KU celebrates undergraduate research at annual symposium
LAWRENCE — More than 130 undergraduate students participated in the 27th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium this year. The symposium took place online April 15-19 and featured oral and poster presentations as well as artist’s talks and creative displays from many disciplines. Presentations can still be viewed on the symposium website.
In addition to the previously announced ACE Talks presentation winners, who each receive $500 and have their work featured on the symposium homepage, volunteer judges selected 28 individual presentations and three group presentations to receive Outstanding Presentation Awards. Award recipients each receive a $50 award per presentation.
The 2024 Outstanding Presentation Award winners are listed by name, hometown, major, link to presentation, and mentor:
Individuals
Saha Ahmadian, Olathe, biochemistry, The Effect of L-Theanine on Glycogen Phosphorylase b, mentored by Roberto De Guzman.
Josh Burton, Olathe, biochemistry, Prednisone as an Activator of Glycogen Phosphorylase b, mentored by Roberto De Guzman.
Hannah Chern, Shawnee, chemistry and molecular, cellular & developmental biology, Leveraging Zebrafish and Electrochemistry to Search for Therapies to Delay Cognitive Decline, mentored by Romana Jarosova.
Isabella Crawford-Parker, Lawrence, global & international studies and political science, Religion in the Slavic Region in Generation-Z, mentored by Brian Lagotte.
Rylee Crowell, Atchison, biochemistry, The Effect of Humalog and Lantus Insulin Injectables on Glycogen Phosphorylase B, mentored by Roberto De Guzman.
Ashley Decker, Overland Park, architecture, The Americana Circus Museum, mentored by Kapila Silva.
Eric Haberman, Bel Aire, human biology, Subcloning and Cysteine Mutagenesis of the Transmembrane Regions of the Shigella IpaB Virulence Protein, mentored by Roberto De Guzman.
Jenna Hansen, Dallas, behavioral neuroscience, Restoring Rest: The Effects of Hormone Therapy on Sleep Quality, mentored by Amber Watts.
Tae Gyu Kang, Republic of Korea, psychology, Relationship Between Characteristics of Trauma Exposure and Symptom Severity, mentored by Jeffrey Girard.
Leslie Koffi, Aurora, Colorado, architecture, Museum of Black Feminism, mentored by Kapila Silva.
Cate Manning, Omaha, Nebraska, strategic communication and global & international studies, Rhetoric v. Reality: HS2 Decision-Making, mentored by Brian Lagotte.
Priscilla Munoz, Kansas City, Missouri, pre-clinical laboratory sciences, Comparing Molecular and Morphological Diversification of Shrews (Cryptotis Parvus) between the Florida Mainland and Florida Keys, mentored by Jocelyn Colella.
Trisha Nair, Overland Park, chemistry, Investigation of the Effects of pH and Ionic Strength on AuBP1 Peptide Binding, mentored by Cindy Berrie.
Alexys Peppers, Salina, global & international studies, THAAD is Bad?, mentored by Brian Lagotte.
Janie Rainer, Overland Park, microbiology and Spanish, Identifying the YesN Regulon of Enterococcus faecalis, mentored by Lynn Hancock.
Taylor Ross, Florissant, Missouri, global & international studies, Beyond the Binary: Investigating Gender in the Olympics, mentored by Brian Lagotte.
Devin Setiawan, Indonesia, Individualized Machine-learning-based Clinical Assessment Recommendation System (iCARE), mentored by Arian Ashourvan.
Helenna Shcherbinin, Overland Park, behavioral neuroscience, Partisanship and the Distribution of Moral Foundations Across Contexts, mentored by Monica Biernat.
Olivia Sourivong, Kansas City, social work, Intergenerational Trauma, Domestic Violence, and the Potential for Healing: A qualitative study with service providers and activists who have worked with Lao domestic violence survivors, mentored by Claire Willey-Sthapit.
David Streiler, Prairie Village, biochemistry, Effects of Dihydroxy Berberine on the Activity of Glycogen Phosphorylase B, mentored by Roberto De Guzman, and Measurement Of Intracellular Reactive Nitrogen Species in Human Microglia Using Microchip Electrophoresis and Laser Induced Fluorescence, mentored by Sue Lunte.
Mason Thieu, Topeka, exercise science, Anthropometric And Physical Fitness Profiles of Youth Athletes, mentored by Quincy Johnson.
Isabel Vanlandingham, Wichita, photography, Toyland, mentored by Elise Kirk.
Farrukhbek Varisov, Uzbekistan, theatre performance and political science, Train Tickets, mentored by Laura Kirk.
Aidan Warner, Overland Park, psychology, A Critical Analysis of Environmentalist Organizations’ Engagement with Environmental Injustice, mentored by Trevor Lies.
Emily Whisenhunt, Alexandria, Virginia, global & international studies, FIFA's Trek to Modernity: The Role of Muslim Women in Football, mentored by Brian Lagotte.
Grace Worden, Greensboro, North Carolina, photography, No Place Like Home, mentored by Elise Kirk.
Groups
Kailyn Alani, Ellie Preston, Alyssa Lynn Rosales-Stephens, Adrian Delacruz, Shuntaro Shimakura and Isabella Wingrove, Prairie Park Nature Center Sign Project, mentored by Ali Brox and Kelly Kindscher.
Tavin Cook, Logan Littleton and Melanie Mnirajd, Evaluating the Feasibility of HLA-B *15:02 Pharmacogenomic Testing to Guide Carbamazepine Therapeutic Decisions in US Hospital, mentored by Judy Wu.
Eddie Church, Evren Dequincy, Madison Wiley, Callie Roberts, Trevor Boyd and Maggie Grandsire, EcoRadio, mentored by Kelly Kindscher.
Alyssa Marino, Aubrianna Gerdes, and Elizabeth Webster, A Scoping Review of Music-Based Intervention Reporting Quality for Biological and Psychological Health Outcomes during Pregnancy in Medical Settings, mentored by Deanna Hanson-Abromeit.