Skip to content Skip to main navigation Report an accessibility issue

2017 Event

2017 Event Results

2017 Abstract Book link

EURēCA 2017 Program link

The 21st Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement (EURēCA) took place April 17-21, 2017 in Hodges Library. Students from across the university entered their undergraduate research, senior design projects, clinical projects, and creative achievements for judging. Over 450 students presented 333 projects. 99 projects received recognition at the EURēCA Awards night.

Each undergraduate college selects and awards their top students. College awards ranged from first place to honorable mention. The top students in each area received ORE Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards for Undergraduate Research funded by the Office of Research and Engagement. These awards are presented across research areas and highlight the best of the best in undergraduate research and creative achievement on our campus. In nine categories, students were awarded 17 gold, 15 silver and 10 bronze awards. These Awards of Excellence provide prizes in the following amounts: $300 for gold awards, $200 for silver awards, and $100 for bronze awards.

Four additional university-wide awards were presented.

This was the first year of the Discovery Living and Learning Community, a partnership with the UT Libraries and Housing. Students at any level are welcome in the community, with this year’s group consisting of mostly freshmen and sophomores. The LLC has a unique awards category for those students who chose to present at EURēCA. Madison Petermann, Codi Drake, Tyler Newsom, Sierra Swanson and Camron Midgette received the Discovery LLC Undergraduate Research Award certificate and prize.

The UT Chapter of Sigma Xi presented three awards to undergraduate researchers who showed professional promise in research. These awards included a one-year Associate Membership to Sigma Xi. The awards went to Jeremiah Holt in the Life Sciences category, Lauren Finney in the Physical Sciences and Engineering category, and Jessica Layton in the category of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines, presented awards to three of the top EURēCA entries. Award winners were the team of Rachel Elbon and Adam Smith from the College of Architecture and Design, Tory Frankel from the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, and Adaya Troyer from the College of Nursing.

The William Franklin Harris III Undergraduate Research Award is named for a former Vice Chancellor of Research and highlights a student for innovation and excellence in research. The winner of the William Franklin Harris III Undergraduate Award for 2017 was Louis Varriano from the College of Arts & Sciences.

 

  17 Gold ORE Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Category
Rachel Christiane Elbon, Adam Jesse Smith Urban Quarter Organics Stevens, Kevin College of Architecture and Design

 

Erika Rene Knowles Tolstoy, Shklovsky, and the Image of Creativity in Nabokov Blackwell, Stephen College of Arts and Sciences- Humanities
Charles Earles Rural Kenyans’ views on healthcare, nutrition, and foreign medical providers Baldwin, Debora College of Arts and Sciences- Social Sciences
Katie Danielle Scott HPV Vaccination Receptivity: How Provider Messaging Influences Patient Receptivity Violanti, Michelle College of Communication and Information

 

Tory Danielle Frankel Effects of Zyflamend Treatment on Adipogenesis Bettaieb, Ahmed College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

 

Sarah Ann Mihealsick, Molly Ann Faust, Samuel James Deford Strategies of Vaccination Promotion Methods in School-Aged Children Thompson, Kathleen College of Nursing-Evidence Based Practice Projects
Adaya Alexandra Troyer Preschool Children: What they know about asthma and how they learn Wyatt, Tami College of Nursing-Research Studies
Lauren Scott Mohler Impact of New Policy Requirement on Individuals in the Intellectually Disabled Population Choi, Sunha College of Social Work

 

Taylor Leighann King reINVENT the Way You Think About Recycling Gras, David Michael Haslam College of Business-Business Plan
Elizabeth R Schofield Target Marketing: the Generational Differences Schumann, David Haslam College of Business-Research Studies
Alex Ring Gray, Wesley James Fowl Interactive Learning: The Sounds of “Bonne Chance” Staples, Carolyn School of Art, College of Arts & Sciences
Jeremiah Ray Holt Genetic and molecular characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)2α Vonarnim, Albrecht College of Arts & Sciences – Cell & Molecular Biology
Emily Jean Miller TMM as a GPI-Anchored Protein in Stomatal Formation Shpak, Elena College of Arts & Sciences – Cell & Molecular Biology
Jessica Slade Layton Bigger targets are easier to hit: facile chloroplast genome transformation in Nicotiana tabacum cv. Petit Havana with giant chloroplasts. Frazier-Douglas, Taylor College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
James Michael Ghawaly Design of a Subcritical Fast Neutron Source for UTNE Hines, Wes Tickle College of Engineering

 

Lauren Ashley Finney Tungsten Deposition Analysis Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Donovan, David Tickle College of Engineering

 

Zachary Reid Bingham, Matthew T Herald Trajectory Distortions Associated with Positron Emission Particle Tracking Ruggles, Arthur Tickle College of Engineering

 

 

 15 Silver ORE Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards

 Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Category
Graham Colton Taylor, Joshua Alexander Murray, Casey David Myers TVA Headquarters: Poetics of Constraint Rose, James College of Architecture and Design

 

Gretchen Lorena Roberts, Carly Ann Chwat, Peter Lawrence Ignacio, Victoria Gail Vanmaaren, Stephanie Kride Daniels, Madeline Birch Auge, Janet Elaine Schwartz-Micheaux

 

Influence of College Pen Pal Program on Fourth Grade Writing Attitudes McCurdy, Merilee College of Arts and Sciences-Humanities
Johanna Grace Lohman The Role of Statistics in Infant Word Learning Hay, Jessica College of Arts and Sciences- Social Sciences
Brenna Brigid O’Malley Soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor t-TUCB promotes brown adipogenesis Zhao, Ling College of Education, Health,

and Human Sciences

Briana Kymari McIntyre, Savannah Camille Clay, Valeria Sanabria-Sugarman Yoga and its Impact on Stress and Anxiety Thompson, Kathleen College of Nursing-Evidence Based Practice Projects
Emeri Kaitlin Allan Assessing the impact of animal-assisted interventions on patients in the clinical setting Elliott, Lizanne College of Nursing-Research Studies
Abagail Morgan Booher Substance Abuse in Rural Communities and its Connection to The Child Welfare System Choi, Sunha College of Social Work
Abigail Mary Rozanski Corporate Political Activity, CEO Hubris, and Earnings Management Chyz, James Haslam College of Business

 

Laurel Kathryn Tyree The Impact of The White Helmets In Syria Staples, Carolyn Haslam College of Business

 

Abigail Amina Edwards Evidence for the priming effect in single strains and simplified communities of estuarine bacteria

 

Buchan, Alison

 

College of Arts and Sciences- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

 

Madeline M Davis

 

Intracellular Transport: The Role of Class XI Myosins in Organelle Movement and Root Hair Growth in Arabidopsis thaliana

 

Nebenfuehr, Andreas

 

College of Arts and Sciences- Cell & Molecular Biology

 

Lynsey D. Jones

 

BG-4, a novel bioactive peptide from Momordica charantia, inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in THP-1 human macrophages

 

Dia, Vermont

 

College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

 

 

Justin Robert Kilmarx

 

Object Manipulation in a Brain-Machine Interface Robotic Platform

 

Zhao, Xiaopeng

 

Tickle College of Engineering

 

 

Jesse Ashby Johnson

 

Discovery of New Ternary Compounds and Scintillators of the A4BX6 Family

 

Melcher, Chuck

 

Tickle College of Engineering

 

 

Jake Allen Childs, Jarrod Kenderick Nachtrab, Austin Conley, Jason S. Seinfeld A Drill Guide Stabilization System for Acromioclavicular Reconstruction Surgery

 

Reinbolt, Jeff

 

Tickle College of Engineering

 

 

10 Bronze ORE Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Category
Makenna Breann Wood

 

The Oasis

 

Teston, Liz

 

College of Architecture and Design

 

Amanda Leigh Letsinger, Madalyn Leigh Burke, Jessie Lynn O’Rear, Rachel Lauren Newton Transmission of Infection associated with Healthcare Providers Stethoscopes

 

Thompson, Kathleen

 

College of Nursing-Evidence Based Practice Projects

 

Whitney Lynn Stone Recreated Culturally Acceptable Advance Directive for Persons Experiencing Homelessness

 

Mixer, Sandy

 

College of Nursing -Research Studies

 

Denise Elizabeth Harris

 

Factors that Influence Job Satisfaction for Child Welfare Case Workers

 

Choi, Sunha

 

College of Social Work

 

Laura Elizabeth Hirt

 

Does Increased Globalization Improve Citizens Quality of Life?

 

Holladay, James

 

Haslam College of Business

 

Taylor Elizabeth Tieche

 

GIS Accuracy Assessment of Forested Wetland Predictive Model for TVA

 

Li, Yingkui

 

College of Arts & Sciences – Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

 

David Byrne Moore, Jerry Clint Shannon

 

Then and Now : Long-Term Land Use Change Impact Bobwhites

 

Washington-Allen, Robert

 

College of Arts & Sciences – Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

 

Luke Thomas Martin

 

Evaluation of foldable tractor roll-over protective structures (ROPS) clearance

 

Ayers, Paul

 

College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

 

Jacob Edward Cooper

 

Structural stability of REE-PO4 (REE=Sm,Tb) under static pressure and swift heavy ion irradiation

 

Lang, Maik

 

Tickle College of Engineering

 

Joshua James Gurka

 

Characterization of Surrogate Alloys for Special Nuclear Material Forensic Applications

 

Auxier II, John

 

Tickle College of Engineering

 

Discovery LLC Awards

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Category
Camron Middgette Using an open field to measure the effects of choline on adolescent stress Kalynn, Schulz Discovery LLC Undergraduate Research Award
Sierra Swanson Observing Ant Grooming and Allogrooming Behaviors Kwit, Charles Discovery LLC Undergraduate Research Award
Madison Petermann Choline Association with Adolescent Stress in Rodents Schulz, Kalynn Discovery LLC Undergraduate Research Award
Codi Drake The development of physical structural dynamic models Wierschem, Nicholas Discovery LLC Undergraduate Research Award
Tyler Newsom Characterization of Void Distribution in hand layup Composite Patches using Automated Processing of Microstructure Imaging TerMaath, Stephanie Discovery LLC Undergraduate Research Award

 

College Winners

College of Agricultural and Natural Resources

  

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Garrett Thomas Froula, David Brice Gilliam, Madison Rhett Brummitt The EZ-Lift: A Mechanical Lift-Assist for Rollover Protection Structures Ayers, Paul Honorable Mention
Andrew   Whitaker, Jacob Eric Parker, Rachael Anne Beaver, Andrew Wilson Lynch Design of a Mobile Biochar Unit for

On-site Conversion of Waste Biomass

Abdoulmoumine, Nour Honorable Mention

College of Architecture and Design

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Margaret Ellen Marie House Identity of Scatter Stuth, Tricia Honor Award
Michael Steven Lidwin, Rachel List Investigating Terracotta Cladding – An Analysis of the Bechtler Museum’s Enclosure Goeritz, Hansjoerg Honor Award
Elizabeth Ott Vessels of Relief

 

Moir-Mcclean, Tracy

 

Honor Award

 

College of Arts & Sciences

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Ashley Victoria Campbell Effects of Social Status on Responses to Social Defeat Stress in Female Syrian Hamsters Cooper, Matthew First Place- Neuroscience
Emily Southida Kounlavong, Taylor Payne, Katherine West, Roxanne Puleo Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Detection of Neurotrasmitters Sharma, Bhavya First Place- Neuroscience
Amanda Lynn Maxie Choline as a Mitigating Factor of Stress Induced Spatial Memory Decline in the Developing Adolescent Brain Schulz, Kalynn First Place- Neuroscience
Kimberly Summer Bress Stress and Social Dominance:

Cellular Mechanisms in the

Ventral Hippocampus

Cooper, Matthew Honorable Mention- Neuroscience
Sarah Grace Grace Lebovitz Circadian Rhythms in Matrix Metalloproteinase-2/9 Proteolytic Activity in the Prosser, Rebecca Honorable Mention- Neuroscience
Izabella Nicole Nill Gomez, Ashlee Jo Tannehill Investigating fine motor behavior in female mouse model of Rett Syndrome Krishnan, Keerthi Honorable Mention- Neuroscience
Charles Earles Rural Kenyans views on healthcare, nutrition, and foreign

medical providers

Baldwin, Debora First Place, Social Sciences
Johanna Grace Lohman

 

The Role of Statistics in Infant

Word Learning

Hay, Jessica Sari First Place, Social Sciences
Pete Michael Cates

 

Indigenous Rhetorics in Quebec’s Education System King, Lisa Michelle First Place, Social Sciences
Chesnea A Skeen

 

Tornado Watch and Warning Understanding in Tennessee Counties Ellis, Kelsey Honorable Mention, Social Sciences
Hannah Gabrielle Mitchell

 

The Effect of Being Overweight on ER Positive Breast Cancer Roberson, Patricia Honorable Mention, Social Sciences
Darcy A Ayers Validating Geospatial Analysis with Community Risk Perception Survey in Big Island, Hawaii Swamy, Raja Harish Honorable Mention, Social Sciences
Gretchen Lorena Roberts, Carly Ann Chwat, Peter Lawrence Ignacio, Victoria Gail Vanmaaren, Stephanie Kride Daniels, Madeline Birch Auge, Janet Elaine Schwartz-Michaux Influence of College Pen Pal Program on Fourth Grade Writing Attitudes McCurdy, Merilee First Place, Humanities
Erika Rene Knowles Tolstoy, Shklovsky, and the Image of Creativity in Nabokov Blackwell, Stephen First Place, Humanities
Savannah Dixon, Simone Yates, Kelsey Waterson The History of Mayan Resilience as Seen in the Indigenous Language, Particularly K’iche’ Gimmel, Millie First Place- Humanities
Tiffany Cantrell Did UT’s college girls participate in the Rampant Culture of Prostitution in Knoxville in the 1950s? A Look at the Economic and Social causes of “Pickup Dating” among College Girls. Sacco, Lynn

 

Honorable Mention, Humanities

 

Matthew Douglas Scott Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in the Knoxville Zoo Su, Chunlei First Place, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Taylor Elizabeth Tieche GIS Accuracy Assessment of Forested Wetland Predictive Model for TVA Li, Yingkui First Place, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Abigail Amina Edwards Evidence for the priming effect in single strains and simplified communities of estuarine bacteria Buchan, Alison First Place, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Jenna Rae Davis Comparison of Field Sampled Trends of US Dryland NPP to Spatially Extensive Satellite Data Washington-Allen, Robert Honorable Mention – Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Robert Seth Wood Assessing Microfossil Taphonomy With High-Resolution Imagery Kah, Linda Honorable Mention – Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Hung Quoc Luong The Effect of Environmental Gradients on Populus Angustifolia Growth Traits Schweitzer, Jennifer Honorable Mention – Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Jeremiah Ray Holt Genetic and molecular characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)2α Vonarnim, Albrecht First Place, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Emily Jean Miller TMM as a GPI-Anchored Protein in Stomatal Formation Shpak, Elena First Place, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Avery N Sukienik Prevention of healthcare-associated infections through daily patient bathing with chlorhexidine gluconate Nebenfuehr, Andreas First Place, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Clayton H Nunn Sub-cellular Localization of Arabidopsis thaliana NIP2;1 Major Intrinsic Protein, and its Effects on

Hypoxia Induced Survivability

Roberts, Daniel Honorable Mention, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Nekiaya L Elam Virus-Induced Gene Silencing of TAT1 in Nicotiana benthamiana Burch-Smith, Tessa Honorable Mention, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Carloyn R. Ware Interactions of Trehalose with Model Folate Compounds Howell, Elizabeth Honorable Mention, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Esther Heewon Choo The presence of various spinal joint diseases and its correlations

to age and sex

Steadman, Dawnie Honorable Mention, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Jerry Clint Shannon, David Byrne Moore Improved sinkhole detection and mapping for Knox County, TN with LiDAR data

 

Li, Yingkui

 

First Place-Physical Sciences

School of Art, College of Arts & Sciences

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Joseph Grant Barbour Bubble Boy and His Rooms Murphy-Price, Althea First Place-

Studio Art

Rachel Gorman Visualizing the Stigma of Mental Illness Staples, Carolyn First Place-

Design

Elise Camille Stephens Creative Collaboration: Exploring the Aesthetics of Bridging Music

and Art with Code

Variego, Jorge Second Place-

Studio Art

Sierra Renee Plese Visualization of Research on Homeless Veterans Staples, Carolyn Second Place-

Design

Margaret Jane Moore, Jordan Katherine Beets Sneaker Popularity Study Staples, Carolyn Third Place-

Design

Adelaide E Davis,

Cameron Spooner

Normalizing Disability Through Design Staples, Carolyn Third Place-

Design

 

School of Music, College of Arts & Sciences

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Brianna Terry,

Alto Saxophone

Improvisation et Caprice (Andy Akiho) Allison Adams First
Meghan Mays,

Soprano

Dearest Mama-The Ballad of Baby Doe (Douglas Moore) Marjorie Bennett Stephens Second
Natalie Gregg,

Flute

Sonata Apassionata (Sigfrid Karg-Elert) Shelley Binder Third

 

Haslam College of Business

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Adam Clay Miller The Feasibility and Impact of Autonomous Technology on Transportation Networks Holcomb, Mary Honorable Mention
Mary Margaret Mobley Head Over Heels: Women in Supply Chain Management Mollenkopf, Diane Honorable Mention
Samantha Nicole Steichen Is Changing Your Layout Worth The Payout? The Impact of Office Layout on Employee Wellness and Reactions Munyon, Tim Honorable Mention

College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Lucas Forrest Sheridan Using an Online Survey Distribution Platform to Conduct Ecological Momentary Assessment of Exercise Antecedents: A Feasibility Study

 

Strohacker, Kelley

 

First Place
Beverly M Samples 2DG Decreases Butyrate’s Ability to Function as an HDAC Inhibitor in Colon Cancer Cells Donohoe, Dallas

 

Second Place
Dexter Lee Puckett Improved glycemic control in mice with specific deletion of Pyruvate kinase M2 in the pancreas Bettaieb, Ahmed

 

Honorable Mention
Kathleen Ann Mcinnis Experiences of female high-school head coaches Dzikus, Lars

 

Honorable Mention

College of Engineering

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Lauren Ashley Finney Tungsten Deposition Analysis Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Donovan, David First Place, Research
James Michael Ghawaly Design of a Subcritical Fast Neutron Source for UTNE Hines, Wes First Place, Design
Zachary Reid Bingham, Matthew T Herald Trajectory Distortions Associated with Positron Emission Particle Tracking Ruggles, Arthur Second Place, Research
Jake Allen Childs Jason S. Seinfeld, Austin Conley, Jarrod Kenderick Nachtrab A Drill Guide Stabilization System for Acromioclavicular Reconstruction Surgery Reinbolt, Jeff Second Place, Design
Jesse Ashby Johnson Discovery of New Ternary Compounds and Scintillators of the A4BX6 Family Melcher, Chuck Third Place, Research
Eleanor Paige Comer,   Zane Garrett Wallen, Thomas Wayne Smith, Cameron T Ubben, Stephen   Barush, Cal Joseph Fosseen Comprehensive Modeling of Holdup Deposits for Internal and External Piping Measurement Systems Walford, Graham Third Place, Design
Justin Robert Kilmarx Object Manipulation in a Brain-Machine Interface Robotic Platform Zhao, Xiaopeng Honorable Mention-

Research

Joshua James Gurka Characterization of Surrogate Alloys for Special Nuclear Material Forensic Applications Auxier II, John David Honorable Mention-

Research

Jacob Edward Cooper Structural stability of REE-PO4 (REE=Sm,Tb) under static pressure and swift heavy ion irradiation Lang, Maik Honorable Mention-

Research

William C Hoskins Friction Hydro Pillar Processing of Graphitized Carbon Steel Components Lundin, Carl Honorable Mention-

Research

Tyler James Newsom Characterization of Void Distribution in hand layup Composite Patches using Automated Processing of Microstructure Imaging TerMaath, Stephanie Honorable Mention-

Research

Igor Maximovich Gussev Study of temperature effect on cation inversion in MgAl2O4 and NiAl2O4 spinel using neutron total scattering. Lang, Maik Honorable Mention-

Research

Sabrina Emerson Amy Schwerzler Sol-Gel Synthesis and Cation Doping of Ca12Al14O33 Nanocages Rawn, Claudia Honorable Mention-

Research

Morgan Jenkins Development of Experimental Database of Steel-Concrete Composite Columns Denavit, Mark Honorable Mention-

Research

College of Nursing

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Morgan Brooke Vantrease The Effects of Cuddling in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Chyka, Deb Honorable Mention-

Research Studies

Lauren Ashley Whited, Tori Renee Richardson, Haley E Wilder, Kaitlyn Lee Wright Effects of Music Therapy in Minimizing Depression in the Elderly Thompson, Kathleen Honorable Mention-

Evidence Based Practice Projects

Rachel E Poppert, Benjamin Aaron Vanderford, Cassandra Jayne Williams A Comparison of Alternative Therapies for the treatment of Opioid Addiction Thompson, Kathleen Honorable Mention-

Evidence Based Practice Projects

Sloan Taylor Bennett, Robert Darold Land, Isabel Elise Cartwright, Elizabeth Alice   Jenner Compliance with Personal Protective Equipment Thompson, Kathleen Honorable Mention-

Evidence Based Practice Projects

Lauren Taylor Bolek, Lauren Marie Lovell, Su Mei   Chin, Sara Church Self-care strategies for nurses: Relaxation and meditation techniques for stress reduction and the prevention of burnout Thompson, Kathleen Honorable Mention-

Evidence Based Practice Projects

Shauna Lynn Sells, Tawayne Jodie Tucker, Samantha Jade Driskell, Suzanne R Johnson Prevention of healthcare-associated infections through daily patient bathing with chlorhexidine gluconate Thompson, Kathleen Honorable Mention-

Evidence Based Practice Projects

Kaitlyn Wright

 

Effects of Music Therapy in Minimizing Depression in the Elderly

 

Thompson, Kathleen

 

Honorable Mention, Evidence Based Practice Projects

 

College of Social Work

Student Name Project Title Faculty Mentor Place
Lauren Scott Mohler Impact of New Policys Requirement on Individuals in the Intellectually Disabled Population Choi, Sunha First Place
Abagail Morgan Booher Substance Abuse in Rural Communities and its Connection to The Child Welfare System Choi, Sunha Second Place