Undergraduate Students Showcase Research and Creative Works Across Disciplines

The Farquhar Honors College hosted the 15th annual Undergraduate Student Symposium on April 8, 2016, showcasing outstanding scholarship and creative works by NSU students from across the university. The event included poster displays, oral presentations, and performances. Also recognized were student participants in the Undergraduate Film Festival, the Eighth Annual Juried Student Exhibition, the 14th issue of Digressions student literary magazine, and other programs.

The annual event encourages students to test their own hypotheses and uncover new ways of interpreting the world around them. Many of the projects featured at the symposium lead to further research, publication, or presentation at national conferences. Participating students develop mentoring relationships with faculty and experience firsthand the process and rewards of research and discovery. To prospective employers and graduate schools, these students demonstrate a unique and valuable level of academic engagement and initiative. NSU undergraduate students of all disciplines are encouraged to participate and attend.

Click here to view the photo gallery captured at the symposium.

Congratulations to the following undergraduate students who earned awards for their work:

First Place—Poster Presentations
Isabel Olivera | “Identification and Quantification of Lipid Content in Oysters Using GC Mass Spectrometry”

 Second Place—Poster Presentations

• Nadia Siddiqi | “Selective Stimulation of AT2 Angiotensin II Receptor Subtype Increases Neural Stem Cell Proliferation”
• Chelsea Jeffers, Emily Harrington, Michelle LaMartina, Domenique Olesen, Deoraj Ramsaran, Rachel Tonia | “Assessing Migration Ability and Behavior of Small Fish in the Everglades”

Third Place—Poster Presentations

• Ashley Lonergan, Alexis Koob | “Does Fidgeting Affect Cognition?”
• Chelsey Thachettu | “Efficacy of Nematicidal Engineered Bacteria Against Diverse Nematode Species”

 Honorable Mention—Poster Presentations

• Caitlin McCoy | “Does Canine Interaction Impact a College Student’s Stress and Anxiety Levels During Exam Time?”
• Ly Nguyen | “Blood Flow Modeling in the Human Carotid Artery Bifurcation”
• Tom Abraham, Khadija Chowdhury, Uzair Mohammed | “Fighting Antibiotic Resistance by Encouraging Bacteria to Cheat ”
• Nicole Coelho, Amanda Ramnot | “The Effect of Y15 and Curcumin on the Ovarian Cancer Cell Line OVCAR3”

 First Place—Oral Presentations

• Ashley Lonergan | “Shedding Light on Banana Spiders in Urban Habitats”
• Safiyah Muhammad | “Synthesis and Characterization of Bipyridine Bridged Iron-Ruthenium Photosensitizing Complexes”
• Qaas Shoukat | “Life in Verse: Historical Figures Reimagined”
• Tiffany Kelly | “The ‘Triangle’ Formula: A Role and Play Option Analysis of the Triple-Post Offense”

 Second Place—Oral Presentations

• Elisa Palmer, Sheena Jain | “Bromelain Induces Osteogenic Differentiation in Human Gingiva Derived Stem Cells”
• Franklin Hiffernan | “Adenosine Deaminase Associates with Self-Reported State Anxiety and Evening Melatonin Levels”
• Kathleen Taylor, Alexis Good | “Science and Activism: Overcoming Stereotypes”
• Kourtney Kostzer, Brittany Calaluca | “A Novel Approach to Gait Retraining in Competitive Runners”

Undergraduate Film Festival

First Place | Adam DeRoss | Dead Air
Second Place | Ricardo Lugo | Above the Skyline

Third Place | Stephen Rafferty | Late

Fourth Place | Juliet Romeo | J.U.L.E.S.

 Eighth Annual Juried Student Exhibition

 Best in Show | Annie Nguyen | “Veil”
Second Place | Rachael Konicek | “A Beautiful Day”

Third Place | Jennifer Hicks | “Red Riding Hood”
Division of Performing and Visual Arts Purchase Award | Malika Kuzibaeva | “Bee Nation”
Dean’s Choice Award | Wendy Van Woerden | “Italy”
Faculty Choice Award | Aina Rivas | “Finding a Balance”
Faculty Choice Award | Jennifer Hicks | “Berry Picking”
Honorable Mention | Aina Rivas   | “Finding a Balance”
Honorable Mention | Malika Kuzibaeva | “Gentle”

Honorable Mention | Jenna Knafo | “Nature’s Perfect Imperfections”

Honorable Mention | Annie Nguyen | “Hook, Line n’ Sinker”

Digressions Literary and Arts Magazine

 Poetry | Faren Rajkumar | “Moonshine”
Short Story | Grace Ducanis | “A Love Story in 100 Words”
Visual (Artwork or Photography) | Anna Evora | “Behind the Painting”

American Association of University Women Award

 Winner | Matthew Hoy, Teodora Suciu

“The Impact of Gender Inequality on Earnings of Women in STEM Fields: Historical Evidence and Possible Solutions”

Logo-Design Contest for the 2016-2017 Undergraduate Student Symposium

 Winner | Katie Pyles

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