Tri-Beta hosts Northeast District 2 Convention

The BAHS chapter of Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society hosted this year’s annual Northeast District 2 Tri-Beta Convention on Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Hartline Science Center. Tri-Beta is an honor society for students dedicated to improving the understanding and appreciation of biological sciences and extending the boundaries of human knowledge through scientific research. The chapter welcomed nearly 100 attendees from 14 regional colleges and universities including Cedar Crest College, College of Saint Elizabeth, Drew University, Elizabethtown College, Hood College, Ithaca College, Johns Hopkins University, Lincoln University, Misericordia University, Moravian College, St. Lawrence University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, The College of New Jersey, Moravian College, St. Lawrence University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, The College of New Jersey, and Wilkes University.

The convention was kicked off by welcoming remarks by Tri-Beta chapter president Kaitlyn Gresko, Dean Aronstam, and Dr. Angela Hess, BAHS chairperson. The program featured 26 student research posters and 10 oral presentations. The keynote presentation was delivered by W. Andrew (Andy) Faucett, MS, LGC, the Director of Policy & Education at the Genomic Medicine Institute at Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA. Mr. Faucett, a Board Certified Genetic Counselor, addressed the topic "Genetic Counseling and Non-traditional Pathways to Success." Students from various chapters played Biology Trivia together, led by Dr. Abby Hare-Harris.

The event was planned and carried out by the officers and members of Tri-Beta and BAHS faculty. Participating students included: Allison McCracken (treasurer), Amy Rader, Andrew Cross (historian), Brittany Shaak, Casey Steward, Cassandra Riley, Clifford Jones, Cortney Blevins, Elizabeth Cole, Elizabeth Kester (secretary), Emily Weaver, Jerome Betz, Joseph Gundel, Kaitlyn Gresko (president), Lizmeidy Hernandez, Michaela Roth (historian), Samantha Starbuck, Zechariah Hannah, Lauren Bunnell, Ian Whiteside, Kathryn Sherry, Kyle Flannery, Mikayla Ilicny, Rachel Ryver (vice-president). BAHS faculty participants included: Drs. Kevin Williams, Angela Hess, Barry Nolt, Marianna Wood, Kristen Brubaker, Thomas Klinger, William Coleman, Jennifer Venditti, Carl Hansen, William Schwindinger, Judy Kipe-Nolt, Kate Beishline, Lauri Green, and co-advisors Abby Hare-Harris and Cindy Surmacz.

The following BAHS students presented research at the convention:

Characterization of Developmental Milestones of Language In Autism Spectrum Disorder. Kyle Flannery*, Marissa Mitchel, and Abby HareHarris.

Evaluating the Neurological Findings of the 15q13.3 Deletion. Mikayla A. Ulicny*, Vanessa Troiani, Brenda M. Finucane, and Abby E. Hare-Harris.

Investigating the Presence of Synapsin Proteins in Hamster Sperm. Rachael Ryver*, William Coleman, and Jennifer Venditti.

The Effects of BORIS Expression on Telomere Regulation and Stability. Ian Whiteside* and Kate Beishline.

 Investigating the Role of Subtelomeric CTCF in Telomere Stability. Lauren Bunnell,* Kyle Maustellar, and Kate Beishline.

Investigating the distribution of the GABA-B receptor at the earthworm neuromuscular synapse. Kathryn M. Sherry* and William L. Coleman.

Assessing oxidative stress in honeybees exposed to sublethal doses of the neonicotinoid pesticide imidacloprid. Andrew S. Cross*, Erin N. Smith, John M. Hranitz, and Cynthia Surmacz.