U of A Students to Present Research at State Capitol

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Last week, students from the U of A traveled to the Arkansas State Capitol to present their research at STEM Posters at the Arkansas Capitol, joining undergraduate researchers from 13 colleges and universities across the state. The annual event, held in the Capitol Rotunda and modeled after the Posters on the Hill initiative at the U.S. Capitol, provides students an opportunity to discuss their work with peers, educators and elected officials while highlighting the impact of undergraduate research across Arkansas. 

Students from the College of Education and Health Professions, College of Engineering, the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Honors College attended the event, presenting research on topics that included pain tolerance, wild turkey calling behavior, cardiac disease modeling and other areas of scientific study.  

"We are immensely proud of our 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 state leaders." 

Research presented by U of A students included: 

• Viral Voices: TikTok as a Hub for Sexual Violence Awareness and Healing 
  Haley Person, honors public health 
  Shristi Bhochhibhoya, faculty mentor, Department of Health, Human Performance & Recreation 

• Quantitative Characterization of Cellulose Dissolution in Ionic Liquids and Subsequent Biomimetic Applications 
  Pierre Simonian, honors biomedical engineering 
  Jeffrey Alston, faculty mentor, Department of Nanoengineering 

• Recapitulating Cardiometabolic Pathology: Nutritional Stress and Fibroblast Dynamics in 3-Dimensional Cardiac Models 
  Fatima Nazif, biomedical engineering 
  Rushita Bagchi, faculty mentor, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 

• Effect of Land Cover on Arkansas Eastern Wild Turkey Calling Phenology 
  Trevor Duke, honors biology 
  Caleb Roberts, faculty mentor, Department of Biological Sciences 

• A Probabilistic Approach to Multiscale Simulation: Evaluating Machine-Learned Backmapping Models of Diphenylalanine 
  Sage Paschall, honors chemical engineering 
  Jacob Monroe, faculty mentor, Department of Chemical Engineering 

• The Impact of Marginal Iron Depletion on Mitochondrial Function and Energy Metabolism 
  Charlee Scruggs, honors biology 
  Joanna Fiddler, faculty mentor, Department of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences 

• Expectation of Pain: Effects on Threshold, Tolerance and Perception of Pain 
  Emma Paulus, honors electrical engineering 
  Aidan Donoho, honors electrical engineering 
  Jenn Campbell, faculty mentor, Department of Mechanical Engineering 

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.