Engineering Students, Faculty Excel at Denman Undergraduate Research Forum
Four students and one faculty member from the College of Engineering received top honors at the 16th annual Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.
Heather Powell, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, received a Distinguished Undergraduate Research Mentor award in recognition of the leadership and support she provides to undergraduate students. Powell is also the advisor to a team of students who tied for top place in the engineering category.
Tom Zajdel, a student in electrical and computer engineering, tied for first place in the engineering category with materials science and engineering students Kelsey Torboli, Allison Franchek and Kyle Lamone. A total of 48 students presented their research in the engineering category of the competition.
Zajdel’s research, "Asynchronous Stimulation for Cochlear Implants", attempts to improve the simulation pattern for individuals with a cochlear implant. Zajdel is advised by Bomjun Kwon, assistant professor of otolaryngology, and Steven Bibyk, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.
The project by materials science and engineering students Torboli, Franchek and Lamone, aims to design a biocompatible-drug eluting polymer scaffold to place over healing a tendon to encourage tendon regeneration in the midsubstance and improve integration into bone at the insertion site. The research goals of "Robust Manufacturing of Biological Augmentation Constructs for Rotator Cuff Repair" is to reduce rates of re-injury for tendon and ligament injuries which number 15 million per year in the US alone. The team is advised by Heather Powell, assistant professor of materials science and engineering.
In addition, seven other engineering students landed in the top three for engineering: Cameron Bodenschatz, chemical engineering; and Emily Marron, civil engineering, tied for second place. Kunal Parikh, chemical engineering; Kevin Kauffman, chemical engineering; and the team of Amritesh Rai, Kenneth Clive, and Katurah Hansen, electrical and computer engineering, all tied for third place.
The Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, which has grown from 50 participating undergraduate researchers in 1996 to more than 600 in 2012, showcases outstanding student research and encourages all Ohio State undergraduates to participate in research as a value-added element of their education.
View an overview video of the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.
See the full list of Denman winners and Denman Research Mentor Awards.
See the complete list of Denman participants and abstracts.
