We are pleased to welcome your participation in 7th annual Westchester Undergraduate Research Conference, sponsored by Manhattanville College and Mercy College, to be held on Friday, April 13, 2018 from 9 AM to 4 PM.

The purpose of the conference is for undergraduate students to present their research on topics in the social, behavioral, health, or natural sciences, liberal arts, or education as an oral platform or poster presentations. The conference will be held at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY.

We will try to accommodate as many oral presentations and posters from each institution as possible.

Projects submitted must be original and involve scholarly research. They need not be completely finished; however, ongoing projects will be accepted. Students must be working with a faculty mentor who is overseeing the project. The selection process will be conducted by each institution for its students, and will determine whether a student
will present in a platform or poster format. Judging will not take place at the conference.

Please indicate whether the presentation will be in platform or poster format.
Submissions are due by March 13, 2018.


Abstract Format
• Please keep abstract body text to 300 words and follow the format listed below.

(Title) The Effects of Neem Oil on the Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) using an Ex Vivo Bioassay
(Presenter) Tana Kuldraree (Manhattanville College)
(Mentor) Mentor: Dr. Anna K. Yeung-Cheung

Due to its highly adaptive nature, public health concerns and prevalence worldwide, the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) has been one of the most studied ticks today. It is a known vector for transmitting pathogenic diseases to both dogs and humans. Chemical repellent like DEET is popular on the market to repel ticks. However, it has been shown to have detrimental effects on the environment. To protect our ecosystem, natural alternate repellents must be considered. Oil extract from Neem trees (Azadirachta indica) has potential to act as a natural insect repellent. In a previous study done at Manhattanville College, 100% and 50% Neem oil were most effective at repelling male and female brown dog ticks in an in vitro bioassay. Our current research focuses on the repellency of Neem oil on R. sanguineus at 1 and 4 hours post application, using an ex vivo bioassay on pig skin. The results show the concentration of 100% and 50% Neem oil were effective against the tick. The 100% Neem oil repels 80% of male and female brown dog ticks after 1 and 4 hours application. The 50% Neem oil repels approximately 70% of male and female brown dog ticks within the first hour, but the repellency drops to 48% after 4 hours post application.  We believe the Neem oil can be used as an effective alternate tick repellent.