McKEESPORT, Pa. — Penn State Greater Allegheny has announced the award recipients from its spring 2026 Research and Creativity Conference. Supported by the campus' honors program each semester, the conference brings together work from across disciplines with students presenting posters, oral talks and spoken word, and artistic pieces that are evaluated by faculty judges and attendees. The spring conference, which featured 65 student projects, was held on April 23 in the campus' Ostermayer Room. A full gallery of photos from the conference can be found on the campus Flickr page.
J. Clarence Kelly Library Undergraduate Research Awards
First place (tied):
- Monjeana Henderson for her research on “Determinants of Violent Offender Recidivism: From Static Risks to Reentry Stress,” guided by faculty mentor Jennifer Croyle
- Ashley David on her research on “Effects of Prenatal Stress on Neurogenesis,” guided by faculty mentor John Peles
Second place:
- Aiden Yuscinsky for his research on “Myth or Medicine: Dry Needling,” guided by faculty mentor Kristal Tucker
Honorable mentions:
- Ira Campos for his research on “Oran-Specific Morphometric Changes in Wood Frogs Exposed to 6-PPD Quinone,” guided by faculty mentor Kristal Tucker
- Riley Schmidt for her research on “The Case of Leonard Mack: The Problem with Eyewitness Testimony,” guided by faculty mentor Jennifer Croyle
- Emma Campbell and Keren Medina for their research on “From Roots to Equity: The Legacy of TRIO Programs and their Role to Empower,” guided by faculty mentor Kiera Mallett
- Lauren Gaydos for her research on “Unequal Justice: How Juvenile Justice Policies Impact Communities and Paths Towards Equity,” guided by faculty mentor Sandra Trappen
Audience Choice Awards
First place:
- Ashley McKernan, Gabby Tokar, Ryan Patterson and Kody Hynes-McCutcheon for their research on “Distribute vs. Integrative Negotiations,” guided by faculty mentor Bernie Cerasaro
Second place (tied):
- Jenna Moranelli, Victor Sandoval, Christopher Fullard and Audra Shaw for their research on “Enhancing Information Technology and Cybersecurity Student Communication Skills Through Immersive AR/VR and AI-Driven Simulations Using Virtual Speech," guided by faculty mentor Jennifer Breese
- Chamarra Ford for her art piece titled “Girl Within”
Judges Choice Awards
Art:
- Tapashya Ghimirey for her art piece titled “When the Peaks Turn Golden,” guided by faculty mentor Lori Hepner
Natural sciences (tied):
- Sarina Pokhrel for her research on “Analysis of NotebookLM’s Ability to Correctly Interpret and Present Complex Scientific Information Based on Selected Primary Literature,” guided by faculty mentor Kristal Tucker
- Lovie Blackman for her research on “Changes in Your Brain: Stress, Anxiety, and How they Affect Us,” guided by faculty mentor Penelope Morrison
Business/mathematics/information sciences and technology:
- Luke Kolas for his research on “Constrained Variational Optimization of Airfoil Geometry in Thin Airfoil Theory,” guided by faculty mentor Kuei-Nuan Lin
Social sciences (tied):
- Abby Ingold for her research on “Is Mindfulness Good Medicine for Anxiety and Depression?”, guided by faculty mentor Elizabeth Mazur
- Johnathan Day for his research on “Behavior Modification Plan,” guided by faculty mentor Jennifer Croyle