Mathematics Undergraduate Research

Research Opportunities in MathTn Women in Computing Conference

How do undergraduates do research in mathematics?

Many of the Department of Mathematics faculty members are engaged in scholarly research and often have opportunities for students. In addition, the department is currently participating in interdisciplinary research with the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems and Department of Chemistry.

Students may participate in undergraduate research in two ways:

  • Individual, independent study conducted on a topic selected by the student
  • Individual or group studies conducted on an existing faculty member's research interest

These options are an essential part of the University's Undergraduate Research Program (URP) and Quality Enhancement Program (QEP). The department's research activities support both the URP and QEP programs.


Elly Couch, Math/CS Undergraduate Research Team


  For additional information on recent research projects in math and other

  disciplines, visit the University Undergraduate Research page

  at https://www.una.edu/ug-research/

 

Current Research Projects

2022-2023 

Hanna Joy Jefcoat        

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

CHCHD2 Impact on Autosomal Dominant Parkinson 22.  

First Place STEM Poster Session November 2022, HudsonAlpha Symposium 2023  

  

Andrew Mullins  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Characterizing a Variant of TGFBR2 associated with Marfan Syndrome  

STEM Poster Session November 2022, HudsonAlpha Symposium 2023  

  

Scarlett Swinea  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Exploration of the FBXW7 Missense Mutation R505H  

STEM Poster Session November 2022, HudsonAlpha Symposium 2023  

  

Emily Gregory  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Exploration of the GNB5 Protein Variants at Position L307R  

STEM Poster Session November 2022, HudsonAlpha Symposium 2023  

  

Ruben Henrickson  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Investigation of PKD2 Variants  

STEM Poster Session November 2022  

  

Baxter Avie Halder  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Exploration of the Gene CLCN5 in Dent Disease  

Third Place in STEM Poster Session November 2022

 

Recent Research Projects 

2021-2022  

Morgan Fisher  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Exploration of Gene CLCN2's Role in Bipolar Disorder  

Presented at NABT CESR Poster Session 2022, STEM Poster Session 2021, and HudsonAlpha Symposium 2022  

  

Emily Ingle  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Investigation of E181K on CDKL5 Gene  

Awarded Honorable Mention at HudsonAlpha Symposium 2022, UNA Scholars Day Presentation 2022  

  

Abbey Steadman  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Characterization of K510N on the APP Gene  

Awarded Best Presentation at UNA Scholars Day Presentation 2022  

  

Hannah Robertson  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Investigation of PSEN1 Variants Related to Dementia  

Third Place Award at HudsonAlpha Symposium, UNA Scholars Day Presentation 2022, UNA STEM Poster Session, Third Place UNA STEM Poster Session  

  

Kendall Crowell  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Characterization of R354W in KCNA5 Gene  

Presented at HudsonAlpha Symposium 2022 and UNA Scholar Day  

  

Austin Castleberry  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Comparison of CYP11B1 Gene Mutations  

Presented at HudsonAlpha Symposium 2022 and UNA Scholar Day  

  

Hannah Tidwell  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Characterization of P73L on TREX1 Gene  

Presented at HudsonAlpha Symposium 2022 and UNA Scholars Day 2022  

  

Irma Ajualip Huarcas  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Exploration of the FECH Protein Variants C411G and C411F  

Presented at HudsonAlpha Symposium 2022, UNA Scholars Day 2022, and STEM Poster Session 2021  

  

Olivia Morris  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Investigation of variants of F8 and F9 relate to hemophilia  

Presented at NCUR 2022, HudsonAlpha Symposium 2022, Selected as CUR STR Intern 2022, second place UNA STEM Poster Session 2021  

  

Luke Terwilliger  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

An Investigation of the PSEN2 Swap Mutation T380M  

Intern at HudsonAlpha BioTrain Program, Presented at Alabama Academy of Science 2022, First Place STEM Poster Session 2021, HudsonAlpha Symposium 2022, Selected as CUR STR Intern 2022  

  

Page Joyner  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Beta Hexosaminidase A and Tay-Sachs Disease  

Presented at STEM Poster Session 2021  

  

Jalen Goodloe  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

A Study of the Variant R1628P in the LRRK2 Protein Linked to Parkinson's Disease  

Presented at STEM Poster Session 2021  

  

David Friend  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Analyzing Variant G345S of HEXA in Humans  

Presented at STEM Poster Session 2021  

  

Anja Einarsdottir  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

PTPN22 Associated with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and the Unknown of Variant K750N  

Internship Summer 2021 at deCode in Iceland, Presented at HudsonAlpha Symposium 2021 and UNA 3MT competition  

  

Chong Zhao  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

Computational analysis of the consequence of the missense swap Y454S inHARS1  

  

Josie Williams  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

An investigation of the association between the  MERTK mutation R727Q and retinitis pigmentosa  

Presented at HudsonAlpha Symposium 2021  

  

Sydney Leavitt  

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

An Exploration of the Impact ofTP53and Its Missense Mutation R249K on Glioblastoma  

Presented at HudsonAlpha Symposium 2021  

  

Holden Mullican 

Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger  

A Computational Analysis of the Exploration of Alzheimer’s Disease with the Variant A360T in PSEN1. 

First Place UNA 3MT, Presented at HudsonAlpha Symposium 2021 

2020-2021

Anja Einarsdottir
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
PTPN22 Associated with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and the Unknown of Variant K750N 

Jacob Laughlin
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Analysis of CFTR Missense Swap Y515C

Rebekah Sameulson
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
CFTR Missense Swap W496R

Dylan Uibel
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
An Exploration of CFTR Missense Swap G500D Compared to Phe505del

Jenna Marvin
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Investigation of the CFTR Gene Variant Q493P

Meet Patel
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
A Missense Swap on SLC6A1 Gene from Q to K at AA Position 209

Bliss Bailey
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
An Exploration of FGFR3 Missense Swap R669G

Whitley Waters
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Investigation of the SLC6A1 Protein and Variant G111R

Khushmeet Kathuria
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
An Exploration of HDAC8 Missense Swap of I94T

Grace Dodd
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
An Exploration of GRIN2A with Landau-Keffner Syndrome with a Missense Swap at G97D

Jennifer Olszyna
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
A Comparative Study of Two Variants in the HDAC8 Gene Linked to Cornelia de Lange Syndrome

2019-2020

Ethan Hood
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Investigation of the Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein 3D Model and its Relationship with ACE2

Chloe Carroll
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioimformatics Analysis of ASXL3

Jessa Plunket
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioinformatics in Secondary Education

Breanna Martin (HS)
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Genetics Education in the High School Classroom

Amber Mills
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioinformatics Investigation of RAC1

Justin Watson
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioinformatics Analysis of TREM2 Gene

Sara Gentry
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
An Exploration of SLC6A1 Gene with a Missense Swap of Glutamine for Arginine at AA position 199

Jordan Wright
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Studying the Significance of Variant F5Y on SLC6A1

Sara Woodley
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
An Exploration SLC6A1 Gene with a Missense Swap of Alanine Acid for Valine Acid at AA position 357

Mary Warren
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
SLC6A1 Mutation F256S

Jennifer Olszyna
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
A Missense Swap of Cysteic Acid Replaced by Phenylalanine Acid at Position 102 of the SLC6A1 Gene

Ethan Hood
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Investigation of the Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein 3D Model and its Relationshipwith ACE2

Ryan Gann
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
An Exploration SLC6A1 Gene with a Missense Swap of Arganine for Histidine at AA position 417

A. Kolby Thrasher
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Lee Raney and Dr. Mark Greer
The Octonionic Eigenvalue Problem

Anna Creekmore
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Ashley Johnson
Analysis of the Accuracy of Government Contract Pricing

Olivia McGriff
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Ashley Johnson
Effectiveness of Technology in the Math Classroom 

Sylver Carter
Domain Decomposition for Nematic Liquid Crystals
Research conducted at LSU Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates

2018-2019

Lauren Bergeron (HS)
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioinformatics Analysis of RYR2 Lesson for High School Students

Walker Ericsson
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioimformatics Research of PAC1R

Cyndra Graves
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioinformatics Analysis of Mutations CHD8

Trey Reiser
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioinformatics Analysis of APOE Gene

Mary Warren
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioinformatics Analysis of CR1 Gene

Lee Beadle
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Impact of Associated Mutations of NLGNX4

Austin Mitchel
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioinformatics Analysis of Shank3

Austin Rainer
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bionformatics Analysis of SORL1 Gene

A. Kolby Thrasher
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Effects of GPR153 on Childhood Onset Schizophrenia (COS)

William Weatherby
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Analyzing ACVR1 and its Mutations

Kevin Saint and MacKenzie Hicks
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
The Genetic Correlations Between RYR2 Mutations and Childhood Onset Schizophrenia

Ashton Harrelston
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
GNAO1: A Bioinformatics Analysis

Leah Buck
Internship at MSU

 

Holleigh Landers and Walker Mattox
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Jared Painter
Harmonious Labeling of Graphs

Michelle Veach
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Kyle Golenbiewski
Investigation of Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Through Conformal Mapping

Leah Buck & Chloe Carroll
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Characterizing ASXL3

Ashton Haralson
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Genetic Correlations Between GNAO1 Mutations and Epilepsy/EIEE17

McKenzie Hicks & Kevin Saint
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Genetic Correlations Between RYR2 Mutations

William Weatherby
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Analyzing the Various Mutations of ACVR1 and how they result in Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressive

Lee Beadle
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Genetic Correlations between NLGN4X Mutations and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Walker Ericsson
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Effects of Genetic Variants on ADCYAP1R1 Structure and Function

Cyndra Graves
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Linking Genetic Mutations in CHD8 to Autism Spectrum Disorder

Amber Mills
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Connections Between Neurological Disorders and RAC1 Genetic Mutation

Austin Mitchell
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
The Relationship Between SHANK3 and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Trey Rieser
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Connecting APOE4 to Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Mary Warren
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
PSEN-1: Connection to Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Justin Watson
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Cynthia Stenger & Dr. Jill Stupiansky
Variant Effects on the Structure and Function of TREM2

2017-2018

Leah Buck
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Bioinformatics Analysis of ASXL3

Derek Brown 
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Lee Raney & Dr. James Jerkins
A Cryptanalysis of the Autokey Cipher Using the Index of Coincidence

Christina Chambers, David Hyde, Millie Tittle
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Jesse Prince-Lubawy
Analyzing the potential correlations between math anxiety and math self-efficacy and computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy in lower level statistics courses among non-math majors

Emma Fancher, Anna Mosley, Joshua Tittle
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Jillian Stupiansky
The Math Behind March Madness

Caroline Hargett
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Miranda Bowie
The Competition-Independence Game

Victoria Krohn
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Mark Greer
The Value of Entering the “Real World”

Bella Martinez
Faculty Mentor – Dr. James Jerkins
User Perceptions of the Security of Musical Passwords

Luke Mason
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Jillian Stupiansky
Population Modeling the Slackwater Darter

Cody McCrary
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cindy Stenger

Emma McFall
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Jessica Stovall
An Exploration of In-Service Teachers’ Conceptual Understanding of Proportional Reasoning


2016-2017


Matthew Cooper, Erin Cosby, Ryan Rogers, and Joseph Schafer
Faculty Mentor - Dr. Lee Raney
Forecasting Zika Virus Disease in Brazil: a comparative analysis utilizing Wikipedia and Google Trends data

Katelyn Payton-Page
Faculty Mentor- Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Using Computer Programming to Improve the Ability to Generalize Mathematical Concepts

Cody McCrary
Faculty Mentor- Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Building Mental Frameworks for Abstract Reasoning

Hannah Hopkins
Faculty Mentor- Dr. James Jerkins
Is Dating Advice Received From Artificial Intelligence More Trustworthy Than Dating Advice Received From Other Humans?

Tyler Delano
Faculty Mentor- Dr. James Jerkins
When is an Algorithm Bias Free?


2015-2016


Daniel Branscomb
Faculty Mentor- Dr. Jesse Prince-Lubawy
Metric distances between Cayley tables

Victoria Davis
Faculty Mentor - Dr. Lee Raney
3D Printing in the Mathematics Classroom

Andrew Craft and Austin Oldag
Faculty Mentor - Dr. Lee Raney
Sliding Disk Puzzles and Permutation Groups

Alex Edwards and Michael Beaver
Faculty Mentor - Dr. Jessica Stovall
Investigating Cardano’s Irreducible Case

Kyle Kurzhal
Faculty Mentor - Dr. Mark Greer
Quasigroups and Zero-Knowledge Protocols

John Carr
Faculty Mentor - Dr. Mark Greer
Decompositions of Complete Graphs and P-Groupoids

Aaron Avery and Emily Malone
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Ashley Johnson
Bunting in Baseball


2014-2015


John Carr
Faculty Mentor- Dr. Mark Greer
Quasigroups, Groups, and the Sudoku Property

Elizabeth Kee
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Ashley Johnson
Geodesics in the Heisenburg Group

Daniel Branscomb
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Jesse Prince-Lubawy
Metric Distances Between Cayley Tables

Katie Goldsmith
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Investigating the Effectiveness of Peer-Led Supplemental Instruction

Alex Edwards
Faculty Mentors- Dr. Stovall and Dr. Moeller
Developing a Generalized Least-Squares Method


2013-2014


Kayla Dailey
Faculty Mentor- Dr. Miranda Bowie
The Competition-Independence Game on Paths

Autumn McMunn
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Ashley Johnson
Determining the Effectiveness of Peer-Led Supplemental Instruction (Honors Thesis)

Elly Couch and Kayla Dailey
Faculty Mentors- Dr. Cynthia Stenger and Dr. James Jerkins
Model Rocket Flight and Simulation as a Pedagogical Tool

Sharon Eccleston
Faculty Mentor – Dr. Cynthia Stenger
Growth Rates of Rehabilitated and Wild Eastern Gray Squirrels

Ricky Moore
Faculty Mentor- Dr. Herve Dovoedo
Measuring the Randomness of Numerical Sequences

Josh Reinoehl
Faculty Mentor- Dr. Dasgupta
Interval 3-Grapsh Impropriety

Lacey Richards, Amy Brown, Arin Graham
Faculty Mentors – Dr. Stenger, Dr. Stovall, and Dr. Jerkins
An Investigation of New Algorithmic Approaches to Analyze Weather Data

NUCR 2013 Math/CS Undergraduate Research Team

Math/CS Undergraduate Research Team in the News