2016 Chlapaty Fellows Selected
Apr 29, 2016 | S.Ortman
DUBUQUE, Iowa – University of Dubuque sophomore Allison Mitchell plans to bring fresh produce to a food desert in Dubuque’s North End with the help of a Joseph and Linda Chlapaty Summer Fellowship.
“I want to empower people to take an active role in their neighborhoods,” she said. “I want to encourage them to grow their own produce and show them how easy it is.”
A pre-nursing major from Dubuque, Mitchell was one of 15 students selected by a faculty committee as a Chlapaty Fellow for 2016. Awardees will commit 40 hours a week for 10 weeks this summer to complete their projects. Each student will receive a stipend of $4,500 and an additional $500 for research supplies or travel costs for the project.
“In its five years, the Chlapaty Summer Fellowship Program has been a fantastic opportunity and game-changer in our students’ ability to gain admission to and successfully navigate graduate and professional schools (medical, dental, law) and beyond,” said Dr. Adam Hoffman, director of the Chlapaty Summer Fellowship Program and associate professor of environmental chemistry.
The Chlapaty Summer Fellowship is a competitive program designed to aid in the preparation of talented undergraduate students for graduate or professional school study.
"The Chlapaty Summer Fellowship Program creates a significant opportunity for talented undergraduate students from across the disciplines to do scholarly research with a senior faculty scholar-mentor, to do preparation for graduate entrance examinations, and to build a network of professional contacts," said University of Dubuque President Jeffrey F. Bullock. "We are grateful to Joe and Linda Chlapaty for their investment in the scholarly work of these undergraduate students."
This summer, awardees will work on projects ranging from Lyme disease in rodents to monitoring the source and quality of Dubuque’s storm water outflow. Mitchell will create a food oasis.
Mitchell partnered with Hideaway Gardens in Dubuque and Tree of Life Farm in Cuba City, WI, to harvest organic produce at a reduced rate. She plans to sell the produce at the reduced rate to residents in an urban food desert, an area of low-income that does not have access to fresh produce within a mile radius. Mitchell plans to start selling produce in mid-May. She has not finalized her food stand locations.
“What I’m studying is whether connecting with the neighborhood produces better nutritional habits or whether just setting up a food stand in a high foot traffic area promotes better nutrition,” Mitchell said, later adding. “I really hope the data that I collect and the research that I conclude will help other cities across the United States provide a proper food stand intervention.”
Here are the Chlapaty Summer Fellows for 2016:
Adam Killion, junior general business major from Orion, Illinois
Project: Multi-Year Farm Profitability Analysis Using DuPoint Analysis
Advisor: Dr. Lawrence Muzinga, associate professor of business
Quotable: “I am very honored, excited, and humbled to be selected as a Chlapaty Fellow this summer. I will gain hands-on experience working directly with Dr. Muzinga, which will serve as a catalyst when applying to graduate school in the fall. I hope to obtain a better understanding of the DuPont Analysis and the agriculture sector as a whole.” – Killion
Allison Mitchell, sophomore pre-nursing major from Dubuque, Iowa
Project: Creating a Food Oasis
Advisors: Dr. Christine Darr, assistant professor of World View Studies, and Dr. Alice Oleson, associate professor of sociology
Quotable: “Being named a Chlapaty Fellow is a great honor and another reminder of the University of Dubuque’s deep-rooted commitment to the success of students. I could not be more grateful for this opportunity to not only advance my personal scholarship, but to also benefit the Dubuque community as a whole.” – Mitchell
Amanda Harrop, junior biology major from Clinton, Iowa
Project: Differential Expression of teosinte branched-1-like (tbl) Genes and Their Role in Floral Symmetry and Branching Pattern of Sympodial Orchids
Advisor: Dr. Rasika Mudalige-Jayawickrama, associate professor of natural and applied sciences
Quotable: “I hope the project accomplishes the final piece of an ongoing puzzle. To me, being a Chlapaty Fellow is a great honor. It allows me the opportunity to do what I love and prepares me for grad school.” – Harrop
Amy Shook, senior environmental science major from Asbury, Iowa
Project: Research of Habitat Preferences in 9-Mile Island Region of Pool 12 of the Mississippi River
Advisor: Dr. David Koch, associate professor of natural and applied sciences
Quotable: “For me, it means that I am able to gain experience and spend the summer researching in my field of interest. I hope that my project will add more data and knowledge to a long-term data set at the University of Dubuque.” – Shook
Anna Runge, junior biology major from Davenport, Iowa
Project: Delineating the Role of teosinte branched-1 (tb-1) ortholog in orchid floral development and plant architecture
Advisor: Dr. Rasika Mudalige-Jayawickrama, associate professor of natural and applied sciences
Quotable: “I am honored to be selected as a Chlapaty Fellow this summer and know that others in the community and at UD are supportive of my education. I am hoping to finish up a project I have been working on for almost two years now, and I hope that it will get others excited about scientific research so they want to get involved as well.” – Runge
Bobbi Jo Helgemoe, junior environmental science major from Rubicon, Wisconsin
Project: Monitoring the Source and Quality of Dubuque's Storm Water Outflow
Advisor: Dr. Adam Hoffman, associate professor of environmental chemistry
Quotable: “Being named a Chlapaty Fellow means I have the opportunity to better myself through gaining experience and creating a partnership between the University and the City of Dubuque. By conducting my research and participating in the fellowship events, I hope to gain knowledge and then spread that knowledge to those around me, as well as help the City of Dubuque with an important project to make Dubuque's waterways cleaner and healthier for the entire community.” – Helgemoe
Francis Tillman, senior biology major from Bellevue, Iowa
Project: Impact of Ectoparasites on Physical Health of Bat Species in Northeastern Iowa
Advisor: Dr. Gerald Zuercher, professor and head of the Department of Natural and Applied Sciences
Quotable: “For me, being named a Chlapaty Fellow means taking the next step to becoming an educated professional by evaluating the impact ectoparasites have on bat health.” – Tillman
Jalee Frommelt, senior environmental science major from Dubuque, Iowa
Project: Monitoring Fine Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) in Dubuque County
Advisors: Dr. Adam Hoffman, associate professor of environmental chemistry, and Dr. David Koch, associate professor of natural and applied sciences
Quotable: “This is an opportunity for me to demonstrate the skills I've developed during my college education by gathering and analyzing air quality data for Dubuque, Iowa.” – Frommelt
Jason Davidson, senior secondary science education major from Bridgeview, Illinois
Project: Designing a Green and Inexpensive Suzuki Reaction for the Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Advisor: Dr. Mark Sinton, assistant professor of natural and applied sciences
Quotable: “It's a great honor to be chosen as a Chlapaty Fellow. In my project this summer, I will be developing an introductory and reaction series lab activity for undergraduate organic chemistry students.” – Davidson
Kasey Benson, senior elementary education major from Winnebago, Illinois
Project: Making Learning Stick at UD
Advisor: Dr. Marta Abele, professor of education and director of the Bridge Program
Quotable: “I feel honored to be given an opportunity to further my education and prepare for my future as a teacher. I hope my project will inform the students and professors at the University of Dubuque about the best study habits and teaching strategies that can be used to help them be successful and lifelong learners.” – Benson
Katrina Pagel, junior chemistry from Wausau, Wisconsin
Project: GMO's in Food
Advisor: Ken Turner, Jr., assistant professor of science education
Quotable: “Being named a Chlapaty Fellow means that I will be bettering myself while contributing to the University and helping to continue this program.” – Pagel
Korissa Blasing, senior biology major from Pearl City, Illinois
Project: Lyme Disease in Rodents
Advisor: Dr. Kelly Grussendorf, assistant professor of biology
Quotable: “To me, being a Chlapaty Fellow means that I have an opportunity to further my education. I hope to accomplish the exposure rates of Lyme disease in the rodents of Dubuque, Iowa.” – Blasing
Luke Meadows, senior biology major from Chana, Illinois
Project: pH Dependency of Tyrosinase
Advisor: Dr. Mark Sinton, assistant professor of natural and applied sciences
Quotable: “As a Chlapaty Fellow, I am very excited to contribute to the scientific community through a better understanding of Tyrosinase's enzymatic activity. I am extremely thankful for the opportunities this program has to offer which are made possible through Joe and Linda Chlapaty’s generous funding. I have no doubt that this experience will mold me for my future.” – Meadows
Trent Van Egtern, junior environmental science major from La Crosse, Wisconsin
Project: Exploring Nutrient and Sediment Pollution and Emerging Contaminants in the Mississippi River and Catfish Creek
Advisors: Dr. Adam Hoffman, associate professor of environmental chemistry, and Dr. David Koch, associate professor of natural and applied sciences
Quotable: “Being a Chlapaty Fellow is a great honor as well as a great opportunity to further develop my knowledge and scientific skill base.” – Van Egtern
Ty Luett, junior secondary science education major from Clinton, Iowa
Project: Program Assessment
Advisor: Dr. Debra Stork, professor of education and department head of Teacher Education
Quotable: “I am honored to be a Chlapaty Fellow. I hope that my project will leave a lasting impact on campus, as I will be researching program assessment to help drive our continued success with our K-12 summer programs at UD.” – Luett
