Student Presenters Awarded at UMSS25

More than 1,500 student researchers, co-authors, faculty, staff, event sponsors, and community members attended the 2025 UMaine Student Symposium, held at the New Balance Field House on Friday, April 11, 2025. 

The tenth 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.

Over 430 projects were submitted to the annual event, which was free and open to the public. The symposium 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. Supported and sponsored by the office of the vice president for research and dean of the graduate school, this event brings graduate and Undergraduate students together for a day of technical exchange. Additional sponsorships were received from Maine Technology Institute (MTI), Versant, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Northern Light Health, IEEE, Maine College of Engineering and Computing, President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Rick Mundy, 4Imprint, Hannaford Supermarkets, New Life Scientific, MaineHealth Institute of Research, Rhode Island Restoration, Specialty Products and Insulation (SPI), Texas Instruments, Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers Twin City Bangor, Maine Lobster Now, Inclinator Company of America, 454 – 465 Piermont Ave, LLC, and Sitelines.

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

Special Awards

Dean of Graduate School Undergraduate Mentoring Award –  Liza White, Biomedical Engineering

3-Minute Thesis, First Place – Allie Conner, Microbiology
3-Minute Thesis, Second Place – Mandana Askarizadeh, Biomedical Sciences
3-Minute Thesis, People’s Choice – Ehasn Ullah Sardar, Chemical Engineering

Bruce and Joanne Fournier Award – Rakibul Hossain, “Developing Mineral-added Wood Fiber-based Wallboard Panels with Enhanced Fire Resistance and Mechanical Strength,” advised by Mehdi Tajvidi

Susan J. Hunter Undergraduate Award: Brigid Mrenna, “Testing How Plant Traits Predict Survival of Northeastern U.S. Tree Seedlings Under Compound Heat and Drought Stress,” advised by Jay Wason III

Susan J. Hunter Graduate Award: Liza White, “Engineered Textured Surfaces: Scalable Solutions for Next Generation Technology,” advised by Caitlin Howell

UMSS25 Undergraduate Category Awards

• Allied Health: Hannah Maker, Olivia Pelkey, Katherine Darling, “Downeast Population Health Initiative,” advised by Jordan Porter
• Arts: Emily Voight, Shelby Philips, Cilia Adrade, Grace Carlson, Nnenaya Lewis, Sean Schweizer, Grace Philips, “Drowning in Air,” advised by Alexis Foster
• Biomedical Sciences: Emily Ledue, Samuel Kovacs, Annika Savage, Noah Adelman, Esther Biro, Gabriella Giftos, Julia Coombs, Mia Corradi, Veronica Doyle, Ashley Geydoshek, Vejune Griciute, Riley Jerome, Meagan Libby, Franklin Libby, Isaac Mains, Andrew Melanson, Randi Phillips, Mary Kate Pons, Alexandra Ruff, Mason Soares, Justin Solomon, “Inhibiting α-Galactosidase from Saccharomyces pastorianus A Comprehensive Analysis,” advised by Jennifer Newell-Caito
• Business: Lucas Ronco, Cooper Williams, Brianna Townsend, Nicholas Swim, Rusty Stough, “Competitive Balance? Examining Division I Women’s Basketball and Soccer,” advised by Nicholas Swim
• Education: Matthew Patterson, “Our ClassXRoom: A New Dimension in Active Learning,” advised by Justin Dimmel
• Engineering and Information Sciences: Ozwin Cordes, Octavian Anghel, Joseph Binette, Kobe Chasse, Aidan Bradley, “Blockchain-based Secure Sensor Data Tracking for Industrial and IoT Applications,” advised by Laura Gurney
• Interdisciplinary Research: Erica Cunningham, “Effects of Naval Sonar on Common Bottlenose Dolphins,” advised by William Ellis
• Natural Sciences: Faith Flynn, Allie Andersen, “The Gulf of Maine Pelagic Parasite Survey,” advised by Ian Bricknell
• Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Ryan Allen, “Modeling the Mechanics of Avian Breeding and Migration,” advised by Jane Wang
• Social Sciences and Humanities: Miles Jones, “The Lewiston Effect: A Social Media Analysis of Gun Control Sentiment in Maine,” advised by Asif Nawaz

UMSS25 Graduate Category Awards

• Allied Health: Kristie Spaulding, “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Workplace Violence Prevention Programs in Primary Care,” advised by Colleen Marzilli
• Arts: Matthew Liderbach, “Lotus Operandi,” advised by Susan Smith
• Biomedical Sciences: Carolina Cora, Breanna Page, Ryan Reno, James Reilly, Wadak Harbi, Vlada Chekirka, Christian Potts, Mary Weatherbee, Joanne T. deKay, Juan Aristizabal-Henao, Michael A. Kiebish, David Gagnon, Richard Riker, Teresa L. May, Sergey Ryzhov, Douglas B. Sawyer, David B. Seder I, “Brown Adipose Tissue Activation and Inflammatory Modulation in Post-Cardiac Arrest Recovery,” advised by Matthew Lynes
• Business: N/A
• Education: Holly White, Alyssa Arscott, Katharine J. Ruskin, Debra M. Allen, Alison Jolley, “Building Belonging in First Year Students Through Research Learning Experiences,” advised by Katharine Ruskin
• Engineering and Information Sciences: Erfan Najaf, Eric Landis, “Reducing Cracks in Concrete Bridges Using Cellulose Nanofibrils (CNF),” advised by Eric Landis
• Interdisciplinary Research: Melissa Godin, Caroline Noblet, “Geospatial Integration of PFAS Survey Data,” advised by Caroline Noblet
• Natural Sciences: Nichole Blackmer, Kyle Brennan, Erin Grey, “A Transcriptomic Analysis of the Adult Atlantic Sea Scallop (Placopecten magellanicus ) in Response to Bacterial Challenges,” advised by Timothy Bowden
• Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Tahi Wiggins, Kristin M. Schild, Martin Truffer, “Surface Water Dynamics at Echo Glacier, Lingít Aaní,” advised by Seth Campbell
• Social Sciences and Humanities: Muhammad Hamza Imran, Katherine Simmons, “Co-Designing Microgrids for Energy Justice: A Literature Review Analysis of Best Practices, Barriers, and Pathways for Underserved Communities,” advised by Sharon Klein