2023 Top Scholars and Finalists

Undergraduate Research Conference

View the 2023 Undergraduate Research Conference presentations in Scholarworks.

Nelson Rusche College of Business

Top Scholar

Samantha Hall and Tanzi Stafford
"What is Causing the Decline in Enrollment Rates at Stephen F. Austin State University"
Faculty sponsor: Wenjing Li, Department of Management and Marketing
video presentation

Finalists

  • Alexandria McAdams, Tristan Rea, Walker Ridgeway and Tanzi Stafford
    "The Perception and Stigma of OnlyFans and Its Users"
    Faculty sponsors: Wenjing Li and Pamela Rogers, Department of Management and Marketing
    poster
     
  • Salma Ben-Salah
    "What Are The Leading Causes of Death in Texas in 2021?"
    Faculty sponsor: Rebecca Davis, Department of Economics and Finance
    poster
     
  • Elena Bleicher, Jennifer Loredo and Valerie Routzong
    "Leading Causes of Death in Texas for 2021"
    Faculty sponsor: Rebecca Davis, Department of Economics and Finance
    poster
     
  • Bacem Ben Daly
    "Effects of Elon Musk's Opinion Leadership on Cryptocurrency via Social Networks with Twitter"
    Faculty sponsor: Jamie Humphries, Department of Business Communication and Legal Studies
     
  • Sera Do
    "What Determines Grades for K-12 Students?"
    Faculty sponsor: Beverly Mendoza, Department of Economics and Finance
    poster
     
  • Madison Frost and Jada Sanford
    "SFA AARC Research"
    Faculty sponsors: Wenjing Li and Pamela Rogers, Department of Management and Marketing
    poster
     
  • David Gonzalez and Madilyn Williams
    "SFA Parking"
    Faculty sponsor: Wenjing Li, Department of Management and Marketing
    poster
     
  • Ngoc Hoang
    "A Comparison of Investing Strategies for Individual Investors"
    Faculty sponsor: Emiliano Giudici, Department of Economics and Finance
    poster
     
  • Tristan Rea
    "The Effect of Competitors on Lululemon’s Customer Attraction & Retention"
    Faculty sponsor: Wenjing Li, Department of Management and Marketing
    poster

James I. Perkins College of Education

Top Scholar

Leroy Bolden
"The Influence of Different Modes of TABATA on Post-Exercise Metabolic Recovery"
Faculty sponsor: James Rowe, Jr., Department of Kinesiology and Health Science
video presentation

Finalists

  • Amanda Albright
    "How Registered Dietitians Can Prevent Foodborne Illness in Long Term Care Facilities"
    Faculty sponsor: Todd Barrios, School of Human Sciences
    poster
     
  • Cathryn Davis, Terra Newsom and Skylar Perry
    "Study Away with SFA: The Opportunity for Accessible Cross Cultural Learning"
    Faculty sponsors: Susan Reily and Sarah Straub, Department of Education Studies
    poster
     
  • Callie Dunkerson
    "Baking without Gluten: Maximizing Nutrition without Compromising Appeal"
    Faculty sponsor:  Sarah Drake, School of Human Sciences
    poster
     
  • Brittany Falco
    "Professional Development as an Opportunity to Enhance Your Praxis"
    Faculty sponsor: Sarah Straub, Department of Education Studies
    poster
     
  • Harley Lewis
    "Applying Adolescent Learning Theory to Focus Learner Interviews"
    Faculty sponsor: Sarah Straub, Department of Education Studies
    poster
     
  • Ayanna Monderoy
    "The Supply Crisis"
    Faculty sponsor: Christina Pigg, Department of Education Studies
     
  • Michele Morgan
    "Drones as a Teaching Instrument in the Social Studies Classroom"
    Faculty sponsor: Sarah Straub, Department of Education Studies
    poster
     
  • Brooke Pulliam
    "Building Valuable Connections in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry"
    Faculty sponsor: Gina Fe G. Causin, School of Human Sciences
    poster

Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts

Top Scholar

Holly S. Gibson
"Reflections: A Dancer's Self Image in Modern America"
Faculty sponsor: Heather Samuelson, School of Theatre and Dance
video presentation

Finalists

  • Maige Anderson
    "Wearing History and The House That Will Not Stand"
    Faculty sponsor: Angela Bacarisse, School of Theatre and Dance
    poster
     
  • Megan Bynum
    "Take Your Time"
    Faculty sponsor: Eden Collins, School of Art
    poster
     
  • Joelie Gentry
    "Let's Build 3D Art - Creating Lesson Plans for K-12 Art Teachers"
    Faculty sponsor: Lauren Selden, School of Art
    poster
     
  • Emily Gilbert
    "Victorian Lady"
    Faculty sponsor: Eden Collins, School of Art
    poster
     
  • Madyson Hill
    "AAF Student Conference Graphic Design"
    Faculty sponsor: Peter Andrew, School of Art
    poster
     
  • Danielle Holcomb
    "Lighting Design Concept Work for the play The House That Will Not Stand"
    Faculty sponsor: Angela Bacarisse, School of Theatre and Dance
    poster
     
  • Gene Scarborough
    "Writing and Illustrating a Graphic Novel"
    Faculty sponsor: Lindsey Creel, School of Art
    poster
     
  • Danielle Wooden
    "Shedding Some Light on The House That Will Not Stand"
    Faculty sponsor: Angela Bacarisse, School of Theatre and Dance
    poster

Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture

Top Scholar

Veda Allen
"Comparative Calling Phenology of Anurans Across Geographic Gradients"
Faculty sponsors: Jessica Glasscock, Christopher Schalk and Tatiana Suarez-Joaqui, Forestry
video link

Finalists

  • Veda Allen and Abby Buckner
    "Use of Drones in Wildlife Detection"
    Faculty sponsors: I-Kuai Hung, David Kulhavy, Daniel Unger and Yanli Zhang, Forestry
     
  • Neysa Benavides, Cody McKinney, Kat Springer and Robin Yarman
    "Using Macro Lichen in Major Texas Cities as Bioindicators of SO2"
    Faculty sponsor: Sheryll Jerez, Division of Environmental Science
     
  • Brystal Beyer, Garrett Hacker, Zach Palmer, Alayna Wagner and Quinn Whidden
    "Effectiveness of Sansevieria Plants to Purify the VOCs in Air Caused by the Use of Febreze and Diffuser Contaminants"
    Faculty sponsor: Sheryll Jerez, Division of Environmental Science
    poster
     
  • Elicia Bilyeu and Kolby Perrin
    "Populations and Conservation Status of Bumble Bees in East Texas with Emphasis on the American Bumble bee, Bombus pensylvanicus"
    Faculty sponsors: Daniel Bennett, Department of Biology; Reuber Antoniazzi and David Kulhavy, Forestry
     
  • Alyson Bowman and Brooke Mitcham
    "Heart Rate Variability While Teaching"
    Faculty sponsor: Candis Carraway, Department of Agriculture
     
  • Reyna Burns, Remigio Casanova, Cari Mitchell, Caroline Moore and Kaylee Zirlott
    "Air Pollutants around an Animal Feed Processing Facility in Nacogdoches, TX: A Study on Their Effect on Local Outdoor Air Quality"
    Faculty sponsor: Sheryll Jerez, Division of Environmental Science
    poster
     
  • Clayton Sargent, Joe Sinz and Kat Springer
    "Drone Use and Emergency Management"
    Faculty sponsor: David Kulhavy, Forestry
     
  • Claire Teltschik
    "The Comparison of Erosion and Growth of The La Nana Creek in Nacogdoches, TX"
    Faculty sponsor: David Kulhavy, Forestry
     
  • Jessica Wetz
    "Evaluation of Stratified Media for Growing Bedding Plants"
    Faculty sponsor: Michael Maurer, Division of Environmental Science

College of Liberal and Applied Arts

Top Scholar

Sabine Welsh
"Why the Real Housewives Franchise is a Positive Learning Tool for Women"
Faculty sponsor: Cassandra Hayes, Department of Mass Communication
video presentation

Finalists

  • Tristen Alvarez, Keren Fuentes-Marin, Matilyn Liles, Kate Mares and Val Modisette
    "Substance Misuse Intervention Proposal for Harrison County"
    Faculty sponsor: Christina Collins, School of Social Work
    poster
     
  • Tristan X. Bonilla
    "Type 1 Diabetes Education and Familial Connections – Bonds Beyond Appearance"
    Faculty sponsor: Karol Chandler-Ezell, Department of Anthropology, Geography and Sociology
    poster
     
  • Sarah Cisco
    "The Great Gatsby Graphic Novel’s Illustrator Aya Morton’s Admiration of Vincent Van Gogh and Company"
    Faculty sponsor: Michael Martin, Department of English and Creative Writing
    poster
     
  • Jason Gregg
    "Online Advocacy for #AbilityStrongFest 2022"
    Faculty sponsor: James Morris, School of Social Work
     
  • Victoria Hoover
    "In Defense of Imperfect Solutions"
    Faculty sponsor: Anne Smith, Department of Languages, Cultures and Communication
    poster
     
  • Nicolas Martinez and Gavin Winders
    "KNG Furniture: Social Media Strategic Plan"
    Faculty sponsor: Ghanem Elhersh, Department of Mass Communication
    poster
     
  • Emily Morrison
    "Una Mente Poseida por Demonios: Francisco Goya y su Guerra Interna (A Mind Possessed by Demons: Francisco Goya and his Internal War)"
    Faculty sponsor: Mario Morera Jimenez, Department of Languages, Cultures and Communication
     
  • Madeline Wheeler
    "The Brotherhood in the Pineywoods"
    Faculty sponsor: Perky Beisel, Department of History
    poster
     
  • Kaitlyn Whitsett
    "Public Thoughts on Government: Political Participation v. Government Institutions"
    Faculty sponsor: Lee Payne, Department of Government
    poster

College of Sciences and Mathematics

Top Scholar

Madison Kelsey
"Mixed Reality Real Time Closed Captions System"
Faculty sponsor: Jeremy James Becnel, Department of Computer Science
video presentation

Finalists

  • Sadie Atkins and Holly S. Gibson
    "Beer We Go! A Study of Carbonated and Nitrogenated Beers"
    Faculty sponsor: Alyx Frantzen, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
    poster
     
  • Anthony M. Broom and Gary Lopez
    "Detection of Carbamazepine, Diclofenac, and Ketoprofen Via a SPE-HPLC-PDA Method in a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant in East Texas, USA"
    Faculty sponsor: Kefa Onchoke, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
    poster
     
  • Caroline Crisp
    "The Red River Pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis), a Texas Threatened Fish Species: Population Changes Associated with Habitat Alteration in Segments of the Brazos River, Texas"
    Faculty sponsor: Carmen Montana Schalk, Department of Biology
     
  • Cole B. Easley and Grace Thornhill
    "Computer Modeling of the Interaction Between CeRme-8 J Domain Region and CeHsp70-1"
    Faculty sponsor: Odutayo Odunuga, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
    poster
     
  • Brock Gascon, Ravyn Solis and Angel Torres
    "Functional Fluorescent Silver Nanoclusters on Single Stranded DNA Scaffolds"
    Faculty sponsor: Bidisha Sengupta, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
    poster
     
  • Madalyn Howard
    "Atomistic Molecular Dynamic Simulation of the Hyperphosphorylation of the TAU Protein"
    Faculty sponsor: Brian Barngrover, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
     
  • Brennen Leidy
    "Carbonate Microfacies of the Middle to Upper Pennsylvanian Cache Creek Group at Meadow Lake, British Columbia, Canada"
    Faculty sponsor: Mike Read, Department of Geology
    poster
     
  • Allison Swaim
    "Bomb Calorimetry as a Method for Determining Cation-Exchange Capacity of Smectite Clays"
    Faculty sponsor: Alyx Frantzen, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
    poster
     
  • Eli Torrez
    "Coexistence of Three Stream Dwelling Cyprinid Fishes: Implications for Conservation of Urban Streams in East Texas"
    Faculty sponsor: Carmen Montana Schalk, Department of Biology
    poster

Regional Colleges

Top Scholar

Matthew Smith
"Men's Mental Health: A Comparative Analysis of Stigmas against Seeking Help"
Faculty sponsor: Andrea Hathcote, Tyler Junior College
video presentation

Finalists

  • Kiley Daniel
    "Sports Injury Prevention Programs"
    Faculty sponsor: Andrea Hathcote, Tyler Junior College
     
  • Emma Dorman
    "Reading Comprehension: Technology and Age in Reading"
    Faculty sponsor: Andrea Hathcote, Tyler Junior College
     
  • Fernando Rosales
    "Obscure Oddities: A Dive into the Furry Fandom Stereotype"
    Faculty sponsor: Andrea Hathcote, Tyler Junior College
     
  • Austin Reed
    "Neo-Calvinist Principle Application to Apartheid Era South Africa"
    Faculty sponsor: Andrea Hathcote, Tyler Junior College
     
  • Chase Russell
    "Is Nuclear Energy Impacted by Cancel Culture?"
    Faculty sponsor: Andrea Hathcote, Tyler Junior College
     
  • Liviya Simmons
    "Music's First Impression: Exploring the Influence of Background Music on Media Interpretation"
    Faculty sponsor: Andrea Hathcote, Tyler Junior College
     
  • Kate Smith
    "Impacts of Spirituality Upon Marriage: A Quantitative Study of Religious Activities in Marriage"
    Faculty sponsor: Andrea Hathcote, Tyler Junior College