IU Columbus students to present projects at research exhibition

The IU Columbus Office of Student Research (OSR) will hold its 14th annual student research exhibition on April 16 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Columbus Learning Center Commons, 4555 Central Ave. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

The exhibition will feature 15 projects from 20 students and 16 faculty members, which each received up to a $1,000 OSR grant. Grants were awarded after students submitted project proposals and passed a vetting process by a review committee.

The projects are meant to help prepare students in their continuing studies and professional endeavors, as well as build meaningful relationships with their professors.

After the exhibition, each student will be honored at the IU Columbus annual Honors Convocation. In addition, five of the OSR students will be considered for the first ever OSR Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Belonging (DEIJB) Award. The winner, which will be announced on the IU Columbus Newsroom the day of the exhibition, will receive a framed certificate and $100.

The 2024 Office of Student Research projects are:

• “Creative Approaches in Counseling Asian Americans” – Amanda Aired, of Columbus, and Debolina Ghosh, Ph.D.
• “‘This literature is not pushing any beliefs on anyone’: Pre-Service Teachers Lean on ‘Knowledge’ as a Contributing Factor for Including LGBTQ+ Children’s Literature in K-6 Classrooms” – Sophie Barrett, of North Vernon, and A’ame Joslin, Ph.D.
• “VRetail: Bridging the Gap between Target and Amazon Go in the Metaverse” – David Blankman, of Greenfield, Benjamin Fricke, Jackie Mouser, Angie Guzman Presenda, and Sydni Young, of Columbus, and Jason Stratton, of Nashville, and Kevin Jones, Ed.D.
• “Using Chitin to 3D Print” – Molly Brands, of Greensburg, and James Mendez, Ph.D.
• “Relationships Throughout Life” – Jazmine Castillo, of Shelbyville, and Kimdy Le, Ph.D.
• “Stitching the Narrative: Domestic Craft as a Rebellion against Domestic Abuse” – Nevie Henderson, of Seymour, and Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, Ph.D.
• “Josephine’s Clinic Fundraiser for Survivors of Human Trafficking and Violence” – Sierra Huffman, of Greensburg, and Scott Desmond, Ph.D.
• “Opioid Destruction and its Economic Effects in the United States” – Siddhant Jain, of Columbus, and Ryan Brewer, Ph.D.
• “The Effects of Vitamin E Supplementation In-Vitro on Intracellular Peroxide Levels and Average Life-Span of HepG2 Cells” – Bryce Malan, of Freetown, Sharon Bloch, Ph.D., and Barbara Hass Jacobus, Ph.D.
• “The Effects of Guided Meditation on Teaching Stress and Burnout Levels” – Rachel Rucker, of Franklin, and Elizabeth daSilva, Ph.D.
• “What Are the Legal Rights and Responsibilities Surrounding Teachers’ Religious Expression in the Classroom?” – Kaitlyn Sprague, of Columbus, and Stephanie Serriere, Ph.D.
• “Inquiry into English Teacher Professionalism” – Kirsten Van Winkle, of Nineveh, and Laura Liu, Ph.D.
• “Investment Options for Individuals” – Armahn Vedadi, of Columbus, and William Haeberle.
• “Additive Manufacturing of Wind Turbine Blades Using Continuous Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites for Enhanced Performance” – Brooks Wathen, of DuPont, and Mohammed Noor-A-Alam, Ph.D.
• “Recruiting a Workforce in a New Industry: Where SpaceX and Blue Origin Found Their Leadership Team” – Coltin Wetzel, of Seymour, and Jon Padfield, Ph.D.

For more information, visit iupuc.edu/osr, or contact Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick at 812-348-7270 or [email protected].