FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington has named 10 Michael D. Wilson scholars and fellows for the fall 2013 semester.

This competitive undergraduate research award partners top student researchers with faculty mentors to help students gain experience, insight and skills in their career interests.

Georgia Qualey, a history major at UMF, is using her Wilson award to research the effect the Eisenhower Interstate System had on the rural areas of Maine it passed through. A native of Sherman in Aroostook County, Qualey is interested in how the northern branch of I-95 in Maine shifted town centers and transformed some parts of the state from isolated to accessible.

In her fourth year at UMF, Qualey said she is excited about the way her research has helped her connect what she has learned in various academic disciplines.

“My Wilson project is helping me put the tools and resources I’ve acquired at UMF into action,” Qualey said.

The program provides funding to help underwrite student project expenses. It was established by Michael and Susan Angelides of Columbia, Conn., in honor of their good friend and UMF alumnus Michael D. Wilson, Class of 1976.

Fall 2013 Wilson fellows

* Christa Bonney of Rangeley, a junior majoring in biology. Bonney is working on the development of a live imaging technique and a sustainable diabetic model in adult zebrafish. Her faculty sponsor is Jean Doty, professor of biology.

* Simone Sisneros-Thiry­ of Berkeley, Calif., a senior with a dual degree in secondary education-math and mathematics, Sisneros-Thiry is exploring the lattice of set partitions and transition matrices of symmetric functions. Her faculty sponsor is Paul Gies, associate professor of mathematics.

Fall 2013 Wilson scholars

* Lauren Breton of Livermore Falls, a senior with a double major in English and secondary education-English, Breton is examining the impact the genre label “young adult literature” has on readers and its likelihood to be assigned in school. Her faculty sponsors are Sabine Klein, assistant professor of English, and Clarissa Thompson, associate professor of secondary English education.

* John Buys of Palmyra, a senior with a double major in secondary education-English and English, is exploring the phenomena of the turn-of-the-century divorce novel and gender identity contextually with archival research in cultural documents. His faculty sponsor is Sabine Klein, assistant professor of English.

* Sean Cabaniss of Vassalboro, a sophomore majoring in secondary education-math, is researching the relationship between the velocity and accuracy of baseball pitches from the windup and the stretch. His faculty sponsors are Lori Koban, associate professor of mathematics, and Nicholas Koban, associate professor of mathematics.

* Cidney Mayes of Farmington, a senior with a double major in secondary education-English and English, Mayes is combining the study of Jane Austen’s writings and the digital humanities into a curriculum for high school students and teachers. Her faculty sponsor is Misty Krueger, visiting assistant professor of English.

* Georgia Qualey of Sherman, a senior majoring in history, is exploring the Northern Maine section of the Eisenhower Interstate System and the impact it had on the towns it went through. Her faculty sponsor is Allison Hepler, professor of history.

* Joshua Richardson of Canton, a senior majoring in mathematics, is examining properties of the palindromic automorphism group of a free group. His faculty sponsor is Nicholas Koban, associate professor of mathematics.

* Ruby Rockwell of Greenville, a senior majoring in geology, is investigating small subalpine lakes in the Western Maine mountains and how bedrock and vegetation influence their stability. Her faculty sponsor is Julia Daly, associate professor of geology.

* Nathan Sylvester of China Village, a junior majoring in visual and performing arts, is creating, filming and producing a pilot episode of a comedy television series. His faculty sponsor is Teal Minton, assistant professor of creative writing.

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