Undergraduate Exposition Poster Presentations

Anthropology & Sociology

Data Collection of Black Soldier Flies (Hermetia illucens) at WCU’s FOREST: Forensic Entomology as a Tool in Estimating Postmortem Intervals
Student Presenters: JJ Frid and Autumn Cromartie
Faculty Sponsor: Rebecca George

Examining Contributing Factors to Natural Human Mummification at FOREST in Cullowhee, North Carolina
Student Presenter: Alex Vacca
Faculty Sponsors: Kaleigh Best and Rebecca George

 

Biology

Surveying for Amphibian Perkinsea in Western North Carolina Wood Frogs (Rana [Lithobates] sylvatica)
Student Presenter: Robert Carlin
Faculty Sponsor: Joseph Pechmann

Investigating the distribution of the poorly understood narrow endemic, Chelone obliqua var erwiniae
Student Presenter: Aster Ayer
Faculty Sponsor: Katherine Mathews

Comparative Morphology of Lamprohizinae
Student Presenter: Alana Eargle
Faculty Sponsor: Luiz Felipe Lima da Silveira

Investigating the role of Dilp8 in the oogenesis of adult Drosophila melanogaster females
Student Presenter: Vega Faust
Faculty Sponsor: Subhshri Sahu

Skin Color Changes and Stress Response in Desmognathus monticola (Seal Salamander)
Student Presenters: Kyra Fowler and Matthew Zimmerman
Faculty Sponsor: Joseph Pechmann

Optimization of CFTR Activity Assay
Student Presenters: Mary Ann Garren, Tony Yost, and Andrea Holguin
Faculty Sponsor: Robert Youker

Exploring the effects of stress on transcription of β-amylase 9 in Arabidopsis thaliana
Student Presenter: Benjamin Ryan
Faculty Sponsor: Amanda Storm

Connecting the Fungus Fusicolla to Human Decomposition at the FOREST
Student Presenters: Olive Whitesides and Haley Holland
Faculty Sponsor: Sean O’Connell

 

Chemistry & Physics

Investigating the spectral behavior of synthetic cathinones using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
Student Presenters: Ruby Alley and Grace Pavel
Faculty Sponsor: Kimiko Ferguson

Foreign Human DNA Recovery in a Mock Sexual Assault Arson Scenario
Student Presenter: Andrew Brown
Faculty Sponsor: Brittania Bintz

Optimization and Validation of an mRNA Multiplex Panel for Identification of Human Biological Fluids
Student Presenter: Sayumi De Silva
Faculty Sponsor: Brittania Bintz

Determination of the Effect of a Novel Anti-Repressor Protein on Establishment of Cluster A Lysogeny
Student Presenter: Jordan Edwards
Faculty Sponsor: Maria Gainey

Synthesis and Characterization of β-mannanase and α-galactosidase Encapsulated Polymer Nanoparticles for Applications in Oil Industry
Student Presenter: Jacob Given
Faculty Sponsor: Rangika Hikkaduwa Koralege

Optimization of Octadecylamine Passivated Cesium Lead Bromide Nanocrystals by Varying Reaction Conditions
Student Presenter: Rynn Oleszczuk
Faculty Sponsor: Curtis Beimborn

Optimization of Synthesis Parameters for the Ligand-Assisted Reprecipitation Method for Cesium Lead Bromide
Student Presenter: Annika Parikh
Faculty Sponsor: Curtis Beimborn

DNA binding of Cluster A Mycobacteriophage Adahisdi Repressor
Student Presenter: Serim Park
Faculty Sponsor: Jamie Wallen

The Relationship between Temperature and the Binding of Surface Ligands on Cesium Lead Bromide Nanocrystals
Student Presenter: Annabelle Pentland
Faculty Sponsor: Curtis Beimborn

Use of Chatbots in Chemistry Research: Can Chatbots Accurately Identify Chemical Classes?
Student Presenter: Takiyah Saint-Jean
Faculty Sponsor: Nuwan Perera

Effects of Ligand Chain Length on the Binding Behavior of CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals
Student Presenter: Chloe Timmons
Faculty Sponsor: Curtis Beimborn

Synthesis of Europium (III) Thenoyltrifluoroacetonate Terpyridine Complexes and the Influence of Electron Donors and Acceptors on Fluorescent Efficiency
Student Presenters: Ella Whitehead, Thomas Bolick, and Patrick Drake
Faculty Sponsors: Brian Dinkelmeyer and Channa De Silva

Analyzing the Effect of Alkylamine Length on CsPbBr₃ Nanocrystal Storage Longevity
Student Presenters: Kaitlyn Wingnean and Emma Hunt
Faculty Sponsor: Curtis Biemborn

 

Criminology & Criminal Justice

Tropical Systems and Catastrophic Flooding in the Southern Appalachians
Student Presenter: Isabella Barger
Faculty Sponsor: Sarah Jackson

Race and Superfund Sites in North and South Carolina: A Geospatial Analysis of Environmental Injustice
Student Presenter: Nico Markle
Faculty Sponsor: Sarah Jackson

Use of Twitter by Progressive Prosecutors: Contested Roles and Identities
Student Presenter: Brenna Smith
Faculty Sponsor: Ophir Sefiha

 

English Studies

Developing a Bounty for Jackson County: A Plan to Decrease Food Insecurity
Student Presenter: Maddie McCoy
Faculty Sponsor: Jonathan Bradshaw

 

Geosciences and Natural Resource Management

Habitat and Aquatic Biodiversity around River Islands in the Little Tennessee River Basin
Student Presenter: Roxanna Mulrooney
Faculty Sponsor: Keith Gibbs

 

History

The Experiences of Women in The Advertising Industry (1950’s-1970’s)
Student Presenter: Megan Fleming
Faculty Sponsor: Gael Graham

A Historical Analysis of the 1979 Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
Student Presenter: Jude Morrisey
Faculty Sponsors: Daniel Abankwa and Todd Collins

Get the Boot off Our Necks: The Impact of the United Packinghouse Workers of America in Chicago
Student Presenter: Sara Rusi
Faculty Sponsor: Gael Graham

 

Political Science & Public Affairs

The Global Environmental Consequences of Palm Oil Production: The Role of Industrial Polyculture in Sustainable Solutions
Student Presenter: Callie Deines
Faculty Sponsor: Jennifer Schiff

 

World Languages

Language and Culture Struggles of the Latinx Community in the U.S.A.
Student Presenter: Omar De Jesus-Gomez
Faculty Sponsor: Lori Oxford

Maladaptive Eating Behaviors in Latinx Women
Student Presenter: Claire Hughes
Faculty Sponsor: Lori Oxford