On Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16, MSU hosted its annual Celebration of Scholarship. This event allowed faculty, graduate and undergraduate students to present their their research in coordination with EURECA.
These panels covered many of the breakthroughs of science, culture and education. German associate professor Kyung Lee Gagum’s presentation was about the research focused on the Korean immigrants who emigrated to Germany and the interconnections of the two populations, titled “What they brought home: Artifacts from Korea.”
During her presentation, she dove deep into the struggles that the 18,000 Korean workers migrating to Germany faced. Many of the Korean immigrants eventually returned home and established a museum in Seoul.
This museum contains many of the artifacts that the workers used in day to day life, and Environmental storytelling exhibitions throughout the museum provide an experience unlike any other. Gagum’s presentation provided an incredible look into the achievements and struggles the Korean immigrants faced.
Biochemistry associate professor George Liang held a presentation over the research he has conducted in tandem with his undergraduate students. Their research was focused on the prevention and disruption of protein aggregation, which is the primary cause of diseases like Parkinson’s Disease.
They created a compound known as CPSR43 which prevents and can even reverse protein aggregation. This groundbreaking research is still within the early stages, despite this, the results are incredibly promising.
Liang noted that the next step for this research is testing on lab mice in order to determine the potential effectiveness of the treatment. If further funded and allowed proper time and resources to develop, minds like Liang and his undergraduate research team are capable of making strides towards combating and potential negating the consequences of major ailments such as Parkinson’s.
While Gagum and Liang are conducting incredible research, it is important to make note of the fascinating findings of the many brilliant undergraduate students here at MSU like geology sophomore Aesop Boudreau.
His research presentation was over the exploration of chondrite meteorites. Chondrite is an undifferentiated meteorite, offering a glimpse of what life was like when the solar system was forming.
Chondrite meteorites are found all over the Earth, the study confirmed that the chondrite studied at MSU was the same as similar chondrites found all over the world. If you were to gather all of the chondrite you would have over two kilograms of meteorite.
Be sure to get into contact with EURECA to propose your undergraduate or graduate research. The greatest mysteries of the world are waiting for you to solve them.
