Prior to being informed of my actual acceptance into the program, I had already joined the lab I am still working in today. I had heard that Dr. Freddy Colon's lab had openings for undergraduates, and I had actually been interested in his work with protein folding before I knew the accelerated program existed. During my first meeting with Freddy, he told me of a project that he wanted to give me, an extension of one of the larger projects in his lab. The kinetic stability project hopes to determine what exactly makes a protein kinetically stable, and how less stable proteins can be engineered to have greater stability withouth losing their functionality. Making more stable proteins is extremely important for applications in medicine, and in our understanding of protein chemistry.
Using a microplate fluorimeter, I will be able to monitor the unfolding of many different proteins in various concentrations of two different denaturants. A similar series of experiments were done using guanidine hydrochloride and an old cuvette fluorimeter, and the unfolding rates of the proteins in the absence of denaturant were extrapolated from the data. My project is based on data for two proteins, which suggest that guanidine hydrochloride may not provide good estimates of unfolding rates and half lives, due to charge-charge interactions between the protein and the denaturant. With urea as a denaturant, such charge interactions are not a concern. Comparison of the extrapolated half lives and unfolding rates from one denaturant to the other should provide clues, not only as to whether or not guanidine should ever be used in unfolding rate determinations, but as to the very nature by which each denaturant causes proteins to unfold.
Although I have a tendency to live in the Biotech building, I also enjoy reading for fun, writing, composing terrible music, photography, and spending time with friends.
Over the last semester and this summer I have also worked with Professor Bruce Piper and Professor Harry McLaughlin. With Professor Piper I have been working to develop a program to effectively graph many different convex curves so that they can be studied. With Professor McLaughlin I have worked to develop a non-statistical viewpoint of equitable distribution and its applications.
Outside of school I have a strong interest in philosophy and in stories of all forms, including books, movies, plays, and musicals.
Outside of academics, I like to stay involved with community service. As President of Circle K, a community service group on campus, I get the opportunity to contribute around Troy. Helping out with food servings at the Salvation Army, tutoring local children, and volunteering at the Hudson Mohawk Humane Society are just a few of the things the members of Circle K do for the community.
Currently, I am working with Professor Joyce McLaughlin and Dr. Dan Renzi on wave propagation through tissue to detect severity of cancer. A series of point source waves are triggered very close in time to form a pseudo line wave. As the wave passes through a cancerous inclusion, it will move faster due to the tightness of the cancer. This causes an abnormality in the wave shape, which can be used to detect the location of the inclusion. Due to noise from instruments and other sources, the accuracy of these results can decreased. I am working on methods of filtering and correcting this noise, so as to produce a more correct detection of the inclusion.
Amanda Lund
Biology
Amanda Lund has proven herself to be a team-player – as a student athlete and a researcher.
“It was very important to me to continue pursuing my many interests while in college. At RPI, I have been able to participate in academics, sports, research, and more while taking advantage of the advanced Ph.D. opportunity,” says Lund . “The atmosphere around campus is encouraging because you realize that everyone here has ideas about what they can do.”
On the field, she served as co-captain and goalie of the Rensselaer field hockey team, which has repeatedly been recognized as the Division III team with the highest grade point average in the country. Lund was chosen for the association’s National Academic Squad during all four seasons of play. She also ranked as one of the best goaltenders in the Liberty League, near the top in categories including save percentage and shutouts.
In the laboratory, she is applying a novel method to find ways to develop adult stem cells into bone cells. She works with an interdisciplinary Rensselaer research team, led by assistant professor of biology and her adviser George Plopper and including faculty and students from the fields of biomedical engineering, biology, mathematical sciences, electrical, computer, and systems engineering, and computer science.
“Amanda is a very bright student who takes initiative as a researcher,” says Plopper. “She identifies what needs to be done and then goes ahead and finds a way to do it. She thrives on the interaction between disciplines and is helping to bridge our lab with other collaborative groups.”
Lund , who was listed as the third author on a peer-reviewed research paper in Biotechnology and Bioengineering last year, feels as though she has gotten a head start on her career. After earning her Ph.D., she’s interested in working in the biotechnology industry. “It’s important to me that my research is more than basic biology, but that it has potential medical applications,” she says. “I feel as though I’ll come out of this academic experience with a practical perspective.”
Lund says she has always been curious about what is happening in the natural world around her.
“I participated in events called ‘invention conventions’ in elementary school and won the state competitions a few times. I still remember the berry bucket I made one year,” she laughs. “It included a funnel so that berries wouldn’t fall out while you were picking fruit.”
Jordan Mader
Chemistry
Jordan Mader says her decision to pursue a career in science began with the encouragement of teachers at Glens Falls Middle and High Schools.
“My science teachers were role models for me,” she says. “I feel lucky to have been involved in such a phenomenal science program before college.”
It was during AP Chemistry in the 11th grade that Mader was first introduced to fuel cells as a special project; one she says interested her because of the need for alternative energy sources. “We didn’t have much success building fuel cells in that class, but the idea stuck in my head,” she says.
Mader now conducts research on new polymer membranes for use in fuel cells with Brian Benicewicz, professor of chemistry and chemical biology and director of the New York State Center for Polymer Synthesis at Rensselaer. She and Benicewicz also wrote a book chapter about polymer membranes for fuel cells that will be included in a book on advances in polymer science.
She says she feels grateful to be part of the advanced Ph.D. program because it enables her to do meaningful research while continuing academic study.
“Fuel cells are emerging as a promising technology to meet the world’s energy needs, which makes my research both exciting and important,” Mader says.
Benicewicz agrees. “We see increasing interest among companies and other researchers in fuel cells. Our students are well aware that this research is needed in order to find ways to develop fuel cells into applied technologies.”
This past March, Mader was a volunteer for Design Your Future Day, an opportunity for female high school juniors to visit Rensselaer and participate in activities to inform and excite them about career opportunities in engineering, science, architecture, and technology. She presented an activity on fuel cells and answered questions from the spirited young women. Mader understood their enthusiasm – she had attended the event as a high school junior herself.
“I came to RPI when I was in high school and realized that there are other women doing science, there are other girls my age interested in this. It was great to realize women are a presence in the sciences,” Mader says.
Pat Marion
Computer Science
This summer I worked with a team led by Professor Trinkle developing the daVinci Code (DVC), a software tool part of the daVinci project. DVC simulates rigid body dynamics in 2D and 2.5D. DVC is plug-in based and allows the user to choose different methods of integration, collision detection and time stepping. The implemented time stepping methods are Stewart-Trinkle, Anitescu-Potra and Song-Pang-Kumar.
I also had the chance to work with Professor Roecker of the Earth and Environmental Science department doing field work in Parkfield, CA. We prepared the area to set off charges to help calibrate sensors and better understand ground composition in the area of the SAFOD project.
Outside of school I enjoy hiking, skateboarding, and most recently I am learning to surf.
Jeff Martin
Biochemistry & Biophysics
I am currently working in Professor Robert Linhardt’s lab studying protein carbohydrate interactions using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), a highly sophisticated instrument that is used to study molecular interactions in a real-time, label free environment.
Currently, I am interested in the interaction of the Alpha C Protein of the Group B Streptococcus bacteria and its interaction with Heparin and Heparan Sulfate. This interaction is believed to be a key process in a series of steps which allows the Group B Streptococcus bacteria to enter cells and cause infection. I am also researching the interaction of many biological enzymes and their functions on carbohydrates such as Heparin and Heparan Sulfate using SPR.
This program at Rensselaer has given me a priceless opportunity to work with some of the most renowned scientists in country. I have had the chance to explore many different types of labs ranging from adult stem cell differentiation, biological image analysis, predictive modeling, computational chemistry, drug discovery, nanotechnology, and biochemistry. These experiences, all performed in less than a one year time frame, have allowed me to choose a lab that fits me best.
Now that the rotation process is completed, which is normally performed as a first year graduate student, I am now in the position of a second year grad student, making progress on my Ph.D. research.
Out of the lab, I enjoy hiking, bicycling, skiing, tennis, working out, and movies. I am also part of the Rensselaer Outing Club. I grew up in Boylston, MA and have one younger brother.
Max Molleo
Chemistry
Ever since my youth, my passion for the sciences has been driven by my extreme curiosity. I grew up in a small town in Maine where I was not academically challenged. Through scholarships, I left my town’s school district and attended Cheverus High School, a Jesuit College Preparatory school in Portland, ME. I cannot express how much I appreciate my time in high school; I developed not only academically, but also athletically, religiously, and morally. During my senior year, I was captain of the soccer and track teams, and an active member of numerous clubs such as National Honor Society, Math Team, Computer Science Team, and the Key Club. I graduated as the valedictorian of Cheverus, received the Harvard Book Award, and earned the Science and Math awards. As an Eagle Scout, I participated in much community service and taught winter survival courses. I became interested in Rensselaer after earning the Rensselaer Medal, and I decided to attend college at RPI due to their strong science curriculum.
While attending Rensselaer, I have been a member of the varsity soccer and track teams, a brother of Sigma Phi Epsilon, and a member of the Dean’s List every term. Because of my indecisiveness and curiosity, I am currently working towards a major in Chemistry and minors in Philosophy, Physics, and Mathematics. I chose to apply to the Accelerated BS / PhD Program in hope of entering the field of Chemistry before my peers and to help afford academic life. I am currently working under the supervision of Professor Brian Benicewicz and am researching high temperature fuel cell polymers. These polymers are often referred to as the “heart” of the fuel cell, and are responsible for the transport of protons from one side of the fuel cell to the other. Fuel cells offer an alternative source of energy, which will become increasingly important in a world where crude oil is becoming scarce and more expensive.
Cody Phillips
Computer Science
I am currently working in RPI's computer vision lab under Professor Chuck Stewart. My current area of research surrounds image feature extraction whereby information that reliably characterizes areas within an image is produced. This information then has many possible uses, from object recognition within a scene to scene recognition within a database of tens of thousands of locations. My interest in computer science started as a progression of my curiosity and appreciation for intricate mechanical devices such as clocks and automatons. I find the level of interconnectivity of many components all working towards a common goal to be fascinating. My interests in perception and cognition are well at home in the field of computer vision. I will have achieved Graduate status after December '07 and will then begin full time research. Aside from my research I have a strong affinity for the study of languages.
Wayne Powers
Chemistry
I made the decision to come to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on the Rensselaer Medalist Day, where I was very impressed by the campus and the faculty.
I had always been interested in both physics and chemistry, and the points at which these two fields of discipline interact. When I was taking Macroscopic Physical Chemistry in the Fall of 2006, Dr. Ryu asked me to go and work in his lab with him, and I accepted. I have been working in Dr. Ryu’s research group ever since.
I am working in Dr. Ryu’s lab researching the physical chemistry of polymers, particularly polymer separations. Current methods of syntheses of polymers leave impurities within those polymers, and polymer separations provide a way of purifying such polymers. I use a variety of techniques, such as high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) to separate and characterize these polymers.
This Accelerated Ph.D. Program is an interesting new program here at Rensselaer. What I really like about it is the fact that it is relatively new, so the Deans are open to new ideas about how to run each person’s program independently. The Deans have been extraordinarily helpful to me, and I have only been in the program for one year now. They have helped me to apply my raw ideas effectively, so that I will get the most out of them, both in terms of academic credit and in actual experience. It really helps having people in charge of the program who are so open to new ideas.
In my spare time, I enjoy working out, reading, playing chess, and hanging out with friends. I grew up in Bristol, Rhode Island, and I attended Mt. Hope High School. I would like to send out a special thank you to Mr. Nicholas Hunt, a physics and chemistry teacher I had back in high school, for getting me into this field, and to my parents, for their never-ending support.
Ashley Thomas
Mathematics
I grew up in Greenville, NY, a small town not very far from RPI. Although I attended a small public high school, I had several valuable experiences that helped shape my higher-educational plans. During my senior year of high school, I had the opportunity to attend college classes at RPI through a Johns Hopkins CTY scholarship. For the first time in my educational career, I felt challenged. It was this experience that influenced my decision to turn down full scholarships at other schools and instead attend RPI as an undergraduate the next year. I had no clear career goals in mind, but I had enjoyed my math classes in high school, so I chose to major in mathematics.
When I first arrived at RPI, I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging. The Rensselaer community challenged me to achieve my academic and personal potential. The classes I took pushed me to work harder than I ever had before, but the knowledge and experience I gained is beyond anything I had previously imagined. At RPI, I witnessed an academic community working to meet the demands of the most modern scientific world, and succeeding time and again at meeting those demands. Research was taking place in fields that I previously hadn't even known existed. I wanted to be a part of it.
When I received an invitation to apply to the Accelerated B.S./Ph.D. Program after my first year, it changed the idea of earning a PhD from a vague and distant possibility into a reality. I forced myself to focus my aspirations, and I realized that the Program was precisely the opportunity I needed. It gave me a plan of action--a course through which to achieve my educational goals. I began my research in Applied Mathematics during my second year at RPI. After my third year, I plan to have completed the requirements for a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Mathematics with minors in Economics and Philosophy. I will then begin work on my Ph.D., with the advantage of already having done two years of research.
I am currently working with Professor Joyce McLaughlin and Dr. Dan Renzi on a project dealing with shear stiffness imaging. I use the mathematics program MATLAB to simulate an experiment in which a slow-moving wave composed of two shear waves with slightly different frequencies passes through a two-dimensional area of body tissue with a stiff inclusion. Given the time at which the slow-moving wave arrives at each point in the area of tissue, I attempt to find the most accurate method of recovering the speed of the shear waves at each point. A higher shear wave speed than normal will indicate the presence of stiff material in the tissue, such as a cancerous tumor.
I can't say I had intentions of earning a Ph.D. when I first came to college. I wasn't really sure what I would be doing after finishing my undergraduate degree. I learned of many accelerated programs for students hoping to become medical doctors, but that didn't really help me out. I have never had any serious interest in the medical field, and the idea of med school has always been less than desirable for me. When I received an invitation to apply to the accelerated B.S./Ph.D. program, I thought it was an excellent opportunity, as someone who had no definite career plans but knew that she enjoyed research.
This summer I worked with Professor Kristin Bennett in developing a model to classify Tuberculosis strains. An appropriate model will allow health officials to appropriately react to cases of TB and determine whether a more serious investigation is warranted in a given case. Once developed, this technique could be adapted to apply to many other diseases that we are interested in tracking and controlling. 
Choosing a major at RPI proved difficult at first. Ultimately, I settled on two fields which I was passionate about: Computer Science and Mathematics. Growing up, both of my parents have careers in computer-related fields. My mother is a Database Administrator for Scientech, LLC, and my father, and RPI Graduate, is the owner of Applied Programming Technology, Inc.,which develops software to examine data from nuclear power plants. Also, throughout high school, my favorite classes were always math, and I always had a passion for the subject. At RPI, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue both of these fields.
