The College of Basic and Applied Sciences hosted its annual “Scholars Day” in the Science Building on March 18 to showcase the research of the college’s different departments during Scholars Week at MTSU.
Scholars Week is a week-long celebration of all things academic, with presentations, talks, readings and performances that showcase students’ and faculty’s academic achievements.
The event featured a poster competition that allowed any student to display their research and connect with other members of applied sciences. Competitions were split into categories: undergraduate, master and doctoral. Each competitor’s faculty mentor monitored their studies, ensuring ethical and factual results, regardless of education status.
Scholars Day offers a safe environment for students to present their research, Kevin Bicker, the volunteer-run event’s lead organizer, said.
One participant, Dipesh Shrestha, researched the best ways to detect Alzheimer’s more efficiently.
“Many people are being affected by this,” Shrestha said. “Early detection can start early treatment, and that will help a lot of people with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Events like these contribute to peer review in research, eliciting a more accurate conclusion, Shrestha said.
“If I keep it to myself, I will not know what I can do better,” Shrestha said. “Because I don’t have a lot of knowledge on the biological part … I have more knowledge of the data part. And, if I know better, then I can incorporate that in my research to make it more robust.”
Hamza Fareed, a biology major who studied how the heart functions without specific proteins, said events like this offer opportunities to further advance scientific insight.
Second-place undergraduate winner, Tyler Baxley developed a method to take a closer look at any compound closely related to cannabis. His method seems to be cheaper and easier compared to the current process being used today and could promote a safer, more affordable alternative option to consume medical marijuana.
“It kind of feels like you’re alone when you’re working in the lab for a long time, so it’s good to see other people that are like-minded,” Baxley said. “It’s good to open yourself up to new ideas and get support for your ideas.”
The awards were presented as follows:
Undergraduate:
- 3rd Place: Ian Wilson: Microbiome Shifts in Aplysina cauliform is Due to Ocean Acidification and Ocean Warming (BIOLOGY)
- 2nd Place: Room- Tyler Baxley – Temperature Electrochemical Cannabinoid Solution Assays (CHEMISTRY)
- 1st Place: Ariel Nicastro- Improving Zinc Oxide Nanorod Synthesis for Enhanced Electrochemical Sensor Performance (PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY)
Masters:
- 3rd Place- Elizabeth Aina: Development of a Cobalt Complex Catalyzed Green Approach for Sustainable N-Alkylation of Amines (CHEMISTRY)
- 2nd Place- Savea Zimmerman-Cameron: Nerve Blocking in Horses- A Pilot Study (AGRICULTURE)
- 1st Place- Erin Scott: Created a new competition format for a nationally recognized youth equestrian development association (AGRICULTURE)
Doctoral:
- 3rd Place- Dipesh Shrestha: A Hybrid Deep Learning Framework for Alzheimer’s Classification from Brain MRI (COMPUTATIONAL AND DATA SCIENCE)
- 2nd Place- Chris Bonnesen: Understanding Undergraduate Views of the Nature of Mathematics (MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION)
- 1st Place- Derek Wiggins: Cryptococcus neoformans Increase Host Macrophage Glycolytic Flux in an in vitro Pulmonary Infection Model (MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE)
MTSU has a university-wide expo on March 21, starting at 10 a.m. in the Student Union Ballroom.
