College of Science Undergraduate Research Colloquium recognizes 2023 winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 College of Science Undergraduate Research Colloquium.
The College of Science and STEM Accelerator hosted the Twelfth Annual Undergraduate Research Colloquium (URC) where undergraduate students showcased a variety of research projects from the College of Science to the Mason community.
This year’s virtual event featured a student poster session and awards, including overall, category, and student’s choice awards. Presentations were judged in three categories: Environmental and Earth Sciences, Life Sciences, as well as Physical Sciences and Mathematics. View the full list of research posters.
Overall Winner:
Nadia Gray, Mentor: Kathleen Hunt, Assessing reproductive hormones in adult female blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) by analyzing historic baleen samples from the 1940's (Poster #11)
Environmental and Earth Sciences (Geology, Geography, GIS, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Sciences)
First Place: Piper Thacher, Mentor: Kathleen Hunt, Calving intervals inferred from progesterone patterns in historic baleen of female fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) (Poster #3)
Second Place: Kai Barner and Alexandra Diaz Merida, Mentor: Taylor Anderson, Spatial variation in factors that contribute to female breast cancer mortality across US counties (Poster #6)
Life Sciences (Biology, Neuroscience, Forensic Science)
First Place: Sanskruthi Sreepangi, Mentor: Ramin Hakami, Purification and Characterization of RIG-I Inducing RNA Species within Small Extracellular Vesicles Released from Cells Infected with Rift Valley Fever Virus (Poster #12)
Second Place: Autumn Gray, Mentor: Klaus-Peter Koepfli, First complete mitochondrial genome of the Saharan striped polecat (Ictonyx libycus) (Poster #8)
Physical Sciences and Mathematics (Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Mathematics, and Computer Science)
First Place: Ian Helm and Sebastian Arnez, Mentor: Peter Plavchan, Photometric Ground-Based Follow-up of TESS Transiting Exoplanet Candidates with George Mason Observatory (Poster #18)
Second Place: Cicely Motamedi, Mentor: Karen Sauer, Magnetic Jones Vector Detection with RF Atomic Magnetometers (Poster #18)
