Announcements

Summer Research Programs Poster Session

Posted: 2026-07-28 08:46:58   Expiration: 2026-08-04 08:46:58

Join us Friday, July 31, 2026 from 10am-12pm in the Memorial Union Oceti Sakowin Ballroom for a poster session showcasing the research projects of high school and undergraduate students who participated in summer research programs at NDSU.

The program will begin with brief welcome remarks from Heidi Grunwald, PhD, Interim Vice President for Research and Creative Activity.

Posters ending in an odd number will present from 10am-11am; posters ending in an even number will present from 11am-12pm (noon).

Participating programs include:

  • Coatings and Polymeric Materials (CPM) Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)
  • Coatings and Polymeric Materials (CPM) Ukrainian Student Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (USURE)
  • Collaborations in Discipline-based Education Research (CiDER) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
  • Eshkabilov Lab, Agrimechatronics
  • Heidinger Lab, Biological Sciences
  • Klug Lab, Biological Sciences
  • PICNICS summer research program for high school students
  • Pollination Nation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
  • Qi Lab, Coatings and Polymeric Materials
  • Russavage Lab, Sugarbeet Research Unit, USDA-ARS
  • Sibi Lab, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Student projects are listed below by poster number.

  1. Maggie Gaunt, CiDER
    Physics Fumbles: You Almost Had It!
    Project Advisors: Jon C. Owen, Mila Kryjevskaia
  2. Angel Mochoge, CiDER
    Leading a Double Life: The Hidden Realities of Working STEM Students
    Project Advisor: Tara Slominski
  3. Serena Squires, CiDER
    Growth Mindset in STEM: The "Fix" to Fixed Courses
    Project Advisors: John B. Buncher, Danielle L J Condry, Jenni Momsen, Tara Slominski
  4. Ava Jenkins, CiDER
    The Successful Student: Optimizing Learning in Large Lectures
    Project Advisor: Maxx Kureczko
  5. Hannah Lee Wills, CiDER
    Chronicling Collaborative Learning in a Chem Class
    Project Advisor: James Nyachwaya
  6. Leonardo Venancio, CiDER
    The Paradigm of Genetics: Plastic or Permanent?
    Project Advisors: Daniel Ferguson, Jenni Momsen
  7. Abby Hebert, CiDER
    Two Subjects, One Language: A Textbook Analysis of Line Integrals
    Project Advisor: John B. Buncher
  8. Winifred M. Paine, CiDER
    See Yourself in Science: The Effect of a Molecular Biology Camp on High School Students
    Project Advisors: Jonathan J. Nguyen, Danielle L J Condry
  9. Alex Kang, CiDER
    Positive Being Right Isn't Always Right: Promoting Confidence in Applying Coordinate Systems in Physics
    Project Advisors: Idris Malik, Warren Christensen
  10. Nadia Otterstetter, CiDER
    "Are you sure?" A qualitative exploration of student social metacognition in groups considering knowledge and comprehension level questions
    Project Advisors: Emily L. Hackerson, Jade Vipond, Tara Slominski, Jenni Momsen
  11. Stella Strong, Sibi Lab
    Synthesis of Warfarin Analogs
    Project Advisors: Rebecca L. Huss, Mukund Sibi
  12. Ryan Cross, Sibi Lab
    Acyl Thiazoles: Novel Substrates for Asymmetric Friedel-Crafts Alkylation
    Project Advisors: Rebecca L. Huss, Anna C. Renner, Mukund Sibi
  13. Brooklyn Fortier, Sibi Lab
    P, N Ligands: Synthesis and Catalytic Applications
    Project Advisors: Kajal Somani, Mukund Sibi
  14. Gowri Pillai, PICNICS
    Efficient Synthesis of Enones for Conjugate Addition
    Project Advisors: Stella Strong, Rebecca L. Huss, Mukund Sibi
  15. Alexis Scheid, PICNICS
    Light-Driven C-C Bond-Forming Reactions of Thiazole Derivatives
    Project Advisors: Giovanna Fuentes, Anna C. Renner, Mukund Sibi
  16. Josephine Nelson, PICNICS
    The Synthesis of Ce/Zr MOF and its Stability in Various Solvents
    Project Advisors: Anna Miroshnychenko, Xiaoning Qi
  17. Subina Samat, PICNICS
    Investigating Anti-Estrogen Therapy in Ovarian Cancer
    Project Advisors: Jacob Schepp, Bappaditya Chandra
  18. Kevin Xia, PICNICS
    Design of Experiments and Machine Learning for Optimization of DIW-Printed PVDF Composite Coatings
    Project Advisors: Julia Scully, Eugene Caldona
  19. Jannie Yang, PICNICS
    From Molecular Structure to Biological Activity: A Computational Study of Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
    Project Advisors: Rahil Ashtari Mahini, Bakhtiyor Rasulev
  20. Connor Gallagher, PICNICS
    Computational Design and Experimental Evaluation of COPZ1-Targeting Ligands
    Project Advisors: Gizele Celante, Raquel Possemozer, Roberto Gomes
  21. Meehang Rai, PICNICS
    Synthesis of Fluorinated and Biobased Benzoxazines
    Project Advisors: Ian Deniell Magsino, Eugene Caldona
  22. Sev Caldona, PICNICS
    Toward Structure-Compostability Relationships in Bio-Based Monomers
    Project Advisors: Ayda Dadras, Mariia Usiichuk, Andriy Voronov
  23. Ray Qi and Shemonti Noor, PICNICS / Mathew Lab
    Integrin agonists promote recovery from acute kidney injury
    Project Advisors: Md Shafiqul Islam Sovon, Sijo Mathew
  24. Luke Bourdeaux, Eshkabilov Lab
    Performance Comparison Between Biofuel and Diesel
    Project Advisor: Sulaymon Eshkabilov
  25. Joanna Daniella Fajardo, Eshkabilov Lab
    Beehive Monitoring using Wireless Sensor Network
    Project Advisor: Sulaymon Eshkabilov
  26. Artin Sadeghi, Eshkabilov Lab
    Water Nutrient Monitoring Throughout the Hydroponic Lettuce Growth Period
    Project Advisor: Sulaymon Eshkabilov
  27. Jewel Woodcock, Eshkabilov Lab
    Bee-comb Image-based Analytics using Machine Learning Modelling
    Project Advisor: Sulaymon Eshkabilov
  28. Tyan Nordstrom, Eshkabilov Lab
    Detecting Honeybee Stress Response to Vibration via Laser Vibrometer
    Project Advisor: Sulaymon Eshkabilov
  29. Alexis Spencer, CPM SURE
    From Molecular Structure to Anticancer Potency: QSAR Modeling for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
    Project Advisor: Amirreza Daghighi
  30. Destiny Faithful Akinode, CPM SURE
    Machine Learning Framework to Predict Enthalpy of Melting Temperature in NADES
    Project Advisor: Elham Shirvanihosseini
  31. Viktoriia Vlasenko, CPM USURE
    Is Elastic Modulus a Governing Factor in the Ice-Release Behavior of Bilayer Coatings?
    Project Advisors: David Boucher, Rana Rafiei Hashjin
  32. Yuliia Romaniuk, CPM USURE
    Nanoscale Characterization of Invertible Polymeric Micellar Assemblies Loaded with Oligomeric Cargo
    Project Advisor: Mariia Usiichuk
  33. Vladyslav Zhukov, CPM USURE
    Linking Polymer Network Structure, Viscoelasticity, and Adhesion in Silicone Elastomers for Fouling-Release Applications
    Project Advisor: Masoumeh Nazem Salimi
  34. Andrii Moldavchuk, CPM USURE
    Prediction of the melting temperature of natural deep eutectic solvents using a machine learning model based on mixture descriptors
    Project Advisor: Durbek Usmanov
  35. Gu Bu, Qi Lab
    An Investigation of Nanopatterned Silicon Oxycarbide Surfaces for Extreme Environments: Factors Influencing Surface Roughness and Work Function
    Project Advisors: Taehyun Kim, Xiaoning Qi
  36. Abigail Gardner, Pollination Nation
    Thermal Treatments for Parasitoid Mitigation in Megachile rotundata
    Project Advisor: Alex Torson
  37. Honora LaRock, Pollination Nation
    How does the abiotic environment affect Megachile rotundata and other pollinator activity in alfalfa fields?
    Project Advisors: Meredith Johnson, Josh Rinehart, Joseph Rinehart
  38. Jazayra Acosta, Pollination Nation
    Determining the developmental and physiological effects of sublethal heat on Manduca sexta.
    Project Advisors: Alex K. Humpherys, Julia H. Bowsher, Kendra J. Greenlee
  39. William Corey, Pollination Nation
    Insect and Floral Communities across three Fargo Parks Prairie Restoration Sites
    Project Advisors: Cameron Kolthoff, Julia Bowsher
  40. Larissa Bartholomew, Pollination Nation
    Effects of Age on Sperm Viability in Alfalfa Leafcutter Bees
    Project Advisors: Korie DeBardlabon, Arun Rajamohan, Kendra Greenlee
  41. Eric Lien, Pollination Nation
    Heat-Stress in Megachile rotundata
    Project Advisor: Alex Torson
  42. Jordan Hunnicutt, Pollination Nation
    Effects of diet quality and heat stress on Megachile rotundata
    Project Advisors: Arnel Lawrence, Joseph Rinehart, Julia Bowsher
  43. Hyla Erickson, Pollination Nation
    Salinity Tolerance Across Camelina Species
    Project Advisor: Jinita Sthapit
  44. Katherine McLeod, Pollination Nation
    Megachile rotundata Larval Development Time by Sex
    Project Advisors: Mehakpreet Kaur, Joseph Rinehart, Julia Bowsher
  45. Cade Benson, Pollination Nation
    Effects of Cryopreservation Cooling Rate on Painted Lady Butterfly Eusperm Bundle Morphology and Viability
    Project Advisor: Korie DeBardlabon, Arun Rajamohan, Kendra Greenlee
  46. Abdul Younis, Russavage Lab, USDA-ARS
    What's the Buzz About? Floral Volatile Organic Compounds and Pollinator Attraction in Chile Peppers
    Project Advisor: Emily Russavage
  47. Ellie DeBoer, Russavage Lab, USDA-ARS
    The Scent of a Pest: Using Pheromone Traps for Lygus Bug Control in Sugar Beets
    Project Advisor: Emily Russavage
  48. Linnea Hagestuen, Russavage Lab, USDA-ARS
    Unraveling Plant Chemical Language: How VOCs Shape Plant-Insect Interactions in Zucchini Squash
    Project Advisor: Emily Russavage
  49. Owen W. Lane, Klug Lab
    Revisiting Historical Population Estimates and Habitat Affiliations of Blackbirds (Icteridae) Breeding in North Dakota: 1967, 1981-82, 1990, and 2026
    Project Advisor: Page Klug
  50. Lauren Gunderson, Heidinger Lab
    The one where they leave the nest: House Sparrow fledging variation throughout the season
    Project Advisors: Rachel Bockrath, Britt Heidinger

 

-- NDSU Research and Creative Activity: Cassie Johnson