黑料社

Mississippi State undergraduates showcase student research with spring symposium

Mississippi State undergraduates showcase student research with spring symposium

Contact: Landon Gibson

STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State provides students with many opportunities to present their innovative research, and the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium is one of the first options they have to accomplish this.

黑料社鈥檚 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College hosted this year鈥檚 recent competition with 23 winners selected from 155 submissions by students conducting faculty-guided research at the university. Projects were categorized in four areas鈥攁rts and humanities, biological sciences and engineering, physical sciences and engineering, and social sciences. Certain categories had multiple award winners due to the large number of submissions to the event which encompassed 1,301 visits and 8,630 unique presentation views .

A team of nearly 60 faculty and advanced doctoral students representing a cross section of academic areas served as competition judges.

Anastasia Elder, the honors college鈥檚 associate dean for undergraduate research, said the symposium is a way for the 黑料社 family to celebrate the students鈥 engagement, curiosity and hard work.

鈥淭his symposium is great for undergraduate students to showcase their interest and dedication to their research activities,鈥 said Elder, also a professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations. 鈥淲e view the encouragement and support of undergraduate research and creative endeavors for all students to be part of our core mission as an institution of higher learning. Participating in undergraduate research is an exciting opportunity for students to complement their academic studies and preparation, paving the way for future intellectual work and exploration.鈥

This year鈥檚 winners represent Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio and Tennessee. They include (by project type and category):

ARTS AND HUMANITIES:

FIRST鈥擩oseph N. Newell, a junior English major from Cary, 鈥淒ickinson, Displacement, and her use of Defense Mechanisms to Cope with Psychological Trauma,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Assistant Professor of English Dhanashree Thorat and Professor of English Lara Dodds.

SECOND鈥擫indsey B. Downs, a senior English major from Alabaster, Alabama, 鈥淟oss, Reckless Behavior, and Jane Austen鈥檚 Realism in 鈥楽ense and Sensibility鈥 and 鈥楶ersuasion,鈥欌 mentored by 黑料社 Professor of English Kelly Marsh.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:

FIRST鈥擱eese A. Dunne, a senior mechanical engineering major from Starkville, 鈥淒evelopment and Implementation of a Magnesium-Based Finite Element Degradation Model for Orthopedic Implants,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Matthew W. Priddy.

SECOND鈥擧annah L. Scheaffer, a senior biochemistry major from Ruston, Louisiana, 鈥淭he Interference of PGD2 in the IL4 Anti-Inflammatory Pathway in THP1 Macrophages,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Professor of Comparative Biomedical Sciences Matthew Ross.

THIRD (tie)鈥擩ames D. 鈥淛ay鈥 Warren, a senior biomedical engineering major from Gulfport, 鈥淏ioprinting and evaluation of PLGA-KGN scaffolds as an augmentation to microfracture,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Steven H. Elder.

THIRD (tie)鈥擲arah M. Hobbs, a senior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major from Greenwood, South Carolina, 鈥淐haracterization of Antifungal Activity of Strain A against aflatoxin producer Aspergillus flavus,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology Shien Lu.

THIRD (tie)鈥擜nna E. Gamblin, a senior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major from Akron, Ohio, 鈥淎nnual Coastal Bird Community Response to Natural Vegetation Succession on Dredge-Spoil New Round Island,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Assistant Professor of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture Raymond Iglay.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:

FIRST鈥擧ailey C. Jamison, a senior biochemistry/pre-medicine major from Walnut Grove, 鈥淪orption of As(III) Using Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Dispersed on Guadua chacoensis Bamboo (Si-char) and Its Redox Transformations,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Professor of Chemistry Todd Mlsna.

SECOND鈥擭irmal K. Bhatt, a senior mechanical engineering major from Collierville, Tennessee, 鈥淭hermo-Mechanical Modeling of Tubular Receivers for Solar Energy Storage,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Like Li.

THIRD (tie)鈥擥race A. Williams, a senior aerospace engineering major from Brandon, 鈥淒etermination of Mechanical Properties of Sandwich Composite Components,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Professor of Aerospace Engineering Rani Sullivan and Instructor of Aerospace Engineering Robert Wolz.

THIRD (tie)鈥擩ames A. Dye, a senior aerospace engineering major from Summit, 鈥淎coustic Levitator in Motion,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering Zhenhua Tian and Visiting Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering Jichul Kim.

THIRD (tie)鈥擭athan C. Frey, a senior chemistry major from Slidell, Louisiana, 鈥淐omputational analysis of benzene-fused and extremely twisted pyrene-fused N-heterocyclic germylenes and boranes,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Professor and Associate Department Head of Chemistry Charles Edwin Webster.

SOCIAL SCIENCES:

FIRST鈥擡mily M. Davis, a senior chemistry major from Ripley, 鈥淚mplementing Empathy in Future Healthcare Workers: Injury and Illness (I2) Simulation,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Associate Professor David Buys, Extension Instructor Ann Sansing and Extension Associate II Jasmine Harris-Speight, all of food science, nutrition and health promotion.

SECOND鈥擭icole Mejia, a senior psychology major from Ripley, 鈥淒o You Care about Clutter?: Hoarding and Apathy,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Assistant Professor of Psychology Mary E. Dozier.

THIRD鈥擪hirsten J. Wilson, a senior psychology major from Philadelphia, 鈥淏ystanders to Bullying: Coping Mechanisms Involved in Challenging Hostile Workplace Dynamics,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Associate Professor of Psychology Colleen Sinclair.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RESEARCH TRACK:

FIRST鈥擬cKenzie R. Johnson, in the Arts and Humanities category, a senior architecture major from Griffin, Georgia, 鈥淓thical and Empathetic Research in Architectural Education,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Associate Professor of Architecture Alexis Gregory.

FIRST鈥擟ristina E. Griffith, in Biological Sciences and Engineering category, a senior agribusiness major from Horn Lake, 鈥淧recision Agriculture Technologies for Small Farmer Adoption,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Extension and Research Professor of Agricultural Economics Jeff Johnson and Associate Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Wes Lowe.

FIRST鈥擪ristin F. Williford, in Social Sciences category, a senior food science, nutrition and health promotion major from Richton, 鈥淔ood Insecurity and Anxiety Among Mothers During COVID-19,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Assistant Professor of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion Rahel Mathews.

PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH COMPETITION:

FIRST鈥擭icole Mejia, a senior psychology major from Ripley, 鈥淒o You Care about Clutter?: Hoarding and Apathy,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Assistant Professor of Psychology Mary E. Dozier.

SECOND鈥擜my H. Pham, a senior food science, nutrition and health major from Hattiesburg, 鈥淭he Relationship between Obesity and Sleep Quality in College Women,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Associate Professor of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion Terezie Tolar-Peterson and graduate research assistant Nicole Reeder.

THIRD (tie)鈥擡mily M. Davis, a senior chemistry major from Ripley, 鈥淚mplementing Empathy in Future Healthcare Workers: Injury and Illness (I2) Simulation,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Associate Professor David Buys, Extension Instructor Ann Sansing and Extension Associate II Jasmine Harris-Speight, all of food science, nutrition and health promotion.

THIRD (tie)鈥擪atie D. Evans, a senior microbiology major from Louin, 鈥淓fficacy of Plant-Based Antimicrobial against Foodborne Salmonella spp. In Hummus Stored at Refrigerated and Abusive Temperatures,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Assistant Professor of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion Shecoya White.

THETA TAU TOMORROW BUILDER AWARD:

FIRST鈥擲hanika R. Musser, a senior civil engineering major from Starkville, 鈥淧otential of biochar for the removal of waterborne microbial contaminants,鈥 mentored by 黑料社 Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Benjamin Magbanua.

In 2006, a generous gift from 黑料社 chemical engineering alumnus Bobby Shackouls and wife Judy transformed the University Honors Program into 黑料社鈥檚 Shackouls Honors College. The program has supported some of the nation鈥檚 best and brightest students in their pursuit of educational excellence for more than 50 years. Learn more at .

黑料社 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .