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Different format, same quality research: Ļć½¶Ö±²„undergraduates adapt to present at virtual symposium this fall

Different format, same quality research: Ļć½¶Ö±²„undergraduates adapt to present at virtual symposium this fall

Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”Mississippi State rings true on its mission to provide students with a chance to present their innovative research, and the recent Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium accomplished this with a new virtual format.

MSUā€™s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College hosted the annual competition that produced 13 winners selected from more than 50 submissions by students conducting faculty-guided research at the university. Projects were categorized in four areasā€”arts 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.

A team of nearly 30 faculty and advanced doctoral students representing a cross section of academic areas served as competition judges.

Anastasia Elder, the honors collegeā€™s interim associate dean for undergraduate research, said this was the first time the symposium was held during a fall semester and a virtual symposium also is anticipated for the spring. Participating in undergraduate research, she said, helps students learn new skills, meet others with similar interests and engage in MSUā€™s intellectual culture.

ā€œThis symposium is a great way for undergraduate students to showcase their hard work in diverse, fascinating research activities and for the Ļć½¶Ö±²„family to celebrate their engagement, dedication and scholarship,ā€ said Elder, also a professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations. ā€œThis event also would not be possible without the time, effort and assistance of our dedicated faculty mentors, judges and other units, including the Office of Research and Economic Development, Office of the Provost and College of Arts and Sciences.ā€

Ļć½¶Ö±²„Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan agreed, adding, ā€œI want to thank the many faculty and staff who support this important facet of the college experience and have found ways to keep students engaged in research during the pandemic.ā€

This yearā€™s winners represent Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri and Tennessee. They include (by project type and category):

ARTS AND HUMANITIES:

FIRSTā€”McKenzie R. Johnson, a senior architecture major from Fayetteville, Georgia, ā€œEthical and Empathetic Research in Architectural Education,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor of Architecture Alexis Gregory.

SECONDā€”Hailey E. Nickels, a senior art/photography major from Savannah, Tennessee, ā€œUsing Abstracted Organic Forms to Personify the Effects of Domestic Violence on Partners and Children,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor of Art Marita Gootee.

THIRDā€”Naja T. Morris, a senior history major from Hattiesburg, ā€œWar is Felt by Everyone Involved,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor of History Judith Ridner.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:

FIRSTā€”Christine S. Grant, a senior biological engineering major from Starkville, ā€œFabrication of Thermoresponsive Chitosan Gel as a Delivery Vehicle for Fosfomycin in the Treatment of Osteomyelitis,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Lauren B. Priddy.

SECONDā€”Reese A. Dunne, a junior mechanical engineering major from Starkville, ā€œComparison of Compressional and Elastic Transcranial Photoacoustic Simulations for Presurgical Planning,ā€ mentored by Muyinatu Lediju Bell, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

THIRDā€”Anne-Marie L. Ross, a junior biochemistry/pre-medicine major from Starkville, ā€œRational Design and Optimization of a Multiplex TaqManĀ® Quantitative PCR Assay to Detect Tick-Borne Rickettsiae in a Guinea Pig Model,ā€ mentored by Associate Professor Andrea Varela-Stokes and Staff Scientist John Stokes, both in the Ļć½¶Ö±²„College of Veterinary Medicineā€™s Department of Basic Sciences.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:

FIRSTā€”Eric P. Million, a senior mechanical engineering major from Ocean Springs, ā€œMacroscopic Modeling of Solid-State Thermochemical Fuel Reactors for Solar Thermal Energy Storage,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Like Li.

SECONDā€”Brady A. Kruse, a senior computer science major from New Haven, Missouri, Ā ā€œA Robotic Augmented Reality Virtual Window for Law Enforcement Operations,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Ed Swan.

THIRD (tie)ā€”Desireeā€™ R. Cunningham, a junior geoscience/professional geology major from Houma, Louisiana, ā€œEffects of Fractures in Fold-Related Fault Zones,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Geosciences Kelsey Crane Warden.

THIRD (tie)ā€”Emily R. Chappell, a senior chemistry major from Vancleave, ā€œInteractions of R2ab and Amidase with Polystyrene Nanoparticles,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor of Chemistry Nicholas Fitzkee.

SOCIAL SCIENCES:

FIRSTā€”Abigail E. ā€œAbbieā€ Barnes, a senior psychology major from Alpharetta, Georgia, ā€œThe Impact of Parental Emotional Support on Emerging Adultsā€™ Internalizing and Externalizing Problems,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor of Psychology Cliff McKinney.

SECONDā€”Morgan Bishop, a senior psychology major from Oxford, ā€œParental Aggression: Predictor of Anxiety and Depression in Emerging Adults,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor of Psychology Cliff McKinney.

THIRDā€”Melvin C. Ellis, a senior educational psychology major from Starkville, ā€œReligiosity, Family Communication Patterns, and Depression: A Path Analysis,ā€ mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor of Psychology Cliff McKinney.

In 2006, a generous gift from Ļć½¶Ö±²„chemical engineering alumnus Bobby Shackouls and wife Judy transformed the University Honors Program into MSUā€™s Shackouls Honors College. The program has supported some of the nationā€™s best and brightest students in their pursuit of educational excellence for more than 50 years. Learn more at .

Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiā€™s leading university, available online at .