Stan State Sending 10 Scholars to Statewide Student Research Competition

In all, 27 undergraduate and nine graduate students made academic presentations during the five sessions of the Stan State competition, with undergraduates Guadalupe Calvillo, Ka Chan, Mariah Gonsalez, Monica Gudino, Rebecca Rooker and Michelle Varni, as well as graduate students Jonathan Byron, Josephine Hazelton, Jacqueline Hollcraft and Leena Jamaleddin earning trips to the statewide event at Cal Poly on April 28-29.

“Our 10 Stan State delegates were selected by our faculty juries as demonstrating an exceptional level of scholarship, as well as excellence in their presentations,” said Matthew R. Cover, associate professor of ecology and interim director of the Center for Excellence in Graduate Education (CEGE).

“Our students will compete against hundreds of top student scholars from other CSU campuses for statewide recognition. Given the brilliance and hard work of our students, as well as the excellent mentorship and guidance provided by their outstanding faculty advisors, I am confident that our students will be successful at the statewide competition.”

Here is the list of the top three in each of the five sessions, along with the titles of their presentations and their faculty advisors.

31^st Annual Stan State Student Research Competition

Undergraduate Humanities & Social Science Session

1^st Place:  Michelle Varni (Eroticizing Entertainment: How Gai*Gun: Double Peace Affects the Female Image) - Dr. Daniel Horvath - Communication Studies.

2^nd Place:  Mariah Gonsalez (The Flames of War: A Critical Analysis of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s Recruitment Materials) - Dr. Michael Tumolo - Communication Studies

3^rd Place:  Michelle Velasquez and Kylee McMillian (Intrusive Thoughts and Health Problems: The Role of Anxiety and Worry) - Dr. Victor Luevano - Psychology

Undergraduate Arts & Humanities Session

1^st Place:  Rebecca Rooker (The Myth of Cleopatra: Shrewd Sovereign or Wanton Woman) - Dr. Katherine Royer - History

2^nd Place:  Monica Gudino (Feminine Fallout: The Horrors of Femaleness in the Post-Apocalyptic Genre) - Dr. Monica Flores - English

3^rd Place:  Mathew Lloyd (A Communist in My Family Tree) - Dr. Marjorie Sanchez-Walker - History

Undergraduate Natural Sciences Session

1^st Place:  Ka Chan (Synthesis of Suberedamine A) - Dr. Nhu-Y Stessman - Chemistry

2^nd Place:  Guadalupe Calvillo (Electrochemical Characterization of Free-Base Triphenylcorrole Reduced and Oxidized Tautomers) - Dr. Elvin Aleman - Chemistry

3^rd Place:  Krystle Sanders (The Physiological and Psychological Effects of a Pre-Exercise Amino Acid Supplement) - Dr. Jeff Bernard - Kinesiology

Graduate Arts & Humanities Session

1^st Place:  Jonathan Byron (The Catholicism of Poison in The Jew of Malta) - Dr. Anthony Perrello - English

2^nd Place:  Jacqueline Hollcraft (The Forbidden Fruit of The Duchess of Malfi)- Dr. Anthony Perrello - English

3^rd Place:  Leena Jamaleddin (Creating a Critical Edition of 19^th Century Nautical Melodramas) - Dr. Arnold Schmidt - English

Graduate Social Science Session

Master’s 1^st Place:  Josephine Hazelton (Public Administrators: Selective Hearing in Active Transportation Decision-Making) - Dr. Gerard Wellman - Public Administration

Doctoral 1^st Place:  Heather Muser (A Parent’s Dream Come True: A Study of Student Parents’ Academic Engagement in Higher Education) - Dr. Virginia Montero-Hernandez - Educational Leadership