Ames Today

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University undergraduates will show off the results of their academic research during a special presentation at the Iowa Capitol on Monday.

The 2023 Research in the Capitol event, held in the Iowa State Capitol rotunda in Des Moines, will feature 60 research projects from undergraduates at Iowa’s three Regents universities. The event gives students a chance to interact with legislators, state officials and university administrators to show how their innovative work has the potential to impact the state, nation and beyond. The presentations are open to the public.

ISU students will present research posters detailing their work on 20 projects spanning a huge range of topics, from bioengineering to bumblebee hair. Engaging in scholarly research gives undergraduate students the opportunity to connect classroom theory with real-world practice, gain valuable experience and participate in the discovery of knowledge. Around 1,500 ISU undergraduates participate in research projects, positioning them to receive prestigious scholarships and present at high-profile conferences.

“Research in the Capitol is an opportunity for ISU students to showcase their brilliant research for state and university leaders as well as their fellow students,” said Svitlana Zbarska, undergraduate research program coordinator. “ISU students have a chance to conduct serious scholarship during their time at Iowa State, and this event shines a spotlight on some our students’ remarkable achievements.”

The following Iowa State students will present their research at the event (hometowns, majors and research titles are noted):

Emily Allen, statistics, Ankeny: “Forgery Detection Using Statistical Analysis”

Hannah Blumhoefer, aerospace engineering, New Ulm, Minnesota: “An Analysis of Variable-Shape Wave Energy Converter Modifications"

Denisse Camarena, animal ecology, Le Mars: “Taking a Closer Look at the Hair of a Bumble Bee”

Alison Carr, Kinesiology and Health, Ames: “Risks and Fear of Falling in Older Adults”

Anthony David, mechanical engineering, Maple Grove, Minnesota, “Fabricating Biosensor Platforms for Real-Time Biothreat Detection”

Makayla Dove, bioinformatics, Carol Stream, Illinois; Mckenzie Sanden, genetics, Plymouth, Minnesota: “Gene Editing of Human Cells for Alzheimer’s Disease Research”

Hugh Duffy,  architecture, Cedar Rapids: “Lowering Carbon Footprint with 3D Printed Concrete Buildings”

William Fettkether, materials engineering, Dunkerton: “Using Glass to Develop the Next Generation of Solid-State Batteries”

Grace Hagedorn, biology, Ankeny: “Creating effective G418 antibiotic plates for yeast transformation”

Dela Houssou, civil engineering, Iowa City; Erik Dralle, civil engineering, Oswego, Illinois: “Resiliency of Electric Power Network under Wind Event”

Karly Jans, biology and animal ecology, Clutier: “Mental Health Issues within Iowa Veterinary Clinics”

Victoria Kyveryga, chemical engineering and chemistry, Ames: “Structure and Energy-Related Properties of Novel Barium-Arsenide Materials”

Priscilla Lee, kinesiology, Shaumburg, Illinois: “Differences in Working Memory Between Monolingual and Bilingual Learners”

Tamara McConnell, geology, Kansas City, Kansas; Mia Riddley, environmental engineering, Byram, Mississippi: “Biological and Geochemical Controls on Iron Deposition in an Intermittent Stream”

Diana Mulder, microbiology, international agriculture, Parkersburg: “Verification of a qPCR Assay for Detection of Phialophora gregata in varied Soybean Tissue and Brown stem rot suspect samples”

Jeanetta Plotzke, environmental science and global resource systems, Osage: “Drainage District Main Improvements in Iowa”

Olivia Poppen, industrial engineering, West Branch; Tatum Englund, industrial engineering, Marshalltown; Madison Bemis, industrial engineering, Fairfield: “Ergonomic Assessments via Virtual Reality: Is it Possible?”

Matthew Shafer, biology, Solon: “Creating Curriculum to Inspire Young Scientists”

Megan Smith, biochemistry, Cedar Falls: “Structural Analysis of a Tyrosine Kinase-Substrate Complex - a Target of Cancer Drugs”

Abigail Tibben, genetics, Marshalltown; Megan McGuire, criminal justice, Ankeny: “Producing Mock Crime Scene Footwear Impressions Dataset”

Original source can be found here.