2014 Chlapaty Fellows Selected
May 13, 2014 | Kristi Lynch
Sixteen University of Dubuque students have been designated as Joseph and Linda Chlapaty Fellows for 2014. Selected by a faculty committee, the students will carry out their Fellowship projects the summer of 2014.
“We are grateful to Joe and Linda Chlapaty for their unfailing generosity to the University,” commented President Jeffrey F. Bullock. “While their names are most often associated with buildings on campus whose construction they have funded, they have quietly and consistently provided funds to undergird the University’s academic program. The gift that underwrites the Chlapaty Fellows Program creates a significant opportunity for talented undergraduates to do scholarly research with a senior scholar-mentor, to do special preparation for graduate entrance examinations, and to build a network of professional contacts.”
The Chlapaty Fellowship Program is a competitive program designed to aid in the preparation of talented undergraduate students for graduate study. Fellows’ projects are to be completed during the summer following the students’ sophomore or junior years. Awardees are committed to 40 hours each week for 10 weeks to the Fellowship. Each Chlapaty Fellow will receive a stipend of $4,500, and an additional $500 for research supplies or travel costs associated with their research project.
These sixteen students and their advisors will focus on the following projects during the third summer for the Chlapaty Fellowship program:
Hunter Brown (junior, business/accounting, White Bear Lake, MN) and Lawrence Muzinga, associate professor of business; Approach for Integrating Risk Factors into Farm Businesses.
Elizabeth Frazier (junior, biology, Downers Grove, IL) and Adam Hoffman, associate professor of environmental chemistry and Roseanne Wolf, assistant professor of mathematics; Evaluating the Effect of Carbamide Peroxide Concentration on Dental Restorative Material.
Ryan Gingrich (junior, business/accounting, Cedar Rapids, IA) and Lawrence Muzinga, associate professor of business; Variability of Farm Federal Income Taxes and Net Incomes Under Two Tax Regimes.
Garrison Grubb (junior, sociology, Dubuque, IA) and Jonathan Helmke, Assistant Director for Library Systems and Technical Services, University Archivist and Brian Hallstoos, Assistant Professor of History; The History of African American Experience at the University of Dubuque.
Melissa Husemann (senior, biology and secondary education, Dubuque, IA) and Adam Hoffman, associate professor of environmental chemistry and Debra Stork, associate professor of education and department head; Creating a Framework for Real World Learning.
Jakob Jepsen (junior, environmental science, Erie, IL) and David Koch, assistant professor of environmental science; Spatial and Temporal Variations Among Snakes in Dubuque County.
Kathrine Orth (Master of Divinity, Canton, GA) and Rob Hoch, assistant professor of homiletics and worship; The Spiritual Formation of Children with Special Needs.
Kyle Leytem (junior, environmental science, Dubuque, IA) and Dale Easley, professor of geology; Effects of Lead Mining Within Streams of the Dubuque Area.
Melissa Maas (senior, biology, Peosta, IA) and Mark Sinton, assistant professor of chemistry; Antibiotic Diversity in Local Water and Soil Sources.
Courtney Mintz (junior, business administration and criminal justice, Dubuque, IA) and Lawrence Muzinga, associate professor of business; The Demand for Commercial Sex in Smalltown, USA.
Sharif Rahim (junior, biology, Ramstein, Germany) and Rasika Mudalige-Jayawickrama, associate professor of biology; Rapid Method for Functional Characterization of Orchid Floral Genes Using Model Plants.
Travis Schrobilgen (junior, biology and environmental science, Dubuque, IA) and David Koch, assistant professor of environmental science; Habitat Use by Turtle Species in the Mississippi River.
Jenna Skopek (junior, environmental science, Cedarburg, WI) and Adam Hoffman, associate professor of environmental chemistry and David Koch, assistant professor of environmental science; Mussel Movement and Distribution Among Freshwater Mussels in Contrasting Aquatic Habitats.
Nicole Torro (sophomore, biology and chemistry, Orlando, FL) and Rasika Mudalige-Jayawickrama, associate professor of biology; Fast Track Gene Silencing Methods for Functional Characterization of Orchid Genes.
Lauren Waddell (junior, biology, Poplar Grove, IL) and Adam Hoffman, associate professor of environmental chemistry and Roseanne Wolf, assistant professor of mathematics; Evaluating the Influence of Carbamide Peroxide Concentration of Compounds as Oral Whitening Agents.
Melissa Wagner (junior, environmental science, Lena, IL) and Gerald Zuercher, associate professor of biology; Assessing Nest Tree Sites and Surrounding Habitats used by Southern Flying Squirrels in Eastern Iowa.
“We’re again blessed that Joseph and Linda Chlapaty have reaffirmed their commitment to the students of the University of Dubuque in the form of the Chlapaty Fellowship Program,” commented Dr. Adam Hoffman, associate professor of environmental chemistry and director of the Chlapaty Fellowship Program. “This program has been transformational both in the lives of the students that have taken part in past summer experiences and also the campus as a whole, as the student scholarship bar is continually being raised. This year we have the largest and most diverse group of students and faculty advisors and I am very excited to work with wonderfully talented and motivated individuals that were chosen as Chlapaty Fellows this year.”
The goal of the Chlapaty Science Fellowship Program is to increase the probability of success of UD students in graduate studies in science and mathematics by focusing on three areas:
1. To demonstrate strength in independent scientific research.
- Complete a research project, under the supervision of a UD faculty member
- Present research results in written and oral form
2. To prepare for graduate school entrance examinations (such as the MCAT, GRE, DAT and LSAT).
- Participate in a test review course
- Complete practice tests
3. To develop a network of professional relationships beyond the University of Dubuque.
- Visit graduate schools and science professionals in the region
- Participate in regional conferences
