NEW ORLEANS (April 11, 2013)-Two DU seniors and a junior won $500 each as first-place winners in the seventh annual Undergraduate Research Competition on April 4, according to Lynn Strong, director.

Winners were named in three categories: creative work, qualitative research and quantitative research. Second- and third-place winners received $250 and $150 each respectively.

The top winners in each category were:

·         Creative work: Amole Dimgba, a computer science senior, for “ASP.NETWeb Application.”

·         Qualitative research: Donique Thorpe, a biology senior, for “Role of Chromatin Insulators Elements in HSV-1 Latency and Reactivation.”

·         Quantitative research:  Jared Gamrell, a chemistry junior, for “Determining the CDR3 Sequence Repertoire of TCRB Chain Genes in Regulatory T-Cells Induced by Early Life Exposure to Particulate Matters.”

The runners-up in creative work were Takunda Jora, a computer science junior, second place. Three third-place winners were Cleveland Parker, a biology freshman; Noel Robinson, a nursing freshman; and Thorpe.

Other winners in the qualitative category were Virginia White, a psychology junior, second place, and Avery Ellis, a political science senior, third.

Each competitor had a mentor or group of mentors, and 10 faculty members served as judges: Dr. Lovell Agwaramgbo, chemistry; Dr. Eric Buckles, biology; Dr. Ming-Hsing Chiu, computer science; Dr. Nancy Dixon, English; Dr. Freddye Hill, African World Studies; Dr. Eartha Johnson, psychology; Dr. Yolanda Powell-Young, nursing; Dr. Reginald Stanton, chemistry; Dr. Wodajo Welldaregay, public health; and Dr. Keith Wismar, psychology.

In addition to the research competition, Research Week also included the Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority  Participation, or LS-LAMP, Conference and Algebra Relays.

(Delesia Daniels contributed to this report.)