CURCA mini-grant winners announced

The University of North Georgia's (UNG) Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (CURCA) has awarded its 2022 Student-Faculty Collaborative Mini-Grants. CURCA awarded six grants.

In order to earn the student-led competitive award, students propose novel research or a creative project and awards are used to kick off projects. Students work with a mentor and then present their results at a conference.

"It is really wonderful that UNG makes the funds for these grants available to students. They allow students to really take an active role in their education, be creative and curious," Dr. Diogo Pinheiro, CURCA assistant director and associate professor of sociology, said. "And these projects can be the starting point for conference presentations, publications, admission into graduate school, and much more."

UNG faculty and staff members awarded six projects:

College of Arts & Letters

• History, Anthropology, & Philosophy
  • Samantha Leach with Dr. Kendy Altizer: "Walton Mill Plantation."
• Political Science & International Affairs
  • Jessica Case and Nathanael Hines with Dr. Bibek Chand: "Analyzing Political Rhetoric during War: A Case Study of the Conflict in Ukraine."

College of Science & Mathematics

• Biology
  • Callie Mauersberg with Dr. Nancy Dalman and Dr. Dobrusia Bialonska: "Assessment of Vibrio Bacterial Load in Oysters from the Georgia Coast."
  • Brady Cline with Dr. Margaret Smith and Dr. Shane Webb: "The effect of pH on the molecular basis of sea urchin arm abnormalities."
  • Ranah Ocampo with Dr. Jo Qian and Dr. Swapna Bhat: "Introducing Immunofluorescence Microscopy of Tetrahymena Cells in Cell Biology Lab."
• Biology & Chemistry/Biochemistry
  • Haley Menees and Hannah Menees with Dr. Cathy Whiting: "Determining Histological Changes Associated with Vaping Exposure Over Time in the Murine Model."

Leach, a junior pursuing a degree in history, wrote her proposal on the Walton Mill Plantation, one of the largest slave plantations in the state of Georgia by 1840. Her project will consist of archaeological and historical research to uncover and analyze the history of the plantation with the hope of understanding the lives of those who once lived there, as well as laying the foundation for further research.

"The CURCA mini-grant is the first step forward in my archaeological career," the Suwanee, Georgia, native said. "This grant will open doors to future opportunities of understanding Walton Mill, potentially changing textbooks and what we know about the history of Georgia prior to the Civil War."

These grants are available every fall, and students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply on the CURCA website.