Honors Undergraduate Research Fair 2022
November 3, 2022 | 4 - 5:30pm | Sensenbrenner Hall

Undergraduate research can be a transformative experience, valuable not only for graduate and professional school but for any career requiring initiative, independent thinking, and problem-solving skills.  Research fosters close working relationships between faculty, students, and among research teams, and offers students a window into some of the most pressing challenges facing society today. 

The University Honors Program’s Undergraduate Research Fair includes research from our 2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship awardees and MU4Gold Research Scholars. Please peruse these talented student’s research posters by clicking on the name of their research title. We hope to see you on November 3!

---

Elizabeth Andrzejewski, College of Arts & Sciences, English Major, Political Science Minor, Sexual Studies Minor
How Do Civil Rights Memorials Convey the Ways People Have Understood the Past? Civil Rights Memorials in Montgomery, AL and the Power of Storytelling
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cedric Burrows, Associate Professor of English

 

Zach Bukowski, College of Arts & Sciences, History Major, Philosophy Minor 
An Archeological Study of Messenia and Ancient Identity
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lezlie Knox, Department Chair & Associate Professor of History 

David Chrisbaum, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Major, Political Sciences, Major 
Understanding the Veterans Health Administration’s Care Systems regarding Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services: A Systematic Review
Faculty Mentor: Lisa Grabert, M.P.H, Visiting Professor of Research 

David Chrisbaum, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Major, Political Sciences, Major 
Power of Partnership: An Engaged Approach for Advancing Health and Wellbeing of the Near West Side Neighborhood
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Abiola Keller, Assistant Professor of Nursing and Dr. Kristin Haglund, Professor of Nursing

 

Macnessa Fidlin, College of Arts & Sciences, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Major, Interdisciplinary Peace Studies Major, Philosophy Major 
The Effects of Neonicotinoids Pesticides on Italian Honeybees, Apis Mellifera
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chelsea Cook, Assistant Professor of Biology 

 

Oluwasemilore Lizzy Ibitoye, College of Arts & Sciences, Biological Sciences Major, Spanish for the Health Professions Minor
Generation C(ovid) Heads to College: The COVID Pandemic and the Transition to College 
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Erin Hoekstra, Assistant Professor of Social and Cultural Sciences 

 

Max Mantych, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences and Spanish for the Professions Majors (MU) & Global Health Equity MS (Medical College of Wisconsin)
Addressing Opioid Use Disorder within the Social Determinants of Health Patient Screening Initiatives
Mentors: Anna Klonowski, Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, SDH Integration & Outreach Manager and Dr. John Mantsch, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin

 

Paula Paliwoda, College of Arts and Sciences, Political Science, Peace Studies, and Spanish Major
Russia - Iran Relations Amidst Russia's War in Ukraine
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lowell W. Barrington

 

Sophia Peysakhovich, College of Arts & Sciences, Social Welfare and Justice Major, Law & Society Minor, Latinx Studies Minor, and Criminology Minor
The Beckum-Stapleton Little League Project
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert S. Smith, Harry G. John Professor of History

 

Maryn Schaefbauer, College of Arts & Sciences, Spanish Language, Literature and Culture Major, Philosophy Major 
Sociolinguistic Perception of L1 and L2 Spanish in the University Classroom
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sonia Barnes, Associate Professor of Spanish 

 

Divyank Sharma, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Major 
Regulation of Food Reward by mGluR5 Receptors Optimizing DeepLabCut Artificial Intelligence Program for Behavioral Analysis
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Behnam Ghasemzadeh, Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences

 

Dhruvaa Shroff, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Major, Business Administration Minor
Do neurons involved in the regulation of body weight directly affect breathing?
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Deanna Arble, Assistant Professor of Biology 

 

Noah Smith, College of Arts & Sciences, Theology & Religion Major, Literature Major, Interdisciplinary Medieval Studies Minor
They Don’t Ceno-bite: Monasticism, Animals, and Discernment from the 3^rd to 11^th centuries.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stephen Beall, Associate Professor of Classics 

 

Tommy Treacy, College of Arts & Sciences, Interdisciplinary International Affairs Major, Economics Major 
China, Finally Achieving its Olympic Glory
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mark Berlin, Associate Professor of Political Science

 

Blake Trembath, College of Arts & Sciences, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Major, Writing Intensive English Major
Characterizing Carboxyguanidine Deiminase, an Enzyme with Promising Bioremediation Applications
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Martin St. Maurice, Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies of Biology 

Stephanie Waldschmidt, College of Arts & Sciences, Psychology Major, Theology & Religion Major, Interdisciplinary Gender & Sexuality Studies
Resilience in LGBTQ+ Catholic Young Adults
Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Grych, Professor of Psychology

 

Will Wightkin, College of Arts & Sciences, Biology Major, Philosophy Minor, Spanish Minor
Effects of OsMADS27 Overexpression on Asian Rice (Oryza sativa)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Schlappi, Professor of Biology 

 

Liz Wiltgen, College of Nursing, Nursing Major
Students’ Perceived Sexual Health Needs at Marquette University: A Concept Mapping Study
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kristin Haglund, RN, PNP, FNP, APRN, Professor of Nursing 

 

John Zeman, College of Arts & Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cognitive Science Major, Anthropology Major
Affiliate or Isolate? Understanding the health implications of social choices in bonobos
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michelle Rodrigues, Assistant Professor of Anthropology 

 

---

MU4Gold Scholars

Ellie Balensiefen, College of Arts & Sciences, Chemistry Major
Synthetic Models of Ring Cleaving Dioxygenase Enzymes
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Adam Fiedler, Chair and Professor of Chemistry

Johnnie Brooker, College of Communication, Journalism and Political Science Majors
Living for the City: The Black Middle Class in Milwaukee
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert S Smith, Harry G. John Professor of History

 

Darrell Campbell, College of Arts & Sciences, Criminology & Law Studies and Social Welfare & Justice Majors
A History of the African American Leadership Alliance Milwaukee
Faculty Mentor:  Dr. Gabriel Velez, Assistant Professor of Education and Educational Policy and Foundations Program Coordinator

 

 

Abby Doria, College of Arts & Sciences, Political Science Major, Sociology Minor
How Presidential Candidates Are Framing Inequality Rhetoric in the New Gilded Age
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amber Wichowsky, Professor and Assistant Chair, Political Science

 

Natan Fessahaye, College of Arts & Sciences, Chemistry Major
Low Temperature & High Pressure Ethylene Oxide Hydrate Formation
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Damian Kokkin, Research Associate Professor of Chemistry and Dr. Scott Reid, Professor of Chemistry

 

Marshall Kopacki, College of Arts & Sciences, Anthropology and Theology & Religion Majors
Indigenize Milwaukee Mapping Project
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bryan Rindfleisch, Associate Professor of History

 

Dylan Kupiec, College of Arts & Sciences, Biological Sciences Major
The Role of Hypothalamic Modulation in Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Deanna Arble, Assistant Professor of Biology

 

 

Sean Martin, College of Arts & Sciences, Biological Sciences Major
Monitoring Transthyretin Protein Aggregation using the yTRAP System
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Anita Manogaran, Associate Professor of Biology

 

 

Cora Mills, College of Arts & Sciences, Psychology Major, Criminology & Law Studies Major
Tracked: The Creation, Use, and Social Implications of Criminal Justice Apps
Faculty Mentor:  Dr. Anya Degenshein, Assistant Professor of Social and Cultural Sciences

 

Brenda Paredes, College of Arts & Sciences, Psychology Major
Tengo cara de nopal y me encanta: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of the Chicana Identity
Faculty Mentor: Dawne Moone, Professor and Co-Director of Interdisciplinary Gender and Sexualities Studies (INGS)

 

Maha Rizvi, College of Arts & Sciences, Psychology Major
Influence of Perception of Police on Negative Affect Following Exposure to Images of Police Violence
Faculty Mentor:  Dr. Nakia Gordon, Associate Professor of Psychology

 

Kai Rowlands, College of Arts & Sciences, Physics and Spanish Language, Literature & Culture Majors
Investigating Observational Improvements For Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors Using Tuned Interferometry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jax Sanders, Assistant Professor of Physics