Last week, the University of Arkansas sent nine students to the state Capitol to showcase their research at the STEM Posters at the AR Capitol event. As one of 13 institutions represented, the U of A sent its largest group of students ever accepted to present at the Capitol Rotunda.

The event, modeled after the Posters on the Hill initiative at the U.S. Capitol, provides students with the opportunity to present their research to peers, educators and elected officials.

“We are immensely proud of our nine students who presented their STEM posters at the Capitol, demonstrating the depth and significance of undergraduate research,” said Jennie Popp, associate dean of the Honors College. “This event not only showcased the U of A’s commitment to research excellence but also gave students a valuable opportunity to discuss the real-world relevance of their work for Arkansans with Rep. Nicole Clowney and other state leaders.”

Back Row (left to right): Alex Van Horn, Thomas Needy, Jonathan Ivey, Ian Popp, Ann Bolding and Clara Pool; Front Row (left to right): Ahmed Tolba, Zander Putman and Madelyn Null

Clowney’s legislative district includes most of the University of Arkansas campus.

Research presented by students at the event included:

• Identification of Dysregulated E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Exhausted T Cells
  • Anna Bolding, honors biology
    • Brian Koss, faculty mentor
• Examining the Effects of Quercetin on Mes-enchymal Stem Cell Potency
  • Thomas Needy, honors biomedical engineering, Honors College Fellow
    • Rebekah Samsonraj, faculty mentor
• Separating Signal from Noise in Annotator Disagreement
  • Jonathan Ivey, honors data science, Bodenhamer Fellow
    • Susan Gauch, faculty mentor
• Pass Me a Beer and a Controller: College Students’ Alcohol Use While Playing Video Games with Friends
  • Zander Putman, psychology
  • Clara Pool, honors biology,
  • Madelyn Null, honors biology
    • Byron L. Zamboanga, faculty mentor
• RNA-guided Transcriptional Upregulation of Duchenne Muscular Disease Modifiers Using CRISPR-DREAM
  • Ian Popp, honors chemical engineering, Bodenhamer Fellow
    • Christopher Nelson, faculty mentor
• Nuclear Localization and Function of Endosomal Toll-like Receptor 8 Uncovered by a Proximity-Ligation Assay
  • Ahmed Tolba, honors biomedical engineering, Honors College Fellow
    • Ryan Allen, faculty mentor
• Development of a Physiological Histidine-Specific Pyrocarbonate Probe for Activity-Based Protein Profiling
  • Alex Van Horn, honors chemistry
    • Paul Adams, faculty mentor

About the Honors College: The University of Arkansas Honors College was established in 2002 and brings together high-achieving undergraduate students and the university’s top professors to share transformative learning experiences. Each year the Honors College awards up to 90 freshman fellowships that provide $80,000 over four years, and more than $1 million in undergraduate research and study abroad grants. The Honors College is nationally recognized for the high caliber of students it admits and graduates. Honors students enjoy small, in-depth classes, and programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students’ academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. All Honors College graduates have engaged in mentored research.  

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.