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鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Fair includes research from our 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship awardees and MU4Gold Research Scholars. Please peruse these talented student鈥檚 research posters by clicking on the name of their research title. We hope to see you in person on November 11!
Natalie Allen,鈥� A&S, Biological Sciences Major
Testing for molecular convergence and selection on gecko opsin genes
Faculty鈥疢entor:鈥�疍r. Tony Gamble, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences鈥�� Evolutionary Biology鈥�
鈥�
Shir Bloch, A&S, Political Science, Philosophy, and Applied Mathematical Economics Majors
Collegiate Democratic Deliberation:鈥疨olitical polarization as a lens for viewing the 鈥渙ther鈥痵ide鈥�鈥�
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amber鈥�Wichowsky,鈥疉ssistant Chair &鈥疉ssociate Professor, Political Science鈥�
鈥�
Grace Dawson, A&S, Writing-Intensive English and Digital Media Majors
Female Agency and Consent in Poems about Sexual Violence鈥痠n the Middle Ages
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elizaveta鈥�Strakhov, Assistant Professor, English鈥�
鈥�
Abigail Dobbins, HESC, Speech Pathology & Audiology and Interdisciplinary Cognitive Science Majors, Literature Minor
Sentence Diversity and Sampling Context for Preschoolers Who Speak African American English
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Maura Moyle, Associate Professor, Speech Pathology & Audiology鈥�
鈥�
Avery Farmer, A&S, Political Science Major
Political Alignment and Activism of Free Black Men in Post-Revolutionary New York (1790-1830)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kristen Foster, History
Macnessa鈥�&苍产蝉辫;Fidlin, A&S, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Philosophy Majors, Interdisciplinary Peace Studies Minor
Fluoridated Water Pollutants Effect on鈥�Apis鈥疢别濒濒颈蹿别谤补鈥�Linguistica
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Chelsea Cook, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences鈥�� Social Behavior, Neurobiology, and Behavioral Genetics鈥�
鈥�
Ryan Grace, ENGI, Biomechanics Major
The importance of local species interactions to relationships between species diversity and the environment鈥�
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Joseph鈥�LaManna, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences 鈥� Community and Population Ecology鈥�
鈥�
尝别虫颈鈥�Harwick, A&S, Social Welfare & Justice and Psychology Majors, Interdisciplinary Law & Society and Interdisciplinary Peace Studies Minors
Domestic Violence Shelters and Outreach in Non-urban Locations
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Theresa Tobin, Associate Professor, Philosophy鈥�
Lexi Harwick, A&S, Social Welfare & Justice and Psychology Majors, Interdisciplinary Law & Society and Interdisciplinary Peace Studies Minors and Amelia Zurcher, Director, University Honors Program and Associate Professor, English
Student Perceptions of Grades and the Grading System
Nick Howard, A&S, History Major, Interdisciplinary Public History Minor
The History of Milwaukee Through Objects鈥�
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Patrick Mullins, Assistant Professor, History鈥�
鈥�
Zelda鈥�&苍产蝉辫;Kieser, A&S, Philosophy and Cognitive Science Majors, French and Political Science Minors
Celebrated Author, Maligned Philosopher:Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Objectivist Philosophy
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Gerry Canavan, Associate Professor, English鈥�
鈥�
Pouya鈥� Mirzaei, HESC, Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience and Creative Writing Minors
KCNQ (Kv7) Potassium Channel Regulates Cognition in an Animal Model of Schizophrenia
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. M. Behnam鈥�Ghasemzadeh, Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences鈥�
鈥�
Rebecca Odeh, A&S, Phsyiological Sciences Major, Business Administration Minor
Spatial Sequestration of Alpha-Synuclein
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Emily Sontag, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
鈥�
Abbi Ouimet, HESC, Biomedical Sciences Major, Interdisciplinary Culture, Health, and Illness Minor
Sex-specific dysfunction of鈥痗ognitive and habit circuits鈥痷nderlying鈥痮pioid鈥痵elf-administration
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Matthew Hearing, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences鈥�
Qwanzo鈥疪辞诲谤颈驳耻别锄, A&S, Philosophy Major
Electronic Monitoring in the Milwaukee County Youth Justice System鈥�
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Robert Smith, Harry G. John Professor, History鈥�
鈥�
Heidi Schuler, ENGI, Biomechanics Major, Engineering Leadership Concentration
Patterns of Eye-Hand Coordination during Bimanual Reach-to-Grasp: A Pilot Study
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Leigh鈥�Mrotek, Research Professor, Biomedical Engineering鈥�
鈥�
Alyssa Spies, A&S, Criminology & Law Studies and Sociology Major, Social Welfare and Justice Minor
Conceptualizations of Reentry Success In the Milwaukee Reentry Council
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Darren Wheelock, Social and Cultural Sciences
Aditii鈥�Wakhlu, HESC, Biomedical Sciences Major, Neuroscience Minor
Role of D1-and D2-receptor prefrontal-accumbens鈥痗ircuits in cognitive flexibility鈥�
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Matthew Hearing, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences鈥�
鈥�
Austin Walker, ENGI, Mechanical Engineering Major
Electrode Under Suit
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r.鈥疨hilip鈥�Voglewede, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering鈥�
鈥�
厂补尘耻别濒鈥�Wilsdorf, ENGI, Mechanical Engineering Major, Engineering Leadership Concentration
Explorations in Vibrational Testing and Quasistatic Behavior of Additively Manufactured Lattice Structures
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Allison Murray, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering鈥�
鈥�
Gretchen鈥�&苍产蝉辫;Zirgaitis, HESC, Exercise Physiology Major
Long-COVID Impact on Physical Function in Males vs. Females
Faculty Mentor:鈥疍r. Sandra Hunter, Professor, Exercise Science鈥�
Madelyn Davenport, A&S, Political Science Major, Economics and Urban Affairs Minor
Farms Causing Fallout
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amber Wichowsky, Political Science
Cameron Fronczak, A&S, Computer Science Major
Someone is Always Watching
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Zimmer, Computer Science
Lisa Gandolfi, A&S, International Relations and Economics Majors
Defending Democracy: Civil-Military Relations and Influence in Politics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Risa Brooks, Political Science
Jai Hsieh-Bailey, A&S, Psychology Major
Genetic Risk Associated with Cognitive Decline
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kristy Nielson, Professor, Psychology
Fiona Kelly-Miller, A&S, Interdisciplinary Gender and Sexuality Studies Major
Violence Against Women: Decolonizing Honor Killings
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Enaya Othman, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Jordan Mewhorter, A&S, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major
Structural Basis of Substrate Selectivity in Urea and Guanidine Carboxylases
Faculty Mentor; Dr. Martin St. Maurice, Biological Sciences
Maryn Schaefbauer, A&S, Spanish & Philosophy Majors
Sociolinguistic Perception of L1 and L2 Spanish in the University Classroom
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sonia Barnes, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Stephanie Waldschmidt, A&S, Psychology, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Theology & Religion Majors
Pray the Gay Away; Resilience in Christian LGB Young Adults
Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Grych, Psychology
