ABINGTON, Pa. — Thirty-five Penn State Abington students exhibited their findings this week from yearlong — or longer — research projects at the first in-person poster fair since the start of the pandemic. The annual Abington College Undergraduate Research Activities (ACURA) event showcased ventures developed with faculty mentors and included a maker fair. The projects may be viewed online.
The purpose of undergraduate research is to develop critical thinking and creativity in Abington student scholars. ACURA provides up to three semesters of collaboration between faculty and students so they can explore their interests through scientific experimentation, inquiry-based research or creative works. Students earn credit for ACURA and participate in the annual research competition. The format of the fair provides students with an opportunity to hone sought-after professional presentation skills.
Ann Schmiedekamp, professor of physics and ACURA coordinator, announced the 2022 winners, who were chosen by a panel of faculty judges representing the three academic divisions at Abington.
Division of Arts and Humanities
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First place: What's in a Recipe? The Barclay Manuscript by Saranya Ananth, Kathryn Brodeur, Fabiana Cajamarca, Leah Davis and Emily Lang. Faculty advisers: Marissa Nicosia, associate professor of Renaissance literature; Christina Riehman-Murphy, open and affordable educational resources librarian; and Heather Froehlich, literary informatics librarian, Penn State University Libraries.
Division of Science and Engineering
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First place: Aerodynamics of airborne droplets behind the social distancing rules for COVID-19 by Phuong Ho and Sean Thomas. Faculty adviser: Andrei Blinkouski, associate teaching professor of physics.
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Second place: Microscopic Imaging Analysis by Holly Schafer. Faculty advisers: Vinayak Elangovan, assistant professor of information sciences and technology and computer science, and Burcu Ozden, assistant professor of engineering.
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Honorable mention: Where Do Penn State's Academic Websites Stand on Extra-Functional Properties and Quality Characteristics? by Matthew Coutts, Luna Hatahet, and Yash Amin. Faculty advisor: Ishtiaque Hussain, assistant professor of computer science.
Division of Social Sciences
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First place: Explaining the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Very Intentional Creation of a Children’s Picture Book by Samantha Antell and Alexa Johnson. Faculty adviser: Judith Newman, associate professor of human development and family studies.
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Honorable mention: Autistic Traits, Alexithymia and Facial Emotion Recognition of Human and Anime Faces by Bridger Standiford. Faculty adviser: Kevin Hsu, assistant professor of clinical psychology.