71 UK Students to Present Research at NCUR
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 20, 2025) —Seventy-one University of Kentucky students will present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) on April 7-9, 2025, at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
NCUR is one of the largest events for undergraduate students to share their academic work with peers, faculty and professionals across the country.
Students from various fields will present their research, showcasing their work and engaging with scholars. The conference features oral presentations, poster sessions and discussions, providing opportunities for academic and professional growth while highlighting undergraduate accomplishments.
The UK students participating in NCUR this year include:
Sadie Aaron, product design senior; Faculty mentor: Mitzi Vernon, College of Design; “The Ripple Effect: How Tourism Affects Marine Debris”
Hannah Allen, biology and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: David Weisrock, College of Arts and Sciences; “Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbiome Diversity Across Three Clades of Rodentia: Species, Gender, and Age-Dependent Variations”
Botshelo Angoma, agricultural and medical biotechnology and psychology junior; Faculty mentor: Yang Jiang, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment; “The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on COVID-19- related Stress and Mental Health in Emerging Adults”
Maria Natalia Arenas Florez, biology junior; Faculty mentor: Yasminka Jakubek Swartzlander, College of Medicine; “Genetic Mosaicism in Appalachia: Geographic Patterns and Their Implications for Cancer Outcomes”
Katie Bates, biology senior; Faculty mentor: Luke Bradley, College of Medicine; “The Symphony of the Cell: Using Data Sonification to Engage Students in Molecular and Cellular Biology”
Claire Baumann, music performance and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “Who Has the Power on Campus?: University Professors and Academic Freedom”
Alexander Blevins, computer engineering technology junior; Faculty mentor: Philip Lee, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering; “Sustainable Green Hydrogen Stations for Hydrogen Vehicles in Kentucky”
Bridan Braun, history, English, and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “Judge Ed Johnstone and the Fight for Prison Reform: A Case Study in Justice, Humanity and Dignity”
Jesse Cox, computer engineering technology junior; Faculty mentor: Philip Lee, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering; “Sustainable Green Hydrogen Stations for Hydrogen Vehicles in Kentucky”
Sara Dickens, public health and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Elizabeth Riley, College of Public Health; “NPCS mission to make safety culture in the child welfare system”
Jaycie Gard, neuroscience senior; Faculty mentor: Robin Cooper, College of Arts and Sciences; “Investigation regarding the physiological effects of cobalt on physiological functions in Drosophila, crayfish, and crab: behavioral, cardiac, neural and synaptic properties”
Ashley Geary, mechanical engineering and Lewis Honors College sophomore; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “On the Verge of a Flood: An Investigation of High Hazard Dams in Rural Kentucky”
Diana Gomez Gallo, neuroscience and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Anel Jaramillo, College of Pharmacy; “Alcohol Abstinence Effects on Anxiety-Like Behavior and Drinking Behavior in Mice”
Sophia Goodin, public health and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Anne E. Ray, College of Public Health; “Comparing Alcohol Use Questions in National Questionnaires Through Compiling an Alcohol Use Repository”
Dalton Hale, chemical engineering and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Rick Honaker, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering; “Enhancing Coarse Particle Flotation Efficiency on Metal Sulfides: A Comprehensive Adsorption Study on Novel Collectors”
James Hao, neuroscience and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Zhenheng Guo, College of Medicine; “Does Time of Administration Matter? Effects of Exenatide, a GLP-1 Receptor Agonist, on Clock Gene Expression in the Brain of Type 2 Diabetic Mice”
Beaux Hardin, modern and classical languages, literatures and cultures, English, and Lewis Honors junior; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “Translation and Literacy as Resistance”
Jasmine Howard, anthropology and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “Care, Community, and Cuisine: Visions of Collective Food Justice in Lexington, Kentucky”
Cara Howe, English and philosophy senior; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “Reclaiming Women’s Creative Identities; An Analysis of Rena Lipetz Niles’s Writings”
Jeri Hutton, agricultural and medical biotechnology junior; Faculty mentor: Olga Tsyusko-Unrine, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment; “Behavioral Toxicity of Hexagonal Boron Nitride and PFOA in Caenorhabditis elegans”
Daniela Jackson, agricultural and medical biotechnology senior; Faculty mentor: Zach DeVries, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment; “Efficacy of Essential Oils for German Cockroach Control”
Samantha Jones, public health and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Rachel Vickers-Smith, College of Public Health; “Decoding Kentucky’s Street Drug Supply: Insights from the Harm Reduction Hub”
Madeline Killion, neuroscience senior; Faculty mentor: Daniel C. Lee, College of Medicine; “Exploring the Role of Nutrient Sensing Receptor GPRC6a Repression in Tau Pathology”
Faith Lindsay, arts administration senior; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “Connecting Creatives: Fostering Community Among Visual Artists in Central Kentucky”
SJ Lycans, chemical engineering and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Rick Honaker, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering; “Unlocking Potential for HydroFloat™ Technology: Collector Screening for Enhancing Coarse Particle Recovery”
Chandler Maddox, biomedical engineering and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Kathryn Saatman, College of Medicine; “B Cell Counting using HALO Software after Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice”
Shae Martin, English sophomore; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “Conformity in the Game of Life - The Evolution and Expansion of Board Games”
Darby Matusz, psychology junior; Faculty mentor: Matthew Kim, College of Arts and Sciences; “Perceptions and Beliefs: Investigating Mindset and Advising Styles in Higher Education”
Cailin McDonald, agricultural and medical biotechnology senior; Faculty mentor: Louis Hersch, College of Medicine; “Designing a Nanobody-Based Treatment Targeting the HER2 Protein”
Abbey McNely, environmental and sustainability studies senior; Faculty mentor: Jeffrey Seay, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering; “The Ethical Responsibility of Sustainable Tourism in Indonesia”
Alani Moore, neuroscience sophomore; Faculty mentor: Daniel C. Lee, College of Medicine; “The Complex Role of Polyamines in Tau Pathology: Insights from Ornithine Decarboxylase Manipulation”
Sawyer Mustopoh, public policy and financial planning, and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Julie Cerel, College of Social Work; “Modeling Decisions in Crisis: A Game-Theoretic Analysis of the 988-Suicide Prevention Hotline”
Violet Newhart, agricultural and medical biotechnology senior; Faculty mentor: Mashfaqul Alam, College of Medicine; “Developing Small Molecule Inhibitors to Block Agmatine Synthesizing Enzymes in Bacteria”
Brayden Nichols, architecture junior; Faculty mentor: Lindsey Fay, College of Design; “Exploring Positive Distractions in Pediatric Healthcare Design”
John Paredes, electrical engineering senior; Faculty mentor: Jihye Bae, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering; “Optimizing Brain Control Interfaces Performance through EEG-Based Critical Feedback: A Time and Frequency Domain Analysis Approach”
Riya Patel, biology and neuroscience and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Christine Brainson, College of Medicine; “Investigating Targeted and Epigenetic Therapies for EGFR Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer”
Genesis Pena-Lozada, media arts and studies, Spanish, history and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “A Franciscan Friar’s Defiant Journey: The Extent of Individual Power in Colonial Mexico, 1782”
Jenna Perkovich, history and anthropology sophomore; Faculty mentor: Joseph Clark, College of Arts and Sciences; “Disease, Populations and Maize Cultivation”
Shay Pfeifer, biomedical engineering senior; Faculty mentor: Bakhyt Alipova-Turner, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering; “Modeling Blood Flow Dynamics and Arterial Wall Mechanics in Stenting Surgery Using COMSOL”
Naia Phelps, biology senior; Faculty mentor: Simon Fisher, College of Medicine; “Severe Hypoglycemia causes Neuronal Inflammation and Cell Death”
Gabriel Portugal, psychology, product design and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Kristi Bartlett, College of Design; Research and Development of a Hands-Free Jar Opener for Consumers with Limited Arm Strength”
Lauren Potts, biology, neuroscience and Lewis Honors College sophomore; Faculty mentor: Luke Bradley, College of Medicine; “The Symphony of the Cell: Using Data Sonification to Engage Students in Molecular and Cellular Biology”
Avery Powers, psychology, sociology and criminal justice junior; Faculty mentor: Julie Cerel, College of Social Work; “A Thematic Analysis of Psychiatric Pharmacists Navigating Suicide Grief”
KayDee Pratt, product design senior; Faculty mentor: Mitzi Vernon, College of Design; “Protecting the Girls: Innovating Breast Protection Gear for Athletes through Technology and Customization”
Allison Raley, chemical engineering and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Brittany Givens Rassoolkhani, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering; “Modifying Poly (beta-amino ester) Hydrogel Formulations to Achieve Sustained Release of Bupivacaine Anesthetic”
Lainy Ramundo, human health sciences and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Kevin Pearson, College of Medicine; “Can Exercise Protect against Forever Chemicals in Female Mice?”
Aliyyah Sadek, political science junior; Faculty mentor: Sadia Zoubir-Shaw, College of Arts and Sciences; “Having the Linguistic Upper Hand: The Dynamics of English as a Lingua Franca in Contemporary Social and Political Contexts”
Safiyah Sadek, neuroscience senior; Faculty mentor: Joseph Hammer, College of Education; “Examining Gender Differences in the Relationship between Stigma, Help Seeking Intentions, and Substance Use”
Mary-Claire Schmidt, neuroscience and Lewis Honors College sophomore; Faculty mentor: Marilyn Duncan, College of Medicine; “Effects of DLAN on Circadian Rhythms of APP-SAA Alzheimer’s Mouse Model”
Lily Schoeder, biology and neuroscience senior; Faculty mentor: Simon Fisher, College of Medicine; “Epinephrine increases the occurrence of arrhythmia under low-glucose conditions in isolated rat hearts”
Grace Schroeder, product design and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: SK O’Brien, College of Design; “A Step Ahead: Architectural Innovation as an Educational Experience”
Jackson Skeeters, interiors sophomore; Faculty mentor: Helen Turner, College of Design; “Immersive Recycling: The Merging of Art and Audits to Encourage Behavioral Change”
Caitlyn Smith, product design and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: SK O’Brien, College of Design; “Illuminating Sustainable Design: Teaching Design Students About Low-E Windows”
Emma Smith, Spanish and neuroscience and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Jenny Lutshumba, College of Medicine; “Transgenic Expression of Human CD20 in Mice Leads to Motor Coordination Deficiency”
Eduardo Soria Chiroque, biology and neuroscience, and Lewis Honors College sophomore; Faculty mentor: Julie Plasencia, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment; “Bridging Clinical Expertise and Community Advocacy: Integrating Registered Dietitians and Promotores de Salud in Latinx Diabetes Education”
Lauren Spencer, public policy and economics Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Cory Curl, Martin School of Public Policy and Administration; “Special Education in Appalachian Kentucky: Teacher Shortages and Health Factors Driving Rising Demand”
Jaesylin Stephens, biology and neuroscience Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: David Weisrock, College of Arts and Sciences; “Investigating Seasonal Shifts in the Diet and Gut Microbiome of Madagascar’s Red-Fronted Lemur”
Erin Stratton, biology and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Jennifer Osterhage, College of Arts and Sciences; “It was nice to know there was a backup plan: Investigating Student Perceptions and Final Grade Outcomes Across Multiple Non-Traditional Grading Schemes in Introductory Biology Courses”
Bailey Swart, agricultural and medical biotechnology junior; Faculty Mentor: Eva Goellner, College of Medicine; “Effects of Climate Change on Genome Stability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae”
Grace Tanner, political science and peace studies senior; Faculty mentor: D. S. Voss, College of Arts and Sciences; “The Blue Scare: How Cuban Voters Impact the Hispanic Electorate in Florida”
Austin Trotter, psychology and neuroscience junior; Faculty mentor: Lauren Whitehurst, College of Arts and Sciences; “Effects of Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation on Objective and Subjective Sleep: Insights from an Overnight Laboratory Study”
Ejemen Unuakhalu, human health sciences and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor: Patrick Sullivan, College of Medicine; “Sex Differences in Mitochondrial Protein Expression Following a Traumatic Brain Injury”
Trinity Updike, political science junior; Faculty mentor: Carol Street, UK Libraries; “Helping Out the Hollers: Exploring Homelessness in Eastern Kentucky”
Dexter Vilt, biology and Lewis Honors College senior; Faculty mentor David Westneat, College of Arts and Sciences; “The Impact of Different Management Strategies for Invasive Honeysuckle on Nesting Success of a Common Songbird”
Nathan Vittitoe, product design senior; Faculty mentor: Mitzi Vernon, College of Design; “Living with Age”
Bhavya Vyas, psychology and neuroscience junior; Faculty mentor: Pooja Sidney, College of Arts and Sciences; “Perceptions of Health Risks of Nicotine Usage in Adolescents”
Anamei Walli, public policy, political science and Lewis Honors College junior; Faculty mentor: Michael Zilis, College of Arts and Sciences; “Impact of Salient SCOTUS Case Decisions on American Voter Turnout”
Brayden Ward, public health and health communication senior; Faculty mentor: Margaret McGladrey, College of Public Health; “Resource Guides: Connecting Kentucky’s Communities”
Madi Wilson, human health sciences senior; Faculty mentor: Patrick Hannon, College of Medicine; “Exposure To An Environmentally Relevant Phthalate Mixture Inhibits Ovulation By Impairing Prostaglandin Function In The Mouse Ovary”
Grace Yi, history and sociology and Lewis Honors College sophomore; Faculty mentor: Akiko Takenaka, College of Arts and Sciences; “Our Model Ally China: How America Recast Chinese Stereotypes During World War II”
Sophia Zhou, agricultural and medical biotechnology, art studio and Lewis Honors College sophomore; Faculty mentor: Nicholas Teets, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment; “Temperature influence on the efficacy of RNAi in Colorado potato beetle”
Find out more about the history of NCUR here.