Student work at Diversity Research Showcase spans disciplines across MSU

By Sloane Barlow

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Honors College hosted the 8th Annual Diversity Research Showcase on Friday, January 24 at the MSU Union. The Diversity Research Showcase (DRS) features an expansive range of university-wide student research focused on issues of diversity that advance inclusion.

This year included work from over 60 students across 12 of MSU’s degree-granting colleges. The event featured Honors College members and non-members across the university with topics such as analyzing barriers faced by Spanish speakers, impacts of technology on human rights, and effects of enculturation through music, among others.

Thanks to generous donations from program sponsors, monetary prizes from $150-$750 were awarded to the top presenters in the oral and poster categories.

“This multidisciplinary collaboration reflects the power of diverse perspectives to drive meaningful change and celebrates the innovative research happening across the university,” Honors College Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Erika Crews said in a previous release.

Students were recognized for their research at an awards ceremony and reception following the presentations.

Poster Presentations

Poster presenters shared their work online, and they also had the option to informally present their work at the MSU Union to attendees and judges.

Honors College student Domenic Cedillo stands in front of a research poster at the Diversity Research Showcase. Cedillo is glancing at the poster and gesturing.

Honors College student Jaida Gouldbourne stands in front of a research poster, speaking with an engaged Diversity Research Showcase attendee.

“It really gives me very active feedback on my project,” said fifth place awardee, Lowell Monis. Monis presented on diversity and its effect on government policy, a continuing research project he started his first year at MSU.

Monis also won the 2024 DRS Preliminary Research Award for the same project, featured in a previous release.

“To know that I won a second time means that I am on the right path,” he continued.

Monis will be submitting both his projects to the University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum, and plans to use the feedback from DRS judges to see how he can improve.

First Prize ($750)

Manasi Kulkarni

Assessing the Feasibility of Allied Professionals Delivering CBT for Pediatric Plan
Fourth-year student
Neuroscience
Lyman Briggs College
Research Mentor: Dr. Natoshia Cunningham

Ivana Khreizat

Assessing the Feasibility of Allied Professionals Delivering CBT for Pediatric Plan
Third-year student
Human Medicine
Lyman Briggs College
Research Mentor: Dr. Natoshia Cunningham

Second Prize ($600)

Haley Price

Early Intervention in Language and Service Access for English and Spanish-Speaking Caregivers of Children with Social Communication Delays
Second year student
Psychology
College of Social Science
Research Mentor: Dr. Brooke Ingersoll

Third Prize ($450)

Aaron Mallamad

Occurrence of Heart Conditions and Diabetes Across States with and without a History of Jim Crow Racial Segregation in Population Aged 50+
First-year student
Data Science
College of Natural Science, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Jim Anthony

Fourth Prize ($300)

Abigail Rodriguez

RCAH Sister Circle as a Third Space
Fourth-year student
Arts and Humanities, Political Science Pre-law
Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, College of Social Science, Honors College
Research Mentors: Dr. Tama Hamilton-Wray and Dr. Sitara Thobani

Alana Mapp

RCAH Sister Circle as a Third Space
Second-year student
Sociology and Interdisciplinary Studies
College of Social Science
Research Mentors: Dr. Tama Hamilton-Wray and Dr. Sitara Thobani

Kellsey Hall

RCAH Sister Circle as a Third Space
Second-year student
Arts and Humanities
Residential College in the Arts and Humanities
Research Mentors: Dr. Tama Hamilton-Wray and Dr. Sitara Thobani

Fifth Prize ($150) – Tie

Destiny Kanning

Rethinking Patient Education in Pediatric Emergency Department Overutilization
Fourth-year student
Human Biology, Korean Studies
College of Natural Science, College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Arts and Letters, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Tressa Gardner

Lowell Monis

Intersectionality in the Halls of Power: A Study of Diversity and its impact on Policy in the United States Congress and State Legislatures
Second-year student
Data Science, World Politics
College of Natural Science, College of Social Science, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Matt Grossmann

Oral Presentations

Students gave five-minute oral presentations of their research, with two minutes for questions.

A student in a burnt orange suit, blue collared shirt, and red tie stands at a wooden podium, gesturing to the audience at the 2025 Diversity Research Showcase.

Three students stand at the front of the room, in front of two large screens with research slides on them. One student is looking at the screen and pointing, while the other two look on. All of them are dressed in business attire at the 2025 Diversity Research Showcase.

“I felt like it was a recognition of all the effort and thought and time I spent into this research presentation,” said first place awardee Riley Starr. Starr presented her research on sex bias in the juvenile delinquency assessment system.

“Especially in this day and age, diversity, equity, and inclusion are more important than ever, and I think it shows the importance of the diversity research showcase,” she continued.

First Prize ($750)

Riley Starr

An In-depth Exploration on Sex Bias in Juvenile Delinquency Risk Assessment
Fourth-year student
Criminal Justice
College of Social Science, Honors College
Research Mentors: Dr. Caitlin Cavanaugh and Natasha Chlebuch

Second Prize ($600)

Ryan Longo

Redlined Lunch Rooms
Fourth-year student
Social Relations and Policy, Economics
James Madison College, College of Social Science, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Florencia Rojo

Third Prize ($450) – Tie

Josie Danielkiewicz

Sexual Violence as a Method of Genocide in 1994 Rwanda and Its Aftermath
Fourth-year student
Political Science Pre-law
College of Social Science, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Michelle Moyd

Benjamin Nketsiah

Genetic Susceptibility to Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Among Women of West African Ancestry
Second-year student
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
College of Natural Science, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Evelyn Jiagge

Fourth Prize ($300) – Tie

Arden Henderson

Get to Know My Community: Community Driven Guidance for Future Transgender and Nonbinary Focused Research
Fifth-year student
Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science
College of Social Science
Research Mentor: Dr. Jae Puckett

Sumaiya Imad

Survivors to Leaders: Co-produced Models for Combating Human Trafficking
Second-year student
Economics
College of Social Science, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. John Waller

Anel Robinson

Women in Command: Exploring Female Political Representation in Zambia
Fourth-year student
Political Science, African American and African Studies
College of Social Science, College of Arts and Letters, Honors College
Research Mentors: Dr. Michael Wahman and Dr. John Waller

Sophia Zuber

Psychological Distress Profiles of Persons Living With HIV/AIDS, Male-Female Variations Stratified By Ethnic Self-Identification Subgroups
Second-year student
Human Biology
Lyman Briggs College, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Jim Anthony

Fifth Prize ($150) – Tie

Natalie Liliensiek

The Harlem Renaissance and the Madwoman in the Attic
Third-year student
English and Arabic
College of Arts and Letters, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Joshua Lam

Yigit Akan

Examining the Effects of Enculturation on Narratives and Interpretation of Music Excerpts
Second-year student
English Literature
College of Arts and Letters, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Natalie Phillips

Allison Doneth

Examining the Effects of Enculturation on Narratives and Interpretation of Music Excerpts
Third-year student
Neuroscience
Lyman Briggs College, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Natalie Phillips

Natalie Seitz

Examining the Effects of Enculturation on Narratives and Interpretation of Music Excerpts
Third-year student
Neuroscience
Lyman Briggs College
Research Mentor: Dr. Natalie Phillips

Honorable Mentions

Abigail Brooks

Redefining Accessibility in Museum Spaces: Methodologies and Practices for a More Inclusive Future
Second-year student
English and Humanities Pre-law
College of Arts and Letters
Research Mentor: Dr. Natalie Phillips

Brayden Chrisman

Redefining Accessibility in Museum Spaces: Methodologies and Practices for a More Inclusive Future
Second-year student
English Secondary Education
College of Arts and Letters, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Natalie Phillips

Lorraine Inman

Redefining Accessibility in Museum Spaces: Methodologies and Practices for a More Inclusive Future
Second-year student
Games and Interactive Media, English
Communication Arts and Sciences, College of Arts and Letters, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Natalie Phillips

Jaida Gouldbourne

An Analysis of the Enslaved Population of Amity Hall Plantation, Jamaica in 1820
Third-year student
Criminal Justice
College of Social Science, Honors College
Research Mentors: Dr. Walter Hawthorne and Dr. John Waller

Sereyroath (Ventong) Ya

Workplace Gaslighting and Employee Reactions
Third-year student
Psychology
College of Social Science
Research Mentor: Dr. Quinetta Roberson

A full album from the event is available here. Those who wish to support next year’s Diversity Research Showcase are invited to contact Erika Crews at ecrews@msu.edu.