SLU Sigma Xi Research Symposium Award Winners Announced

04/05/2022

SLU Chapter Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society held its annual research symposium on Friday, April 1, 2022.

Again this year, organizers held a virtual rapid flash talk platform in lieu of posters and received more then 90 abstracts from various disciplines. The first- and second-place finishers for each division will receive a cash prize.

More than 40 faculty volunteers from across campus served as moderators and judges for the presentations. 

Graduate Physical Sciences and Engineering

• First Place (tie):  DNA aptamers for detection of specific benzodiazepines, Jack Samuelian (presenter) and Dana Baum (advisor)
• First Place (tie):  Immunomodulatory biosponges for volumetric muscle loss, Charles West (presenter), Samuel Stealey, Colin Flaveny, Silviya Zustiak, and Koyal Garg (advisor)
• Second Place (tie):  Adsorption and sustained delivery of small molecules from nanosilicate hydrogel composites, Samuel Stealey (presenter), Mariam Khachani, and Silviya Zustiak (advisor)
• Second Place (tie):  Potassium enrichment on prebiotic Earth through cycles of evaporation and rehydration, Rumbidzai Makaza (presenter), Md. Rumman-Uz-Zaman, and Paul J. Bracher (advisor)

Undergraduate Physical Sciences and Engineering

• First Place:  Activation of aluminum microparticles with aluminum nanoparticles in aqueous environments, Elisabeth Johnston (presenter), Mohammad Kader, Steven Buckner (advisor), and Paul Jelliss
• Second Place (tie): Characterization of critical structural factors for alkane hydroxylation in CYP153A6 using absorption and vibrational spectroscopy, Talia Thambyrajah (presenter), Dakota Grote, and Piotr Mak (advisor)
• Second Place (tie): Microfluidic fabrication and characterization of radiopaque barium sulfate polyethylene glycol-based hydrogel microspheres, Ether Dharmesh (presenter), Samuel Stealey, and Silviya P. Zustiak (advisor)

Graduate Biological and Life Sciences

• First Place:  Effects of electrically stimulated eccentric contraction training on macrophage phenotype and neuromuscular junction remodeling, Hannah Chauvin (presenter), Natalia Ziemkiewicz, Jeffrey Au, and Koyal Garg (advisor)
• Second Place:  Biomolecular response of traumatized skeletal muscle to electrically stimulated eccentric contraction training, Jeffrey Au (presenter), Natalia Ziemkiewicz, Hannah Chauvin, and Koyal Garg (advisor)

Undergraduate Biological and Life Sciences

• First Place:  Benefits of progranulin on mitochondrial health, Vandana Mishra (presenter), Cass Dedert, and Fenglian Xu (advisor)
• Second Place:  CAAX-box dependent plasma membrane localization of a deubiquitinating enzyme, Sindhu Ragunathan (presenter), Fangli Weng, and Yuqi Wang (advisor)

Graduate Social and Behavioral Sciences

• First Place:  Factors affecting psychological well-being among immigrants and refugees in St. Louis, Missouri, Elizabeth Salley (presenter), Hisako Matsuo (advisor), Lisa Willoughby, and Jennifer Hale-Gallardo
• Second Place:  Perceptions of tap water quality based on race, income, and place of residence, Rachel Rimmerman (co-presenter), DeBorah Ahmed (co-presenter), Cecilia Arzaga (co-presenter), Jessica Barreca (co-presenter), Carla Brown (co-presenter), and Hisako Matsuo (advisor)

Undergraduate Social and Behavioral Sciences

• First Place:  Immigrants’ experiences with U.S. healthcare system:  cultural competency toolkit for healthcare providers, Dhvanii Raval (presenter), Tanyathorn Hauwadhanasuk, Elizabeth Salley, Jessica Barreca, Dhairya Shah, and Hisako Matsuo (advisor)
• Second Place:  The effects of objectifying media on perceptions of women, Gabriela Miller (presenter), Abigail Rellinger, Mia Filipe, Rebecca Zhao, and Kristin Kiddoo (advisor)

New members to Sigma Xi were also recognized and participated in an induction ceremony.

Leaders from SLU Sigma Xi  expresses thanks to all those who participated in the event and toThe Office of Vice President for Research, the College of Arts and Sciences, and Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology for financial support.

Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society is the world’s largest multidisciplinary honor society for scientists and engineers. Its mission is to enhance the health of the research enterprise, foster integrity in science and engineering, and promote the public understanding of science for the purpose of improving the human condition. Sigma Xi chapters can be found at colleges and universities, government laboratories, and industry research centers around the world.

More than 200 Nobel Prize winners have been members. Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society was founded in 1886, and it has over 500 chapters in the world. SLU Chapter was founded in 1944. Anyone are interested in becoming a member, should contact sigmaxi@slu.edu.