Celebration of Scholars
Determining the Concentration of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in the Pike River, Kenosha, Wis. Stacy Kosinski, 2012 Major: Biology Hometown: Muskego, Wis.
Katie Gast, 2011
Major: Biology and Neuroscience Hometown: Muskego, Wis.
Anne Pioppo, 2012
Major: Biology and Psychology Hometown: Wheaton, Ill. Faculty Sponsor: Dan Choffnes
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are synthetic or natural chemicals that when absorbed by an animal, interfere with normal endocrine homeostasis. Since disruption of the endocrine system is thought to cause reproductive dysfunction in wildlife, the presence of EDCs in watersheds is of concern. For example, a 2002 World Health Organization report linked EDCs to cases of sex reversal and infertility in fish and amphibians. It is therefore important to determine the ecological concentrations of EDCs in the habitats of vulnerable aquatic species. Among the EDCs commonly found in surface waters, atrazine, 17 α-ethynylestradiol, and 17β-estradiol are relatively well-studied, having demonstrated reproductive anomalies in laboratory studies on fish and amphibians. The concentrations of these EDCs have not yet been determined in the Pike River at Kenosha, Wis. By developing a reliable and reproducible protocol, the concentrations of EDCs in the Pike River and near its mouth at Lake Michigan can be ascertained. To determine the concentrations of these three EDCs, this study proposes to develop a protocol that will utilize sample collection, filtration, solid phase extraction, derivatization, and gas chromatography/ mass spectroscopy. If one or more EDCs are detectable, it will ultimately be interesting to determine whether their concentrations exhibit regional variation and seasonal fluctuations. Funding source: Carthage S.U.R.E. Program
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Lifetime Prediction of Mg-Rich Polymeric Coatings Using a Fluoro-Magnesium Probe Christina Konecki, 2011 Major: Chemistry Hometown: Barrington, Ill. Faculty Sponsor: C.J. Stephenson
Coatings containing hexavalent chromium are widely known for their outstanding anticorrosive performance. Unfortunately, toxicity concerns have imposed restrictions on their use in commercial coatings, and prompted the search for a replacement that is environmentally responsible and just as effective in affording corrosion protection. Mg-rich primers obviate the need for employing chromium and provide excellent corrosion resistance by anodically protecting the substrate. However, they are known to fail rapidly in accelerated testing while exhibiting long service lives in service conditions. To develop correlations between various weathering protocols and the lifetime of Mg-rich coatings, the use of a fluoro-magnesium probe is proposed to track magnesium through its various stages of anodic protection. KMG-20-AM, a Coumarin 343 derivative, is a synthetic fluoro-magnesium probe that has been wellstudied in biological applications for its ability to bind with magnesium. KMG-20-AM chelates with Mg and Mg moieties, and results in enhanced fluorescence intensities and a shift in the lambda max. Consequently, KMG-20-AM is expected to complex with Mg moieties in Mg-rich coatings and produce a distinct increase in fluorescence intensity with a lambda max shift relative to a Mg-free coating. National Science Foundation Award #DMR-1005127 , REU Site for Sustainable Aerospace and Marine Polymer Composites
Directing and Staging the Musical Cabaret Herschel Kruger, Chair, Theatre Department, Associate Professor of Theatre
Maureen Chavez-Kruger The musical “Cabaret” has a long and celebrated history. After its 1966 Broadway opening which ran for 1,166 performances it was made into a feature film featuring Liza Minnelli, and since then has had two very successful Broadway revivals. The challenge with any well-known play or musical is to “make it your own” while still keeping intact the original intent of the playwright. What will make this production unique is the style in which we will approach the piece. We are designing and staging the production after the motif used by German playwright Bertolt Brecht. Brecht believed in verfremdungseffekt or the alienation effect. The alienation effect