Eagles recognized for research at Celebration of Student Scholarship

Morehead State University held the 19th Annual Celebration of Student Scholarship on Wednesday, April 17. The event showcases the academic research and creative work of students under the mentorship of faculty and staff.

More than 250 students, mentored by over 90 faculty members, participated in 107 poster presentations and 47 oral presentations, with several earning awards and recognition for their work. 

Award Winners

• A. Frank and Bethel C. Gallaher Memorial Music Performance Competition 2023-24 winner – Nicholas Robbins, Morehead
• 2023 Molly McBride Tutoring Excellence Award – Kate Gross, junior, New Madison, Ohio

Merit Oral Presentations

Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

• Transgender Joy: A Path To Resisting Oppression - Megan Akers. Dr. Bernadette Barton, mentor, Department of Sociology, Social Work & Criminology
• Cultural Identity In The Appalachian Region - Zander Mack, Heather Parks. Dr. Ann Andaloro, mentor, Department of Communication, Media, Art & Design

College of Science & Engineering

• The Kentucky Ant Project - Josiah Kilburn. Dr. Sean O’Keefe, mentor, Department of Biology & Chemistry
• Vesicle Associated Membrane Proteins Influence Platelet Intracellular Cargo Packaging And Trafficking - Cameron Gibso, Jack McFarland*. Dr. Smita Joshi, Dr. Sidney W. Whiteheart, mentors, Department of Biology & Chemistry

Ernst & Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education

• Teaching Low Socioeconomic Rural Appalachian Kids: Are They Different Than Other Students? - Caroline Caudill, Laurabeth Oliver, Madison Woosley. Dr. Jeannie Justice, mentor, Department of Foundational & Graduate Studies in Education

Craft Academy for Excellence in Science & Mathematics

• Craft Academy Solar Electric Racing (Caser) - Alejo Stacy-Brandenburgh, Ethan Moulton, Graeme Miracle, Jay Huang, Anthony Blevins, Erik Mills, Gabrielle Dobson, Jacob Layne, Jayson Myers, Natalie Wall, Samuel Gross. Dr. Steven Stubbs, Dr. Joyce Stubbs, Dr. Rachel Rogers, mentors

Exceptional Merit Oral Presentations

Caudill College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

• Visualizing Mayapán’s Outlying Centers And Regional Distribution - Sam Darbyshire, Jaxson Brewer. Dr. Timothy Hare, mentor, Department of Sociology, Social Work & Criminology, Caudill College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
• Inspiring Growth One Show At A Time - Hadley Pierce. Ms. Octavia Biggs, mentor, Department of Music, Theatre & Dance

College of Science & Engineering

• Miocene Fungi From The Amazonas Region Of Peru: Preliminary Paleoclimatic And Paleoecological Reconstructions - Liberty Smallwood, Ollie VanderEspt, Chris Marsh. Dr. Erdoo Mongol, Dr. Jennifer O'Keefe, Dr. Juan-Filipe Montenegro, Dr. Diana Ochoa, Dr. Matthew Pound, mentors, Department of Engineering Sciences
• An Innovative System For Real Time Translation From American Sign Language (ASL) To Spoken English Using A Large Language Model (LLM) - Larry Johnson. Dr. Sherif Rashad, mentor, Department of Engineering Sciences
• Meiotic Viability Of Genetically Engineered Circular Chromosomes In The Eukaryote Saccharomyces Cerevisiae - Rebecca Bailey. Dr. Melissa Mefford, mentor, Department of Biology & Chemistry

Volgenau College of Education

• Appalachian Voices In The Classroom - Gwendolyn Akers. Dr. Rebecca Roach, mentor, Department of Early Childhood, Elementary & Special Education

Merit Poster Presentations

Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

• The Beauty Of Black Gospel Music - Brianna Dorsey. Dr. Eric Brown, mentor, Department of Music, Theatre & Dance
• Compassion Fatigue In Animal Shelter Workers - Matthew Fitch. Dr. Elizabeth Perkins, Dr. Suzanne Tallichet, mentors, Department of Sociology, Social Work & Criminology
• Presidential Debates And Substantive Responses - Brady Lawson, Michelle Lopez, Grace Funke. Dr. Douglas Mock, mentor, Department of History, Philosophy, Politics, Global Studies & Legal Studies

College of Science & Engineering

• Predicting The Reactions Of Cs2, Ocs, And Co2 With Group Iv And Group Vi Transition Metal Oxides - Marissa Blair. Dr. Zachary Lee, Dr. David Dixon, mentors, Department of Biology & Chemistry
• Interrelationships Of Maternal Characteristics In Hair Sheep - Rebekah Mills, Madeline Walsh, Audrey Burton, Jacob Lebrun. Dr. Flint Harrelson, Dr. Patricia Harrelson, mentors, Department of Agricultural Sciences
• Diabetic Patients And Insulin Use - Emily Cobb, Annalee Combess, Kailey Ansell, Dylan Fraley, Emily Byrd, Amanda Isle, Tess Ruehrmund. Dr. Mary White, mentor, Department of Nursing
• Age And Growth Of The Highland Shiner (Notropis Micropteryx) In The Rockcastle River, Kentucky - Caitlyn Senters, Zoe Baker. Dr. David Eisenhour, mentor, Department of Biology & Chemistry
• A Protocol To Reduce Falls Associated With Setting Bed Alarms: A Quality Improvement Project - Autumn Cole, Alyndra Meade, Ella White, Jaylyn Whaley, Kristina Vaughn. Dr. Suzi White, mentor, Department of Nursing, College of Science
• A Brief Review Of A Regional Healthcare Clinical Practice Protocol: The ABCDEF Bundle - Joelle Craft. Dr. Michelle McClave, mentor, Department of Nursing

Smith College of Business & Technology

• Athletic Recruitment Analysis In Higher Education - Landon Palmer. Dr. Steve Chen, mentor, Business Administration

Craft Academy for Excellence in Science & Mathematics

• Meteorology Misconceptions Held By Air Force Cadets After An Aviation Weather Course - Matthew Mynk. Dr. Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, Mr. Louis Cascino, Maj, USAF, Dr. Kimberly de La Harpe, Mr. Nathaniel George, SMSgt, USAF, Mr. Christopher Francis, Maj, USAF, Dr. Daniel O'Keefe, Maj, USAF, mentors
• Experimental Comparison Of Simulated Decay Curves Using Dice And Centicubes - Alexandria Black. Dr. Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, mentor

Exceptional Merit Poster Presentations

Caudill College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

• 30 Miles: The Difference In Maternal Health For Women - Madison Beam. Dr. Lisa Shannon, mentor, Department of Sociology, Social Work & Criminology
• Helping Band Students Succeed: Autism And The Music Classroom - Nicholas Robbins. Dr. Michele Paise, mentor, Department of Music, Theatre & Dance
• Gender Inclusive Restrooms At Morehead State University - Stephanie Perry. Dr. Bernadette Barton, Dr. Constance Hardesty, mentors, Department of Sociology, Social Work & Criminology

College of Science & Engineering

• Changes In Anatomical And Functional Connectivity In Major Depressive Disorder - Timo Klausnitzer. Dr. Ilsun White, mentor, Department of Psychology
• Automation Of The G/T Characterization Measurements For DSS 17 - Mila Layne Shearer. Ms. Emily Walter, Ms. Emily Ballantyne, mentors, Space Science Center
• Fungi In A Warmer World: Preliminary Findings On The Zhangpu Biota Of Southeastern China - Margaret Alden. Dr. Erdoo Mongol, Dr. Jen O'Keefe, Dr. Limi Mao, mentors, Department of Engineering Sciences

Smith College of Business & Technology

• Fall 2023 Business Plan Development: Seeking The Right Retail Mix - Mak Livingood, Erica Hickman. Dr. Janet Ratliff, mentor, Business Administration
• Prevention Of Bank Failure And The Role Of Social Media In Banking Services - Alexis Duncan, Galvin Spark, America Adams*, Josh Stapleton. Dr. Steve Chen, Dr. Christy Trent, mentors, Business Administration

Craft Academy for Excellence in Science & Mathematics

• FIRST Tech Challenge Craft Coalition - Graeme Miracle, Justin Triplett, Aiden Vieu*, Tiffany Zhang, Ethan Moulton, Jonah Clements-Mattingly. Dr. Rachel Rogers, mentor
• Hazel Green Academy Revitalization Project - Dakota Murphy, Casey Hovis, Sarah Lakes, Josie Traver, Jennifer Nguyen, Jaxson Brewer, Ashlee Foxworth, Natalie Wall, India Young, Emma Laney. Dr. Rachel Rogers, mentor

Additional information about this event and MSU’s undergraduate research opportunities can be obtained by contacting Alexis Mathews, coordinator of undergraduate research, by calling 606-783-2229 or armathews@moreheadstate.edu.