Spring 2026 Research and Creativity Conference | |
| We are delighted to announce the winners of the Spring 2026 Research and Creativity Conference: | |
J. Clarence Kelly Library Undergraduate Research Awards | |
| First place (tied): | Monjeana Henderson for her research on âDeterminants of Violent Offender Recidivism: From Static Risks to Reentry Stress,â guided by faculty mentor Jennifer Croyle Ashley David on her research on âEffects of Prenatal Stress on Neurogenesis,â guided by faculty mentor John Peles |
| Second place | Aiden Yuscinsky for his research on âMyth or Medicine: Dry Needling,â guided by faculty mentor Kristal Tucker |
| Honorable mention: | Ira Campos for his research on âOran-Specific Morphometric Changes in Wood Frogs Exposed to 6-PPD Quinone,â guided by faculty mentor Kristal Tucker Riley Schmidt for her research on âThe Case of Leonard Mack: The Problem with Eyewitness Testimony,â guided by faculty mentor Jennifer Croyle Emma Campbell and Keren Medina for their research on âFrom Roots to Equity: The Legacy of TRIO Programs and their Role to Empower,â guided by faculty mentor Kiera Mallett Lauren Gaydos for her research on âUnequal Justice: How Juvenile Justice Policies Impact Communities and Paths Towards Equity,â guided by faculty mentor Sandra Trappen |
Audience Choice Awards | |
| First place: | Ashley McKernan, Gabby Tokar, Ryan Patterson and Kody Hynes-McCutcheon for their research on âDistribute vs. Integrative Negotiations,â guided by faculty mentor Bernie Cerasaro |
| Second place (tied): | Jenna Moranelli, Victor Sandoval, Christopher Fullard and Audra Shaw for their research on âEnhancing Information Technology and Cybersecurity Student Communication Skills Through Immersive AR/VR and AI-Driven Simulations Using Virtual Speech," guided by faculty mentor Jennifer Breese Chamarra Ford for her art piece titled âGirl Withinâ |
Judges Choice Awards | |
| Art: | Tapashya Ghimirey for her art piece titled âWhen the Peaks Turn Golden,â guided by faculty mentor Lori Hepner |
| Natural sciences (tied) | Sarina Pokhrel for her research on âAnalysis of NotebookLMâs Ability to Correctly Interpret and Present Complex Scientific Information Based on Selected Primary Literature,â guided by faculty mentor Kristal Tucker Lovie Blackman for her research on âChanges in Your Brain: Stress, Anxiety, and How they Affect Us,â guided by faculty mentor Penelope Morrison |
| Business/mathematics/information sciences and technology | Luke Kolas for his research on âConstrained Variational Optimization of Airfoil Geometry in Thin Airfoil Theory,â guided by faculty mentor Kuei-Nuan Lin |
| Social sciences (tied) | Abby Ingold for her research on âIs Mindfulness Good Medicine for Anxiety and Depression?â, guided by faculty mentor Elizabeth Mazur Johnathan Day for his research on âBehavior Modification Plan,â guided by faculty mentor Jennifer Croyle |
Fall 2025 Research and Creativity Conference | |
| We are delighted to announce the winners of the Fall 2025 Research and Creativity Conference: | |
Best Poster Presentation | |
| First Place: | Jenna Moranelli, Victor Sandoval, Christopher Fullard, Audra Shaw âEnhancing Information Technology and Cybersecurity Student Communication Skills Through Immersive AR/VR and AI-Driven Simulations Using Virtual Speechâ Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Breese |
| Honorable Mention: | Abby Ingold âGene Therapy-Principles, Applications, and Challengesâ Faculty Advisor: Kristal Tucker |
Best Oral Presentation | |
| First Place: | Mira Hardman "Composing Liberation" Faculty Advisor: Michael Vicaro |
| Honorable Mention: | Ymani Merritt Bates "Is Abnormal Psychology Truly Abnormal?" Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Croyle |
Best Art/Creative work | |
| First Place: | Tapashya Ghimirey "Before the Frost" Faculty Advisor: Lori Hepner |
| Honorable Mention | Acelynn Cole "Foraging in the Art of Basketry" Faculty Advisor: Lori Hepner |
Audience Choice | |
| First Place: | Jenna Moranelli, Victor Sandoval, Christopher Fullard, Audra Shaw âEnhancing Information Technology and Cybersecurity Student Communication Skills Through Immersive AR/VR and AI-Driven Simulations Using Virtual Speechâ Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Breese |
| Honorable Mention: | Lauren Gaydos "Every Breath is Shared with the World" Faculty Advisor: Lori Hepner |
Spring 2025 Research and Creativity Conference | |
| We are delighted to announce the winners of the Spring 2025 Research and Creativity Conference: | |
Library Undergraduate Research Awards | |
| First Place: | Aubree Sample, âSocioeconomic Disparities in Second-Hand Smoke Exposure and Childhood Asthma Riskâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kristal Tucker |
| Second Place: | Emma Campbell, âHow Does Knowing Your Fate Affect Youâ Faculty Advisor: Professor MaryEllen Higgins |
| Third Place: | Emma Gatto, âP.E.S.T Analysis of Open AIâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. Young Han Bae |
| Honorable Mention: | Marcus Gillespie, Damon Gamble, Bjorn Sigurdson, Mckay Ross, âMeta Cambridge Analytics Scandalâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Rosemary Martinelli |
| Honorable Mention: | Ashley McKernan & Kody Hynes-McCutcheon, âVisual Injustice of the Voiceless: Animal Crueltyâ Faculty Advisor: Professor MaryEllen Higgins |
| Honorable Mention: | Eva Wilstermann-Luna, âAbortion in Bioethics: The Balance of Rights and Both Perspectiveâ |
Creativity in the arts and humanities category | |
| First Place: | Emma Campbell, âHow Does Knowing Your Fate Affect Youâ Faculty Advisor: Professor MaryEllen Higgins |
| Second Place: | Chazdine Harmon, âThe Impacts of Ehlers-Danlosâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
| Honorable Mention: | Gabriella Tokar, âPhotography in the Eye of Gary Winograndâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
STEM Category | |
| First Place: | Elisabeth Hager, âImproving Student Reasoning by Facing Misconceptionsâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. Beth Lindsey |
| Second Place | Aubree Sample, âSocioeconomic Disparities in Second-Hand Smoke Exposure and Childhood Asthma Riskâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kristal Tucker |
| Honorable Mention | Brent Creehan, Ryan Orosz & Xavier Kelly, âWhen Safety Fails: The Deepwater Horizon Disaster and Its Aftermathâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Rosemary Martinelli |
Judges Award | |
| First Place: | Aubree Sample, âSocioeconomic Disparities in Second-Hand Smoke Exposure and Childhood Asthma Riskâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kristal Tucker |
Audience Choice | |
| First Place: | Ashley McKernan & Kody Hynes-McCutcheon, âVisual Injustice of the Voiceless: Animal Crueltyâ Faculty Advisor: Professor MaryEllen Higgins |
Fall 2024 Research and Creativity Conference | |
| We are delighted to announce the winners of the Fall 2024 Research and Creativity Conference: | |
Library Undergraduate Research Awards | |
| First Place: | Aubree Sample, âHealth Disparities in Urban and Rural Communitiesâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. John Peles |
| Second Place: | Emma Gatto, âMarket Research Generation for Car Rental Coachâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Bernie Cerasaro |
| Honorable Mention: | Emma Campbell, âFrom Diagnosis to Transplant: Social Workers as Lifelines for IPF Patientsâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Kiera Mallett |
| Honorable Mention: | Eva Wilstermann-Luna, âAdvance Care Planning in the Appalachian Rural Region: A Qualitative Studyâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrea Stevens |
Creativity in the arts and humanities category | |
| First Place: | Chazdine Harmon, âNature's Embrace of the Nittany Lionâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
| Second Place: | Kody Hynes-McCutcheon and Ashley McKernan, âSmall World Under the Lensâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
| Honorable Mention: | Jonathan Tudor and James Richmond, âLife of a Spruce Treeâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
| Honorable Mention: | Ymani Merritt- Bates, âIs Weed the New Cigarette?â Faculty Advisor: Dr. Katherine Mclean |
STEM Category | |
| First Place: | Olivia Huber, âMyth or Fact? We Only Use 10% of our Brainâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Mazur |
| Second Place | Eva Wilstermann-Luna and Tasneem Ekhtiar, âSignificance of Telomeres on Agingâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kristal Tucker |
| Honorable Mention | Aubree Sample, âHealth Disparities in Urban and Rural Communitiesâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. John Peles |
Judges Award | |
| First Place: | Eva Wilstermann-Luna, âAdvance Care Planning in the Appalachian Rural Region: A Qualitative Studyâ Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrea Stevens |
Audience Choice | |
| First Place: | Brady McNew and Gabe Kendrick, âAn Artistic Take on our Ecosystems at PSUGAâ Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
Spring 2024 Research and Creativity Conference | |
|---|---|
| We are delighted to announce the winners of the Spring 2024 Research and Creativity Conference: | |
Library Undergraduate Research Awards | |
| First Place: | Emma Gatto and Gabby Tokar, "ChatGPT Usage in Higher Education" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Zack Furness |
| Second Place: | Aubree Sample, "Ginko Biloba and Memory" Faculty Advisor: Dr.Kristal Tucker |
| Honorable Mentions: | Tasneem Ekhtiar, "Ozempic: Drug for Diabetes and Weight Loss" Connor Vogelsinger, "The Future of Warfare?" |
Creativity in the arts and humanities category | |
| First Place: | Jaylin Wescott, Alyssia Tucker, Brandon Graham, "PSU Student Perceptions on Campus Police" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kate McLean |
| Second Place: | Ymani Merritt Bates, "Lego Therapy" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Zack Furness |
| Honorable Mention: | Emma Gatto and Gabby Tokar, "ChatGPT Usage in Higher Education" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Zack Furness |
Judges Award | |
| First Place: | Aubree Sample, "Ginko Biloba and Memory" Faculty Advisor: Dr.Kristal Tucker |
STEM Category | |
| First Place: | Korrine McCutcheon, "Number of Hours Slept and Its Effect on Obesity" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kristal Tucker |
| Second Place: | Brooke Weber, "Statistical Analysis of Knee Brace Functionality using MATLAB" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Fernando Soto |
| Honorable Mention: | Chelsea Sala, "Methodical Differences in Florescence Lifetime Image Microscopy (FILM) Analysis Part 2" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kristal Tucker |
Audience Choice | |
| First Place: | Jaylin Wescott, Alyssia Tucker, Brandon Graham, "PSU Student Perceptions on Campus Police" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kate McLean |
Fall 2023 Research and Creativity Conference | |
|---|---|
| We are delighted to announce the winners of the Fall 2023 Research and Creativity Conference: | |
Library Undergraduate Research Awards | |
| First Place: | Dawn Rees, "Assessing Effective Community Engagement Strategies to Reduce Incidents of Crime and Violence in Clairton, Pennsylvania" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Christopher Robinson and Dr. Rikell Ford |
| Second Place: | Brooke Beisler, "Mary Cassatt on American Impressionism and Culture" Faculty Advisor: Dr. James Jaap |
| Honorable Mention: | Damon Gamble, Carla Hudson, and Chris Klinger, "Informational Retirement Plans for Young Professionals" Faculty Advisor: Professor Rosemary Martinelli |
| Honorable Mention: | Aubree Sample, "RNA interference (RNAi) of C. elegans |
Honors Category | |
| First Place: | Emma Campbell, "Incorporating I.P.F. Health Education into Social Work Preparation and Training" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Christopher Robinson |
| Second Place: | Hailey Cote, "Student Experiences in Intergenerational Programs" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Mazur |
| Honorable Mention: | Eva Wilstermann-Luna, "Revealing the Details of the Tardigrade Brain Anatomy Through Immunohistochemistry" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kristal Tucker |
STEM Category | |
| First Place: | Brooke Weber, "Teaching the Physiological Applications of Electricity and Magnetism" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Beth Lindsey |
| Second Place: | Chelsea Sala, "Methodologial Differences in Florescence Lifetiem Image Microscopy (FILM) Analysis" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kristal Tucker |
| Honorable Mention: | Connor Vogelsinger, "Fantastic Forces & How to Find Them" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Eric Lipsky |
Audience Choice Category | |
| First Place: | Jason Shank, Cameron George, RyAnn Ulaky, Jacob Ghetian, "Work Satisfaction Based on Modality" Faculty Advisor: Professor Rosemary Martinelli |
| Second Place: | Brian Woods, Giovanni Scott, Justin Scheibner, Michael Ryan, "Networking: Online vs In-Person" Faculty Advisor: Professor Rosemary Martinelli |
| Honorable Mention: | Emma Campbell, "Incorporating I.P.F. Health Education into Social Work Preparation and Training" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Christopher Robinson |
Spring 2023 Research and Creativity Conference | |
|---|---|
| We are delighted to announce the winners of the Spring 2023 Research and Creativity Conference: | |
Library Undergraduate Research Awards | |
| First Place: | Kourtney Kelly, "Reviewing Pain Differences Between Sexes" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrea Stevens |
| Honorable Mention: | James Frankel, "A Lesson in Mass Persuasion (featuring Former President Trump)" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Michael Vicaro |
Creativity in the arts and humanities category | |
| First Place: | David Emro, "Applying Techniques of Award Winning Photographers to Create a Unique Set of Photographs" Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
| Second Place: | Connor Vogelsinger, "A World of Colors and Emotions" Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
Honors Category | |
| First Place: | Elisabeth Hager, "Can You Be Right-Brained or Left-Brained?" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Mazur |
| Second Place: | Kayla Kerr, "Masculinity and Mental Illness: Understanding the Stigma" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Michael Vicaro |
| Third Place: | Ethan Galley, "A History of McKeesport" Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
STEM Category | |
| First Place: | Carson Flynn, "Comparing Standard Theory and CAD Stress Calculations" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Eric Lipsky |
| Second Place: | Jasiya Hudson, "Agonist-Antagonist Systems Effects on Heart Rate on Daphnia magna" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrea Stevens |
| Third Place: | Nicolas Boyer and Evelyn Siler, "Improving the Performance of Micro Wind Turbines" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Fernando Soto |
Audience Choice Category | |
| First Place: | Steven Dickman IV and Justin Lang, "Student Perceptions of Law Enforcement" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sandra Trappen |
| Second Place: | Genevieve Gralewski, "Exploring Applied Behavioral Analysis" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Croyle |
| Third Place: | Adric Northam, Eduardo Cruz, and Juan Pablo Romero Vasquez, "Predictions of Wind Speed in Briceburg, CA" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Fernando Soto |
Fall 2022 Research and Creativity Conference | |
|---|---|
| We are delighted to announce the winners of the Fall 2022 Research and Creativity Conference: | |
Library Undergraduate Research Awards | |
| 1st Place: | Genevieve Gralewski "Exploring Psychopathy and Antisocial Personality Disorder" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Croyle |
| 2nd Place: | Neila Raveen "Exploring the Neurobiology Behind Opioid Addiction" Faculty Advisor: Dr. John Peles) |
| Honorable Mention: | Kennedy Henderson, Ryan Gaydos, Collin McPherson, and Jon Novakowski "Uber Everywhere: Does Uber Even Care?" Faculty Advisor: Professor Rosemary Martinelli |
| Honorable Mention: | Ethan Galley "All Eyes on Climate Change" Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner) |
| Honorable Mention: | Nicolas Boyer and Evelyn Siler "Investigating Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Fernando Soto) |
Creativity in the arts and humanities category | |
| 1st Place: | Jacob Riggs "A Not-So-Nice View" Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner) |
| 2nd Place: | Amber Bhandari, Doug Painter, Sam Parsons, and Narayan Subedi "Will Gawker Ever Learn" Faculty Advisor Professor Rosemary Martinelli |
Honors Category | |
| 1st Place: | Chiara Harris "Environmental Literacy" Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
| 2nd Place: | Lillian Barker "Barker-Recycling Into Art" Faculty Advisor Professor Lori Hepner |
Teaching International Category | |
| 1st Place: | Connor Vogelsinger "The Art of Death and Rebirth in the Natural World" Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
| 2nd Place: | Hailey Cote "Acknowledging Indigenous Identity and Influence in Science, Art and our Connection with the Earth" Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
STEM Category | |
| 1st Place: | Neila Raveen "The Neuropharmalogical Impact Behind Vaping" Faculty Advisor: Dr. John Peles |
| 2nd Place: | Nicolas Boyer and Evelyn Siler "Investigating Fischer Tropsch-Synthesis" Faculty Advisor: Dr. Fernando Soto |
Audience Choice Category | |
| 1st Place: | Kourtney Kelly "Comparison of Harmful Effects and Potential Therapeutic Uses of Vaping Products" Faculty Advisor: Dr. John Peles |
| 2nd Place: | Brooke Beisler "Exploring Feminism and Ecofeminism Across Contemporary Artists" Faculty Advisor: Professor Lori Hepner |
