Students honored for undergraduate research excellence

Outstanding research by more than 100 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater undergraduate students was celebrated at Undergraduate Research Day April 7 on the UW-Whitewater campus.
 
The day began with a welcome from Chancellor Richard Telfer followed by a performing arts session with students from the arts, including theater and music.  Posters of research in the biological, social, physical, humanities and education were on display.  Undergraduate researchers also gave oral presentations on their findings.
 
“Undergraduate Research Day was a wonderful opportunity for the campus community to recognize the excellence of the scholarly and creative work UW-Whitewater students have produced in the last year,” said Seth Meisel, interim Undergraduate Research Program coordinator.  “It was an exciting afternoon to see the achievements of some of our finest students.”
 
The following students were individually recognized with Undergraduate Research Day awards:
 
Outstanding Poster:

• Junior Rhiannon LaVine of Twin Lakes, for "Microgastropod Paleoecology and Stratigraphy Before the End-Permian Mass Extinction, Pine Forest Range, Humboldt County, Nevada"
• Senior Cassandra Schillo of Westmont, Ill., for "Sound Design:'Dog Sees God'"

Outstanding Oral Presentation:

• Senior Travis Corbit of Brodhead, for "Investigating Functional Evolution in the Class III HD-ZIP Gene Family"
• Junior Amanda McClain of Whitewater, for "Testing Affects of Extracurricular Opportunities on ACT Scores"
• Senior Erica Meier of Whitewater, for "Silver Plating on Copper: An Alternative to Working with Solid Silver Sheet"

UW-Whitewater students travel to UW-La Crosse April 16-18 for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.  The university will once again send one of the largest groups of students to the national research conference with 78.

On April 22, six students will share their research with state legislators at the sixth annual Posters in the Rotunda: A Celebration of Undergraduate Research at the state Capitol in Madison.

For more information on the Undergraduate Research Program, contact Meisel at 262-472-5150 or meisels@uww.edu.