After tabulating the results from our faculty judges, the winners of the 2017 Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Showcase were celebrated and recognized in an award ceremony last week. There were 31 “Best in Show” winners from 24 departments; all were UTSA undergraduate students who received outstanding ratings for their research presentations.
The research presentations were evaluated according to different criteria: clarity of purpose, understanding of methods, and quality of presentation. These criteria were used to select the “Best in Show” awards.
According to Dr. Thomas Coyle, Director of the Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR), the Showcase was a huge success, breaking attendance records and drawing more participants than ever before. “The Showcase featured outstanding examples of undergraduate research from all disciplines: Science, Social Science, Humanities, Business, and the Arts – you name it. The large faculty presence signaled strong support for undergraduate research. Our hope is to have even more faculty and students in next year’s Showcase.”
Students interested in getting involved in undergraduate research should visit the OUR information page and sign up for an information session. Go ‘Runners!
>> View the photos from the OUR Showcase award ceremony
Shannon Roberts
“Faunal Analysis of the 2016 Archaeological Field School”
Anthropology
Monica Martinez
“Municipal Annexation as a Mechanism for Suburban Expansion in San Antonio, Texas 1939-2014”
Architecture/Construction Science & Management
Amanda Martinez
“Determining Putative Enhanced Microglia Responses Against Pulmonary Cryptococcosis”
Biology (tie)
Sandra Ramos
“Targeting Virulence for Antifungal Drug Development: Characterization of a Small Molecule Inhibitor of Candida albicans Filamentation and Biofilm Formation”
Biology (tie)
Grecia Gonzalez
“Synthesis of Silk Scaffold for Biomaterial Application”
Biomedical Engineering
Tyler Nelson
“The effect of jasmonic acid on anthocyanin pigment accumulation in wildtype and mutant Arabidopsis seedlings”
Chemistry
Kara Thompson
“Where Are We? A Critique on the Inclusion of Biracial-Black Characters in the Coretta Scott-King Book Awards for Authors from 2007-2016”
Communication
Bilal Siddiqui
“Recovering From Microprocessor Transient Faults”
Computer Science
Elizabeth Hatch
“An examination of the influence of procedural justice on inmate behavior”
Criminal Justice
Aires Ngunza
“Polymer Infiltration Toughened Hydroxyapatite Biomaterial Hybrids by Bio-inspired Materials Design”
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sophia DiGonis
“Common Ground: How Language is Connected to Music”
English
Allison Saenz
“Puestos Aparte: Legal Segregation in San Antonio, 1920s-1940s”
History
Cynthia DeMunbrun
“Preparation of Pre-Service Teachers to Work in Inclusive Environment”
Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching
Audrey Ramirez
“Shoulder Elevation in Manual Wheelchair Users and Able-bodied Individuals”
Kinesiology, Health, & Nutrition
Tarun Palpati
Chelsea Taylor
Kimberly Van
Christopher Weiss
Josephine West
“Strategic Analysis of Evolving Dynamics in E-Commerce Retailing”
Management Science & Statistics
Briggitt Blanco
William Cerda
Mujtaba Mohammad
“Performance Drivers and Efficiency-Responsiveness Tradeoffs in an Integrated Supply Network”
Marketing
Adam Burrows
“Neural Networks”
Mathematics
Stephanie Meier
“Characterizing Entrainment and Mixing in Density Currents using Flow Visualization”
Mechanical Engineering
Maria Macedonio
“Language and Attitudes: A Study of Attitudes Towards the Spanish Language at The University of Texas in San Antonio”
Multidisciplinary Studies
Linda McNulty
“Blood, Pollution, and Purity in the Homeric Epics”
Philosophy & Classics
Geronimo Robles
“Metal hydride composites as hydrogen fuel sponges”
Physics & Astronomy
Monica Pepping
“Aging in Mexico: A Case Study of U.S. Senior Citizens and the quality of Life in San Miguel de Allende”
Political Science & Geography
Yasenia Yanez
“Identity Conflict on Facebook”
Psychology
Annie Ma
“Cross-National Analysis of Socioeconomic Factors for Suicide”
Sociology
Richard Giddens, Jr.
“(Re)viewing & (Re)membering Violence: Testimonios of Queer & Trans Tejan@x Sexual Assault Experiences”
Women’s Studies
