SIUE Graduate School Presents Research Grants to Outstanding Students

SIUE Graduate School Presents Research Grants to Outstanding Students

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Graduate School is pleased to announce the spring 2025 Research Grants for Graduate Students (RGGS) award recipients.

The awards, valued at up to $500 each, support the research and creative activities of 44 graduate students studying in the College of Arts and Sciences and Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Engineering.

"SIUE graduate programs are designed to ensure that our graduate students have opportunities to envision and carry out original research and scholarship in their field of study," said Elizabeth Cali, PhD, interim associate dean of the Graduate School. "Here, students earning a master's degree are already gaining critical experience impacting their field of study and identifying how their research and creative activities can positively impact our regional and national communities. The RGGS recognizes student project potential by providing the resources students need to conduct their work. More, the award provides an opportunity to celebrate graduate student innovation and excellence on campus."

Faculty advisors oversee the students' individual research or creative activity. The primary purpose of the RGGS program is to support the graduate students' work, particularly as it relates to their thesis or final project.

The spring 2025 RGGS projects are listed along with eligibility requirements. A sampling of projects are listed below.

• Trace Evidence: Fiber Identification using RGB Imaging of Fiber Fluorescence (Allison Beaton, Forensic Sciences, Faculty Advisor: Thomas Spudich, Jr., PhD)
• Reclaiming Narratives: An Artistic Critique of Cognitive Disability Misinformation (Maia Huddleston, Studio Art, Faculty Advisor: Abbey Hepner, MFA)
• Impacts of Invasive Species on Larval Amphibians and Aquatic Ecosystems (Sarah Laurino, Biological Sciences, Faculty Advisor: Thomas Anderson, PhD)
• Analysis of Soil, Water, and Air around Farmlands for Pesticide Contamination (Jillian Tonnies, Chemistry, Faculty Advisor: Kevin Tucker, PhD)
• Exploring the Best Practices for Human-AI Collaboration in Civil Infrastructure (Bridge) Inspection (Abhishek Khatiwada, Civil Engineering, Faculty Advisor: Chenxi Yuan, PhD)
• Geospatial Analysis of Microplastic Contamination in the Mississippi River: Sources, Distribution, and Environmental Impact in Illinois (Mehedi Hasan, Environmental Sciences, Faculty Advisor: Sanoar Rahman, PhD)
• Advancing Skin Lesion Classification: The Role of SAM-Based Segmentation in Enhancing Convolutional Neural Network Performance (Swapnil Biswas, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Faculty Advisor: Robert LeAnder, PhD)
• Small Molecule Inhibitors of eIF4E-eIF4G Interactions as Potential Anticancer Agents (Sumon Roy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bhargav Patel)
  
  

PHOTO: Ava Austin, MS in chemistry student and former RGGS grant recipient, presents her research at the 2025 Graduate School Research Symposium.