Two undergraduate students from UCM are busy on research projects thanks to the Undergraduate Scholars Grant.

Daniel Akin, senior biology major, and Jessica Den Dekker, junior economics major, were awarded the grant this semester.

Akin said he is using the grant to fund his continued research on body shape changes in red shiner minnows when they adapt to a dam reservoir.

He said the grant helped him pay for attending the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in July where he presented the initial results of his study. He said he is looking into graduate school and was able to meet some potential advisors during the conference.

“That was extremely beneficial for me to be able to meet some of these people I was considering working for my master’s program,” Akin said.

He said his goal is to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help conserve nature for future generations. In the meantime, he is staying busy studying minnows with help from the grant.

“It’s been a really fun process, and I’m glad that the undergraduate studies grant is allowing me to continue it,” Akin said.

Den Dekker said she is using the grant money to conduct a psychology experiment to measure physiological reactions in people when they face a gain or a loss.

She said the project entails playing a game with other students where they are told they will either gain $5 or lose $5 by the flip of a coin. If it lands on heads, they gain another $4 and walk away with $9, but if it lands on tails, they will have $4 taken away and will walk away with only $1.

“Loss aversion literature essentially states that it should feel worse to lose than it feels good to win,” Den Dekker said.

She said the grant money helped her purchase a galvanic skin response device and pulse monitor to measure the reactions of the students.

“By completing this project, it could aid me in achieving the goal of one day being accepted into graduate school,” Den Dekker said.

Den Dekker said her goal is to present the findings at the Western Economic Association Conference next summer in San Francisco.

Jennifer Carson, coordinator for undergraduate research, said students from any major can apply for the grant.

“The great thing about UCM is that we have a group of faculty that’s willing to work with undergraduate students and do a great job at mentorship,” Carson said.

She said different types of interesting projects have come out of this grant: One student traveled to the Middle East and one student studied bees. She said there have been plenty of artistic projects as well.

“The arts are also supported. It’s not just research,” she said. “The creative activity is some of the coolest projects we’ve had.”

Carson said normally they have a bigger selection of students to receive the grant.

“I don’t think a lot of students know about the funding opportunity for it,” she said. “We’re always trying to promote it and let our students know that this is an option.”

To apply for this grant, go to https://www.ucmo.edu/current-students/undergraduate-research/research-funding. The next deadline is Oct. 1. For more information, email Carson at [email protected].