have been involved with throughout the academic year.
Junior biology major Attia Mohamed explains his research to Board of Visitors member Debra McMahon.

Between committee meetings May 3, Radford University Board of Visitors (BOV) members had a chance to talk one-on-one with students about research projects they have been involved with throughout the academic year.

Students representing each of the university colleges displayed posters and talked with Board members about their research during a 30-minute session.

“I would have thought these were second-year grad students,” said Board member Susan Whealler Johnston after talking with junior biology major Attia Mohamed about his project.

Mohamed presented the research he and a few other students are working on: “Vespa Amino Acid Mixture Enhances Electron and Proton Transport in Mitochondria and Leads to Excessive Reactive Oxygen Production.”

“This is an honor for me. I honestly didn’t see that the work I’ve been doing would be recognized on a level like this,” said Mohamed, of Riner. “It’s just a big honor to be asked to do this. It really highlights the importance of our research. And it shows how important this is to Radford and to the administration.”

Mohamed has been working on the research with students Samuel Stowers, Kristy Clark, Marisa Dameron, Adam Weikel, Emilie Colon and Biology Assistant Professor Sarah Redmond.

The poster session took place two days before chemistry major Jazmin Valentine graduated. Valentine, of Norfolk, talked with BOV members about her research, “Method Development for Quantitating Stevia in Consumer Products by HPLC,” and said it was “an honor” to be invited to present.

Board of Visitors member Steve Robinson ’81, M.S. ‘85 made his way around the room, examining projects and speaking with each student researcher.

After talking with Doctor of Physical Therapy student Kimberly McDow, of Roanoke, about her research into the use of dry cupping for lower back pain, Robinson, an assistant basketball coach at the University of North Carolina said, “It’s great to see the creativity and the hard work the students have put in in their efforts to continue to get better and learn and improve.

“It’s been very informative for me to walk around and learn some things I didn’t know about,” Robinson continued. “It shows their commitment to the charges that they’ve embarked upon.”

The presentations provided BOV members “an opportunity to meet our students personally and learn about their productivity beyond the classroom, all their professional growth through making presentations at professional meetings and their plans for the future,” said Artis College of Science and Technology Dean Orion Rogers.

And for the students, Dean Rogers said, “it’s an opportunity to share their passion for research and how they have taken advantage of opportunities at Radford University.”

BOV member Lisa Throckmorton ’94 said the presentations gave her “more knowledge about the research opportunities students have” at her alma mater. “It’s nice to get some additional exposure to the capabilities and opportunities the students are getting at the university.” 

 

May 8, 2018
Chad Osborne
540-831-7761
caosborne@radford.edu