Research work pays off for graduate students at annual research forum
Thursday, April 9, 2015
MANHATTAN — Oral and poster presentations have earned 31 Kansas State University graduate students scholarships at the Graduate Student Council's 20th annual K-State Research Forum.
More than 90 graduate students participated in this year's event, which was March 31 at the K-State Student Union. They presented research being conducted in agricultural sciences, biological sciences, engineering, humanities and education, physical sciences and social sciences. The annual forum, open to graduate students in all disciplines, provides students with the opportunity to learn about research conducted by their peers in other disciplines and to build interdisciplinary collaborations. University faculty members judge and select up to three presenters to receive scholarship awards in each session.
"All the graduate students who presented did an excellent job in sharing their research with the K-State community," said Carol Shanklin, dean of the Graduate School. "The Research Forum provides the students an excellent professional development experience since it requires students to practice communicating complex scientific knowledge in a manner that can be understood by the general public, a critical skill for our graduates. I extend my congratulations to all who presented and those selected as winners. I also want to thank the members of the Graduate Research Forum Committee and Dr. Megan Miller for their contributions to the success of the event."
The forum is sponsored by the Graduate Student Council, the Graduate School, the university chapter of Sigma Xi and the offices of the president and provost.
The following graduate students earned honors at the forum:
Analena Manbeck, master's student in grain science, Barnard, second place in agricultural sciences oral presentation session two; Trenton Colburn, master's student in kinesiology, Belleville, first place in biological sciences poster session; Jacob Reeves, master's student in horticulture, Clay Center, second place in agricultural sciences poster session; Lance Noll, doctoral student in veterinary pathobiology, Greensburg, first place in biological sciences oral presentation session; Emilee Morris, master's student in family studies and human services-early childhood education, Hutchinson, third place in social sciences, humanities and physical sciences poster session.
From Manhattan: Erika Smith, doctoral student in family studies and human services-marriage and family therapy, first place in social sciences, humanities and education poster session one; and Sarah Alzahrani, doctoral student in apparel and textiles, second place in social sciences, humanities and education poster session one.
From out of state:
Corin White, doctoral student in biology, Santa Clara, California, first place in interdisciplinary oral presentation session; Tammi Paolilli, master's student in kinesiology, Lone Tree, Colorado, second place in social sciences, humanities and education poster session two; Curtis Maughan, doctoral student in human nutrition, Lake Mary, Florida, first place in social sciences, humanities and education poster session two; Kathleen Sellens, doctoral student in chemistry, Belleville, Illinois, first place in engineering, mathematics, and physical sciences oral presentation session one.
From Iowa: Taylor Wadian, doctoral student in psychology, Fayette, second place in social sciences, humanities and education oral presentation session one; Ryan Schmid, doctoral student in entomology, Kingsley, first place in agricultural sciences oral presentation session two; and Evan Alderman, master's student in horticulture, Waterloo, third place in agricultural sciences oral presentation session one.
Catherine Lynch, master's student in human nutrition, Maple Grove, Minnesota, third place in social sciences, humanities and education poster session two; Lauren Reiter, doctoral student in apparel and textiles, Springfield, Missouri, second place in social sciences, humanities and education oral presentation two; Kimberly O'Keefe, doctoral student in biology, Manahawkin, New Jersey, second place in agricultural sciences oral presentation session one.
From Texas: Shelly Wiggam, doctoral student in entomology, Burleson, first place agricultural sciences oral presentation session one; and Chelsea Dixon, doctoral student in biological and agricultural engineering, San Antonio, first place in engineering, mathematics and physical sciences poster session.
Benjamin Voelz, doctoral student in animal science, Leopolis, Wisconsin, third place in biological sciences oral presentation session.
From out of country:
Damien Downes, doctoral student in genetics, Australia, first place in interdisciplinary poster session; Md. Imranul Islam, doctoral student in apparel and textiles, Bangladesh, first place in social sciences, humanities and education oral presentation session two; Jules Yimga, doctoral student in economics, Cameroon, third place in social sciences, humanities and education oral presentation session two; Chen Peng, doctoral student in microbiology, China, second place in biological sciences oral presentation session; Nana Baah Appiah-Nkansah, doctoral student in biological and agricultural engineering, Ghana, first place in engineering, mathematics and physical sciences oral presentation session two; Trias Mahmudiono, doctoral student in human nutrition, Indonesia, first place in social sciences, humanities and education oral presentation session one; Ammar Bhandari, doctoral student in agronomy, Nepal, first place in agricultural sciences poster session; Nicoleta Ploscariu, doctoral student in physics, Lasi, Romani, second place in engineering, mathematics and physical sciences poster session; and Pavithra Pitumpe Arachchige, doctoral student in agronomy, second place in interdisciplinary poster session, Amendra Fernando Hewa Dewage, doctoral student in chemistry, second place in engineering, mathematics and physical sciences oral presentation session one, and Dilooshi Weerasooriya, doctoral student in agronomy, second place in interdisciplinary oral presentation session, all from Sri Lanka.
