Annual Report to HHMI, Undergraduate Programs division

Report Period: May 1, 1998 through April 30, 1999

Narrative report on Student Research and Broadening Access to Science:

Summer research fellowships supported by this grant were awarded to two Kenyon students:

Scheroi Taylor, class of 2001, worked with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Rosemary Marusak on a project in solution properties of ruthenium ethylene diaamine tetraacetate (RuEDTA, commonly called acetic acid) and ruthenium ethylene diaamine tetraacetate bisamide (RuEDTA-ba). Scheroi has since declared her intention to major in chemistry at Kenyon and was awarded a Kenyon Summer Science Scholarship to pursue further research with Prof. Marusak.

Jed Henry, class of 2000, worked with Associate Professor of Biology David Marcey. In his project, he studied the effects of nitric oxide on drosophila kc cells. As Jed describes his results, "We know that the hormone, ecdysone, causes these cells to slow in mitosis and begin inversion. Ecdysone is clearly seen in the development of the fruit fly. That is, certain cells of the fruit fly "know" when and what to divide into because ecdysone directs their development. We found that nitric oxide, at precise concentrations, can cause the same effects on cells that ecdysone did. Therefore, we hypothesized that nitric oxide may be the signal molecule that ecdysone mediates in cell division."

Photo 1.1: Scheroi Taylor, class of 2001, prepares apparatus for electrochemical studies on a novel ruthenium complex in the lab of Professor Rosemary Marusak. The ruthenium ICRF (Imperial Cancer Research Fund) ligand is an important cardioprotectant used in doxorubicin chemotherapy.

In addition to these summer research positions, a pre-first-year bridging program was funded by this grant. Thirteen members of the class of 2002, shown below with Kenyon Admissions officers Dolph Clinton and Robert King, spent two weeks at Kenyon in the summer prior to their matriculation at the College. The group, shown in the photo below, was a multi-racial group including many first-generation college students. The program was conceived as a way to boost the skills and confidence of the students by engaging them in college-level work in a small group setting, without the pressure of grades, extracurriculars, and a full academic schedule to contend with. They were also given an introduction to the community of the college and the surrounding area by Clinton and King.

Photo 1.2: Front row: Amanda Jemmott, Shana West, and Eduardo Rivera. Middle row: Dolph Clinton (Admissions), Meheret Birru, Elkinsette Clinton, Seena Mathew, Brandon Lute, Rhoda Raji, Densil Porteous, and Robert King (Admissions); Back row: Adam Sapp, Richard Dickinson, James Greenwood, and Ivan Isreal.

During the two weeks, the students worked with Associate Professor of Physics Paula Turner and Instructor of Chemistry (and Director of Outreach Programs for this grant) Dudley Thomas on classroom and laboratory exercises designed to increase their preparation for work in introductory science courses at Kenyon. The students learned computing and library skills in researching and preparing audio-visual presentations on medicinal herbs. They practiced laboratory techniques in performing three experiments (a chemical synthesis of aspirin, a kinematic exploration of acceleration and deceleration in a moving vehicle, and a spectroscopic investigation of the nuclear decay properties of radioactive isotopes) which are similar to (or are contained in) introductory-level science lab courses at Kenyon. They practiced scientific analysis, writing, and editing skills in preparing a formal typed report on one of the experiments of their choice. They also read and discussed with the instructors a book (Science Matters, by Hazen and Trefil) aimed at improving knowledge of science at the entry college level.

These assignments, as well as the chance to meet other incoming students from similar backgrounds, helped prepare these students to meet the academic and social challenges of Kenyon College. The students remained in close contact with one another, and also maintained relationships with the instructors, throughout their freshman year, and a number have expressed their feeling that the workshop offered them a unique and valuable opportunity to acclimate themselves to Kenyon and prepare for their first year here.