Daniel Sun

I will work on examining the aftereffects of induced myopia through monocular lens, both in duration and magnitude. My project will use chicks as models in order to observe the gene expression levels in the chick retinal pigment epithelium, a thin cell layer right next to the retina, after termination of treatment. The treatment and magnitudes will also use either positive (convex) and negative (concave) lens for different periods of time to observe the differing levels of gene expression dependent on the lens.

Ebru Kasikaralar

I will be working on finishing two papers which focus on using systems mapping. One of the papers will discuss what kind of perspective researchers in engineering should have and what kind of points they should look into when they are conducting research that will have possible real-world applications and solutions. The other will focus on enumerating the decision-making points and showing their effects and links when it comes to creating viable solutions in commercial lighting technology and market.

Taylor Osman

This summer, under the guidance of my mentors, Professor Alison Gopnik and PhD student Mariel Goddu, I will be working with preschool-age kids to investigate how children select causally relevant variables in order to understand the world. Young children seem particularly good at recognizing, with very little evidence, what variables are casually relevant in a system, or in other words, what variables bring about some effect in a system. At preschools and museums, like the Bay Area Discovery Museum or the Lawrence Hall of Science, we have kids, with the […]

Tiffany Liu

The goal of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) instrumentation in the POLARBEAR polarization experiments is to improve the sensitivity of our instruments so we can more accurately measure CMB radiation with less noise. My project involves developing and assembling the window anti-reflection setup so that the window can maximally collect light. Achieving this is crucial as this is where we first manipulate light to later be analyzed. This will involve testing materials for their dielectric properties, reducing thermal emission, and designing apparatus to fabricate the window setup. The final product of […]

Merusha Mukherjee

My research specifically hones in on the functionality and morphology of amacrine cells. Amacrine cells can be GABAergic, glycinergic, or neither depending on what inhibitory neurotransmitter they express (GABA, glycine, or neither). While both the GABAergic and the glycinergic amacrine cells have been fairly well studied, there is not much extensively known about the 15% of amacrine cells that fall under the neither category. To address this lack of information on the neither type cell, my part within the larger research project is performing immunohistochemical stains on the tissue of […]

Nicole-Hadassah Valdez

I have been researching for the Fisher Center for the past academic year and am continuing on a new project. I am preparing an accepted paper for publication with revisions and furthering research on the integration of real and financial markets. Working off of N.N. Taleb’s “Black Swan”, the paper compares the boom and busts from 1800-1940’s to the recent 2007-2008 global financial crisis. The paper is solution-based and discusses possible remedies and strategies for the modern, global economy.

Rileigh Clarke

I will be working with the Head of Registration (Linda Waterfield) at the Hearst Museum of Anthropology. Under her guidance, I will review unprocessed collections and record the material into the museum database, CollectionSpace (CSpace). From there, I will scan source documents and related media into the CSpace file so that it is coherent for researchers to navigate easily. When necessary, I will create finding aids for these collections so that researchers have easy access to them. The finding aids will include information on what is available in the collection, […]

Kaitlin Allerton

The California Floristic Province is a biodiversity hotspot, and around 30% of its plant species are endemic, so this is a special place for botanical exploration. My mentor’s project studies the Evolutionary Ecology of Rock Daisies. Over the past year, through URAP, I have learned molecular techniques involving DNA extraction, ITS, PCR and gel electrophoresis. The URAP summer stipend award will allow me to continue with what I have learned this past year as well as gain new insights into the next stage of analysis: develop an understanding of phylogenetic […]

Joel Rojas

As a research assistant for the Pacific Islander Task Force, I will continue to conduct quantitative data analysis on Maternal and Infant health data concerning mothers’ social demographics, health insurance, and health status. Our goal for this research project is to highlight the significant health disparities among Asian American and Pacific Islander mothers in the Bay Area counties of San Francisco, Alameda, and San Mateo through data disaggregation. My research not only shows the systematic causes of public health disparities but also inspires local and state departments of Public Health […]

Elisabeth Earley

This summer I will continue working on Professor Matanock’s project regarding invited international interventions. In particular I help research the United Nation’s International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, or CICIG for its acronym in Spanish. Guatemala has one of Latin America’s highest murder rates, with more than 45 homicides per 100,000 people in 2006—eight times higher than that of the United States. At that time, approximately 97% of these crimes went unpunished. For this project, I synthesize information about the CICIG’s 11 year history fighting institutional corruption, analyzing its investigation […]