Mississippi State undergraduates showcase student research with spring symposium
Contact: Landon Gibson
STARKVILLE, Miss.āMississippi 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.
MSUās Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College hosted this yearās recent competition with 23 winners selected from 155 submissions by students conducting faculty-guided research at the university. Projects were categorized in four areasāarts 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 collegeās associate dean for undergraduate research, said the symposium is a way for the Ļć½¶Ö±²„family to celebrate the studentsā engagement, curiosity and hard work.
āThis symposium is great for undergraduate students to showcase their interest and dedication to their research activities,ā said Elder, also a professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations. āWe 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.ā
This yearās winners represent Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio and Tennessee. They include (by project type and category):
ARTS AND HUMANITIES:
FIRSTāJoseph N. Newell, a junior English major from Cary, āDickinson, Displacement, and her use of Defense Mechanisms to Cope with Psychological Trauma,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of English Dhanashree Thorat and Professor of English Lara Dodds.
SECONDāLindsey B. Downs, a senior English major from Alabaster, Alabama, āLoss, Reckless Behavior, and Jane Austenās Realism in āSense and Sensibilityā and āPersuasion,āā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor of English Kelly Marsh.
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:
FIRSTāReese A. Dunne, a senior mechanical engineering major from Starkville, āDevelopment and Implementation of a Magnesium-Based Finite Element Degradation Model for Orthopedic Implants,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Matthew W. Priddy.
SECONDāHannah L. Scheaffer, a senior biochemistry major from Ruston, Louisiana, āThe Interference of PGD2 in the IL4 Anti-Inflammatory Pathway in THP1 Macrophages,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor of Comparative Biomedical Sciences Matthew Ross.
THIRD (tie)āJames D. āJayā Warren, a senior biomedical engineering major from Gulfport, āBioprinting and evaluation of PLGA-KGN scaffolds as an augmentation to microfracture,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Steven H. Elder.
THIRD (tie)āSarah M. Hobbs, a senior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major from Greenwood, South Carolina, āCharacterization of Antifungal Activity of Strain A against aflatoxin producer Aspergillus flavus,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology Shien Lu.
THIRD (tie)āAnna E. Gamblin, a senior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major from Akron, Ohio, āAnnual Coastal Bird Community Response to Natural Vegetation Succession on Dredge-Spoil New Round Island,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture Raymond Iglay.
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:
FIRSTāHailey C. Jamison, a senior biochemistry/pre-medicine major from Walnut Grove, āSorption of As(III) Using Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Dispersed on Guadua chacoensis Bamboo (Si-char) and Its Redox Transformations,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor of Chemistry Todd Mlsna.
SECONDāNirmal K. Bhatt, a senior mechanical engineering major from Collierville, Tennessee, āThermo-Mechanical Modeling of Tubular Receivers for Solar Energy Storage,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Like Li.
THIRD (tie)āGrace A. Williams, a senior aerospace engineering major from Brandon, āDetermination of Mechanical Properties of Sandwich Composite Components,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor of Aerospace Engineering Rani Sullivan and Instructor of Aerospace Engineering Robert Wolz.
THIRD (tie)āJames A. Dye, a senior aerospace engineering major from Summit, āAcoustic Levitator in Motion,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering Zhenhua Tian and Visiting Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering Jichul Kim.
THIRD (tie)āNathan C. Frey, a senior chemistry major from Slidell, Louisiana, āComputational analysis of benzene-fused and extremely twisted pyrene-fused N-heterocyclic germylenes and boranes,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Professor and Associate Department Head of Chemistry Charles Edwin Webster.
SOCIAL SCIENCES:
FIRSTāEmily M. Davis, a senior chemistry major from Ripley, āImplementing Empathy in Future Healthcare Workers: Injury and Illness (I2) Simulation,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor David Buys, Extension Instructor Ann Sansing and Extension Associate II Jasmine Harris-Speight, all of food science, nutrition and health promotion.
SECONDāNicole Mejia, a senior psychology major from Ripley, āDo You Care about Clutter?: Hoarding and Apathy,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Psychology Mary E. Dozier.
THIRDāKhirsten J. Wilson, a senior psychology major from Philadelphia, āBystanders to Bullying: Coping Mechanisms Involved in Challenging Hostile Workplace Dynamics,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor of Psychology Colleen Sinclair.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RESEARCH TRACK:
FIRSTāMcKenzie R. Johnson, in the Arts and Humanities category, a senior architecture major from Griffin, Georgia, āEthical and Empathetic Research in Architectural Education,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor of Architecture Alexis Gregory.
FIRSTāCristina E. Griffith, in Biological Sciences and Engineering category, a senior agribusiness major from Horn Lake, āPrecision Agriculture Technologies for Small Farmer Adoption,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Extension and Research Professor of Agricultural Economics Jeff Johnson and Associate Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Wes Lowe.
FIRSTāKristin F. Williford, in Social Sciences category, a senior food science, nutrition and health promotion major from Richton, āFood Insecurity and Anxiety Among Mothers During COVID-19,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion Rahel Mathews.
PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH COMPETITION:
FIRSTāNicole Mejia, a senior psychology major from Ripley, āDo You Care about Clutter?: Hoarding and Apathy,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Psychology Mary E. Dozier.
SECONDāAmy H. Pham, a senior food science, nutrition and health major from Hattiesburg, āThe Relationship between Obesity and Sleep Quality in College Women,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion Terezie Tolar-Peterson and graduate research assistant Nicole Reeder.
THIRD (tie)āEmily M. Davis, a senior chemistry major from Ripley, āImplementing Empathy in Future Healthcare Workers: Injury and Illness (I2) Simulation,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„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)āKatie D. Evans, a senior microbiology major from Louin, āEfficacy of Plant-Based Antimicrobial against Foodborne Salmonella spp. In Hummus Stored at Refrigerated and Abusive Temperatures,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Assistant Professor of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion Shecoya White.
THETA TAU TOMORROW BUILDER AWARD:
FIRSTāShanika R. Musser, a senior civil engineering major from Starkville, āPotential of biochar for the removal of waterborne microbial contaminants,ā mentored by Ļć½¶Ö±²„Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Benjamin Magbanua.
In 2006, a generous gift from Ļć½¶Ö±²„chemical engineering alumnus Bobby Shackouls and wife Judy transformed the University Honors Program into MSUās Shackouls Honors College. The program has supported some of the nationās best and brightest students in their pursuit of educational excellence for more than 50 years. Learn more at .
Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiās leading university, available online at .