Student researchers honored for their research

by Kandace York

“Research brings the theoretical to life,” Provost Joe Whitehead said. "Teaching does not happen just within the classroom.’”

His remarks opened the Oct. 21 award ceremony for the Undergraduate Symposium on Research; earlier this year, more than 300 students throughout Northwest Ohio presented their research projects. As a public university working for the public good, this event showcases BGSU students' influence on communities around the world.

Open to all undergraduate students, the presentations featured either an academic poster or oral presentation. Students paired with faculty mentors, many of whom introduced their students at the award ceremony. Lisa Martin, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Musical Arts, was named Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year.

“At this year’s symposium we had again a huge range of topics from a wide array of disciplines,” Dr. Cordula Mora, director of CURS, said in describing students’ presentations. Winners included: Joel O'Dorisio, BGSU alumnus and glassblower, designed the award. It symbolizes the student (sphere) embraced by the University (orange and brown falcon talons) with the overall award representing an abstract eye which represents knowledge.

Arts and Sciences

• Hannah Cubberley, Rachel Martin and Maxwell Seeley 
  Mentor: Melissa Miller, associate professor
  “The ‘Pink Wave’ Fails to Come Ashore in Ohio: Gendered Coverage of the Governor’s Race in the State’s Top Newspapers” (oral presentation)
• Morgan Gale 
  Mentor: Liz Bayan, Ph.D., instructor
  “False Advertising – A Look at Crisis Pregnancy Centers” (poster presentation)
• Emily Feaster
  Mentor: Liz Bayan, Ph.D., instructor
  “Into the Depths” [shark finning] (poster presentation)

Health and Human Services

• Hayley Landers and Meagan Lonsway
  Mentor: Cynthia Spitler, Ph.D., instructor “Occupational Therapy Success in Assisted Living Facilities” (poster presentation)

• Rachel Suzor, Kali Pugh and Amanda Burtch
  Mentor: Hee Soon Lee, Ph.D., associate professor
  “The Effects of PTSD on Family and Social Relationships among Post-deployed Veterans” (poster presentation)

Music  

• Emma Stumpf
  Mentor: Lisa Martin, Ph.D., assistant professor
  “A Sensory-Friendly Musicking Experience” (oral presentation)

The symposium is one of three the center coordinates. In addition to the Undergraduate Symposium for Scholarship in the spring, each autumn it hosts the Undergraduate Symposium on Diversity and the Embracing Global Engagement Conference.