Emma Willard Signature projects 2017-18

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INHIBITING AGGREGATION OF AMYLOID FIBRILS AT RPI

Katherine Axelrod, 2018 Essential Question: What factors cause proteins to aggregate in cells?

Hair Revolution

Introducing an Improved Knowledge of Haircare and Styles In and Around Emma Willard School

Essential Question:

How can I improve the knowledge and application of all forms of self-haircare and styling on campus and in Troy, NY for teenage girls?

Key Products:

I will continue to develop my practical and theoretical hairstyling knowledge. I will also style girls on and off campus, and educate them about various types of self-haircare and styles.

Adayah S. Balthazar ‘18

Rohinya ရိုဟင်ဂျာများသည် Prim Budsaratragoon Class of 2019

Do you remember the Myanmar Displaced People?

You should.

Creating an educational website that shares stories of a displaced persons camp in Thailand, and fundraising for the United Nation High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR).

Sharing Stories

Where embedded journalism at the Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus attempts to improve the lives of refugee children in America.

My process: 1.

2.

3.

Conduct interviews of children and relevant adults Develop focus for an article Write a publishable article highlighting an unknown or overlooked part of the child refugee experience

By Mae Burris-Wells ‘18

Greenhouse Gas and Bugs: Methane Emission in Termites Katherine Chen 2018

How much do termites “contribute� to atmospheric methane?

Isolating methanogenic microbiomes from termite hindguts

How do you define NATIONALISM?

Notes on Nationalism: a research project on the causes and effects of patriotic pride

Does it influence our daily lives?

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What effect has it had in major historical events?

Kat Coyle 2018

katsignature.wordpress.com

Claris Dabah 2018

LOVING LEARNING How can I create a course curriculum at Emma Willard focused on reducing stress and increasing a student’s passion for learning?Â

KEY PRODUCTS: -Develop a course curriculum system: -Explore different learning styles -Establish a new grading scale -Change the class dynamic -Test the system and get feedback

Room for More?

How can we be more efficient in our living spaces with the growing population? to design an online 3D model of a living space that fully utilizes available space .

Stay updated using the QR code to my blog!

By: Kaili Ebert 2019

HUMANS OF EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL Nana Hayami ’18

Photographs by Amoreena O’Bryon

Essential Question How can I connect students, faculty, and employees at Emma through interviews, photography, and an installation?

Key Products ●

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Create Facebook account for “Humans of Emma Willard School” Include a diverse group of people Create an installation in the Dietel Gallery Collect feedback about the installation

Painting Significant Political Events Mary Hong ‘19

How can I prevent people from repeating past political events through painting?

My goals: To remind people about one specific significant event in South Korea, the Gwangju Uprising by composing paintings of the event, and exhibiting them in chronological order.

Mysteries of Athletes: Lactate and Anaerobic Threshold Amber Hsu Class of 2019 How to determine lactate and anaerobic threshold by using indirect calorimeter?

How are they beneficial to athletes?

The research on lactate and anaerobic threshold measurements would be useful for athletes to improve their body conditions.

NATURE LAB Ecology and Botany Angel Hsu Class of 2019

Using art, technology, and science to complete urban research on the ecology of a Troy, NY community Educating a neighborhood in Troy by collecting plant seeds, creating pigments, making an herbarium, and identifying edible foods, all from every-day plants.

Preparing specimens

Diverse Thinking for Refugee and Immigrant Children

How can exposure to diversity through books help boost a child’s confidence?

RISSE Center: The Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus an after-school center for refugee and immigrant children

Molly Jebsen ‘19

Key Product: A curated list of children's books that are culturally sensitive, and display diversity of identity and culture for the RISSE library

Safe Cooking Signature Project 2017-2018 Alanna Kim Class of 2018

How can we reduce the emission of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) when cooking? ➢ What conditions or methods lower the emission of PAHs and HCAs when cooking? ➢ Design Astrobio lab using gas chromatography to look at bio-markers for Life on Mars http://alannakim990328.weebly.com

PRESSURE POINTS Van Le '18

HOW DEADLY CAN PRESSURE POINTS BE? How can I conduct an experiment to test how pressure points influence the human body?

● Research the science of pressure points ● Design and run an experiment

THE EFFECTS OF HOUSEHOLD PETS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

How are household animals contributing to CO2 levels and climate change?

Studying the effects that household pets (dogs, cats, etc.) have on the environment by studying their CO2 emissions, the amount of energy going into the making of their food and the resulting gas emissions.

ChloÊ Lo Faro’18

Unheard Worlds: Creating an Online History and Social Studies Class About Underrepresented Societies

By Ashley Kwon ‘18 and Heather Loepere ‘18 Essential Question: How can we enrich and diversify historical understanding among students by teaching an online course to educate them about cultures (particularly Asian, African, and Native American) not taught in a standard history curriculum?

Key Product: ●

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Teach our history and social studies class Unheard Worlds online and in the classroom Gather feedback from student focus groups to revise class materials

Bring revised course materials into local schools and afterschool programs Publish Unheard Worlds as an online class that students can access for years to come.

Meditation Space Renovation and the Art of Mental Tranquility

Essential Question: How can I create a space on campus for students to escape daily stress while educating the community on the art of meditation?

Key Product: I hope to renovate the current meditation room to create an appealing space, and write a book on the benefits and effects of meditation.

Sutton MacInnes Class of 2019

Cell Stress TEST RESEARCH Noreen Mian 2019

Key Question: What are the key parameters of mitochondrial and metabolic function within a cell?

Key Products: ➔

Measure specific targets in the electron transport chain in the mitochondria to learn about metabolic function.

➔

Inject oligomycin, FCCP, and a mix of Question: rotenoneKey and antimycin A to measure ATP production and respiration.

➔

Measuring the oxygen consumption of cancer cells and understand cellular activities.

MBA ”Get your MBA experience at Emma” Salome Mikadze 18’

Marketing Branding Advertising How to embrace internship opportunities in schools and what are their benefits?

Goals: Work in marketing by interning in 3-4 companies, Introduce Emma students to real-world career opportunities, Support the Women-in-Business movement.

Key Products • • • •

Branding: laucnh brand startegy for start-up in Troy.

Advertising copywriting: develop brochures for Signature and Practicum departments at Emma.

Digital marketing: increase unique visitors of Emma website and social media by engaging international audience.

Market research analysis: complete marketing projects for IgniteU, Troy, NY.

Materials Science and Engineering: Thin Films and Nanostructures Mentors: Prof. Daniel Gall and Erik Milosevic Qianyu Ann Nie Ru atoms

Class of 2019

How do deposition conditions,

Plasma

such as electric potential difference and temperature, affect the microstructure of Al2O3 (0001)

Ruthenium thin film?

Substrate

Determine the effects of deposition condition on the microstructure of Ru thin film by measuring resistivity and analyzing trends.

Artificial Intelligence in the Business World Coco Nishimura Class of 2019

How can Artificial Intelligence (AI) be utilized to enhance business operations and forecasting in several industries?

KEY PRODUCTS: âœť Machine Learning: Understand algorithms to make better and more accurate predictions âœť AI: Use an Intelligent Agent to anticipate consumer actions, and teach AI to learn deFacto software, and act as a conversationalist

How can I redesign the interior of the cafeteria at the Refugee and Immigrant Support Services Emmaus (RISSE) to help children have a positive feeling towards it?

Project at R.I.S.S.E Center Assessing the RISSE’s children’s preferences towards the space they’re interacting with would help me renovate the space.

Pawa Osathanugrah ‘18

NEUROLOGICAL DIFFERENCES Ndidi Owunna, Class of 2018

ESSENTIAL QUESTION How do different neurological conditions develop, and how does mental health affect the Emma Willard community?

KEY PRODUCT Launch an Emma Willard mental health campaign to raise awareness of the effects of stress and mental health in our community

Culture, Technology, and the Search for Meaning in the 21st Century How do Americans, specifically members of generation Z, find meaning in their lives in an increasingly secularized and technology-centered world?

Process: 1.) Study American values and how they have changed since the formation of the country.

2.) Research and evaluate the effect of these changes, specifically the influence of technology and secularization, on individuals, specifically members of Generation Z (born after 2000), through surveying and interviewing members of the Emma Willard community.

3.) Create a book called “The Making of Meaning”, in which information on the changing landscape of American culture and values as well as the interviews I conduct are artistically included to display the ways that people find meaning in their lives.

Olivia Pintair ‘18

The Lingering Signal that May Cause Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Katie Redmond ‘19 How do changes in synaptic function affect neuron signaling, and in turn, affect the onset of obsessive compulsive disorder?

Goals: To further my understanding of neuroscience and how changes in neuron signaling can result in different neuropsychiatric disorders Want to Find Out More?

Follow my Blog!

How can we use art to provide refugee children an opportunity to feel self worth, success, pride, and inspiration?

What do the children actually need?

Provide refugee children at RISSE (Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus) the chance to develop “unavailable� parts of their lives through art classes, exhibitions, and more. To give them the ability to thrive, not just survive

Cell Fate in the Vomeronasal Organ Kiran Singh 2019

Does blocking BMP signaling by knocking out SMAD 4 affect cell differentiation?

Discover the window for cell differentiation between apical and basal cells in the vomeronasal organ (above).

Essential Question

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How do colors, layouts, and fonts in clothing advertisements affect the preferences of adolescent girls? sig

K e y P r o d u c ts ★

Create sample ads in order to get feedback from the community.

★

Create a “superior” ad incorporating feedback from the community.

★

Gather feedback on the “superior” ad through another survey to the community.

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Grace Sun ‘18

Affecting Ads

MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL RESEARCH at RPI

Annabelle Tang ‘2018

How do mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) affect bone tissue regeneration ?

1. Design a lab protocol for cell passage

2. Investigate MSC viability and differential potential

3. Compare potential of bone marrow MSC and synovial MSC

Nat Tangwiwat, ’18

·· Business for a Good Cause ·· What choice would you have made differently if you know the purpose behind the price tag?

What if you could access that information in one click?

A website with interviews and reviews of local social enterprises to raise consumer awareness.

Analyzing Weather Patterns Mathematically.

Emma Wolfe-McGuire Class of 2018 ESSENTIAL QUESTION Is there a better way to predict El Ninos?

KEY PRODUCT A statistically based hypothesis and equation to predict El Nino events

I to I (2.0)

Jingyi (Nina) Xie ‘18

After winning the 2nd place in NYSHS Business Model Competition, I continue the “I to I” project to work on the proposed sign language translator technology.

I to I: Glasses that reduce barriers between deaf and hearing people by connecting them Eye

to Eye

Key Question: How can I create a sign language translator?

Key Products: ★ A translation system prototype ★ A formal business plan

M.A.R.S. Scanner 3D Printing and X-Ray Scanning at RPI Fanqi Cara Yi’ 2018

Essential question​: How to design and construct a sample holder for MARS scanning samples?

Key Product​: 3D printing a sample holder for larger quantity MARS scanning.

The American Dream for Chinese Immigrants Caroline Yin’ 18 How do Chinese immigrants hold on to their cultural heritage after joining American society?

Through reading novels, scholarly journals and conducting interviews with Emma parents who immigrated from China, I will better understand how Chinese immigrants held on to their cultural roots in 19th century and continue to do so today.

Joycelyn Yip ‘18

Data Power: Using data to inspire business donation How can I encourage donation behavior from businesses in the Capital District?

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Key Products Create a database of Capital District companies’ donation amounts Analyze the data to show the donation behavior and correlate with other variables such as size of the company, value, age of company, etc.

Research on the psychological factors behind why businesses donate Conduct interviews with companies to find out why they donate

SAFE CAMPUS FOR ALL Susie Yoon Class of 2018 Essential Question: How do we work with nonprofit organizations (like End Rape on Campus) to eliminate sexual misconduct on college campuses?

Key products: 1) A Safe Campus For All (SCFA) curriculum to implement before Emma Willard students arrive on their college campuses - to be taken during their senior year.

2) A Safe Campus For All (SCFA) refresher curriculum to implement after Emma Willard students arrive on their college campuses - to be taken during their freshmen year.

For more reading on the topic of sexual misconduct on college campuses, go to webelieveyou.net endrapeoncampus.org

FOOD SAFETY:

TESTING PROCEDURES AND AUDITS Experiencing the analytical testing process of food, dairy products, and beverages for specific health hazards, purity, and accurate labeling, at the New York State Food Laboratory

Stephanie Huajin Zhang '19

BOTTLED WATER

PET FOOD

DAIRY PRODUCTS

RAISINS

ONIONS

LEARNING THE LAB PROCEDURES IN TESTING FROM INITIAL GRINDING TO FINAL DATA ANALYSIS. BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE, OBSERVE PROFESSIONALS PERFORM THE PROCESSES WITH THE QUALITY MANAGER TO WRITE OR REVISE AUDITS ACCORDING TO ACCREDITED STANDARDS.

"WE DO WHAT WE SAY"