Student Research Days winners announced

More than 300 students participated in presentation sessions during Student Research Days, with 127 graduate students and 183 undergraduate students presenting. 

The 2025 Student Research Days Poster Sessions and Creative Exhibitions were held April 15-16.

Graduate students who were awarded competitive prizes for their scholarship and presentation skills received $400 toward travel grants to present their research regionally or nationally as well as support other research costs. Undergraduates were awarded prizes valued at $250 sponsored by their academic colleges. Additionally, five undergraduate students were recognized by the University Honors Program for their research.

Hundreds of faculty, postdoc, staff and graduate student volunteer judges met with students during morning and afternoon sessions and evaluated their presentations. The awards are as follows:

Graduate student awards

• FNU Abdul Hamid Siddiqui (India; studying nutrition and health sciences) “Immune Surveillance Pathways in Taste Papillae”, adviser: Sunil Sukumaran
• Peace Adegbite (Nigeria; studying physics and astronomy) “Anomalous Surface Behavior in Temperature-Dependent LEED Study of Sr3Ir2O7”, adviser: Peter Dowben 
• Madhusudhan Adhikari (Nepal; studying agronomy and horticulture) “Optimizing Nitrogen Management with Nitrification Inhibitor and Nitrogen Timing in Irrigated Corn”, adviser: Javed Iqbal
• Sahar Beigzadeh (Iran; studying mechanical and materials engineering) “Nondestructive characterization of triple weld bead wire arc additively manufactured ER70s-6 S-curved wall”, adviser: Jeffrey Shield
• Xin Chen (studying mechanical and materials engineering), Haoyu Dong (studying electrical and computer engineering), Payal Chaudhary (studying chemical and biomolecular engineering), and Joseph Talley (studying mechanical and materials engineering) “Enhanced Hydrogen Generation and Utilization Using Femtosecond Laser-Nanostructured NiCoO Electrocatalysts” advisers: Bai Cui, Yongfeng Lu, Vitaly Alexandrov
• Olabode Ekerin (Nigeria; studying child, youth and family studies) “Traditional and Modern Family Planning Practices Among Bonded Labor Female Brick Kiln Workers in India”, adviser: Rochelle Dalla
• Sema Guvenc Kilic (studying electrical and computer engineering) “Achieving chiral nonreciprocity via plasmonic nanostructure design embedded in a photonic topological insulator system”, adviser: Eva Schubert
• Akinbode Okunola (Nigeria; studying agricultural economics) “Veterinary drug maximum residue limits and one health in a global context”, adviser: Elliott Dennis
• Aida Rashidi (Iran; studying civil and environmental engineering) “Developing Life Cycle Inventory for Ethanol Plants Using Machine Learning”
• Sadia Sharmeen (Bangladesh; studying Chemistry), “Characterization of binding by pharmaceuticals as environmental contaminants to polystyrene nanoplastics using high-performance affinity chromatography” advisor: David Hage
• Alissa Vlach (Alma; studying architecture) “Battersea Power Station: A Community Hub”, adviser: Jeremy Reding
• Andrea Wagh (Houston, Texas; studying history) “Preserving Hidden Histories: Jewish Children in Occupied France, 1939 – 1945”, adviser: Bedross Der Matossian

Undergraduate college awards

Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources 

• Katelyn Billups (Topeka, Kansas, studying biochemistry), “Carnosine Levels in the Heart of Hibernating Mammals,” adviser: Matthew Andrews

Architecture 

• Audrey Cherek (Omaha; studying architectural studies), “Biases and Bloopers Within Comfy UI,” adviser: Brian Kelly

Arts and Sciences 

• Aaron Morrissey (Omaha; studying data science and economics), “Uncovering the Money Behind Defense Tech: What Drives Contract Spending on Military Base Innovations?” adviser: Mitch Herian
• Jagger Spiering (Norfolk; studying biochemistry), “Expression and Purification of HPPD in the Tyrosine Breakdown Pathway of Blood-Feeding Arthropods,” adviser: Limei Zhang
• Elizabeth Andersen (Lincoln; studying microbiology and biochemistry), “Creating an in vitro model to evaluate potential anti-adipogenic activity of Gordonibacter and Lactobacillus species,” adviser: Amanda Ramer-Tait
• Mason Hardin (Sioux City, Iowa; studying chemistry), “Expression and Purification of HPPD in the Tyrosine Breakdown Pathway of Blood-Feeding Arthropods,” adviser: Georgina Bingham
• Andy Knopik (Lincoln; studying psychology and women & gender studies), “Harnessing Habeas Corpus: Women's Struggles Against Coercive Psychiatric Institutionalization,” adviser: Katrina Jagodinsky
• Nicole Kallio (Elkhorn; studying psychology and microbiology), “Second chances or setbacks: Factors predicting recidivism following re-entry programming,” adviser: David Dilillo

Business 

• Madeline Splichal (Lincoln; studying economics), “Factors Affecting the Concentration of Producer Services in Midwestern Micropolitan Counties,” adviser: Eric C. Thompson

Education and Human Sciences 

• Luiza Zambelli (Petrópolis, Brazil, studying nutritional sciences), “miRNAs are Essential for Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy,” adviser: Ivan Vechetti

Engineering 

• Alaa Ismail (Lincoln; studying computer science and global studies), “Access to Civil Justice: A Data-Driven Approach to Integrating Legal Resource Discovery with Interactive Geospatial Visualization,” adviser: Dr. Leen-Kiat Soh
• Geoffrey Sanderson (McKinney, Texas, studying architectural engineering), “Data-driven seismic functionality assessment of structural and non-structural components in instrumented buildings,” adviser: Milad Roohi
• Julia Baron (Asheville, North Carolina, studying chemical engineering), “Sustainable SILMs for CO Capture: A Green Approach with PEBAX RNEW and Bio-Based Solvents,” adviser: Mona Bavarian
• Aiden Gnuse (Elkhorn; studying chemical engineering), “The Structural Basis for ResR-dependent transcriptional regulation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis,” adviser: Limei Zhang
• Daniel Bashtovoi (Sidney; studying biological systems engineering), “Optimizing an Acoustic Testing System for Characterization of Wearable Ultrasound Devices,” adviser: Greg Bashford

Fine and Performing Arts 

• Aspen Gurr (Sidney; studying emerging media arts), “Animating History - Rachel Carson's A Fable For Tomorrow,” adviser: Michael Burton

Journalism and Mass Communications 

• Lance Buscher (Omaha; studying business administration), “LifelineLinks: Nurturing Connections, Breaking Loneliness,” adviser: Valerie Jones 

Undergraduate honors awards in various categories

• Best Communication, recognizes an Honors student researcher who displayed the best communication skills in sharing their research: Abhinav Bettadapura (Omaha; studying mathematics and biochemistry) “Investigating ANKLE-2 Splicing: Evidence of a Transmembrane-Lacking Isoform Across Cell Lines,” advisor: Lindsey Crawford
• Interdisciplinarity, recognizes an Honors student researcher who made the best use of interdisciplinary approaches and/or methods: Abaigeal Aydt (Valley; studying chemical engineering) “Remarkable MXenes: Transforming Textile-Based Supercapacitors,” adviser: Mona Bavarian
• Long-Term Contributions to the Field, recognizes an Honors student researcher whose work displayed the most potential for significant long-term contributions to the discipline of study: Amara Bryant (Omaha; studying biological sciences), “Immunosenescence and HCMV: the Interaction Between UL2 and the Human Gene HMGCS1,” adviser: Matthew Wiebe
• Most Original, recognizes an Honors student researcher whose research question or approach to answering the research question displayed the most originality: Micah Quirie (Lincoln; studying chemical engineering) “Optimizing Ti3C2Tx MXene-Based Composite Polymer Electrolytes: Vacuum Filtration vs. Freeze-Drying,” adviser: Mona Bavarian
• Immediate Contribution, recognizes an Honors student researcher whose work displays the most significant and immediate potential for real-world impact: Laura Kirshenbaum (Omaha; studying biochemistry and microbiology) “Expanding the Dynamic Range of Methanosarcina acetivorans through Recombinant Expression of the T7 Promoter System,” adviser: Nicole Buan
• Overall Excellence, recognizes an Honors student researcher whose work demonstrated outstanding achievement across all aspects of research and presentation, from originality and clarity to impact in sharing their work: Alaa Ismail (Lincoln; studying computer science and global studies), “Access to Civil Justice: A Data-Driven Approach to Integrating Legal Resource Discovery with Interactive Geospatial Visualization,” adviser: Dr. Leen-Kiat Soh