Penn State Abington student researchers delivered their well-practiced elevator pitches on April 12 at the annual ACURA (Abington College Undergraduate Research Activities) exhibition. About 60 students presented 31 projects, answering questions from faculty judges about the process and results, according to Ann Schmiedekamp, the professor of physics who coordinates ACURA.
The tools students develop and refine through ACURA can transform their professional and personal lives. They experience academic rigor at a graduate school level and commit to a long-term project, according to Elizabeth Hughes, an assistant professor of sociology and a faculty mentor for an award-winning project.
“Outside the classroom, qualitative interview skills help you communicate more effectively. You are listening for key words and ideas and following up to get a sense of people’s reality. It’s really deep listening, which is an important skill,” she said.
"Students also learn how to convey data to a broad audience, to code, and to think critically and analytically,” she continued.
Graduation isn't the end of the ACURA experience for Abington students. Some extend their research relationships with faculty mentors, continuing their studies which can culminate in having the results published in a scholarly journal.
The 2023 ACURA projects are available to explore online including these award winners:
Division of Arts and Humanities
First place: Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Among U.S. Practitioners of Asian Medicine by Priya Mathiy, Alyssa Dass, Sareena Gurung, and Joshua M. Kuntz. Faculty mentor: Pierce Salguero, professor, Asian history and health humanities
Second place: AH2 Enslavement to Sharecropping: Finding and Marketing an Independent Identity for the Stagville State Historic Site by Al-Abyad Hussein and Samuel Carper. Faculty mentor: Sharon Holt, associate teaching professor, history
Division of Science and Engineering
First place: SE6 Ascorbate's Antiproliferative Effects on Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Cells by Andrew Harnishfeger and Michael Krawitz. Faculty mentor: Thomas McGuire, teaching professor, biology
Second place: Using Consumer-Grade Electronics to Measure Vibration of Rocket During Engine Test by Akinade Peter-Koyl and Ryland Wulff. Faculty mentor: Masataka Okutsu, assistant professor, engineering
Honorable Mention
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Extraordinary Stability of MoSe2 Under High Dose Gamma-Ray Irradiation for Nuclear and Space Applications by Javari Cherry, Teresa Aditya, and Zhuhang Yu. Faculty mentor: Burcu Ozden, assistant professor, engineering
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Using Augmented Reality to Design and Analyze Warehouses by Eric J. Estadt, Hoang Nguyen, Sethu Senthil, Parth Shah, Kevin Skinner. Faculty mentor: Sabahattin Ozden, assistant professor, information technology
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Chemistry of Wine by Saranya Ananth, Margarita Badalyan, Alysse Tucker, Aidan Gonzalez, and Nour Alatki. Faculty mentor: Kevin Cannon, professor, chemistry
Division of Social Sciences
First place: Quality of Life and Coping in Individuals with Chronic Illness by Lexie Williams. Faculty mentor: Diane Rosenbaum, assistant professor, psychology
Second place (tie)
Social Influences on Video Gaming Behaviors in College-Aged Populations by Jaden Jones. Faculty mentor: Glenn Sterner, assistant professor, criminal justice
Black Men's Romantic Partner Preferences: Exploring How Race and Color Matter by Dante Thomas. Faculty mentor: Elizabeth Hughes, assistant professor, sociology
Honorable Mention
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Reproductive Justice Narratives of People with Disabilities: Overturned and Overlooked by Cameron Manser. Faculty mentor: Abigail Akande, assistant professor, rehabilitation and human services
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Cooking, Cleaning, and Contributions: Exploring Gendered Division of Labor in Thanksgiving Family Celebrations by Kyleigh Byers, Emma Jamison, and Fi Montany. Faculty mentor: Beth Montemurro, distinguished professor of sociology
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Long-term Impacts of Clergy Perpetuated Child Sexual Abuse on Victims by Kayla Hernandez. Faculty mentor: Glenn Sterner, assistant professor, criminal justice
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Examining Public Stigma Toward Substance Use by Maria Badalyan. Faculty mentor: Glenn Sterner, assistant professor, criminal justice
Students who utilize the tools available in the MakerSpace on campus exhibited their work at the ACURA event, demonstrating uses of technology and creative ideas.