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2023 Spring Symposium Winners

2023 Spring Symposium Winners

Congratulations to the category winners and runners-up from WVU's 7th annual Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium. Thank you to all of our presenters for joining us in celebrating another year of undergraduate research at WVU.

POSTER SESSIONS
Biological & Biochemical Sciences (16 presentations)

  • Winner-tie: Abigail Snyder, Sophomore, Biology, “Effect of Grainyhead-like-2 (GRHL2) Expression on Interferon Responses in Epithelial Mammary Cancer”, Mentor Dr. Steven Frisch, Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP)
  • Winner-tie: Laiklyn Luther, Sophomore, Psychology, “Stress during puberty produces lasting epigenetic changes in the brain”, Mentor Dr. Kathleen Morrison


Environmental & Agricultural Sciences Poster (17 presentations)

  • Winner: Gianna Chimino, Junior, Animal and Nutritional Sciences, “Novel Bovine Oocyte-specific lncRNA is Associated with Oocyte Quality”, Mentor Dr. Jianbo Yao
  • Runner Up: Emily Dugan, Junior, Animal and Nutritional Sciences, “OOSNCR1, a novel oocyte specific long-non-coding RNA in cattle, is cytoplasmic and maternally derived”,  Mentor Dr. Jianbo Yao


Social & Behavioral Sciences (36 presentations)

  • Winner-tie: Adrianna Wood, Junior, Sport and Exercise Psychology, “How Corporations' Hiring Practices Create Additional Barriers for Neurodivergent Job Seekers”, Mentor Dr. Katie Kang
  • Winner-tie: Amina Boukhris, Senior, Psychology, “Effects of Initial Interaction on Preference and Reinforcing Efficacy of Attention”, Mentor Dr. Claire St. Peter
  • Runner Up: Laurel Allen, Sophomore, Psychology, “Effects of Parental Attachment on Student’s Mental Health During the Transition to College”, Mentor Dr. Sarah Miller


Health Sciences & Community Health (34 presentations)

  • Winner-tie: Bernardo Pacheco Pereira, Freshmen, Neuroscience, “Loss of tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase results in exacerbated neurological deficits post-stroke”, Mentor Dr. Candice Brown, Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP)
  • Winner-tie: Samantha Antol, Sophomore, Immunology and Medical Microbiology, “Suppression of periodontitis-induced bone erosion by haloanilide drug candidate ELP-004”, Mentor Dr. Jennifer Franko, Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP)
  • Runner Up: Liza Wan, Sophomore, Biology, “Skeletal and Dental Response to Treatment of Class II Malocclusions with Carriere Motion Appliance”, Mentor Dr. Peter Ngan, Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP)

Arts, Humanities & Design (4 presentations)

  • Winner: Autumn Fitzsimmons, Senior, English, “An Exploration of the Intersection of the East and West Analyzed in Fairy Tales”, Mentor Dr. Yilin Liao-Carlson, Honors EXCEL


Physical Sciences & Engineering (22 presentations)
  • Winner-tie: Brayden Smith, Freshmen, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, “Computational Analysis of Premixed Methane Combustion in Microchannels: Influence of Inlet Velocity and Diameter”, Mentor Dr. Vyacheslav Akkerman, Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP)
  • Winner-tie: Chelsea Pack, Junior, Biomedical Engineering, “Inertial Sensor Calibration Accuracy of Calculated Wrist Velocity and Position During Eye Drop Instillation”, Mentor Dr. Stephen Cain

ORAL SESSIONS
Biological & Health Sciences (8 presentations)

  • Winner: Gracie Monachello, Sophomore, Neuroscience, “IRRAflow is superior to EVD in the treatment of hemorrhagic stroke and cerebral infection”, Mentor Dr. Nicholas Brandmeir, Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP)


Humanities and Behavioral Science (8 presentations)

  • Winner: Jordyn Hussain, Senior, Forensic and Investigative Science, with Madison Stone, Samantha Caldrone, and Olivia Taitt “West Virginia University Unsolved Case Project” Mentor Dr. Tiffany Edwards

Physical Sciences, Engineering & Technology (2 presentations)

  • Notable: Evelyn Patterson, Senior, Chemistry and Biology, “Characterization of Superhydrophobic Polyamines/Teflon Coating on Metallic Substrates”, Mentor Dr. Tarek Farhat
  • Notable: Alexis Ravenscroft, Senior, Chemistry, “Synthesis and Catalysis of Difluoroboralactonate Salts”, Mentor Dr. Brian Popp, Honors EXCEL