MSU honors 2014-15 Undergraduate Research Symposium winners

Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Nearly two dozen students are being recognized at Mississippi State for successful faculty-guided research efforts during the concluding school year.

During the Undergraduate Research Symposium held Thursday [April 23] at the university's Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College, 23 undergraduates received awards for work conducted in the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters.

Projects submitted for the competition were assigned to one of four categories, including arts and humanities, biological sciences and engineering, physical sciences and engineering, and social sciences. In recognition of the university's Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a community engagement and service learning track also was included for the third year.

A team of 55 campus faculty members representing a cross-section of academic areas served as judges for the competition.

Residents of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, this year's winners include (by project type and category):

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

ARTS AND HUMANITIES I:

FIRST--Hannah V. Pruitt, a senior English major from Ellisville.

SECOND--Ashleah E. Wimberly, a senior English major from Picayune.

ARTS AND HUMANITIES II:

FIRST--Garrett C. Gibson, a sophomore music education/instrumental major from Arlington, Tennessee.

SECOND--Kylie A. Dennis, a senior English major from Lakeland, Tennessee.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:

FIRST--Kellie A. Mitchell, a senior biochemistry/pre-medicine major from Chelsea, Alabama.

SECOND--Taylor P. Szasz, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major from Memphis, Tennessee.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:

FIRST--Mary E. King, a junior chemistry major from Abbeville.

SECOND--Chase Stogner, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Summit.

SOCIAL SCIENCES:

FIRST--Matthew G. "Matt" Janzen, a senior agribusiness/management major from Scottsboro, Alabama.

SECOND--Naomi J. Taylor, a junior environmental economics and management major from Nesbit.

VISUAL DISPLAYS

ARTS AND HUMANITIES:

FIRST--Hayley A. Monroe, a senior English major from Olive Branch.

SECOND--Patrick D. Brown, a senior architecture major from Hernando.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:

FIRST (TIE): Pieter Both, a senior biochemistry major from Meridian, and Lucas J. Ferguson, a sophomore microbiology and biochemistry/bioinformatics double-major from Batesville.

SECOND: Jada A. Parish, a freshman chemistry/pre-med major from Horn Lake.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:

FIRST--Ross Berry, a senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science from Philadelphia.

SECOND--Erik L. Sanchez Antonio, a junior chemical engineering/biomolecular engineering major from Tanner, Alabama.

SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING:

FIRST--Thomas M. Killelea, a senior sociology major from Canton. He earlier completed a psychology degree at MSU.

SECOND--Jordan S. Cummins, a senior psychology major from Ridgeland.

THIRD--Anna Laurin Harrison, a senior food science, nutrition and health promotion major from Ocean Springs.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICE LEARNING

FIRST--Heather L.A. Lyles, a senior anthropology major from Starkville. She earlier completed an anthropology degree at MSU.

SECOND--Shelby M. Hayes, a senior environmental economics and management major from Collierville, Tennessee.

THIRD--Patrick D. Brown, a senior architecture major from Hernando.

Featured speaker for the symposium was Lori M. Bruce, dean of the MSU Graduate School and associate vice president for academic affairs. A William L. Giles Distinguished Professor, she has served as the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than 20 funded research grants and contracts, totaling approximately $20 million from federal agencies.

In addition to the honors college, the symposium is sponsored by the offices of the Provost and Executive President and Research and Economic Development, along with the Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence and MSU Extension Service.

Complete details about the honors college are available at www.honors.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstatehonors and twitter.com/ShackoulsHonors.

MSU, the state's flagship research institution, is online at msstate.edu, meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate, pinterest.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate, using hashtag #WeRingTrue.