As women and people of color strive to advance in scientific fields, UNC Charlotte alumna Sandra Orimilikwe hopes to inspire others with her experiences.

“I am a living testament that women and African Americans can look to when pursuing or considering a science career,” said Orimilikwe, who earned her bachelor’s degree in biology in 1999 and now works as a Scientist II in Immunohematology Product Support at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Company in New Jersey.

Her passion for science has driven her to seek hands-on learning experiences, and academic degrees, while finding time to encourage others to do the same. “I feel I am having a positive impact on women and African Americans who are pursuing or considering a career in the sciences, through encouragement to not see science as a difficult subject, through early exposure to someone like me with a science career and by offering hands-on experience,” she said.

Ties to Science Started Early in Life

Orimilikwe’s connections to science began in her family home. “I come from a family of healthcare professionals, so it was a no-brainer that I would follow in my family’s footsteps,” she said. “My mother is a registered nurse and my father is a retired university professor, and they both introduced me to the medical field.”

When Orimilikwe was 7, her parents had returned from her birth city of Washington, D.C. to their native Nigeria. Orimilikwe started her college education in Nigeria at The School of Medical Technology at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital. “I was fresh out of high school, so I had to learn about taking responsibility for studying hard and asking the professor questions when I was confused,” she said.

She later found opportunity in New Jersey at Mercer Community College, where she earned her associate’s degree in medical laboratory technology. When transitioning from Nigeria to the United States to continue her studies, she found similarities in the environments and the strategies she had to follow to succeed.

She next traveled to UNC Charlotte, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology-medical technology. Orimilikwe said she was attracted to UNC Charlotte because of the excellent science degree programs, professors and location. She gained the most knowledge from her classes related to the topics of immunology and genetics, and she has applied in her jobs the knowledge she gained.

Orimilikwe Augmented Studies With Lab Work

Orimilikwe found employment at the Carolinas Healthcare System working in its lab as a medical lab technician, balancing school and work. “It was focus and determination,” she said. “When I look back, I cannot believe that I juggled between school and work. It was hard.”

Following graduation, she continued to work at Carolinas Healthcare Systems for a few more years, before joining Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. She currently conducts blood bank product failure investigations, completes research to develop new processes through feasibility studies and performs cost improvement projects on methodologies, processes and products and systems. She is also responsible for preparing technical reports, which include quantitative analysis, summaries and protocols.

“My career as a scientist started in hematology and evolved from there,” she said. “To me, hematology is an interesting area of medical technology that helps to diagnose different blood diseases through the studying of different cells of the body.”

The hardest part of her job comes when she is analyzing product failures. “During product failure investigations, I (sometimes) am not able to detect why a product or raw material did not meet its acceptance criteria,” she said. “I have to continue researching and brainstorming until I find the root cause and then devise a conclusion.”

Orimilikwe might be far from UNC Charlotte but she has never lost touch with her 49er friends. While living in New Jersey, she has discovered a New York City alumni chapter and has met other 49ers. She also has contributed to support scholarships and other UNC Charlotte efforts. She encourages current students to recognize the array of opportunities available and to work for them.

“All one needs to do is first study very hard, enroll in internship programs for introduction into different science fields, look for job fairs and network, because this will help when seeking for employment,” she said. “Use social media such as LinkedIn to reach to a lot of employers. Also, seek out for advice any UNC Charlotte alumni who went through the same program and are employed by a great employer. If one chooses to go back to school after obtaining an undergraduate degree, don’t wait. Just go for it.”

Words: Darien Talley, CLAS Student Communications Assistant
Image: Courtesy of Sandra Orimilikwe

Researchers from around the world gathered at UNC Charlotte in December for the 11th annual IEEE International Meeting HONET-PfE, to share knowledge about high capacity optical networks and enabling technologies.

During the three-day event, speakers provided more than 80 technical presentations to attendees from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Korea, Jordon, UAE, Egypt, Australia, Japan, Canada and New Zealand. Hosts were the Charlotte Research Institute and EPIC (Electric Power Infrastructure Center) at UNC Charlotte, with support from the Department of Physics and Optical Science in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

The HONET annual meeting brings together researchers from academia, industry, and government in a setting of high-level yet still informal technical interchange. It alternates between venues in the developed and developing world. Previous meetings have been held in Pakistan, US, UAE, Malaysia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Turkey, Cyprus and previously at UNC Charlotte.

Building from an initial core focus of optical and communications networks, the meeting’s scope has grown to include such diverse areas as big data, solar energy, distributed energy networks, smart-grid technologies, photonics, and semiconductor material science. The intent is to use the opportunity of technical interchange conference to build inter-personal collegial relationships with a goal of promoting mutual understanding across cultural and geographic boundaries.

UNC Charlotte Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Joan Lorden provided welcoming remarks, joined by Conference General Chairs Glenn Boreman, chair of UNC Charlotte’s Department of Physics and Optical Science and director of UNC Charlotte’s Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications; and Ian T. Ferguson, vice provost and dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at Missouri State University.

Steering Committee Chairs M. Yasin Raja of Physics and Optical Science, and S.M.H. Zaidi, dean of the National University of Sciences and Technology School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Islamabad, also joined the provost in opening ceremonies.

IEEE Xplore will publish the papers that were presented and the proceedings. The12th annual HONET will be hosted by the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) at Islamabad, Pakistan on December 21-23, 2015, with the theme consistent with the International Year of Light (IYL’2015) [ http://honet-ict.org ].

Speakers from UNC Charlotte included Mirsad Hadzikadic, professor and director of Complex Systems, Johan Enslin, professor and director of EPIC, Michael A. Fiddy, professor and director of the Meta-materials Center, Raphael Tsu, distinguished professor with Electrical and Computer Engineering, Yong Zhang, Bissell Professor with Electrical and Computer Engineering, Asis Nasipuri, professor and interim chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Badrul Chowdhury, professor with Electrical and Computer Engineering and EPIC.

The notable list of presenters included Rajendra Singh, distinguished professor, Clemson University; Hussain T. Mouftah, distinguished professor, Ottawa University; M. Ilyas, dean and professor, Florida Atlantic University; Colin J. McKinstrie, Applied Communication Sciences, New Jersey; Karen R. Forsten, director, Power Delivery & Utilization EPRI; and Alex Gurary Pr. Dev. Engineer, Veeco Corporation.

Additional notable speakers from other institutions and industry were Benjamin Klein Optics and Photonics (Group Chair) Georgia Tech; Nikolaus Dietz, professor, Georgia State University; Arindam Maitra, Principal Tech-Lead, EPRI; Thomas M. Fenimore, technology development manager, Duke Energy; Arshad Mahmood, project director, NILOP, Islamabad, Pakistan; and Young Min Song, GIST and Pusan National University (PNU), Republic of Korea.

Pictured: Glenn Boreman, Yasin Raja, Joan Lorden, Ian Ferguson

Freshman chemistry major Brandon Furr has wrapped up a four-month stint as the first UNC Charlotte intern in the In Vitro Sciences Laboratory at David H. Murdock Research Institute, having gained hands-on research experience and clarity about his future.

“As I am leaving my internship, I am definitely interested in exploring research further going into the future,” Furr said. “I know I would like to go into healthcare, probably pharmacy. I am currently in the process of applying to a couple of summer programs geared towards research and medical-healthcare to give me more exposure.”

After he completes his undergraduate studies, he plans to pursue graduate studies. Furr, a University Honors student, proved himself in the lab and picked up the tasks quickly, said his supervisor, Senior Research Associate Lisa Dewey.

“Brandon’s resume really spoke to us,” Dewey said. “He was a really strong student in high school, and has a really strong desire to learn about the industry.”

The lab provides biochemistry, biology, immunology and clinical chemistry services. Furr entered client samples and specimens, which include body fluids encompassing but not limited to blood, plasma, serum, urine, and cell culture supernatant into FreezerPro inventory management software.

“They needed a lot of help entering and sorting the different samples into their database,” Furr said.

“My internship ended on Dec. 19 at the end of the semester,” he said. “I learned a lot while I was at my internship. I basically had to learn the whole FreezerPro inventory management software that DHMRI uses to keep record of all their samples. I was surprised that I learned it so quickly because the software can be quite confusing and frustrating due to all the steps involved and the attention to detail.”

Furr also discovered how busy the institute and lab are, with a variety of projects and clients. Yet, amidst the bustling environment, he found the opportunity to work in a focused manner in a lab. As a self-described introvert, that appealed to him.

Majoring in chemistry with a concentration in medical technology, Furr has long been interested in research. He had graduated with honors in summer 2014 from Mt. Pleasant High School in Cabarrus County. During his time there, he took pharmacy technician classes and earned certification as a pharmacy technician.

“I’ve always been interested in drugs and how they interact with the body,” Furr said. “Working here teaches you analytical skills, and gives you a behind-the scenes look at everything that goes into research.”

Furr also is a recipient of the Jason Bonsall Promising Potential Scholarship at UNC Charlotte. This scholarship, founded in 2012-13 by UNC Charlotte student Jason Bonsall, supports a new freshman in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences whose full potential has yet to be realized as a result of financial restrictions, academic/learning challenges or both.

The David H. Murdock Research Institute is located on the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis. The institute provides a multidisciplinary approach integrating genomics, analytical sciences, cellular sciences and bioinformatics to accelerate research and development of companies, institutions and researchers throughout the world as well as the NCRC’s university, corporate and healthcare partners.

Words: Seth Allen, Student Communications Assistant
Image of Brandon Furr in UNC Charlotte lab: Lynn Roberson, College Communications Director

Six UNC Charlotte students from varied backgrounds will act as student advisors to the Dean’s Office in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, drawing from their experiences with their studies, internships, and leadership positions. The students are part of CLASS-ACT (CLAS Students – giving Advice, making Connections, receiving Training), an undergraduate student advisory council in the college.

Stephanie Mims is a sophomore majoring in Mathematics for Business with a concentration in Actuarial Science and a minor in Computer Science. She just recently completed an internship with the reinsurance company SCOR and said she hopes to apply the presentation, professional, and communication skills learned during this internship to the CLASS-ACT program.

Mims’ interest in CLASS-ACT was sparked by the opportunity to voice her opinion and make positive changes that will benefit the college. She said she would like to inform future students why CLAS is an exciting college that holds a wide variety of career paths. Mims hopes to impact the SOAR orientation program and to bring professors together with students for a more connected environment. Personally, Mims hopes to gain even more leadership, project development, presentation, and professional skills.

Ryan Gobble is a senior double majoring in Political Science and Sociology. In coordination with University College, Communication Across the Curriculum, and the University Writing Center, he serves as the discipline communication consultant for the Sociology Department. Gobble enjoys helping students enhance their writing skills and effectively express their own thoughts and ideas. His research interests include social stratification, the dynamics of racial inequality, deviance, law, and social control.

When not at school or working, Gobble enjoys learning more about nutrition and maintaining an active lifestyle. Following graduation, he plans to continue his studies and to pursue a career in law. Through the CLASS-ACT Student Advisory Group he hopes to serve as a leader within the college while contributing new insights that work towards the betterment and growth of the College.

Kevin Caldwell, a senior in the Department of Religious Studies, has participated in two summers of archaeological field work in Jerusalem, where he was a staff member of the Mt. Zion excavation. He is currently working on a project with the Levine Museum of the New South that examines redevelopment in the Historic West End. A Charlotte native, Caldwell said he is excited at the prospect of graduating and giving back to the community that has shaped him.

In his spare time, Caldwell enjoys cooking, woodworking and any outdoor activities. He also participates in a mentorship program at James Martin Middle School, where he mentors students in the establishment of a student government assembly. Caldwell is a member of the second class of scholars of the Levine Scholars Program.

Laura Eason is a junior at UNC Charlotte. She is an English major with a concentration in Language and Digital Technology with a minor in Communication Studies. Eason is a member of Sigma Tau Delta and the English Honor Society. Eason completed the Women’s Leadership development program at UNC Charlotte, and currently balances work between the Niner Times and a wedding coordinating internship. In her free time, she enjoys finding interesting new places, passing time with friends, writing, traveling, and catching up on the latest hit TV shows.

Eason expressed excitement to be a member of CLASS-ACT, and through this experience, she hopes to learn more about the community, the university, and the people here. She is exploring her future career plans.

Denise Jackson is majoring in Sociology and German, and expects to graduate in May 2015. She holds an associate’s degree in baking and pastry arts from Johnson & Wales University. Jackson volunteers for the Leadership Committee of the American Council on Germany, assisting them at ACG events. She works with the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Charlotte coordinating his events, specifically his Transatlantic Exhibition of Art in the Southeast that is taking place in September.

As part of the 2014-2015 CLASS ACT Student Advisory Council, Jackson seeks to develop her leadership skills. She wants to be an example for young adults, specifically those with children, so they can see that anything is possible and that while sacrifice is necessary, things will get less difficult as time progresses.

Bryanna Sierra is double majoring in Chemistry and Biology. After graduation she plans to continue her education and enroll in a dual M.D. /Ph.D. program. Sierra works in Didier Dréau’s lab, focusing on metastases associated with cancers of epithelial origin. She is also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Sigma Alpha Lambda.

Sierra looks forward to completing the largest leadership program at UNC Charlotte, PILOT. She said she is convinced that the leadership skills taught in this program can be applied to most aspects of her life, specifically her opportunity at UNC Charlotte as a TASL learning coach. As a TASL learning coach, she works with students in chemistry workshops to encourage them to apply and master material presented in the lecture. When not studying or working in the lab, Sierra enjoys swimming and running.

Words by Tyler Harris, Student Communications Assistant

Glenn Boreman, who is the chair of the Department of Physics and Optical Science at UNC Charlotte, has been named the 2015 vice president of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, with his term beginning Jan. 1, 2015.

Boreman also is director of UNC Charlotte’s Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications and co-founder and chairman of the board of Plasmonics, Inc. His research interests include Infrared detectors and systems, infrared antennas and frequency-selective surfaces, image-quality characterization, and modulation transfer function.

SPIE 2014 President Philip Stahl announced election results on August 19 at the annual general meeting of the society. Boreman joins the SPIE presidential chain and will serve as president-elect in 2016 and as the society’s prresident in 2017.

Boreman has served on SPIE planning committees, is a long-time instructor of the course “Basic Optics for Engineers,” and is the author of the SPIE Press book Basic Electro-Optics for Electrical Engineers. He is coauthor of the graduate textbook Infrared Detectors and Systems and author of Modulation Transfer Function in Optical & Electro-Optical Systems. He has published more than 100 articles in the areas of infrared detector and focal-plane analysis, optics of random media, infrared scene projection, and transfer-function techniques.

Boreman received his bachelor’s degree in optics from the University of Rochester, and his Ph.D. in optics from the University of Arizona. He has been a visiting scholar at Imperial College in London, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich, Universidad Complutense in Madrid, and the Defense Research Agency (FOI) in Linköping, Sweden.

He is a fellow of SPIE, the Optical Society of America, and the Military Sensing Symposia.

By Brittany Algiere
Student Communications Assistant
CLAS Communications and Marketing Office

UNC Charlotte biology major Kayla Kinard has defeated struggles and overcome obstacles that could have stopped her in her mission for an education. Instead, she has found her efforts rewarded with one of six GSK Opportunity Scholarships, awarded to students who have conquered adversity to pursue education.

“It is strength of character that allows a person to overcome significant adversity and hardship,” Daniel Troy, GSK senior vice president and general counsel, wrote. “It is often coupled with a decision not to allow circumstances beyond our control to define who we are – or what we will do with our lives.”

Kinard described herself as humbled, grateful and amazed by her award. “I get to follow my dreams and continue my education,” she said. “I won’t have to worry about paying out of pocket, at least for now.”

Throughout Kinard’s senior year of high school, her mother, Tesca Kinard, was in and out of the hospital struggling with chronic heart failure that had troubled her throughout Kinard’s life. Tesca Kinard’s heart even stopped before her daughter could leave the house on prom night, turning the special night into a tragedy. Kinard performed CPR and went with her mother to the hospital. She took prom pictures in the hospital that night, before attending prom at her mother’s urgency.

Despite the struggles, Kinard never quit. While caring for her mother and managing household demands, Kinard worked two jobs outside the home and held leadership positions such as class president each of her four years in high school. She graduated second in her class, with a 4.4 grade point average. When Kinard spoke at her high school graduation, her mother watched online, unable to attend.

“Not having my mother physically there for big events in my life, such as prom and graduation, was very difficult,” Kinard said. “It was hard. I didn’t want to go to school, but my mother kept pushing me to go and pretend like everything was OK. I had so many unexcused absences that I almost went to truancy court. In my eyes, giving up was an option, but not in my mother’s.”

Kinard now is a sophomore at UNC Charlotte focused on her studies, while also working as a communications assistant for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ communications and marketing office. She is thinking about becoming a doctor or dentist, feeling a strong desire to help others by pursuing a medical career.

“I’m leaning more towards dentistry,” she said. “I’m enjoying the college experience at UNC Charlotte. I’m really thankful for my mother and Ms. Godwin, who was a teacher and a family friend, for making me stay focused, putting my education first, and guiding me down the right path.”

Photos courtesy of Kayla Kinard

A new garden in the works at UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens will  blend southeastern native flora, sustainable practices, and smart home landscape design in a 1/5-acre showplace that will add to the diversity of these public gardens.

The design for the Mellichamp Native Terrace Garden artfully combines common home landscape features – wooden and stone terraces, low stone walls, gravel paths and a dry/storm water-fed streambed. The garden will showcase a variety of native plants that fill common landscape needs, such as for groundcovers, specimen plants, flower borders, privacy hedges, and foundation plantings.

It also will feature a rain garden, native lawn and lawn substitutes and a mini-meadow planting. The vision for this garden is to inspire and inform visitors about the beauty, horticultural utility, and sustainability of the southeastern flora.

Edward Davis, Landscape Architect is developing the initial concept into a coherent and integrated design. The project is currently under construction and will be substantially complete by the end of 2014 — funding permitting. Funding this far for this project includes grants from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, the North Carolina Native Plant Society, private donors, and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. The Botanical Gardens seeks additional funds to complete the project.

The Botanical Gardens promote the knowledge and appreciation of plants for educational, environmental, and aesthetic purposes. It offers community classes, opportunities for a relaxing stroll through a beautiful setting, information for people studying plants and those seeking knowledge on the variety of plants the area’s climate can support, plant sales and other resources.

Very few UNC Charlotte faculty members can say they will celebrate their retirement by having an entire garden named after them – but Larry Mellichamp will when he finally goes into the full bloom of retirement at the end of 2014.

Dr. M., as he is affectionately known by many of his former students, colleagues, alumni and community friends, has been director of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences for nearly four decades. His legacy will be honored with the installation of this new garden in his name. Mellichamp has written technical and lay articles on plants and gardening and has co-authored four books, including Native Plants of the Southeast: A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 460 Species for the Garden, and Bizarre Botanicals: Weird and Wonderful Plants You Can Grow (with Paula Gross). The North Carolina Native Plant Society presented him its B.W.Wells award for education efforts.

A fundraising campaign took root in the spring to raise $150,000 by December 2014 to complete the installation of the garden.

“We are all excited about the opportunity that Dr. Mellichamp’s retirement has presented,” said Botanical Gardens’ Advisory Council member and Gardens’ donor Thomas Nunnenkamp. “We have a unique chance to bring focus on the importance and sustainability of native plants in the residential landscape. And, maybe even more important for some of us, the native plant terrace gives us a very special way to recognize a wonderful educator, plantsman and friend.” Nunnenkamp has already made a gift to support the project.

Gifts are still being accepted to support the garden. To learn more about how to make a gift to support the new Mellichamp Native Terrace Garden contact Mai Li Muñoz at mai.li.munoz@uncc.edu or 704-687-0084.

(Image courtesy of Aaron Cress. Pictured (left to right): Nadia Clifton, Hunter Reavis, Jenna Brown)

Two of the three winners for best research posters at the third annual Summer Research Symposium are students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and students from throughout the college earned honorable mentions. Over 80 undergraduate students, including the students in the Charlotte Research Scholars summer research program, competed in the poster competition, presenting scholarly inquiry in a broad range of topics.

This year’s winners are:

Best Posters

A Study of the Princess Augusta Sophia (1768-1840) Collection at the Atkins Library
Presenter: Nadia Clifton, English, University Honors
Mentors: Kirk Melnikoff and Alan Rauch
Category: Education, Humanities, Social Sciences and Social Work

Quantitative Stability/Flexibility Relationships in the Class-C b-Lactamase Enzyme Family
Presenter: Jenna Brown, Biology, University Honors and Crown Scholar
Mentor: Dennis Livesay
Category: Natural Sciences and Public Health

Effects of Cryosurgery on Breast Cancer Cell Viability in the Presence of an Adjuvant
Presenter: Hunter Reavis
Mentor: Charles Lee
Category: Engineering, Technology and Computing

Honorable Mentions

Using Children’s Literature to Teach the Holocaust in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Middle Schools
Presenter: Katherine Galindo, English
Mentor: Sarah Minslow

Fighters Now Farmers on the Front Lines: Agricultural Production of the British Expeditionary Force, 1917-1919
Presenter: Thomas Grover, History
Mentor: Heather Perry

Across the Bravo: US-Mexico Relations after the Mexican Revolution, 1920-1924
Presenter: Sean Kane, History Honors
Mentor: Jurgen Buchenau

Private Subscription Libraries in Nineteenth Century England: Manchester, Leeds, and Newcastle
Presenter: Melanie Carty, Religious Studies
Mentor: Alan Rauch

Utilizing Hybrid Nano-Composite Materials to Increase Specific Capacitance for Supercapacitor Applications
Presenter: James Mitchell, Chemistry
Mentor: Jordan Poler

Targeted Nanoparticle Therapy of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Cells Utilizing CAOV-3 Specific Aptamers
Presenter: Tien Truong, Biology
Mentors: Craig Ogle and Christine Richardson

About Charlotte Research Scholars

The Charlotte Research Scholars initiative was implemented in 2012 for high-achieving undergraduate students to gain research experience and professional development in their field of interest. The CRS provides funding to 50+ UNC Charlotte rising seniors to participate in a 9-week research program. Scholars receive one-on-one, faculty-guided research training, and also participate in weekly professional development sessions to better prepare them for graduate school and a future research career.

The CRS receives support from the Duke Energy Special Initiatives Fund, UNC Charlotte’s Office of Academic Affairs, Charlotte Research Institute, and the Graduate School.

Rapidly changing and sometimes deadly viruses create critical public health risks – and a challenge for researchers working on vaccines.

UNC Charlotte researcher Yanqing Sun has accepted that challenge. For over a decade, she has collaborated with other researchers on vaccine efficacy studies, including ones looking at HIV vaccines.

Sun primarily works with Peter Gilbert, a biostatistics researcher with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and the University of Washington. Sun’s research specialties include developing statistical methods for analysis of event history data and longitudinal data.

“There is no known HIV vaccine that definitely works at this point,” said Sun, a statistics professor in UNC Charlotte’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. “Scientists develop vaccines with different constructs. The vaccines are tested in the vaccine efficacy trials where the participants are randomized to receive the HIV vaccine or the placebo. We evaluate whether the vaccine works or not and how the efficacy changes. The goal is to develop more effective HIV vaccines.”

Constantly Changing Virus Complicates Development of Effective HIV Vaccine

Developing an HIV vaccine that works well has proven particularly challenging because of the constantly changing virus. Different subtypes of HIV display extreme genetic heterogeneity. This results in the same problem seen with flu vaccines, where a moderate mismatch can lead to a vaccine’s failure against specific strains of the flu. The researchers’ work holds potential implications for other viruses as well.

“Naturally, the vaccine efficacy depends on the similarity or dissimilarity between the infecting virus and a virus in the vaccine, which can be measured by some kind of distance called mark,” Sun said. “Ideally, if the vaccine is effective, then we expect that people with close virus distance will have more protection.

“However, only people who become infected will have the blood sample tested for infecting virus and will have the virus distance measured,” she said. “A further complication is that if the blood sample is measured long after the person is infected, it’s very possible the virus has already mutated.”

In this case, the observed mark is not the actual mark at the time of infection, which results in missing data or mis-measured data, she said.

“Because of the difficulties in the nature of the problem and the complications in the data collection process, we have to develop new statistical methods to accommodate all of these challenges,” she said.

New technology will enable more accurate determination as to whether the virus has mutated at the time when the blood sample is taken. But missing and/or mis-measured data is an inherent part of medical and public health studies.

Sun has been principal investigator or a co-principal investigator on numerous grants funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health and has over 45 publications.

“As a statistician, I would like to know that the methods developed are useful for medical and public health studies,” she said. “By working on this project for over 10 years, we’ve generated many research results. The statistical methods we developed for this research are used for the real-world applications. It’s very rewarding.”

Craig Ogle, the Charles H. Stone Professor of Chemistry, is the 2014 recipient of the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal. The prestigious award, presented by First Citizens Bank and UNC Charlotte, honors faculty scholarship and intellectual inquiry.