Kylie Quann
Major: Psychology
FYRE mentor: Dr. Kate Bruce, Psychology
“I was researching Inter-rater reliability using the Odor Span Task (OST). My favorite part of the research was being able to pick up my own rat and train him in the (OST)! Through my research experience, I was able to learn so much because I attended the weekly seminar meetings and frequently met with Dr. Bruce to further elaborate on new and old concepts. I learned so much about how intelligent rats are and how efficient the OST is at providing a translational model for memory in humans. My experience with FYRE has greatly impacted me because I was able to fully emerge myself into my major as a first-year student and I was able to connect with my lab-mates well. Also, since I was able to gather my inter-rater reliability data and start the delay study with my trained rat, I was awarded with the opportunity to attend a symposium in South Carolina to present my research and gather suggestions and feedback from other social science majors. Currently, I am still in the ABC lab, and I am training a new rat in the OST in a different study. In the future, I am planning on working with Dr. Bruce on my honors thesis”
Bryce Settlemier
Major: Art History; double minor in religion and archaeology
FYRE Mentor: Dr. Jamie Brummitt, Philosophy & Religion
“My research project was titled The History and Power of Magic Wands. With the help of Dr. Brummitt from the Philosophy and Religion department, I used museum archives to find examples of magic wands from different cultures, time periods, and locations. My goal was to highlight how various religions interact with material objects. My favorite part of the project was honestly the concept-- getting to study magic wands on a professional level is not something I thought I would get to do. I really enjoyed learning about the intricacies of archival research, as this will be useful for my future career! I think this project was impactful because it opened my eyes to a lot of new possibilities regarding my personal interests and professional research. While I have not actively added to the project since I presented it, I have been frequenting museums in my travels to track down the wands and see them in person. Thankfully, I have been successful once or twice!”
Kylie Owen
Major: Marketing; minor in digital arts
FYRE Mentor: Dr. Laavanya Rachakonda, Computer Science
“I worked with Dr. Rachakonda from the Computer Science department to develop a low-stress easily accessible webpage to assist in searching for rehabilitation centers. My goal was to create an easily accessible way to those seeking help in the process of addiction recovery. This research allowed me the opportunity to learn more about the relevance of addiction and the need for support during recovery. This research has taught me things I would have never learned in the classroom, or even within my major, and has also allowed me to present in local and international conferences. Though I am not continuing with the research, the program has opened many opportunities for me outside of the research itself.”
