UA Scholar Participates in Washington Event

Akron, Ohio, May 25, 2006 — Cortney Hoch, a Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program scholar at The University of Akron, participated in the annual Posters on The Hill event in Washington, D.C., in April.

In the program, students present their research on posters placed in the Rayburn House Office Building. Members of Congress view the displays and speak with students to better understand the importance of funding undergraduate research and science education programs. The posters showcased projects in biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, mathematics, computer science, physics, astronomy and psychology.

Hoch's poster was based on her participation in the 12-week Research Experience for Undergraduates program at UA last summer, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and directed by Dr. Coleen Pugh, professor of polymer science. Hoch worked with Dr. Judit E. Puskas, Lanxess Chair in the Department of Polymer Science, who is developing new and safer polymer material for breast implants.

Hoch, a 2006 honors graduate of Youngstown State University and 2002 graduate of Hubbard High School, is the daughter of John and Barbara Hoch of Youngstown. She was the only student from Ohio selected to participate. Nationwide, 276 students submitted proposals for the poster program; 65 were chosen.

Posters on the Hill is organized by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), which promotes undergraduate research opportunities at the national level. CUR selects participants based on research abstracts submitted in areas related to the sciences and social sciences.

The McNair program is designed to prepare participants for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities, according to Billi F. Copeland, director of UA's McNair program.

“McNair's goal is to diversify faculties by introducing students from underrepresented segments of society who have strong academic potential to the culture and work of higher education,” Copeland says. “Institutions such as ours work closely with them through their undergraduate requirements, encourage their entrance into graduate programs and track their progress to successful completion of advanced degrees.”

In April, 2005, Hoch presented her research — “Characterization of Tapered Block Polymers of Styrene and Isoprene Using MALDI Quadrupole/Time of Flight (Q-TOF) Tandem Mass Spectrometry” at the 19th National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Lexington, Va. Hoch's mentor then was Dr. Roderic Quirk, distinguished professor of polymer science.

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