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Graduate Exhibition Awards

The below graduate students received awards for their research and creative scholarship in the 38th Annual Graduate Exhibition.

2023 Award Recipients

First place recipients receive $500; second place recipients receive $250, and third place recipients receive $100.


2023 Award Recipients

Research Poster Option

Arts & Humanities

First Place

  • Sarah Carey. The Liberal Arts / Philosophy. "Reading Resistance in Eleazar’s Elegy"

Second Place

  • Jingyuan Zhuang. The Liberal Arts / Applied Linguistics. "Learning L2 English modality through online concept-based language instruction: A mixed methods investigation"

Third Place

  • Maryam Aman. Arts and Architecture / Architecture. "Enhancing Energy Performance of Single-Family Housing through Parametric Modeling"

Engineering

First Place

  • Tasneem Tariq. Arts and Architecture / Architecture. "Impact of Vegetated Infrastructure to Mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect in Dhaka, Bangladesh"

Second Place

  • Kevin Mekulu. Engineering / Industrial Engineering. Copresented by Haedong Kim "Sensor-based Detection of Neurocognitive Disorders in a Virtual Environment: An Intelligent Approach"

Third Place

  • Jorge Diaz Gutierrez. Engineering / Civil Engineering. Copresented by Helia Mohammadi Mavi "COVID-19 Impacts on Online and In-store Shopping Behaviors: Why They Happened and Whether They Will Last Post Pandemic"
  • Tykeesha Jefferson. Agricultural Sciences / Biorenewable Systems. "Analyzing the Economic Feasibility of Establishing a Hop Enterprise in Pennsylvania"
  • Yajie Wu. Agricultural Sciences / Biorenewable Systems. "Optimizing Lignin Valorization in Biorefinery Systems with Biological Upgrading for Economic Viability"
  • Yanqiu Yang. Agricultural Sciences / Agricultural and Biological Engineering. "Smartphone-assisted apple scab identification and quantification using artificial intelligence"

Health & Life Sciences

First Place

  • Zachary Dimattia. Health and Human Development / Nutritional Sciences. "Exploratory Analysis of Metabolomic Profiles Between Responders and Non-responders of Prune Supplementation on Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women"
  • Andrew Miles. Intercollege / Plant Biology. "Beech Leaf Disease: Investigating Tree Health in American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)"
  • Ya Chi Nien. Intercollege / Plant Biology. "Regulation of trans-species microRNAs biogenesis in the parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris"

Second Place

  • Courtney Poholsky. Agricultural Sciences / Animal Science. "Understanding feed and nutrient flow in commercial meat bird houses and the impacts of nutrient variability on broiler performance"
  • Oindrila Sinha. Health and Human Development / Kinesiology. "Smooth pursuit eye movements contribute to anticipatory force control during mechanical stopping of moving objects"

Third Place

  • Jigar Gosalia. Health and Human Development / Kinesiology. "A Novel Approach for Interrogating Brain Vascular Health and the Relation to Cognitive Function: Proof-of-Concept Analysis"
  • Sabrina Sony. Eberly College of Science / Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology. "Determination of the ADSL deficiency-directed perturbation and mechanism impacting the changes in tyramine level"

Physical Sciences & Mathematics

First Place

  • Jhony Benavides Bolanos. Agricultural Sciences / Soil Science. "Vertical Accuracy of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System-Based Structure from Motion Photogrammetry for Reconstructing Digital Elevation Models on Agricultural Fields"

Second Place

  • Vaibhav Pal. Eberly College of Science / Chemistry. "Development of an Air-Assisted Co-Axial Device for Mass Production of Versatile Microgels for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Applications"

Social & Behavioral Sciences

First Place

  • Madisen Plunkert. Agricultural Sciences / Education, Development, and Community Engagement. "Principals’ Perceptions of and Perceived Barriers to Implementing Agricultural Literacy in Pennsylvania Grades K-8"
  • Arun Regmi. Agricultural Sciences / Forest Resources. "Spatial variation in forest owners' perspective of prescribed fire use in the Mid-Atlantic USA"
  • Gabriela Rivera Magallanes. Smeal College of Business / Business Administration - M.S., Ph.D.. "A Qualitative Investigation of Unethical Leadership: Toward a Model of Antecedents and Outcomes"

Second Place

  • Sana Ahrar. Arts and Architecture / Architecture. "ASSESSING EMERGING METHODS FOR POST-PANDEMIC COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH"
  • Carson Letot. Agricultural Sciences / Agricultural and Extension Education. "Exploring Preservice Secondary Agricultural Educator Perceptions of Global Issues Integration into Instruction"
  • Israa Samarin. Education / Workforce Education and Development. "Unlocking the Potential of Personal Agility: An Analytical and Visual Approach to Employee Experience"
  • Rinanda Shaleha. Health and Human Development / Human Development and Family Studies. Copresented by Vani Gupta and Kathleen Meeks "“Does it really matter?”: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Self-Esteem, and Anhedonia Cause Learning Differences on a Probabilistic Reward Reversal Learning Task"

Third Place

  • Michael Burnham. The Liberal Arts / Political Science. "Semantic Scaling"
  • Sian Lee. Information Sciences and Technology / Informatics. "Effects of Evidence-Based Communication of COVID-19 Vaccine on Vaccination Intention"
  • Xue Xiao. Smeal College of Business / Business Administration - M.S., Ph.D.. "Climate Transition Risk and Commercial Real Estate"

Design Option

First Place

  • Zandra Siple. Arts and Architecture / Theatre. "Designing for Marginalized Groups: A Dramaturgical Exploration into the Costume Design for “Emilia”"

Second Place

  • Andre Brandao de Castro. Arts and Architecture / Theatre. "Designing Resistance and Intolerance - A Scenic Design for the Musical “CABARET”"
  • Mia Irwin. Arts and Architecture / Theatre. "Metamorphoses: Storytelling and Scenic Design as Odes to Change"

Third Place

  • Arjun Kizhakkemarakkattil Janardhanan. Arts and Architecture / Architecture. "'Library 25': City as a generator for the type"

Performance Option

First Place

  • Daniel Spearman. Arts and Architecture / Performance. "Can String Quartets Dance?"

Second Place

  • Katherine Brown. Arts and Architecture / Performance. Copresented by Andrea Alvarado Troncoso, Samuel Rothermel and Taylor Shea "Sea Foam"

Third Place

  • Ruth Stokes. Arts and Architecture / Performance. Copresented by Bryan Jones, Allison Smith and Zephyr Wills "The Kalmia Piano Quartet"

Video Option

First Place

  • Ryan Naylor. Health and Human Development / Recreation, Park and Tourism Management. "Scale vs authenticity in tourism development: Preliminary results from three communities in Southeast Alaska"

Second Place

  • Gustavo Herrera Diaz. The Liberal Arts / Spanish. "Reformulating Cubanness: Dionysian mysteries and Afro-Cuban ceremonies in the work of Fernando Ortiz"
  • Connor Huxman. Engineering / Mechanical Engineering. "Leveraging Mechanical Flexibility to Improve Bone Healing"
  • Nikhil Komalla. Earth and Mineral Sciences / Energy and Mineral Engineering. "Computer-Accelerated Research: Unlocking the Potential of Green Hydrogen for a Sustainable Energy Future"

Third Place

  • Stephen Anderson. The Liberal Arts / Psychology. "Examining the Moral Significance of Secondhand Sources of Empathy"
  • Daniel Davis. Health and Human Development / Kinesiology. "Task dependent function of the foot's arch and its relation to ankle joint function"
  • Yashaswini Rajendra Bhat. Health and Human Development / Nutritional Sciences. "Eating in the Absence of Hunger (EAH) remains stable in middle childhood (7–9-year-olds)"
  • Sydney Reichin. The Liberal Arts / Psychology. "A Test of the Integrative Typology Model for Aggression"
  • Eden Binega Yemesegen. Engineering / Architectural Engineering. "Exploring 3D Printing Technology for Sustainable "HempCobcrete" Structures: Material Science and Design Analysis"

Visual Arts Option

First Place

  • Casey Burton. Arts and Architecture / Art. "I sleep alone"
  • Parisa Farjamfar. Arts and Architecture / Art. "GODS vs. DEMONS Playing Cards"

Second Place

  • Tannaz Hajimirzaamin. Arts and Architecture / Art. "It was war"
  • Danielle Schwesinger. Arts and Architecture / Art. "Disjointed"

Third Place

  • Michaela Holt. Arts and Architecture / Art. "desktop playground"
  • Jordan Wolf. Arts and Architecture / Art. "The Importance of Play"

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award 

First place 

  • Emily Sterk, College of the Liberal Arts / Spanish, “The Future in the Hands of Trans Sex Workers in Rita Indiana’s La mucama de Omicunlé” 

  • Jessica Magness, College of Education / school psychology, “Availability of Online Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth in Rural School Districts” 

Second place 

  • Kevin Cedeno, College of the Liberal Arts / philosophy, “Situating the Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Aesthetics of Anna Julia Cooper” 

  • McKenna Sakamoto, College of the Liberal Arts / psychology, “An Examination of Racial/Ethnic Differences on the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory Among Veterans with a History of TBI: A Million Veteran Program Study” 

  • Sabrina Evans, College of the Liberal Arts / English, “The Perils of Travel and the Practice of Constant Agitation in the Writings of Mary Church Terrell” 

  • Zandra Siple, College of Arts and Architecture / theatre, “Designing for Marginalized Groups: A Dramaturgical Exploration into the Costume Design for ‘Emilia’” 

Third place 

  • Chao Tang, College of the Liberal Arts / German, “The Active Influence of Taoism in German Modernist Literature” 

  • Fernando Quinones Valdivia, College of the Liberal Arts / Communication Arts and Sciences, “Undocumented Times: Rhetorics of a Colonial Moment” 

  • Jennifer Mott, Eberly College of Science / biology, “Development of Mouse Model and Gene Therapy for TAR Syndrome” 

  • Madisyn Simington, College of Arts and Architecture / art, “Deliberation of the Self” 

  • Marjorie Jauregui, College of Agricultural Sciences / food science, “Evaluation of the effects of growing and drying conditions on the nutritional and phytochemical composition of emergency foods in a post-nuclear war scenario,” co-presented by Swathi Kothattil, College of Agricultural Sciences / plant pathology and environmental microbiology  

  • Md Ehtesham-Ul-Haque, College of Information Sciences and Technology / informatics, “Grid-Coding: An Accessible, Efficient, and Structured Coding Paradigm for Blind and Low-Vision Programmers” 

  • Parisa Farjamfar, College of Arts and Architecture / art, “GODS vs. DEMONS Playing Cards” 

  • Sana Ahrar, College of Arts and Architecture / architecture, “Assessing Emerging Methods for Post-Pandemic Community-Based Research” 


Data Visualization Award 

First place 

  • Zachary Dimattia, College of Health and Human Development / nutritional sciences, “Exploratory Analysis of Metabolomic Profiles Between Responders and Non-responders of Prune Supplementation on Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women” 

  • Andrew Miles, intercollege / plant biology, “Beech Leaf Disease: Investigating Tree Health in American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) 

  • Ya Chi Nien, intercollege / plant biology, “Regulation of trans-species microRNAs biogenesis in the parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris” 

Honorable mention 

  • Tasneem Tariq, College of Arts and Architecture / architecture, “Impact of Vegetated Infrastructure to Mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect in Dhaka, Bangladesh” 

  • Kevin Mekulu, College of Engineering / industrial engineering, “Sensor-based Detection of Neurocognitive Disorders in a Virtual Environment: An Intelligent Approach. 

  • Courtney Poholsky, College of Agricultural Sciences / animal science, “Understanding feed and nutrient flow in commercial meat bird houses and the impacts of nutrient variability on broiler performance” 

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Previous Recipients by Year

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