WILMINGTON — The presence of dozens of students displaying their research via posters and other presentation media Saturday transformed the normally athletics-oriented Fred Raizk Arena in Hermann Court into a strictly academic setting at Wilmington College’s 10th Annual Student Research Forum.
The research projects spanned across academic disciplines as faculty, staff and students took time out from the weekend prior to the start of final exams to peruse the presentations and learn first-hand from student researchers.
Dr. Erika Goodwin, chief of staff and professor of athletic training, is a champion for the student research experience, which “really puts the College’s ‘hands-on learning’ into practice.”
“Doing research projects and disseminating their findings helps students close the loop on their entire academic experience in college,” she added. “Presenting helps students build those critical soft skills that are often lacking in the young professional: critical thinking, polished oral and written communication skills, collaboration and professionalism.”
Goodwin added it’s a valuable experience even if students may not want to — or have to — ever do a research project again. “That’s OK because it’s more important to me that they see the value and need of it, and appreciate the work that others do to develop the knowledge base in their respective fields.”
Special “Best in Class” awards went to: Agriculture – Sarah Gigandet and faculty co-authors Dr. Chad McKay and Dr. Daryl Nash, “Assessing Growth Rates of Assisted vs. Unassisted Lamb Births”; Biology – Julio Olivarez, “Allelopathic inhibition of Lonicera maackii roots and stems”; Business – Ethan McConnaughey, Trey Turner and Jake Christman, “Quaker Cupboard Marketing Research Project”; Communication Arts – Layne Frederick, “The Medium is the Message: How Typefaces Influence Communication”; Humanities – Mikaela Prescott, ” Kirk and Colonization: Star Trek and the Laurels of Eurocentrism”; Social Sciences – Ariana Riccardi, “Commander-In-Tweet: Examining Voters’ Perceptions of 2020 Presidential Candidates’ Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Posts”; and Sport Sciences – Brandon McCammon and faculty co-authors Dr. Erika Goodwin and Jennifer Walker, “Athletic Training Alumni Perceptions on Levels of Preparedness for the BOC Examination, Athletic Training Profession and Graduate Studies.”
The winner for Best Faculty/Student Collaboration went to Alora Pratt and her faculty co-author, Dr. Amanda Rollins, “Self-medication behavior in Drosophila melanogaster upon seeing Leptopilina heterotoma,” while President Trevor Bates presented the President’s Choice Award to Mikaela Prescott for her research project, “Kirk and Colonization: Star Trek and the Laurels of Eurocentrism.”
