Undergraduate and Graduate Researchers Awarded at UMSS23

April 19, 2023 Awards, News, UMSS Awardees 2023

More than 1,000 student researchers, co-authors, faculty, staff, event sponsors and community members attended the 2023 UMaine Student Symposium, held at the Collins Center For the Arts on Friday, April 14, 2023. 

The eighth annual symposium provided an opportunity for the public to interact with student researchers and scholars as they viewed posters and exhibits presented by UMaine students.

A record number of over 430 projects were submitted to the annual event, which was fully in-person for the first time since 2019. The free public event was organized and co-hosted by the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR), Student Government, and the Graduate Student Government as part of Maine Impact Week. Additional sponsorships were received from Maine Technology Institute (MTI), Texas Instruments (TI), General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, President Ferrini-Mundy and Rick Mundy, POWER Engineers, Ironwood Maine, Northern Light Health, IEEE Main Section, Maine Hospital Association, Hannaford, Kinetic Wellness of Maine, Versant Power, SMRT, Wings for Children and Families, and Upstart Center for Entrepreneurship.

UMSS awards include an undergraduate and graduate winner for each of the ten categories, all of whom receive a medal and $500 cash prize. Congratulations to all the winners for your excellent work!

Special Awards

  • Dean of Graduate School Undergraduate Mentoring Award –  Brandy-Lee Soos

UMSS23 Undergraduate Category Awards

  • Allied Health: Lydia Bradfield, “Stakeholders Perspectives on Cognitive Fatigue,” advised by Jessica Riccardi
  • Arts: Santiago Tijerina, “Climate Action at the University of Maine: A Documentary (Short Film) that Engages with Qualitative Research Methods,” advised by Michael Grillo
  • Biomedical Sciences: Aiden Pike, “The Role of Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase IV in Regulating JC Polyomavirus Infection,” advised by Melissa Maginnis
  • Business: Mikayla Reynolds, “Exploring the Influence of Work From Home and On-Site Benefits on Perceptions of Organizational Attractiveness,” advised by William Obenauer
  • Education: Laura Curioli, “A Study in the Evolution of Educational Philosophies Across Three Centuries,” advised by Joel Anderson
  • Engineering and Information Sciences: Meghan Boos, Molly Olzinski, Julia Ross and Abby Houghton, “Redesign and Optimization of an Enteral Drainage Bag for Patients with Gastroparesis,” advised by Robert Bowie
  • Interdisciplinary Research:  Zachary Inniss, “The Veterinary Immersion Plan: An Innovative Solution to Address Non Predictive Barriers to Entering the Field of Veterinary Medicinek” advised by Sue Ishaq
  • Natural Sciences: Madeline Williams (UMM), “Prey Preference in Hemigrapsus sanguineus, Carcinus maenas, and Cancer borealis,” advised by Brian Beal
  • Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Lucinda Slattery, “An Investigation of Causes of Inaccuracy of Infrared Radiation Cameras for Large Scale Additive Manufacturing Applications,” advised by Samuel Hess
  • Social Sciences and Humanities:  Tamra Benson, “Mutual Aid: A Community-led Solution to Economic Hardships at the University of Maine,” advised by Robert Glover

 

UMSS23 Graduate Category Awards

  • Allied Health: Ayodeji Olaniyi, “Investigating The Activity of Bacteria Isolated from Tank Biofilms in a Hatchery System for Sea Scallop, Placopecten magellanicus Larvae,” advised by Sue Ishaq
  • Arts: Walter Greenleaf, “Intermedia Nanocellulose Artistic Research Team,” advised by Susan Smith
  • Biomedical Sciences: Madeleine Nowak, “Hepatic Signaling Effects on Adipose Tissue Mest and Fat Mass Expansion,” advised by Robert Koza
  • Business: Caroline Paras, “The Maine Brand Study: A Statewide Survey of Maine Business Leaders on the Competitive Advantage of the Maine Brand,” advised by Norm O’Reilly
  • Education: Katherine Bishop-Dunphy, “Teaching Comprehension Through Visual Literacy,” advised by Susan Bennett-Armistead
  • Engineering and Information Sciences: Liza White, “Ultra-Low-Cost, Remote, and Continuous Water Quality Detection System,” advised by Caitlin Howell
  • Interdisciplinary Research: Elizabeth Leclerc, “Climate Change, Hydrological Dynamics, and Settlement Patterns in the Supe Valley, 5000 to 3000 cal. BP,” advised by Daniel Sandweiss 
  • Natural Sciences: Stephanie Willsey, “Developing an Enhanced Forest Inventory in Maine Using Airborne Laser Scanning: The Role of Calibration Plot Design and Data Quality,” advised by Daniel Hayes
  • Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Ethan Cronk, “Thermal Stability of Next Generation Double Perovskite-Halide Optoelectronic Materials,” advised by Nicholas Bingham and Robert Lad
  • Social Sciences and Humanities: Charity Zimmerman, “Citizen Preferences for Addressing PFAS: Factors Affecting Willingness to Contribute,” advised by Caroline Noblet