Six Virginia Tech undergraduate students have been awarded 2016 Atlantic Coast Conference Creativity and Innovation grants to pursue undergraduate research and creative scholarship opportunities this summer.

Selected Virginia Tech scholars receive up to a $2,000 award that can be used as a stipend and/or to offset expenses such as supplies, travel, and use of specialized research services. While the projects are all student-led, applicants identified a faculty mentor who committed to supervise the proposed task.

The awards fund projects to take place this summer, with an expected project completion by Aug. 1.

The 2016 ACC Fellows in Creativity and Innovation are:

  • Ge Zhou of Greenfield, Massachusetts, a senior majoring in architecture in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Project title: “Probing medical architecture: A study of human-centered design.” Faculty mentor: Aki Ishida, assistant professor of architecture.
  • Rhiannon Hasenauer of Manahawkin, New Jersey, a junior majoring in human development in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Project title: “The future of Honduras.” Faculty mentor: Katherine Allen, professor of human development.
  • Allison Moser, a senior majoring in wildlife conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. Project title: “Habitat use of a rare rabbit species, Appalachian cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus), in Roan, North Carolina.” Faculty mentor: W. Mark Ford, leader of Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.
  • Kristen Long, a senior majoring in architecture in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Project title: “The architectural role of a door.” Faculty mentor: Hans Rott, professor of architecture.
  • Hannah Parker of Emporia, Virginia, a senior majoring in animal and poultry sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Project title: “The role of leptin as a mediator of placental development and function in cattle.” Faculty mentor: Alan Ealy, associate professor of animal and poultry sciences.
  • Amina Rahimi, a senior majoring in biochemistry in the College of Science. Project title: “Development of an on-chip biosensor to quantify leukocyte phenotypes during sepsis.” Faculty mentor: Caroline Jones, assistant professor of biological sciences.

Several fellows will participate in Virginia Tech’s Summer Undergraduate Research Conference, scheduled for July 28, 2016 in Goodwin Hall located at 635 Prices Fork Road. Additional information will be available on the Office of Undergraduate Research website closer to the event.

The Inter-Institutional Academic Collaborative of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACCIAC) financially supports the ACC Fellows Program in Creativity and Innovation as well as the ACC Meeting of the Minds Undergraduate Research Conference, among other scholarships and initiatives. The ACCIAC receives part of its funding from the ACC Championship Football Game.

Applications for the 2017 ACC Creativity and Innovation Fellowships will be available late next fall. Information will be released through Virginia Tech News.

More information on this program and additional undergraduate research opportunities is available through the Office of Undergraduate Research.

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