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Summer Research

UNC Asheville Transfer Students Conduct Original STEM Research Projects

By UNC Asheville

August 18^th, 2022

This summer, six transfer students from North Carolina community colleges made themselves at home at UNC Asheville by taking part in one of our favorite University traditions: conducting undergraduate research. Powered by a grant from the Walnut Cove Members Association, these students are spending their summer diving into projects in chemistry, biology, and environmental studies, under the close guidance of expert faculty mentors. Here are a few of the projects:

Alan Hobbs

Major: Environmental Science

Transferred from: Blue Ridge Community College

Alan Hobbs knew that with his associate degree from Blue Ridge Community College he had his pick of schools to attend to pursue his bachelor’s. The Southern Appalachian Mountains, proximity to his family, and opportunity to study environmental studies all pointed him to UNC Asheville. “The clincher was when I saw the solarium filled with exotic plants,” Hobbs said.

Hobbs hopes to pursue work in either forestry, agriculture, or botany, and is exploring research, internships and work opportunities to help him narrow his choices down.

“The Transfer Summer Research Project is my first foray into scientific research and it gives me some real life experience to help me decide how best to pursue my goals,” Hobbs said.

With UNC Asheville Professor of Environmental Sciences Irene Rossell, Hobbs is studying the ecology of snakeskin liverwort in mountain streams.

“My research involves finding plants in nearby creeks and measuring the light levels they receive. I will find 50 - 100 plants and take light and several other measurements,” Hobbs said. “Once I find a specimen, I will take a photo of it and begin to collect data, which will be its position in the stream, patch size, types of surrounding plants, light measurements, and rhododendron cover.”

Finding and navigating the perfect creeks to conduct this field work has been a challenge, but also fun, Hobbs said. And the project is opening up new opportunities for further exploration.

“My professor, Dr. Rossell, is giving me several opportunities that are helping me decide where to focus my attention. Along with this project, she has guided me toward volunteering with the Hemlock Restoration Initiative, which is a forestry type job, and working part time summer jobs in gardens, which are agriculture type jobs,” Hobbs said. “All of these activities are giving me a sense of what I would enjoy the most in a career, which will have a direct impact on what I decide to do in the future.”

In the meantime, Hobbs is enjoying the opportunity to work closely with and learn from Rossell.

“Dr. Irene Rossell has been so good for me,” Hobbs said. ‘Whenever I accomplish something in her class, she says it was all me, but her guidance helps me to be my best. I will be forever grateful for the opportunities she has given me.”

Kathleen Charles

Major: Biology

Transferred from: A-B Tech

Like Alan Hobbs, Kathleen Charles is spending her summer looking at native plants. However, instead of finding these plants out in the field, Charles is examining two species of North American pitcher plants in the lab, seeking to discover secrets hidden in their DNA.

“The objectives of this project are to compare seed production among the two species and their hybrids, determine whether they share pollinators, and to determine the genetic identity of co-occurring plants through DNA extraction,” said Charles, who is working with Professor of Biology Jen Rhode Ward.

North American pitch plants are a carnivorous plant, and the bogs they require to survive are fragile, often imperiled habitats. Understanding how different species of pitcher plants might hybridize can help scientists understand the likelihood of survival for the individual species.

For Charles, this work involves a lot of data collection and recording.

“I have been working primarily on recording counts of viable pollen within samples from each plant species collected from the field,” she explained. “To do this I observe stained anther samples under a microscope; viable pollen will be stained, appearing purple, while the non-viable pollen will remain colorless.”

For Charles, it’s interesting work and a way to gain knowledge and hands-on experience in a field she hasn’t had the opportunity to fully explore yet.

“I'm not quite sure what I would like to do after graduating from UNCA,” Charles said, “so I'm hopeful that this project will help steer me in the right direction and have an impact on my future career choices.”

Victoria Magyar

Major: Chemistry

Transferred from: Johnston Community College

It was the city of Asheville, the beautiful university campus and community, and the opportunity to do serious undergraduate research in chemistry that brought Victoria Magyar to UNC Asheville from Johnston Community College. And she wasted no time in jumping into those research opportunities.

“Spring 2022 was my first semester researching with Oksana Love [lecturer in chemistry],” Magyar said. “I’ve already accomplished so much in the project and hope to publish my work by the time I graduate next spring.”

Magyar’s project involves comparing two different nanoparticles in the photodegradation of a pollutant called TCE, which is used to degrease metals. This pollutant often finds its way into water supplies, and can evaporate into the air. “This is not good since it is a VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) and is harmful to humans even at very small amounts,” Magyar explained.

“For this project, I work with a Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy (GCMS) and with a photochemical reactor (UV light). This is where we prepare and load our samples to be tested,” Magyar said. “After a sample is run, we analyze the data from the GCMS and add the results to our spreadsheet. By collecting a few points everyday, we build a lovely calibration curve.”

This means a lot of hands-on work in the lab for Magyar, which is exactly the experience she needs to pursue her career aspirations.

“After graduating from UNCA, I would like to go into the scientific analysis of paintings, which is a field of applied analytical chemistry,” Magyar said. “This project is definitely an experience I will need on my resume. This hands-on lab experience has shaped me into the chemist I am today and I am very thankful to have it.”

Peter Solares-Knorr

Major: Chemistry

Transferred from: AB Tech

After earning an associate degree in biology from AB Tech, Peter Solares-Knorr found he had developed an interest in chemistry. “UNCA was the natural next step,” he said.

Solares-Knorr’s interest in chemistry is being put to good use this summer, as he researches homogeneous organo-metallic hydride transfer with Megan McGreal, lecturer in chemistry.

What does that mean?

“We are using computers to calculate the interactions of a catalytic system so that it can be better understood and improved upon,” Solares-Knorr explained. “Efficient catalysis leads to novel medicine, better industrial practices, new materials, and ideally it would make these things more accessible to everyone.”

Solares-Knorr is studying “homogeneous organo-metallic hydride transfer” for the purpose of reacting carbon dioxide into something more chemically useful, or to store energy.

“I sit in front of a computer and drink a ton of green tea. It's great,” Solares-Knorr said. Even fueled by green tea, the work is challenging–but also rewarding. “There is a high degree of technical knowledge and skill involved with chemistry which makes it a challenging and rewarding endeavor. There are no real short cuts, and I enjoy working away at it everyday.”

It’s exactly the kind of work he hopes to do after graduating from UNC Asheville.

“I would like to solve problems and continue my education and this project is exactly that,” Solares-Knorr said. “I think this project is forming habits, knowledge, and skills in the interest of those desires.”

Noora Alassaf

Major: Biology

Transferred from: A-B Tech

You might wonder what a typical lab day looks like for a student conducting experiments to study the behavior of a specific gene, but for Noora Alassaf, no day in the lab has been typical.

“It’s always changing from the different experiments we end up doing, which makes it all more exciting and interesting process,” said Alassaf, who is working with Assistant Professor of Biology Melinda Grosser. “By studying the behavior of the gene, we can get a better understanding of the gene interactions and thus create drugs/medications to counteract its harmful effect on the human body.”

Doing hands-on research in the lab means Alassaf is getting real experience in conducting these experiments, challenges included.

“Sometimes if a protocol is too long or harder to understand that can make it quite difficult to do the experiment,” Alassaf said. “But I’m grateful to have Dr. Grosser and my lab peers who are always assisting me.”

Alassaf plans to apply to medical school after graduating from UNC Asheville. “I believe this project has an impact on the medical field, since I’m learning gene interactions in the lab, outside of the classroom books, which adds that visual learning experience that I found to be very valuable,” Alassaf said.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity to participate in this project! It’s honestly one of my biggest highlights of this summer.”

Learn more about UNC Asheville’s Direct Admission Programs with regional community colleges: https://www.unca.edu/admission/apply/partnerships/direct-admission-programs/

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