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NEWS
| april 2, 2004
Student Life
Students to display research
Graduate and undergraduate presentations
will be judged and winners will receive cash.
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| The Shorthorn: Andrew Campbell |
| Psychology graduate student
Arun Senapati displays a slide with 4 dissections of a
rat’s brain. Senapati is working on a way
to stimulate the brain’s pain receptor to help alleviate
pain in the body. |
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By Josh
Bohling
The Shorthorn News Editor
Arun Senapati held up a microscope slide displaying a dark blob
the size of a thumbnail.
“That’s what we’ve got to work with,” he
said.
The blob, actually a dissection of a rat brain, is critical to research
conducted by Senapati, a psychology graduate student specializing
in neuroscience. In fact, it could earn him a cash award today.
Senapati’s project will be joining more than 100 other student
research projects on display at the Annual Celebration of Excellence
by Students from 1 to 5 p.m. today in Nedderman Hall. Graduate and
undergraduate presentations of all kinds will be judged, and awards
ranging from $100 to $250 will be given.
“We’ve had a huge response from students,” said
Dennis Marynick, chemistry professor and associate chair. “This
is the biggest we’ve had.”
Marynick said people often associate the event with engineering
and science but that there are creative research projects from economics,
liberal arts and other diverse areas.
“It’s a great way for faculty from different schools
to talk to one another and suggest new methodologies and experiments,”
said Martha Mann, psychology associate professor and ACES chair.
A list of topics included titles such as “Use of Lavender
Aromatherapy to Facilitate Sleep,” “Smart Drug for Cancer
Therapy,” “Preferences for Historically Significant
Jazz Styles,” and “Optimal Parking System.”
There will also be a guest speaker for the first time, Marynick
said.
Carl Djerassi, chemistry professor emeritus at Stanford University
and two-time winner of The National Medal of Science, will speak
at 6 p.m. in Nedderman Hall.
“We couldn’t have a better fit for ACES,” Marynick
said. “He’s a scientist, but also an artist, novelist
and playwright.”
Marynick said judges are hoping to announce winners following the
colloquium. The judges look for scholarly and creative merit, clarity
of presentation and question and answer responses, Marynick said.
Senapati, whose research involves testing ways to alleviate pain,
said his work has potential benefits for post-stroke victims, amputees
who experience phantom pain and many others with chronic pain.
“I’d love to win something,” he said, “but
I’m just glad to present my findings.”
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