Morehead State students earn top rankings for Academy of Science presentations  

The quality of preparation of Morehead State's science programs led to recognition for several Eagles.  

Ten MSU students ranked among the top scorers for research presentations at the Kentucky Academy of Science's 2023 Annual Meeting this past November 2023.  

Students whose presentations were among the top scorers selected for special recognition are:  

• Zoe Baker, senior, biology, Scottsville, and Caitlyn Senters, senior, biology, Ashland: "Age, Growth, and Reproductive Cycle of the Highland Shiner (Notropis micropteryx) in the Rockcastle River, Kentucky." 
• Shelbie Black, senior, biology, Somerset, and Jared Vise, junior, biology, Flemingsburg: "Life History of a Minnow: Growth and Reproduction of the Popeye Shiner (Notropis ariommus) in the Rockcastle River, KY." 
• Julia Fitzpatrick, graduate student, biology, Lexington: "Characteristics of Kentucky sandstone rock shelters and their effects on the makeup of vascular plant communities." 
• Brannon Jones, senior, astrophysics, Lexington: "An Updated Survey of Candidate Radio Supernova Remnants and Their Properties in Nearby Galaxies."  
• Ethan Newsom, senior, biomedical sciences, Princeton: "Identifying DdrR-interacting proteins with two-hybrid system assays." 
• Andrew Russell, senior, psychology, Corydon, and Brandi Stone, senior, psychology, Wooton: "Parental behavior and teen self-compassion." 
• Mara Stout, senior, chemistry - biomedical sciences area, Shepherdsville: "The role of topoisomerases in circularized chromosome strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae."  

More than 600 students and professional scientists from across the state attended the Annual Meeting at Northern Kentucky University. Panels of scientists judged students' research presentations and offered special recognition to top scorers who earned 25 or more points on a scoring rubric.  

"The presentations at this year's meeting prove that students in Kentucky are adding to the world's body of scientific knowledge in meaningful ways," said Amanda Fuller, executive director of the Kentucky Academy of Science. "The breadth of topics explored, and the exceptional quality of the students' work, highlight the limitless potential of our state's future science leaders."  

View the complete list of students whose research presentations received special recognition at https://kyscience.org/top_scoring_students.php.  

The Kentucky Academy of Science is a nonprofit organization. Founded in 1914, the Academy aims to spark scientific communication and collaboration to improve research, education, and evidence-based public engagement in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  

Learn more about Morehead State's College of Science by emailing dsci@moreheadstate.edu or calling 606-783-2626.