20th Annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Fair

Saturday, April 9, 2022
Adler Athletic Complex

Presentations and Results

Social Sciences

  • First Place: Rachel Kosaka, Tyler Frye, Alicia Williams—“Punitive Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders: Does Offender Sex Matter?
  • Second Place: Jazzmine McCauley, Abigail Harvey, Cassandra Gartley, Tyler Frye—“An Empirical Assessment of the Relationship Between Jail Population Size and County-level Crime Rates in Central Pennsylvania”
  • Third Place: Lindsay Fusco, Ziwei Lin, Rachel Kosaka, Tyler Frye—“Media Exposure and Perceptions of Police”

Physical and Natural Sciences

  • First Place: Zachary Bell—“Protein Solubility Optimization of RNA-Helicase from Psychrobacter”
  • Second Place: Philip Chamberlin—“To Improve Photovoltaics: Simulation and Nanotube Synthesis”
  • Third Place: Gracie Harlow—“A test of the enemy release hypothesis in the New Zealand mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum”

Engineering, Information Sciences and Technology, and Mathematics

  • First Place: Makayla Ianuzzi, Joshua Hollingshead—“Development and Experimentation of a Continuously Rotating Detonation Engine”
  • Second Place: Andrew Sherren, Kyle Fink, Joshua Eshelman—“Road Energy Harvesting & Smart Highway”
  • Third Place: Emma Hoover, Jessica Shearer—“Rooted Trees Connected to the Tribonacci Numbers”

Arts and Humanities

  • First Place: McKenna Hurd—“Invisible Things”
  • Second Place: Maleah Orr—“Analyzing Anti-COVID-19 Vaccine and Anti-Mask Postings on Online Forums in Central Pennsylvania”
  • Third Place: Madisyn Simington—“Mother's Days”

Internships

  • First Place: Alicia Williams—“Impact of Co-Parenting Negligence: How Custody Agreements Impact Teen Parenting”
  • Second Place: Kevin Karpovich—“Crossroads of Addiction”
  • Third Place: Cierra Rhodes—“Generational Poverty and Negative Stereotypes”

About the Fair

All research posters can be printed free of charge in The CAMP, located in room 125 of the Eiche Library. Files must be submitted online at least four business days prior to the desired pickup day.

Submissions may be made in the following categories:

  • Arts and Humanities
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Business
  • Computing/Information Technology
  • Engineering
  • Health and Life Sciences
  • Internships
  • Mathematics
  • Nursing
  • Physical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Visual and Performing Arts

Now Featuring:

Penn State University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award

The University Libraries supports undergraduate research by ensuring the students have access to academic journals, books, and other outside sources they need to be successful. We recognize outstanding student work through The University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award. Judging will prioritize and rank projects that showcase accomplished and exemplar information literacy skills.

Sustainability Award

The Sustainability Award will be presented to the student research or activity that directly addresses one or more of the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Judging will prioritize and rank projects that: show creative or novel approaches toward one or more goals; have the potential to raise awareness about sustainability issues; or have potential to positively impact and improve existing sustainability interventions. Applicants should include a sentence in their abstract identifying which sustainability goal is most relevant and any secondarily relevant to their project.

For more information, contact Lara LaDage, Undergraduate Research Coordinator, at [email protected].