by Eva Dameron
Daily Lobo
Last year Gwyn Sprouls presented her findings on a rare disease at the UNM Celebration of Undergraduate Research Symposium.
She won top honors and the chance to make the same presentation in Washington, D.C.
Short for oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy, OPMD affects people's ability to swallow.
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"The disease affects a large number of people of Hispanic origin in New Mexico," Sprouls said. "It's an inherited disorder, and it's found in several clusters around the world. The only other cluster in North America is a French Canadian cluster in Quebec."
She said professors Amy Neel and Phyllis Palmer, her mentors in the project, began designing the study before she got involved two years ago.
Neel will accompany Sprouls to Washington on April 25 for Posters on the Hill, an annual event where research symposium winners present his or her project to Congress.
Sprouls said she won the symposium because her project was accessible.
"It was something that the average person could understand and potentially relate to because the study looks at the effects on swallowing," she said.
She said although it's a little scary to present at the Capitol, presenting at last year's symposium was good preparation.
"One thing we want to do is increase awareness of the disease," Sprouls said. "We also hope to make a good demonstration to the legislatures of higher education."
She also hopes to generate continued funding for research at UNM, she said.
Today 83 students will make presentations during the all-day event in the SUB. That is up from the 47 students who participated last year.
Professor Robert Duncan, who's the associate dean for research in the College of Arts and Sciences, organizes the symposium every year. This will be its third year.
"We want to showcase and celebrate the students who have worked with a faculty member," Duncan said.
He said there's no concrete project theme.
"They're all over the map; everywhere from dance to quantum information theory," he said.
Project titles include "Is Latex Refrigerator Viable?", "Outer Space Tourism Public Relations Problem & Solution" and "Social Constructs and Drinking Patterns in Older White and Hispanic Veterans."
Duncan said UNM pays for the winner and the winner's mentor to present in Washington, D.C.
"The students who take top honors in the celebration of undergraduate research - we offer to help them apply for the opportunity to present on Capitol Hill," he said. "UNM has over $300 million a year in contracts and grants to support the research mission and academic fellowships and scholarships."
Duncan said students who work closely with a faculty member in research are much more likely to finish their undergraduate degrees and to do well academically.
