Lamar University affords unique opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in research and scholarship. Working alongside faculty mentors, many LU students are engaging in significant research more akin to graduate programs. The following is a sampling of some of these activities from the past academic year.
NAME: Mohammed Ahmed
CLASSIFICATION: Senior
HOMETOWN: Austin
MAJOR/MINOR: Electrical Engineering
RESEARCH TOPIC: Optical Transmission System Using Dual Solitons
SYNOPSIS OF RESEARCH:
Mohammed Ahmed’s research presents a densely dispersion managed soliton (DDMS) system design that alleviates the adverse effects of inter-pulse interaction and Gordon-Hauss timing jitter. His design is based on the judicious selection of dispersion map parameters using comprehensive computer simulation tools. The design is made using commercially available non-zero dispersion shifted fibers (NZDSF) over 1000Km. Two waves were launched each having a data rate of 60Gb/s and a separation of 240Ghz, this providing a 120Gb/s system design over that distance.
DATES OF RESEARCH: 2004-2005
PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS:
IEEE Region V Conference, Boulder Colo., April 9, 2005.
RECOGNITION RECEIVED:
Won 1st place in IEEE Beaumont Section Student Paper Competition and 1st place in the IEEE Region V Eastern Area competition.
FACULTY MENTOR: Dr. Berne Maxum
NAME: Christine Cappel
CLASSIFICATION: Senior (Honors Program)
HOMETOWN: Orange
MAJOR/MINOR: Biology (premed curriculum)
RESEARCH TOPIC: Cross-cultural examination of patient access to health care.
SYNOPSIS OF RESEARCH:
This comparative study of the health care systems of France, Japan and the U.S. was undertaken in an effort to draw attention to the deficiencies associated with patient access of the current U.S. health care system. This study indicated that in this area, the American system was particularly lacking when compared to the other two systems, especially when dealing with the financial burden of acquiring needed care. While this study is not designed to dictate new reforms, it is provided to aid individuals in seeking information. Further study will be needed to determine which of the suggested attributes will work best in the capitalistic economy of the United States.
DATES OF RESEARCH: Spring and summer 2004
PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS:
Cappel presented at University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and at Houston’s Undergraduate Research Competition in fall 2004.
RECOGNITION RECEIVED:
Accepted to UTMB Galveston medical school for fall 2005.
FACULTY MENTOR: Dr. Randall Yoder
NAME: Lindsey Cauthen
CLASSIFICATION: Senior (Honors Program)
HOMETOWN: Beaumont
MAJOR/MINOR: Double major in biology and music; premed curriculum
RESEARCH TOPIC: Respiratory distress and ground level ozone
SYNOPSIS OF RESEARCH:
Lindsey Cauthen worked with Dr. Dale Ortego in the summer of 2003 collecting data around the region on ground level ozone. Cauthen was aware of the messages broadcast with respect to “ozone action days” and became curious about actual measurable health effects. She collected data from emergency admissions for respiratory distress and compared the frequency of the admissions with the variations in ground level ozone, demonstrating a clear correlation.
PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS:
Great Plains Honors Council 2004, San Antonio (with Haley Celeste); National Collegiate Honors Council 2004, New Orleans, La.; Sigma Xi International Research Conference 2004, Montreal, Canada; National Conference on Undergraduate Research, 2005, Lexington, Va.
RECOGNITION RECEIVED:
She will be participating in the Pediatric Oncology Educational Program at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., this summer, working with the chief of pediatric surgery, Dr. Andrew Davidoff, on a research project concerning gene-therapy techniques on pediatric neuroblastomas.
