Undergraduate Academic Project Grants
Initiated by then-Chancellor John Bardo in 1996, the Undergraduate Academic Projects Grant Program funds a variety of student projects. Administered by the Office of Research Administration, the Academic Project Grants Program awards students and faculty with materials, supplies, and travel support to conduct research and creative work during the academic year. Students and faculty construct proposals, which are reviewed by a formal faculty committee made up of representatives from across the colleges.
Student and faculty proposals were submitted for competitive review. We wish to acknowledge by project title and student name the awardees for the 2024 – 2025 academic year. Congratulations to these students and their faculty sponsors. Many thanks to the Academic Project Grant committee for their work, and to Suzanne Melton, the research programs coordinator for this program in the Office of Research Administration. Members of the committee include:
Meghan Gangel
College of Education and Allied Professions
Chuck Thomas
Hunter Library
Frankie West
College of Arts and Sciences
Bora Karayaka
College of Engineering and Technology
Kim Hall, chair
College of Health and Human Sciences
Steve Ha
College of Business
Shelby Hicks
College of Fine and Performing Arts
Suzanne Melton
The Office of Research Administration
College of Arts & Sciences
Anthropology and Sociology
Size Variation in Maxillary Sinuses and Mastoid Air Cells
Student Awardee: Tayler Franklin
Faculty Sponsor: Kaleigh Best
Biology
Cytogeograpy of Polyploid Chelone species in the Southern Appalachians
Student Awardee: Aster Ayer
Faculty Sponsor: Katherine Mathews
Solubility of CFTR Protein Mutations
Student Awardee: Hannah Caruso
Faculty Sponsor: Robert Youker
Quantitative Analysis of CFTR Protein Half-Life in N1303K and Double Mutant Variants Using Cycloheximide Chase Assay
Student Awardee: Faith Dolin
Faculty Sponsor: Robert Youker
Chasing the Light: A Search for the Elusive Phausis luminosa
Student Awardee: Alana Eargle
Faculty Sponsor: Luiz Silveira
Creation of Stable Cell Lines Expressing Mutations of the CFTR gene
Student Awardee: Mary Ann Garren
Faculty Sponsor: Robert Youker
Creation of a Fluorescently Tagged Olfactory Receptor in Protein Dynamic Studies
Student Awardee: Alaina Goins
Faculty Sponsor: Robert Youker
Investigation of Keratin’s Impact on Aggresome Formation in Heat-Shocked Human Embryonic Kidney Cells
Student Awardee: Davion Murray
Faculty Sponsor: Heather Coan
Fungal Diversity of a Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Easement-Twelve o’clock Top
Student Awardee: Mason Robinson
Faculty Sponsor: Weaver Haney
Exploring the effects of stress on transcription of beta-amylase 9 in Arabidopsis thaliana
Student Awardee: Ben Ryan
Faculty Sponsor: Amanda Storm
Determining the relationship between human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293) and crude keratin in wound healing environments
Student Awardees: Samuel Silveus, AJ Cansler, and Davion Murray
Faculty Sponsor: Heather Coan
Connecting the Fungus Fusicolla to Human Decomposition at the FOREST
Student Awardees: Olive Whitesides and Haley Holland
Faculty Sponsor: Sean O’Connell
Chemistry and Physics
Comparison of STR Typing Methodologies on Perpetrator DNA Samples Recovered from the Orifices of Burned Human Remains
Student Awardee: Andrew Brown
Faculty Sponsor: Brittania Bintz
Improving Forensic Identification of Cathinone Isomers Using Multi-Energy Ionization
Student Awardee: Sofia Douglas
Faculty Sponsor: Nuwan Perera
Designing redox-responsive polymer nanoparticles by encapsulating therapeutic proteins
Student Awardee: Brian Duke
Faculty Sponsor: Rangika Hikkaduwa Koralege
Invitro evaluation of redox controlled release of L-asparaginase (L-ASNase) and glucose oxidase (GOx) proteins from nanoparticles to mimic efficient therapeutic delivery in cancer tissues
Student Awardee: Kyra Everette
Faculty Sponsor: Rangika Hikkaduwa Koralege
Synthesis and Characterization of beta-mannanase and alpha-galactosidase encapsulated PLL-g-PEG nanoparticles as an efficient viscosity breaker in fracturing fluids used in oil reservoirs
Student Awardee: Jacob Given
Faculty Sponsor: Rangika Hikkaduwa Koralege
Synthesis and Characterization of Insulin Degrading Enzyme Encapsulated Polymer Nanoparticles as a Novel Therapeutic Delivery Platform for Alzheimer’s Dementia
Student Awardee: Jacob Given
Faculty Sponsor: Rangika Hikkaduwa Koralege
Tuning optical properties of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles for cancer detection
Student Awardee: Madelyn Gregory
Faculty Sponsor: Channa De Silva
Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry for Separation of Illicit Drugs Utilizing Water-Rich Mobile Phases
Student Awardee: Logan Martin
Faculty Sponsor: Nuwan Perera
Analysis of biogenic amines in vitreous humor using HPLC-MS/MS for the estimation of postmortem interval
Student Awardee: Nicole Mushinski
Faculty Sponsor: Nuwan Perera
Criminology & Criminal Justice
Travel and Presentation at the 2025 Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers
Student Awardees: Isabella Barger, Jessica Davis, and Anna Kerner
Faculty Sponsor: Sarah Jackson
English Studies
Usability in the Nonprofit Sector: Improving the User Experience and Online Presence of a Rural Nonprofit
Student Awardee: Spencer Davis
Faculty Sponsor: Drew Virtue
Geosciences and Natural Resources
Assessing the Cooling Rate of 15485,5; An Apollo 15 Basalt with Crystal Size Distributions
Student Awardee: Dulaney Boonsue
Faculty Sponsor: Amy Fagan
A GIS- and Remote Sensing-Based Assessment of Riparian Tree Loss from Hurricane Helene
Student Awardee: Brenden Swanson
Faculty Sponsor: Diane Styers
History
The Ballad of Artists and Veterans Agaist the Vietnam War
Student Awardee: Zechariah Hoppes
Faculty Sponsor: Gael Graham
Mathematics & Computer Science
Developing a Cost-Effective Scalable Contextual AI for Academic Decision Support
Student Awardees: Gregory Ecklund and Clay Morton
Faculty Sponsor: Mark Holliday
A Graph on Bumpless Pipe Dreams
Student Awardee: Prashreet Poudel
Faculty Sponsor: Adam Gregory
Philosophy & Religion
Mimetic Reactionary Thought: Propaganda in the Digital Age & a New Epistemology of Fragmented Incoherence
Student Awardee: Isabel Chapman
Faculty Sponsor: Christopher Hoyt
Undergrad Tolkien panel at Popular Culture Association 2026 National Conference
Student Awardees: Chloe Davis, Hailey Fonda, Emily Fleming, and Maddie Norwood
Faculty Sponsor: John Whitmire
Political Science & Public Affairs
AI Usage: Ethics, Economics, and the Environment
Student Awardee: Jaryn Green
Faculty Sponsor: Jake Greear
College of Business
School of Economics, Management, and Project Management
College of Education & Allied Professions
Human Services
Nuestro Mundo Natural
Student Awardee: Gabriella Loredo Marquez
Faculty Sponsor: Sarah Pedonti
Psychology
What Do You Think Why Adults Talk Like Kids:Wh-Question Comprehension in Adults
Student Awardee: Andrew Baker
Faculty Sponsor: Jane Lutken
Familism is not always protective: Family Weight Stigma, Familism, and Body Dissatisfaction for Latine Youth
Student Awardee: Gabriella Loredo Marquez
Faculty Sponsor: Meghan Gangel
Neurodivergent Adults Outperform On Complex Question Production Under Cognitive Load
Student Awardee: Blake Murdock
Faculty Sponsor: Jane Lutken
Travel to the Southeastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting
Student Awardees: Natalie Stepp, Rachel Trantham, and Joseph Vernelson
Faculty Sponsor: Mary Whatley
“Lo que no mata, engorda”: An Examination of Cardiometabolic Health in Hispanic/Latine College Students
Student Awardees: Cielo Vera, Corinthia Elorza-Reyes, Bella Fresquez-Clifton, and Creed (Elijah) Bone
Faculty Sponsor: Meghan Gangel
College of Engineering & Technology
School of Engineering & Technology
Extending the Marimba Base Octave, a Collaborative Project between WCU Engineering and Music Departments
Student Awardees: Joshua Adams, Mason Martin, Cooper Myers, and Trent Devlin
Faculty Sponsor: Tom Spendlove
Student presentation, participation, and travel at Design of Medical Devices Conference and Student Travel and Participation at Design of Medical Devices Conference
Student Awardees: Sommer Allen, Chloe Davis, Allison Thackery, Shaneil Lysight, and Peyton Skoglund
Faculty Sponsor: Martin Tanaka
Teaching Aid for statics
Student Awardee: Hamza Boujemaoui
Faculty Sponsor: Basel Alsayyed
Design and Implementation of Physical Instrumentation Setup to Measure Mountain Bike Trail Profiles
Student Awardee: John Crain
Faculty Sponsor: Matthew Clontz
Mountain Bike Trail Topography Detection- BRAVE Lab
Student Awardee: Jordan Fox
Faculty Sponsor: Matthew Clontz
The Dynamic Effects of Water-jet Vibrations on Material Integrity
Student Awardee: Bakang Phutietsile
Faculty Sponsor: Chaitanya Borra
The Dynamic Effects of Water-jet Vibrations on Material Integrity
Student Awardee: Michael Synoracki
Faculty Sponsor: Matthew Clontz
College of Fine and Performing Arts
School of Art and Design
Academic Project Grant for Rescuer
Student Awardee: Casey Earnhardt
Faculty Sponsor: Tom Schram
The path I took
Student Awardee: Judith Elerick
Faculty Sponsor: Tom Schram
From Classroom to Community: Rethinking Educational Interiors Through Neurodiversity
Student Awardee: Samantha Mack
Faculty Sponsor: Shelby Hicks
Alternative Process Photography
Student Awardee: Daniel Velazquez
Faculty Sponsor: Bekah Alviani
The Catamount Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Student Awardee: Avery Pittman
Faculty Sponsor: Shelby Hicks
School of Music
WCU Horn Choir to perform at the Southeast Horn Workshop (UT, Knoxville, TN, March 6-8, 2026)
Student Awardees: Bruno Dippolito, Katie Sammons, Tayton Letourneau, Ricky Evans, Luke Gibson, Olivia Dannelly, Ollie Bussell, Xenia Clavette, and Sylva Baum
Faculty Sponsor: Travis Bennett
U.S. Army Tuba and Euphonium Workshop
Student Awardees: Braedan Merwin, Bailey Johnson, Tristan Putman, Landon McKenzie, Taylor McLendon, Derik Ward, Noah Cox, Erik Stauffer, Karadon Eaves, Rebekah Parsons, Nick Jaggie, Tristan Fletcher, Jacob Burns, and Andrew Granger
Faculty Sponsor: Nick Beltchev
Ludwig Factory Tour
Student Awardees: Ash Tessman, Bee Chappell, Caroline Williamson, Ethan Robbins, Evan Goodrich, Grant Goode, Isaiah Walton, Jake Long, Jason Parker, JC Hunt, KJ Dolan, Logan Cruz, Luke Bjelland, Matthew McCarthy, Mel Phillips, Michael Davenport, Michael Posser, Owen Carrillo, Sony-Orozco-Flores, Tatum Gast, Wesley Burke, Jordan Harwood, Jacob Medford, Riley Fernandez, Jack Puckett, and Maddie Wahl
Faculty Sponsor: Malik Pratt
National Trumpet Competition 2026
Student Awardees: Forbsy Quick, Brandon Mathis, Dixie Ashdown, Alex Castellano, and Jacob Meiring
Faculty Sponsor: Madison Barton
School of Stage and Screen
Firearms for Film Workshop with Stage Combat Norway
Student Awardees: Davin Broadhurst and Virginia Hlebak
Faculty Sponsor: Peter Savage
Evaluating the Reach of a Public Health Messaging Campaign
Student Awardees: Gabby Cox and Ali Maynard
Faculty Sponsor: Chad Hallyburton
Staffing on the Mainstage Lighting Team for the United States Institute for Theatrical Technology (USITT) Conference
Student Awardee: Benjamin Howard
Faculty Sponsor: Tory Depew
Away With Words (Short Film)
Student Awardee: Reece Robison
Faculty Sponsor: Steve Kniss
Musical Theatre Performance Thesis Project
Student Awardees: Luke Younts, Riley Ready, Grace-Ellen Rison, Eva Naggiar, Ethan Naggiar, Landin Fisher, Ryanne Trench, Reagan Mulvey, and Allison Reid
Faculty Sponsor: Matt O’Brien
College of Health and Human Services
School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Acquisition of Deaf Culture and Sign Language Competencies During Audiology Training: A Student’s Perspective
Student Awardee: Jada Wong
Faculty Sponsor: Gloriajean Wallace, Leigh Odom, and Tracie Rice
School of Health Sciences
Diet Quality and Perceived Academic Succes in University Students
Student Awardees: Addison Ambrose and Savannah Kennedy
Faculty Sponsor: Minu Sara Thomas
Barriers to Influenza Vaccination Among First-Year College Students
Student Awardees: Gabby Cox and Ali Maynard
Faculty Sponsor: Chad Hallyburton
Bridging Research and Practice: Preparing Nursing Students as Future Vaccine Decision-Making Leaders Through a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Curriculum
Student Awardee: Isabella Erksine
Faculty Sponsor: Chad Hallyburton and Mariana Da Costa
The influence of podiatric care on diabetic foot outcomes in rural areas: A discussion with providers
Student Awardee: Riley Graves
Faculty Sponsor: Caitlin Torrence
Preparing Future Healthcare Providers for Dementia Care
Student Awardee: Erica Thaggard
Faculty Sponsor: Caitlin Torrence