Undergraduate students showcase research at 6th annual forum
The sixth annual event was hosted by the College of Engineering, Knowlton School of Architecture and the Tau Beta Pi Ohio Gamma Chapter, the national engineering honor society.
“Undergraduate research is one of the best opportunities the university offers for students to express their individual creativity and develop critical thinking skills,” said David Tomasko, associate dean of undergraduate education and student services. “It also provides for extended, close interaction with a faculty member and graduate students that creates long lasting relationships. The skills developed are as valuable as obtaining a co-op or internship in industry.”
Students presented their posters to three judges in the form of faculty members, graduate students and alumni who provided feedback on the clarity of visual graphics, experimental objectives and overall presentation. Each judge was responsible for scoring three to five students over the course of the event.
“When I was in school, we didn’t have research opportunities as an undergrad,” said alumnus Mark Morscher (’89, electrical engineering) who served as one of the forum judges. “It’s really impressive to see how uniformly well-rounded the students are.”
In addition to showcasing the work of undergraduate researchers from across the college, the forum provides engineering and architecture students an opportunity to practice their research presentation skills ahead of the university’s annual Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.
Alaine Wetli, a senior majoring in materials science and engineering, presented her research on muscle compensation for quadriceps weakness in older adults, a condition that is prevalent among adults with osteoarthritis.
“It gave me a sense of individualism, because my advisor was there and my PhD student was there, but this is my project,” she said. “It broadened my knowledge, but also helped me learn what I want to do and how I can actually achieve it. I’m going to grad school in this [area] because of this project.”
After her experience conducting research in Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Robert Siston’s lab, Wetli hopes to lead a biomechanics lab one day and work to reduce the failure rate of prosthetics.
Jaron Lohmeyer, a biomedical engineering major, received second place for his project, “Library Characterizations of ROP’s R55F56 Residues.”
Biomedical engineering major Molly Baumann received third place for “Cortical Screw Pull Out Under Cyclic Fatigue Loading in Synthetic and Cadaveric Bone.
This first, second and third place winners received a pair of Sony wireless noise reduction headphones, a Chromecast and a $100 Barnes and Noble gift card respectively.
Visit flickr to see more photos from the 2015 forum.
