Undergraduate Research
My first mentor was Horn Professor Ray Jackson, Biology. My research was the study of population genetics of a chromosomal hybrid zone between a 2n=4 and a 2n=6 race of a fascinating little weed known as Haplopappus gracilis. I collected seeds from thirty populations of the pioneer species alongside highways and other disturbed places throughout Arizona for karyotyping. Thousands of chromosome "squashes" revealed that the population had reached Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium between the three cytotypes, 2n=4, 5. and 6. Amazingly, the 2n=6 race is copper tolerate. Plants with this genotype can be found growing on copper tailings outside of copper mines.
My second mentor was Professor Candace Haigler, Biology. My research with Dr. Haigler included microscopic examination of an integral protein using immunofluorescent cytochemistry and Western Blot analysis. This sucrose synthase research was published in PNAS in 1995, and included me as a minor author.
Current/Graduate Research
My website assessment and research as a Technical Communicator for CISER are focused on creating an interactive web community that is seamless, integrated, and interdisciplinary among all CISER audiences through the use of technology and the Internet. I research freeware and open source software for our program, including Facebook; Skype; Blogger; Google Analytic, Audacity, and free, royalty-free music and soundfiles. In Fall 2008, I wrote a well-researched proposal for my Foundations of Technical Communications and Rhetoric class advocating for the use of Facebook as a social networking tool for tracking and generating narrative with current and alumni Scholars, mentors, teachers, administrators, and staff.
Most MA students in Technical Communications don't elect to do a thesis in place of a portfolio. However, my practical work with CISER has allowed me to produce a substantial portfolio of my work as a technical communicator, leaving me the option of pursuing a thesis. My thesis is an effort to bridge the Humanities and Sciences, and is an exploration into the natural history of human papillomavirus (HPV) in males, studies that are in their infancy, and the social issues surrounding the (lack of) medical diagnosis of infection in men. I worked to learn more about the science of HPV by taking graduate classes in Virology and in Molecular Biology at TTU to complete a minor in Biology for my graduate degree. While in Virology, I researched the science literature diagnosing HPV in men, and wrote a term paper for the class that earned a 99% from Dr. Shan Bilimoria, TTU, Department of Biological Sciences.
My thesis research and writing continue with the support of my thesis committee members, including Amy Koerber, Technical Communications, my thesis committee chairperson, and thesis committee members Ken Baake, Technical Communications, and Shan Bilimoria, Department of Biological Sciences. I am scheduled to defend and graduate in 2009.
You can find me on Facebook, or follow me at Melody's Media Blog.
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