BOONE, N.C. — Gun violence correlated with heat waves. History uncovered with ground-penetrating radar. The benefits of chemical site cleanup for childhood health. The 28th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors explored these topics and many more on April 16, showcasing months of inquiry and preparation by Appalachian State University students.

Hosted by the Office of Student Research, the daylong celebration, held in Plemmons Student Union on the Boone campus, featured 153 oral and poster projects — 10 more submissions than last year. The poster competition consisted of 63 total entries with six winners, three in the graduate category and three in the undergraduate category.

“The level of research that our undergraduate students are doing at App State is in line with graduate level work at most other institutions,” said Dr. Brett Taubman, one of the competition judges and a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences.

“The research is impactful and truly making a difference in the scientific community and beyond,” he added. “The students were clearly invested in the work and not only knew the research they completed inside and out, but could answer questions that were not directly related to their research.”

Graduate research winners

Caroline Fehlman ’23, of Williamsburg, Virginia, a graduate student in App State’s geography program, showed how areas of North Carolina with lower access to health care had higher incidences of severe negative outcomes for maternal and infant health, including pregnancy-induced hypertension and low birth weights. Dr. Maggie Sugg, associate professor and honors program director in the Department of Geography and Planning, served as Fehlman’s faculty mentor on the project. Fehlman earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and an undergraduate certificate in geographic information systems from App State in 2023.

Jose Picado, of Lincolnton, a graduate student in the exercise science program, studied 19 collegiate pitcher volunteers to examine elbow torque during fastball pitching and ruled out inertial measurement units (IMU) as a stand-alone measure for elbow stress and injury prediction. The arm-worn IMU devices consistently underestimated elbow torque during the project, for which Dr. Alan Needle, professor in the Department of Public Health and Exercise Science, served as a faculty mentor.

Kyle Vetter ’24, of Apex, a graduate student in the business administration program, was able to quantify improvements in infant health after hazardous chemical cleanup, showing longer gestation periods for fetuses, increases in birth weight and reduced risk of preterm birth among subjects living near known cleanup sites. Dr. Dennis Guignet, associate professor in the Department of Economics, served as Vetter’s mentor. Vetter earned dual bachelor’s degrees in supply chain management and economics from App State in 2024.

Undergraduate research winners

Quinn Keefer, of Asheville, a senior geography major, examined spatial clustering of gun violence during heat waves in the U.S. from 2015 to 2023, comparing climate and gun violence data to find that incidents spiked with the heat on the California coast and in the Southeast, but less so in the Midwest. The study, mentored by Sugg, lends some interesting and novel data to back the common perception that heat and violence are linked, Keefer said.

Addison Pollock, of Winston-Salem, a biology-cellular/molecular biology major who plans to pursue a Ph.D. after graduating from App State on May 9, studied potential benefits to cancer patients by examining tumor-associated macrophage cells (a type of white blood cell) that have been infected with oncolytic viruses, which selectively kill cancer cells. Her research found the viruses are capable of reducing cancer cell activity and increasing the activity of cells that fight cancer. Dr. Darren Seals, associate professor in the Department of Biology, served as Pollock’s faculty mentor.

Tucker Terrell, of Burlington, a senior geology-environmental geology major, used ground-penetrating radar to establish the location of burials of enslaved people at Fort Defiance in Caldwell County. His project included a 3D subsurface study of the ground and was part of an interdisciplinary effort to reveal hidden history at the fort and honor the role of the enslaved in the landmark’s history. Dr. Ellen Cowan, professor in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, served as Terrell’s faculty mentor on the project. Terrell will graduate from App State on May 9.

Dr. Rebecca Battista, director of the Office of Student Research and the event’s organizer, said she was thrilled to see the event grow despite setbacks from Hurricane Helene.

“A number of projects were either destroyed or postponed, or had to be reimagined due to Hurricane Helene. Yet students and faculty were still able to submit more abstracts this year versus last year,” said Battista, who is also a professor in the Department of Public Health and Exercise Science.

Battista noted that applications for travel and research grants, as well as bids for undergraduate research assistantships, continue to increase. Deeply committed faculty mentors engage students in the research and creative process, she said — a signature feature of the App State Experience.

Pollock described the event as an opportunity for student researchers to look outside of their focus areas and appreciate the projects and perspectives of others who are working beside them, often just out of sight.

“It’s exciting to be able to support friends in and out of my discipline and see them share the research they have worked so hard to achieve,” she said. “I also think the celebration is great practice for when we take our posters and research to conferences. Having an environment where we can receive feedback from our peers allows us to grow and become more confident in presenting.”

The annual event is the highlight of the year for the Office of Student Research, Battista shared.

“We spend so much time reading about these incredible projects through the students’ travel and research grant applications, so it’s especially rewarding to see them brought to life,” said Battista. “More than anything, I love witnessing the wide range of research and creative work happening across campus and seeing the excitement of students and faculty as they share their work and connect over its impact.”

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Office of Student Research

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.

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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 a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.