Held in conjunction with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration, the 2021 Annual Diversity Research Showcase featured oral and poster presentations from MSU undergraduate students and helped to provide students with the space to present their work, or work in progress, on issues of diversity that advance inclusion with peers, faculty, and staff. The event was made possible by sponsorship from the Honors College, Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, the MSU Libraries, and the Undergraduate Research Office.
Poster Presentations
1st Prize for $700
Aalayna Green for “Applied Experiential Feminist Applications in Experiential Education Courses.” Green is a senior majoring in Zoology. Green’s research mentor is Dr. Eleanor Louson.
2nd Prize for $500
Alanna de Sibour for “Parent Perceptions of Intimate Relationship Experiences of Adults within Intellectual Disabilities: Comparisons with Typically Developing Siblings.” De Sibour is an Honors College senior majoring in Human Biology. De Sibour’s research mentors are Sarah Douglas and Rebecca Kammes
3rd Prize for $300
Taylor Anderson, Terra Dunn, and Megan Wertz for “Reasons for Alcohol & Substance Use in TGD Populations.” The students are majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. Anderson and Dunn are seniors, while Wertz is a third-year student. Their research mentor is Dr. Jae Puckett.
Oral Presentations
1st Prize for $700
Eliot Haddad for “Increasing De Facto Research Participation Eligibility among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Mothers.” Haddad is a third-year Honors College student majoring in Human Biology. Haddad’s research mentors are Dr. Sarah Comstock and Dr. Nigel Paneth.
2nd Prize for $500
Tyler Castillo for “Fair Chance Reporting.” Castillo is a third-year student majoring in Journalism. Castillo’s research mentor is Joe Grimm.
3rd Prize for $300
Rachel Drobnak for “What Do We Lose When Unfettered Capitalism Meets Under-Utilized Species?” Drobnak is a second-year Honors College student majoring in Crop & Soil Science. Drobnak’s research mentor is Dr. Krista Isaacs.
Preliminary Research Award for Research in Progress for $300
Alissa Hakim for “Art Participation as Community Engagement.” Hakim is a first-year student majoring in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy. Hakim’s research mentor is Juan Javier Pescador.
Juhua Huang, Ky Chimrak, and Apichaya Thaneerat for “Why Won’t They Talk?” Huang is majoring in Mathematics, Chimrak is an Honors College Business-Admitted major, and Thaneerat is majoring in Geographic Information Science. The students are second-years and their research mentors are Dr. Cheryl Caesar and Dr. Joyce Meier.
Honorable Mention Award for $200
Crystal Bernard for “The Appetite for Cultural Epicenters: A Brixton Case Study on Gentrification.” Bernard is a third-year majoring in Social Relations Policy and International Relations and their research mentor is Dr. Louise Jezierski.
Xiaoqin Yan for “The Role of Age in the Acknowledgment of Employee’s Voice Behavior.” Yan is a fourth-year majoring in Psychology and their research mentors are Dr. Ann Marie Ryan and Jo Alanis.