Ouachita students present research to state legislators at STEM Posters at the Capitol
May 09, 2017
- Katie SmithA group of 10 Ouachita Baptist University students and three faculty members participated
in the annual STEM Posters at the Capitol event held recently in Little Rock. They
were among 110 undergraduate students who presented at the event, which highlights
undergraduate research in natural sciences and math to elected state officials.
Dr. Detri Brech, professor of dietetics, as well as Dr. Nathan Reyna and Dr. Ruth
Plymale, associate professors of biology, accompanied the students, who presented
seven posters to high school students, other undergraduate students and professors,
the media and Arkansas government officials at the capitol in Little Rock. Fifteen
colleges and universities participated in the invitation-only event, and 70 posters
were presented.
Morgan Lynch, a sophomore biomedical sciences major from D’Hanis, Texas, (at left) and Kori Bullard, a senior biology major from Pearcy, Ark., (at right) presented “Investigating Neurite Differentiation and Cell Growth on Extracellular Matrices” at the recent Posters at the Capitol event in Little Rock.
Buzz Hardin, a senior biology major from Marion, Ark., and Jake Edmondson, a junior
biomedical sciences major from Benton, Ark., presented together on summer research
they conducted on intercellular communication with Dr. Reyna. Their research focused
on “isolating and sequencing the genetic information from exosomes treated with a
variety of growth factors,” Hardin said. Their poster was titled “RNA Sequence Analysis
of Exosome-Treated U87 Glioma Cells.”
“The experience was different from the normal routine of going to conferences and
presenting posters because of the high school students we got to present to,” Hardin
added. “I think that students at the high school level having the experience of seeing
how undergraduate students conduct and present this research is a good experience
for them that I was happy to be a part of.”
Lizzy Adams, a senior biology major from Conway, Ark.; Devin Price, a senior biology
major from Ruston, La.; and Lainey Weatherford, a senior biology major from Hot Springs,
Ark.; presented “Influence of Nutrient Limitation and Population Density on Antibiotic
Production,” research completed alongside Dr. Plymale. Their research focused on bacteria
resistance and how it is passed through animals.
“It was really cool to see how so many different projects overlapped, like one research
project started something and another went more in depth,” Adams said. “It was also
great to see how state officials made an effort to be there for their young constituents.”
Other Ouachita students who presented research included:
- Alex Bradley, a senior nutrition and dietetics major from Texarkana, Texas, and Laura Prince, a senior nutrition and dietetics major from Arkadelphia, Ark., presented “Analysis of Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs and Assessment of Children’s BMIs, BMI-for-Age Percentiles and BMI z-scores” as well as “Assessment of Body Mass Indices of Children Participating in a Nutrition and Physical Activity Program.”
- Amanda Brooks, a senior biology major from Little Elm, Texas, presented “Biodiversity in Biocubes.”
- Kesley Brown, a junior biomedical sciences major from Springdale, Ark.; Kori Bullard, a senior biology major from Pearcy, Ark.; and Morgan Lynch, a sophomore biomedical sciences major from D'Hanis, Texas; presented “Investigating Neurite Differentiation and Cell Growth on Extracellular Matrices.”
Each of these students was able to present their research on real-world problems to
influential people and had opportunities to further their presenting experience.
“Every time I present my research, I enjoy it and grow in confidence of my abilities
and my professionalism,” Adams noted. “I also loved learning so much from the other
presenters and hearing about their research. If I ever got a chance to continue this
research some day, I know I could expand more on my ideas with the help of the things
I learned during Posters on the Hill.”
For more information on the Posters on the Hill event, contact Dr. Tim Knight, dean
of the J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences at [email protected] or (870) 245-5582.
A portion of the research was funded by Arkansas-(NSF) EPSCoR. Track 1. Center for
Advanced Surface Engineering (CASE). Extracellular Matrix Team. Grant# IIA-1457888.
(2015-2020)
By Katie Smith
May 9, 2017
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