Arts - Buffalo State College

Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship Program
Lena Scapillato, Metal/Jewelry
Faculty Mentor: Professor Stephen Saracino, Design
Abstract Title: Chemical Chromism: The Coloration of Metal
Lena will graduate with a B.F.A. in Metals/Jewelry in May 2012 after which she plans to enter
graduate school to pursue a M.F.A. in Metalsmithing. Lena ultimately hopes to pursue her goal to
teach at the college level.
Lena’s research centered on devising formulas to create patinas for metal surfaces
utilizing existing recipes and experimentation with various chemicals to create new formulas
encompassing both cold and hot application processes. Her findings are cataloged in a folder
that will remain in the Meta/Jewelry studio for future students to access.
Allan Sesay, Mathematics
Faculty Mentor: Professor Peter Mercer, Mathematics
Abstract Title: An Error Term For Levinson’s Inequality
Allan is originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa. He will graduate with a B.S. in
Mathematics in December 2012. After graduation he plans to teach and to attend graduate
school. Eventually he would like to become a college professor.
Allan spent the first part of his project studying background material on some of the recent
mathematics literature. Using the mathematics software “Scientific Workplace”, Allan looked for
patterns and trends contained in various complicated examples in an effort to form a conjecture
about an error term for Levinson’s Inequality. Allan succeeded in finding an error term for
Levinson’s Inequality. The work has been submitted to the British journal “The Mathematical
Gazette” for possible publication as a joint paper.
Robin Tedlock, Geography
Faculty Mentor: Professor Tao Tang, Geography and Planning
Abstract Title: Analysis of Street Traffic Density Impact On CO 2 and Air Particle
Distribution In Beijing, China
Robin is a Geography major. After graduation, Robin’s plans include working for an
environmental conservation agency and pursuing a graduate degree.
For his research, Robin traveled to Beijing, China and conducted field measurements of air
pollution alongside a team of graduate students and faculty from the Capital Normal University
of China. Robin focused on the analyses of CO 2 and ultra-fine particle distributions in relation to
interpreted traffic lane density that was calculated using satellite imageries. His research findings
suggest while traffic density is one of the major contributors to CO 2 and ultra-fine particle
pollution, other major sources may contribute to the pollution concentrations as well.
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