BOONE, N.C. — The 21st Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors hosted by the Office of Student Research at Appalachian State University was held April 19, with over 176 abstracts submitted for the event. Students had the opportunity to submit their poster to a competition that is reviewed by an interdisciplinary panel of Appalachian faculty members.
A total of 176 posters were presented at the event, and the top 10 undergraduate and 10 graduate posters were then selected to be presented in front of a panel of judges. Of those submissions, the top three finalists in each group received awards.
The top three winners in the undergraduate student category were Carmen Montero ’18, of Alpharetta, Georgia, who graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in biology; Morgan Baker, a senior geology and recreation management double major from Palmyra, Virginia; and Jacob Dorsett, a senior geology major from Monroe.
Dr. Becki Battista, associate professor in Appalachian’s Department of Health and Exercise Science and interim director of the Office of Student Research, addresses the benefits of student engagement in research and creative activities during the annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors event held April 19 — the same day as #iBackAPP. She explained how funds raised through #iBackAPP, the university’s annual fundraising drive for The Appalachian Fund, make the students’ research and presentations possible. Photo by Ellen Gwin Burnette
Dr. Ellen Cowan, professor in Appalachian’s Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, left, poses with her Undergraduate Student Faculty Mentorship Excellence Award. She was presented with the second annual award by nominating departmental students Jacob Pratt, a junior geology major from Havelock, center, and Kayla Mitchell ’18, of Durham. Photo by Ellen Gwin Burnette
In the graduate student category, students Adam Willits, of Apex, Heather Guy, who is from the United Kingdom, and Lauren Anderson, of Lowell, were the top three winners. Both Guy and Anderson are in Appalachian’s Master of Arts in geography program, and Willits is pursuing a Master of Science in biology.
Students representing a variety of majors in Appalachian’s College of Arts and Sciences — including those offered by the Department of Biology, the Department of Geography and Planning and the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences — presented 119 of the 176 total posters.
Dr. Neva J. Specht, dean of Appalachian’s College of Arts and Sciences, said, “It’s so impressive to see the number of students involved in undergraduate and graduate research from the college, but more importantly, the quality. It’s great that these collaborative efforts from our students with their faculty mentors can be recognized publicly through the Student Research and Creative Endeavors celebration.”
Katie Krogmeier, a senior biology major from Wilmington, left, Claire Menard ’18, who graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in biology, second from left, and Mary-Butler Fleming, a senior biology major from Charlotte, gather for a photo at the 21st Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors. Photo by Ellen Gwin Burnette
Cassidy Chapman, a senior biology major from Kings Mountain, far right, and Alli Bumgarner, a junior exercise science major from Taylorsville, second from left, pose with their research mentor, Dr. Nicholas Shaw, assistant professor in Appalachian’s Department of Chemistry. Chapman and Bumgarner presented a research poster titled An Exploration of N-Terminus Peptide Growth in Nano-Reactors at the 21st Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors. Photo by Ellen Gwin Burnette
About student research at Appalachian
Appalachian State University encourages faculty-mentored student research, which provides students with the opportunity to work side by side with faculty on meaningful research or creative endeavors. These projects often result in presentations, performances or exhibitions at regional, national and international conferences and events. Students who engage in research are able to apply knowledge from the classroom into real-world experiences and learn how to problem-solve, effectively communicate and analyze complex issues. Appalachian’s Office of Student Research (OSR) was established in 2005 to expand the opportunities necessary for undergraduate and graduate students to engage in research and creative activities at Appalachian. Learn more at https://osr.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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The top three winners in both the undergraduate and graduate student categories gather for a group photo. They are, from left to right, Jacob Dorsett, a senior geology major from Monroe; alumna Carmen Montero’18, of Alpharetta, Georgia, who graduated from Appalachian in May with a Bachelor of Science in biology; Morgan Baker, a senior geology and recreation management double major from Palmyra, Virginia; Adam Willits, a graduate student in biology from Apex; Lauren Anderson, a graduate student in geography from Lowell; and Heather Guy, a graduate student in geography from the United Kingdom. Photo by Ellen Gwin Burnette
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