Undergraduate, graduate students receive awards at 2017 UMaine Student Symposium

April 26, 2017 Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Research, Signature and Emerging Areas

More than 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students presented their work during the second annual University of Maine Student Symposium held at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on April 24.

The free public event, which was organized by UMaine Graduate Student Government and the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR), featured the work of students from academic disciplines ranging from the sciences and engineering to arts and humanities. Research poster sessions, presentations, exhibits and roundtable discussions were held throughout the day.

Awards and cash prizes were given to the symposium’s top presentations, posters and exhibits in several categories:

Special awards

  • President’s Research Impact Award: Elizabeth Trenckmann, “Collaborating Across the University of Maine System to Improve Student Understanding of the Role of Energy and Matter in Photosynthesis,” advised by Michelle Smith
  • GSBSE Special Awards: Elizabeth Mason, “Elucidating the Effects of Aging on Muscle,” advised by Clarissa Henry; and Paige Martin, “Characterization of Novel SMARD1 and CMT Mouse Models,” advised by Greg Cox
  • IEEE Awards: Chitra Manjanai Pandian (graduate), “Water Quality Monitoring And Data Analysis Using Solar Powered Wireless Sensor Networks,” advised by Ali Abedi; and Armando Ayes (undergraduate), “Temperature Compensated Langasite Surface Acoustic Wave Devices for High Temperature Operation,” advised by Mauricio da Cunha
  • Innovation Awards: Hari Prasath Palani (graduate), “Principles and Guidelines for Advancement of Touchscreen-Based Graphic Screen Readers,” advised by Nick Giudice; and William Breeding, Banton Heithoff, Madeline Mazjanis and Amber Boutiette (undergraduate), “Pediatric Respiratory Simulation,” advised by Caitlin Howell

Graduate presentation winners

  • Allied Health: Katrina Daigle, Ahmed Almaghasilah, Christopher Gilbert, Ariel Bouchard, Ella Sulinski and Taylor Delp, “Sleep as a Biobehavioral Marker of Cognitive Decline in Aging Individual,” advised by Marie Hayes and Ali Abedi
  • Arts: Eleanor Kipping, “Eleanor Kipping,” advised by Nate Aldrich
  • Biomedical Sciences: Paige Martin, “Characterization of Novel SMARD1 and CMT Mouse Models,” advised by Greg Cox
  • Education: Elizabeth Trenckmann, “Collaborating Across the University of Maine System to Improve Student Understanding of the Role of Energy and Matter in Photosynthesis,” advised by Michelle Smith
  • Engineering and Information Science: Shawn Brackett, “Integrated Environment & Proximity Sensing for UAV Applications,” advised by Sam Hess
  • Natural Sciences: Zakkary Castonguay, “Phytonutrient Assessment of Locally Grown Cold Hardy Plum Cultivars,” advised by Angela Myracle
  • Physical Sciences: Laura Hartman, “Frozen Volcano: Quantitatively Sourcing Ice Core Tephra,” advised by Andrei Kurbatov
  • Social Sciences: Laura Andrews, Ethan Rothstein, Natalie M. Holbrook, Douglas W. Nangle, “Anxiety in Young Adulthood: The Role of Attachment, Romantic Relationship Conflict, and Social Support Satisfaction,” advised by Douglas Nangle
  • Top overall winner: Laura Andrews, Ethan Rothstein, Natalie M. Holbrook, Douglas W. Nangle, “Anxiety in Young Adulthood: The Role of Attachment, Romantic Relationship Conflict, and Social Support Satisfaction,” advised by Douglas Nangle

Undergraduate presentation winners

  • Allied Health: Katarina Querfurth, Paige LeBlond, Jenna Nichols, Belinda Kirkpatrick, “For Hospitalized In-patients, What Evidence-based Interventions will Reduce the Feelings of Stress, Anxiety and/or Fear Brought on by the Hospital Environment?” advised by Patricia Poirier
  • Arts: Meaghan Byrnes, Eric Morrison, Austin Haughton, Jacob Hall, Liam Reading, “iSWOOP,” advised by Michael Scott
  • Biomedical Sciences: Sarai Smith, “RNA-seq Analysis of Cluster E Phage Ukulele,” advised by Sally Molloy
  • Education: Toni Kaplan, “Development of a Dynamic Multisensory Interface to Provide Accessible Biological Diagrams for Blind and Low Vision Students,” advised by Nick Giudice
  • Engineering and Information Science: William Breeding, “Homogenous Integration of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles into Cellulose Nanofibers,” advised by Michael Mason
  • Natural Sciences: Christian Zwirner, “Defensive Mechanisms of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Host Response to Candida albicans Infection,” advised by Robert Wheeler
  • Physical Sciences: Samuel Borer, “Characterizing Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers for Neutrino Physics,” advised by Saima Farooq
  • Social Sciences: Angelina Iannazzi, “Longitudinal Imagined Interactions Between Christians and Atheists,” advised by Jordan LaBouff
  • Top overall winner: Sarai Smith, “RNA-seq Analysis of Cluster E Phage Ukulele,” advised by Sally Molloy

Also announced at the symposium were the winners of the 2017 CUGR Summer Fellowship, Maine Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) Undergraduate Fellowship and the following 2017–2018 Graduate School fellowships.

Chase Distinguished Research Assistantship

  • Erin Carter, biomedical science, advised by Clarissa Henry
  • Meaghan Conway, ecology and environmental sciences, advised by Brian Olsen
  • Susan Elias, Earth and climate sciences, advised by Kirk Maasch
  • Melissa Jankowski, clinical psychology, advised by Rebecca Schwartz-Mette
  • Amy Pierce, interdisciplinary studies, advised by Owen Smith
  • Sarah Ebel, anthropology and environmental policy, advised by Christine Beitl
  • Justus Hillebrand, history, advised by Richard Judd and Anne Knowles
  • David Kerschner, education, advised by Elizabeth Allan
  • Benjamin P. Schermerhorn, physics, advised by John Thompson
  • Yaping Zhu, chemical engineering, advised by Douglas Bousfield and William Gramlich

Susan J. Hunter Teaching Fellowship

  • Olivia Bogucki, psychology, advised by Emily Haigh
  • Patrick Callaway, history, advised by Liam Riordan
  • Sarah Ebel, anthropology and environmental policy, advised by Christine Beitl
  • Jamie Haverkamp, anthropology and environmental policy, advised by Cynthia Isenhour
  • Wade Warman, intermedia, advised by Owen Smith and Gene Felice

Michael J. Eckardt Dissertation Fellowship

  • Anin Maskay, electrical and computer engineering, advised by Mauricio Pereira da Cunha
  • Juyoung Shim, biochemistry and molecular biology, advised by Julie Gosse
  • Dongmei Xie, civil engineering, advised by Qingping Zou and Jean MacRae
  • Shivangi Pande, biomedical sciences, advised by Robert Friesel
  • Bora Song, Earth and climate sciences, advised by Scott Johnson and Peter Koons

Janet Waldron Doctoral Research Fellowship

  • Hannah Lawrence, clinical psychology, advised by Cynthia Erdley and Rebecca Schwartz-Mette
  • Zachary Wood, ecology and environmental science, advised by Michael Kinnison

More about the Graduate School fellowships is online.