Student researchers tackle water and plastic problems ahead of fall McNair and Beckman Scholars Showcase

UWO microbiology professor Sabrina Mueller-Spitz, right, and Beckman Scholar Aedon Langkau, work in the lab; with McNair Scholar Abigail Thomas and Beckman Scholar Evangalios "Lios" Guigley, visible in the background.

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior Evangalios "Lios" Guigley spent his summer tracing the hidden code that helps microbes become antibiotic resistant, research he hopes will lead to a better understanding of water quality and ultimately improve public health.

He studied water samples from the Fox-Wolf River watershed to see how antibiotic resistance might spread through Wisconsin's waterways.

"I like to think of it as microbes such as bacteria that have machines to read the pieces of code they pick up from other microbes or from their environment," Guigley said. "If the code is out in the environment, pathogenic microbes, the microbes that can cause serious illness, can pick up the code-antimicrobial resistant genes-and gain antibiotic resistance. This makes medical treatments less effective against treating an infection."

Guigley, a Beckman Scholar, is one of 15 UW-Oshkosh students who will share their work at the McNair and Beckman Scholars Showcase, Thursday, Sept. 25, from 4-6 p.m. at the Culver Family Welcome Center.

UW-Oshkosh Provost Ed Martini noted that the scholars have taken on complex questions in the lab and field while working closely with dedicated faculty mentors. Those experiences, he said, are helping students build the skills and confidence they will carry into graduate school and beyond.

"This event demonstrates what sets UW-Oshkosh apart: undergraduates who are entrusted with meaningful research, faculty who challenge and support them, and address real-world problems in the communities we serve," Martini said. "I could not be more proud of what our students and mentors are accomplishing together."

The showcase highlights the power of undergraduate research to prepare students for graduate school and careers. Microbiology professor Sabrina Mueller-Spitz, who mentors both Beckman and McNair Scholars, said she treats her undergraduates like graduate students by giving them ownership of their projects.

"That ownership builds confidence, and it is okay to make mistakes as you learn how research really works," said Mueller-Spitz who advised Guigley and seniors Abigail Thomas and Aedon Langkau.

Thomas, a McNair Scholar from Hortonville, spent the summer testing ways to enhance the enzymatic activity of a freshwater bacterium isolated from the Fox-Wolf watershed.

"PLA (polylactic acid plastic) doesn't break down quickly in the environment, and recycling infrastructure is limited," she said of the plastic she studied. "By focusing on using microbes, the process could become faster and more cost-effective."

Thomas added that the biggest lesson she learned was not just about lab science. "Research isn't perfect; it is full of unexpected results," she said. "The important part is how you troubleshoot. That is what drives curiosity and growth as a researcher."

Thomas also credited fellow scholar Langkau for helping her learn new lab techniques. "The protocols are all out there, but he showed me how he does things and walked me through the steps," she said. "Having him there to answer questions really made a difference."

For Langkau, a Beckman Scholar from Oshkosh, graduating this December, the second summer in Mueller-Spitz's lab offered a new perspective, from that of a mentor.

"Being able to teach a technique reinforces my own understanding," he said. "Having others around to bounce ideas off makes the work better."

Together, the three scholars demonstrate how paid, mentored research opportunities allow students to pursue graduate-level questions while still undergraduates.

"We are tackling public-health questions from a microbiology angle," Mueller-Spitz said. "And at the same time, they are learning how to communicate their science to varied audiences."

The McNair Scholars Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, has been at UW-Oshkosh since 2007. It supports first-generation, low-income and underrepresented students who plan to pursue graduate education, providing mentoring, research experiences and academic support. This year's McNair Scholars not only conducted rigorous research but also presented their findings at three conferences: the WiSys SPARK Symposium in Madison, the Wisconsin McNair Research Summit at UW-Stout, and the Heartland National McNair Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Beckman Scholars Program, launched at UWO in 2024 with support from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, offers highly competitive, paid research opportunities for students in the sciences. UW-Oshkosh is one of only a small number of institutions nationwide to host both programs, giving undergraduates significant opportunities to prepare for advanced study.

The research posters on display this fall will represent a wide range of topics, from arts integration in education and the impact of artificial intelligence on accounting, to innovative approaches to protecting firefighters from cardiac events, the importance of the blood-brain barrier in protecting brain health, and the role of geological formations in water quality. Unique to this year's group of scholars is the number who examined the problem of plastics in our environment. Some approached the challenge from the molecular level, working to break down microplastics so they can be consumed by bacteria, while others explored materials that could serve as sustainable alternatives to plastics.

Cordelia Bowlus, the director of McNair and program manager Beckman scholars programs, said the students' summer experiences reflect both the rigor and the rewards of academic research.

"Just getting up to speed on published scholarly research can be overwhelming. Add to that the writing of a proposal that is both original and manageable, and the inevitable bumps in the road-problems with data collection, unexpected results, equipment malfunctions, tedious editing-and you begin to see what they have accomplished," Bowlus said. "They have discovered the joy and challenges of academic inquiry, and their lives will never be the same."

The event, free and open to the entire campus community, features poster presentations by 11 McNair Scholars and four Beckman Scholars. Guests may drop in any time, and free event parking is available adjacent to the center.

McNair Scholars - 2025

• Austin Bunkelman (2025 McNair)
  Professional Chemistry major
  Controlled Synthesis of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Oligomers for Use in Biodegradation Studies
  Fond du Lac
• Vianna Dao (2025 McNair)
  Biomolecular Chemistry & Biomed. major; Spanish & Math minor
  Synthesis of short chain oligomers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for use in biodegradation studies
  Oshkosh
• Layla Graser (2025 McNair)
  Geology major; Environmental Engineering minor
  Basalt modification processes reflected in mineral textures and compositions of the Poison Butte group, Poison Lake Chain, California
  Wautoma
• Tanya Schmoll (2025 McNair)
  Physics major; Astronomy & German minor
  Non-Conventional Approach to Studying Single Crystals Using a Powder XRD Instrument
  Winneconne
• Sophia Schneider (2025 McNair)
  Elementary Education major; Adventure & Outdoor Pursuits Certificate
  Synthesizing the Evidence: A Review of the Research on Arts Integration and its Implementation in K-12 Classrooms
  Oshkosh
• Griffin Scholl-Delzer (2025 McNair)
  Geology major; Astronomy minor
  Aquifer Evolution: Origin and Evolution of Neoproterozoic Dolomite in Western Brazil
  Kimberly
• Dylan Schommer (2025 McNair)
  Biomolecular Chemistry major
  Investigating Effects of Reaction Conditions on Nanocellulose-Silica Interactions in Composite Materials
  Oshkosh
• Abigail Thomas (2025 McNair)
  Biomedical Science major; Chemistry & Microbiology minor
  Characterizing Polylactic Acid Plastic Biodegradation by Deinococcus aquaticus
  Hortonville
• Dakota Treleven (2025 McNair)
  Rehabilitation Science major
  Effects of Heart Rate Biofeedback on Firefighter Fatigue Management, Performance, and Recovery
  Omro
• Jacques Tulowitzky (2025 McNair)
  Accounting and Information Systems major
  Automation in Accounting: The Good, the Bad, and the Future
  Rhinelander
• Tyra Tye (2025 McNair)
  Biomedical Science major; Neuroscience minor
  Filling the Gaps: A Trait-Based Approach to Blood-Brain Barrier Changes in Torpor
  Menasha

Beckman Scholars - 2025

• Evangalios Guigley (2025-26 Beckman)
  Biomedical Science major
  Mining Northshore Lake Superior Periphyton Microbial Communities for Evidence of Fecal Pollution
  Hernando, MS
• Diana Kohler (2024-25 Beckman)
  Biology major
  Investigating the Presence and Composition of Microplastics in Nearshore Environments of Lake Michigan
  Appleton
• Aedon Langkau (2024-255 Beckman)
  Chemistry Biomolecular Science major
  Extracelluar Proteome Characterization of Mycolicbacterium Species RJGII-135
  Oshkosh
• Noah Levin (2025-26 Beckman)
  Professional Chemistry major
  Examining the Behavior of Quaternary Ammonium Ion and Microplastic Particles in Aqueous Environments
  Appleton

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UWO McNair Scholars