Undergraduate research spotlighted at annual symposium

KOKOMO, Ind. - When most people think of research, they think of surveys, finding sources in a library, or working with test tubes and microscopes in a laboratory.

That's not the kind of research Braelyn McAdams does.

Working with Lina Rifai, associate professor of vertebrate biology at Indiana University Kokomo, and fellow student Iza Gould, McAdams picks up saw-whet owl pellets in Eagle Creek Park, dries them to measure their weight, then softens them with water to extract animal bones and fur to identify what the owls have eaten.

"The owls eat their prey whole, then spit up the bones and fur because they can't digest it," said McAdams. "For conservation purposes, this tells us what kind of prey is available to them, and also the diversity of the species around an urban area like Indianapolis."

McAdams was one of 36 students who presented their research at the annual IU Kokomo Student Research Symposium, which included poster presentations and oral presentations of work completed in the last year, under the mentorship of faculty members.

Symposium organizer Nicholas Baxter, assistant professor of sociology, said the symposium - which included 14 oral presentations and 17 posters - gives students a chance to present their research and creative work close to home and receive feedback.

"It's a good way to get students to take the projects they've been working on and show them to the community," he said. "They get to talk to other students and faculty about their work and get good feedback."

This year, the symposium included a session in the campus Art Gallery for students participating in the Senior Thesis Exhibition, allowing them to present their work to an audience.

Nursing major Ashley Lyons used the opportunity to raise awareness about overuse of emergency rooms with her project, Improving Access to Care - Reducing Strain on Emergency Departments, which focuses on why patients with non-emergency issues are going to the ER. She observed this issue at her job in an ER.

"I'm looking at why they are going to the ER instead of searching for urgent care, walk ins, or primary care doctors," said Lyons, from Wabash. "A lot of what happens in health care is because of politics, but there are also ethical concerns. Those patients may not be able to afford a walk-in clinic, but they can afford an ER because of their deductible. We realize that, but also need to try to fix the issue. We don't want to overcrowd the ER with non-emergency situations and when an emergency does come in, we're stuck."

While taking into consideration the ethical requirement for the less fortunate to receive care, she also looked at how to provide those services in a non-ER setting that is affordable, and places community members and health care workers can advocate for change.

Grayson Arndt, Marion, gave two oral presentations to share political topics that interest him, and educate others.

"Getting involved in research as an undergraduate is one of the most important things you can do if you want to go into higher education," he said. "It establishes your credibility and lets you share things you are interested in."

His presentations were about Narrativism, which reconceptualizes international relations as structured by strategic narratives through which institutions, states, and global actors construct legitimacy; and about the paradox of UN Peacekeeping.

A panel of faculty and honors program alumni judges selected a top presenter in each category.

Amelia McLaren received the top oral presentation award for Human Transferrin Receptor Bispecific TREM2 Antibody Creation and Its Insightful Use in Alzheimer's Disease. Her faculty mentor was June Javens-Wolfe. Molly Sallee won second place for Sensory and Memory Recall: Freudian Perspective. Erin Doss was her faculty mentor.

Jessica Stalhood presented the top poster, Genetic Genealogy in Action: Solving Cold Cases Through Science. Ashley Duffitt was her faculty mentor. Second place was awarded to Ashley Derf and Heather Grandstaff, Preventing Patient Falls: Implementing Hourly 4Ps Rounding on a Medical Surgical Unit. Stephanie Pratt was their faculty mentor.

Faculty and alumni volunteers included Carrie Baxter, art gallery coordinator; Scott Blackwell, senior lecturer in philosophy; Christian Chauret, professor of microbiology; Chris Darr, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences; Minda Douglas, associate professor of fine arts; Erin Doss, associate professor of communication arts; Edwin Faunce, adjunct faculty member and alumnus; Deborah Jaworski, senior lecturer in mathematics; Hisako Masuda, professor of microbiology; and Andy Tuholski, assistant professor of political science.

Faculty mentors for the researchers included Alexander Bobbs, Ivy Tech assistant professor; Christian Chauret, professor of microbiology; Angela Coppola, associate professor of allied health sciences; Erin Doss, associate professor of communication arts; Minda Douglas, associate professor of fine arts; Ashley Duffitt, senior lecturer in biology; Erin Lee Geiselman, associate professor of nursing; Larry Jinkins, assistant professor of sport and recreation management; George Karst, adjunct faculty in music; Hisako Masuda, professor of biochemistry; Susan Plough, senior lecturer of nursing; Stephanie Pratt, clinical associate professor of nursing; Gloria Preece, assistant professor of personal financial planning and marketing; Lina Rifai, associate professor of vertebrate biology; Jaynne Rivas, assistant professor of management; Christina Romero, associate professor of education; Leigh Swartzendruber, clinical assistant professor of nursing; Julie Tobin, assistant professor of psychology; and Andy Tuholski, assistant professor of political science.

Participating students, listed by hometown, included:

Akron: Ashley Derf

Auburn: Hannah Becker

Brookston: Olivia Newcom

Carmel: Alex Reiff

Cutler: Ally Kuns

Frankfort: Jordan Henderson

Galveston: Josephine Nieto, Audree Zorich

Kokomo: Carly Bliss, Zavier Doll, Emily Fuller, Tyler Gilbert, Iza Gould, Myah Halter, Braelyn McAdams, Madison Moore, Molly Sallee

Logansport: Madison Campbell

Macy: Brandon Maish

Marion: Grayson Arndt, Shelbi Shafer

Noblesville: Alyssa McGann Polendo, Jenna Waterman

Peru: Shayln Schoettmer, Dean Stoll

Russiaville: Jessica Stalhood

Summitville: Zoey Barnett

Tipton: Josslyn Knox

Wabash: Ashley Lyons

Walton: Heather Grandstaff

Students from other campuses who participated included Amelia McLaren, Alejandro Munoz, Brandy Murphy, Jayden Smith, Alyssa Stephenson, and Ashley Whaley.

The undergraduate research symposium is sponsored by the IU Kokomo Honors Program and the Office of Academic Affairs.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.