Held in conjunction with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration, the 2022 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, the College of Social Science, the College of Natural Science, James Madison College, the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, the MSU Libraries, and the Undergraduate Research Office.
Poster Presentations
1st Prize for $700
Olivia LeBlanc for “Suicide Thoughts and Plans of Adolescents Experiencing Major Depressive Spells.” LeBlanc is a first-year student majoring in Actuarial Science. LeBlanc’s research mentor is Dr. James Anthony.
2nd Prize for $500
Hady Omar for “Understanding the Impact of the Drew Science Scholars Program.” Omar is an Honors College second-year student majoring in Human Biology. Omar’s research mentors are Dr. Vashti Sawtelle and Dr. Rachel Henderson.
3rd Prize for $300
Terra Dunn and Megan Wertz for “Mental Health Services for Transgender Clients: Responding to Sociopolitical Events and Helpful/Unhelpful Experiences.” Dunn is a senior majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology and Wertz is a third-year student double-majoring in Psychology & Anthropology. Their research mentor is Dr. Jae Puckett.
Oral Presentations
1st Prize for $700
Mariam Sayed for “ Fostering Societal Transformations in Neurodivergent Populations.” Sayed is a senior student double-majoring in Psychology and French. Sayed’s research mentor is Dr. Laura Dilley.
2nd Prize for $500
Olivia Cannella for “The Impact of Inclusive Leadership on Employee’s Job satisfaction, Voice, Team-Member Exchange, and Commitment to Customer Service.” Cannella is a second-year student majoring in Hospitality Business. Cannella’s research mentor is Dr. Mi Ran Kim.
3rd Prize for $300
Eliot Haddad for “Increasing Healthcare and Research Accessibility for Geographically Dispersed and Medically Underserved Pediatric Populations through Remote Anthropometry.” Haddad is a senior Honors College student majoring in Human Biology. Haddad’s research mentor is Dr. Sarah Comstock.
Preliminary Research Award for Research in Progress for $300
Justin Crouch and Roxy Sprowl for “ Sins of Commission and Omission: Do Images in High School History Textbooks Reflect the Historical Diversity of the American People?” Crouch is a second-year student majoring in Psychology and Sprowl is a second-year majoring in Social Work. Their research mentors are Dr. John Waller and Dr. Melissa Fore.
Aylasia Steen for “ Evaluating the Effectiveness of Blind Recruitment: Minimizing Inequity in Job Candidacy?” Steen is a senior student majoring in Human Capital and Society. Steen’s research mentor is Dr. Stacy Hickox.
Outstanding Research Promise Award for $200
Miquela Ochoa and Olivia Cannella for “The Impact of Inclusive National Policy on Current Trends and Growth in the Hospitality Industry.” Ochoa is a third-year student and Cannella is a second-year student. Both are majoring in Hospitality Business and their research mentor is are Dr. Mi Ran Kim.
Zahra Ahmad for “Michigan County Police Policy Prevalence.” Ahmad is a third-year student majoring in Comparative Cultures and Politics and minoring in Global Public Health and Epidemiology. Their research mentor is Dr. Mieka Smart.
Deandrea White for “ Being Black and Abroad: How White Trip Leaders and White Peers Influence the Experiences of Black Undergraduate Women Abroad.” White is a senior student majoring in Social Relations & Policy and Criminal Justice and their research mentors are Dr. Heather McCauley and Dr. John Waller.
Congratulations again to all presenters and award winners! Featured in this photo are some of our 2022 award winners and their research mentors.