Class of 1959 Fund for Excellence
First established in 1984 with a gift from the Class of 1959, their spouses, and friends, this fund was rededicated to the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research in 2007 with the purpose of helping students enhance their undergraduate experience by engaging in research. Amanda Bellerose and Thaddaeus Webster received funding for their summer 2008 projects from the Class of 1959.
Amanda Bellerose, Speech Language Pathology, '09
Mentoring Program for Youth Survivors of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
"I was inspired to do this research because there are many mentoring programs in the United States and a lot of research has been conducted on various mentoring relationships, but very little with survivors of TBI," says Amanda. With funding from a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), Amanda implemented a mentoring program between a youth and an adult survivor at SteppingStones, a community-based rehabilitation facility. Over the course of two months, the pair met for four hours each week.
"The experience was wonderful. The mentor and the mentee developed a wonderful friendship," Amanda explains. "I observed changes and improvements in both the mentor and the mentee, and they both expressed their happiness in the relationship. I was also able to gain valuable insight into the research process, and gain leadership skills in implementing and carrying forth a new program."
According to her faculty mentor, Dr. Michael Frass, "Amanda's project has helped to pave the way for a much needed program in the Seacoast area that provides resources and support to children with acquired brain injury to help them face their ongoing challenges." The mother of the child Amanda worked with was also very appreciative of the program, saying, "It is an awesome place. Everybody understands that everybody is going through the same thing."
Amanda's research would not have been possible without the generous donation made by the Class of 1959. "As Amanda's advisor for this project, and as an advisor for several other SURF funded students, I would like to express my gratitude to the Class of 1959 and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program for their generosity in making available these awards for scholarly collaboration," says Frass. "It provides a wonderful learning experience for both faculty and student alike."
Thaddaeus Webster, Chemical Engineering, ‘10
Algae and Carbon Dioxide: An Amazing Combination to Create Biodiesel
"I began doing research with the UNH Biodiesel Group in the fall of 2007 as an INCO 590 student," says Thad. "With the price of gas and diesel nowadays, alternative ways of powering our society need to be looked at. After hearing about the benefit of biodiesel in Professor Ihab Farag's Energy and the Environment class, I really wanted to get involved in biodiesel research and production."
So with a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), Thad set out to study the effects of carbon dioxide and salt water on the growth and oil production of different algae species. "While the emphasis of this research began looking at the effects of carbon dioxide on algae growth and oil production, other key factors such as light intensity and growth medium were also investigated," Thad explains. He presented his research at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual meeting, and plans to present again at UNH's Undergraduate Research Conference in April 2009.
"My SURF experience, funded by a gift of the UNH 1959 class, has been one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had at UNH to date," says Thad. "It allowed me to not only learn many techniques that go into research projects, but it also allowed me to perform research in a field that I am greatly interested in, which in turn made the research that much better. I would like to thank the 1959 class for providing me with this wonderful opportunity."
Professor Farag extends the same thanks: "I would like to thank the Class of 1959 for their generosity in affording Thad the opportunity to apply what he learned in class and to realize his research talents... Thad did an excellent job on his SURF project."
Thad will continue research with the UNH Biodiesel Group this year, focusing on harvesting the oil from algae and finding better ways to grow the algae.