ABERDEEN, S.D. – In addition to quality courses ensuring they are well-prepared for their future after college, many Northern State University students have the opportunity to put what they learn in the classroom into practice via independent research projects. Northern’s Undergraduate Competitive Research Grant has been funding some of those student research projects since 2012.
This year, three NSU students were awarded grants to fund their research:
- Parker Heger from Underwood, N.D., received $2,000 from the grant for his project, “The Effects of Dehydroabietic Acid on Sirtuin Regulation as a Possible Novel Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease," under faculty mentor Dr. Andrew Russell.
- Nolan McLaughlin from Federal Way, Wash., received $2,000 from the grant for his project, “Genetic Factors of Biofilm Inhibition,” also under Russell.
- Laurie Rogers from Aberdeen, S.D., received $1,000 from the grant for her project, “Gene Variations Linked to Sweet Tooth Trait,” under faculty mentor Dr. Alyssa Kiesow.
This year, a new opportunity for the funding of independent studying at NSU emerged through the Northern Edge Award. This award is “intended to aid student scholarship in under-represented disciplines and/or projects that may not be eligible/competitive for other funding opportunities on campus (i.e. student travel grants, or the competitive research grant).”
The recipient of the Northern Edge Award for the spring 2020 semester was Terrina Barnes from Aberdeen. Barnes received $1,000 for her project, “Survey of Western Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta): Population structure, efficacy of trapping techniques, and hematological measures of stress," under faculty mentor Dr. Amy Dolan.
Learn more about student research at Northern by visiting NSU Undergraduate Research.
About Northern State University
Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $55 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.