The 2018 UNL Spring Research Fair featured more than 250 undergraduate research posters, six undergraduate creative exhibits and more than 150 graduate research posters on April 10-11 in the Nebraska Union. More than 400 students participated over the course of the two-day fair.

To recognize students’ creative and scholarly achievements and accomplishments, prizes were awarded to the top undergraduate and graduate posters and exhibits.

The undergraduate competition involved 96 reviewers and the graduate competition involved more than 30 reviewers who rated student posters on the basis of their research scholarship. Undergraduate students were also rated on their presentation skills at the Research Fair.

The top graduate posters, representing work and research from the Arts and Humanities, Education, Engineering, Physical Sciences, Agricultural and Life Sciences, and Social Sciences will receive a $400 travel grant to present their research at a regional or national conference.

The top undergraduate posters will receive a $250 award sponsored by their college.

Graduate competition winners were:

• Gretchen Bergquist, doctoral student, communication studies, “Conceptualizing Mental Health Stigma: Family and Community Stigma as Socialization Processes in Mental Health Treatment Seeking Across Rural-Nonrural Areas”

• Rong Fan, master’s student, nutrition and health sciences, “Maternal n-3 PUFA supplementation Potentiates Offspring’s Brown Adipose Tissue Development via Epigenetic Mechanisms”

• Allen Garcia, doctoral student, educational psychology, “Enhancing the Assessment of Bullying: Psychometric Properties of the VPBS”

• Danielle Graham, doctoral student, chemistry, “Use of Small Molecule Probe Substrates, Active Site Mutagenesis and Molecular Modeling to Gain Mechanistic Insight into the PLP-Enzyme Human Serine Racemase”

• Julie Grives, doctoral student, music, “Examining Training Aids’ Benefits to Aerodynamic and Acoustic Measurements in Singing”

• John Kiat, doctoral student, psychology, “The Impact of Individuation on the Bases of Human Empathic Responding”

• Yongeun Kim, master’s student, nutrition and health sciences “Gamma Tocotrienol Attenuates the Aberrant Lipid Mediator Production in NLRP3-inflammasome Stimulated Macrophages”

• Gaurav Kudalkar, doctoral student, chemistry, “Use of Hybrid Chemo/Biocatalysis to Access Value-Added Building Blocks from Lignocellulose”

• Meetpal Kukal, doctoral student, biological systems engineering, “Irrigation-Limited Yield Gaps: Trends and Variability in the United States Post-1950”

• Ann Matthews and Erin Hamel, doctoral students, child, youth and family studies, “Exploring early childhood during periods of family homelessness: Parenting Strategies and the Role of the Shelter”

• Behrooz Motealleh, doctoral student, chemical and biomolecular engineering, “Solution-blended Sulfonated Polyphenylene and Branched Poly(arylene ether sulfone): Synthesis, Electrochemical Properties, State of Water, and Fuel Cell Performance”

• Rebecca Salem, doctoral student, anthropology, “Mapping an Early 20th Century Pompeii Tourist Route with GIS”

Undergraduate competition winners:

Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

• Mika Caplan, sophomore, microbiology, “HIV Suppresses Cervical Neutrophil Infiltration in Normal and Abnormal Pap Smears” under Peter Angeletti

• Kelsey Bignell, junior, food science and technology, “Determination of the Ability of Phenolic Compounds in Red Beans to Inhibit Alpha-Amylase and Alpha-Glucosidase” under Vicki Schlegel

• Connor Pedersen, senior, biochemistry, “Determination of the Ability of Phenolic Compounds in Red Beans to Inhibit Alpha-Amylase and Alpha-Glucosidase” under James Schnable

• Michael True, senior, fisheries and wildlife, “Distribution and Disease: Assessing Red Fox Using Linear Transects” under Elizabeth VanWormer

Architecture

• Savannah Scoville, junior, interior design, “An Evaluation of the Design Innovations in the Newly Renovated Adele Learning Commons” under Miyoung Hong

Arts and Sciences

• Kyly Baxter, senior, psychology, “Familismo and Expectancies for Success During App-Based Treatment Entry for Rural Latinos with Anxiety and Depression” under Debra Hope

• Cody Meyer, senior, psychology, “The Mascs We Wear: Masculinity Contingency and Sexual Bystander Attitudes” under Sarah Gervais

• Catherine Elliott, senior, anthropology and English, “Campus Archaeology: Archive Organization and Curation” under Effie Athanassopoulos

• Rebecca Sorsen, senior, mathematics, “The Jones Polynomial of the Generalized Half Twist” under Alexander Zupan

• Brian Smith, junior, biological sciences, “Will Beef Make your Child a Better Athlete? Exploring the Associations among Beef Intake, Iron Status, and Athletic Performance in Nebraska Youth Athletes” under Karsten Koehler

• Bailee Lichter, senior, biochemistry, “Characterization of Metabolic Networks in Differentiated CD4 T Cells” under Tomas Helikar

• Lori Nevole, senior English and women’s and gender studies, “Digitizing Cather: Annotating Willa Cather’s Letters for The Complete Letters of Willa Cather” under Andrew Jewell

• Grecia Macias, senior, sociology, “Assessing the Link Between Discriminatory Experiences and Emotional Arousal in Everyday Life” under Bridget Goosby

Business Administration

• Kurtis Cronican, senior, economics and finance, “Effects of Economic Shocks on Spatial Distribution of Unemployment” under Christopher Mann

• Michaela Mapes, junior, economics, “Big Data’s Connections and Effects on the Socio-Economic and Political Environment” under Gregory Hayden

Education and Human Sciences

• Brenna Schmader, sophomore, dietetics, “Developing a Health Needs Assessment: Co-Creating Initiatives with Communities” under Lisa Franzen-Castle

• Elizabeth Naveja, junior, elementary education and special education, “Future Teachers: The Impact of Career Academy, Community College, and Four-Year Colleges and How Learners of Color Get Through Them” under Amanda Morales

• Elly Glazier, sophomore, nutrition and health science, “Calorie Restriction and Protein” under Karsten Koehler

• Kelsey Young, senior communication sciences and disorders, “Expiratory Muscle Strength Training: Devices and Outcomes” under Angela Dietsch

Engineering

• Ernesto Bravo, senior, chemical engineering, “Optimization of Bitumen Rejuvenation” under Yong-Rak Kim

• Jena Wilson, senior, biological systems engineering, “Civic Engagement in an Undergraduate Course Focused on Socioscientific Issues” under Jenny Dauer

• Alison Manske, senior, biomedical engineering and Connor Gee, senior, biological systems engineering, “Nanoparticle Treatment to Improve Motor Function after Traumatic Brain Injury” under Forrest Kievit

• Nathan German, junior, architectural engineering and Ed McNamara, junior, Architectural Engineering, “Modeling and Analysis of Masonry Arch Behavior” under Ece Erdogmus

Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts

• Krista Benesch, sophomore, music education, “Cataloging the Works of Robert Owens” under Jamie Reimer

• Haley Collins, senior, art and Emily Gauger, senior, Graphic Design , “2018 MACAA Conference” under Colleen Syron

Journalism and Mass Communications

• Gabriella Parsons, senior, journalism, “Through the Lens: The Forgotten History of Wilderness Park” under Michael Farrell