Undergraduate Research Award Recipients 2016-2020

2016 Spring Award Winners

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

First place
A behavioral economic analysis of texting while driving: Delay discounting processes
Kimberly Miller
Research Adviser: Dr. Yusuke Hayashi

Second place
Delay discounting, executive function, and risky driving behavior in college students
Emily Greenawalt and Amanda Viechec
Research Adviser: Dr. Yusuke Hayashi

Third place
An Analysis of White Collar Crime
Paige Steigerwalt
Research Adviser: Dan Gutierrez

STEM

First place
Accuracy and Uncertainty in Shading Calculations for Solar Power
Robert Vitagliano and Mauro Notaro
Research Advisers: Joseph Ranalli and David Starling

Second place
Quinone Based Diarylethenes For Near IR Initiated Photoisomerization
Dorothy Carter
Research Adviser: Dr. Dan Patel

Third place
3D Printed Computer-Controlled Rotation Optical Polarizer Mount
Maria Magabo
Research Advisers: Dr. David Starling, Dr. Joseph Ranalli and Kenneth Dudeck

Popular Vote (tie)

3D Printed Computer-Controlled Rotation Optical Polarizer Mount"
Maria Magabo

Veery Research
Sarah Iwanski
Research Adviser: Dr. Chris Goguen

2017 Spring Award Winners

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

First place
Effects of anticipated regret on impulsive decision-making underlying texting while driving
Kimberly Miller
Research Adviser: Dr. Yusuke Hayashi

Second place
Probability discounting, delay discounting, and texting while driving in college
Heather Fessler
Research Adviser: Dr. Yusuke Hayashi

Third place
Role of Probability Discounting and Executive Function in Texting While Driving in College Students
Aleigha Sokolowski
Research Adviser: Dr. Yusuke Hayashi

STEM

First place
Design of a Soiling Detector for Utility-Scale Solar Farms
Christian Skokowski, Brett Finkelstein and Marques Pereira
Research Adviser: Dr. Joseph Ranalli

Second place
Sympatric Speciation of Cichlid Fish in Lake Victoria
Jordan Sypeck
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

Third place
Does the house cricket (Acheta domesticus) exhibit social learning?
Luis Lopez
Research Adviser: Dr. Christopher Goguen

Popular vote

Xenotransplantations: The Dilemmas Behind Chimeras with Human DNA
Paige Steigerwalt
Research Adviser: Dr. Carl Frankel

2018 Spring Award Winners

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

First place (Tie)
A Behavioral Economic Analysis of Media Multitasking: Delay Discounting as an Underlying Process of Texting in the Classroom
Glenn Blessington
Research Adviser: Dr. Yusuke Hayashi

Social Anxiety and the Transition to College Life
Sean Giedosh
Research Adviser: Dr. Lisa Goguen

STEM

First place
Consumer Evaluation of 18650 Lithium-Ion Batteries
Steven Baska
Research Adviser: Dr. William Yourey

Second place
Trash Retrieval System for the Borough of Jim Thorpe
David Bonczek, Derek Geake, Maria Magabo and Raina Nichols
Research Adviser: Dr. Joseph Ranalli

Visual Art

First place
Slumber
Catherine Matyas

Second place
Beach Sunrise
Jared Kolbush

Written Art

First place
I Remember
Victor Luna-Casillas

Information Literacy Award

First place
A Behavioral Economic Analysis of Media Multitasking: Delay Discounting as an Underlying Process of Texting in the Classroom
Glenn Blessington

Second place
A Study of Women in the Media of the Dominican Republic
Risell Ventura
Research Adviser: Dr. Beatriz Glick

Third place
Media Multitasking in the Classroom: Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Executive Function as Predictors of Texting in the Classroom
Jeremy Nenstiel
Reseach Adviser: Dr. Yusuke Hayashi).

Popular-vote winners

Trash Retrieval System for the Borough of Jim Thorpe
David Bonczek, Derek Geake, Maria Magabo and Raina Nichols

2020 Spring Award Winners

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Nicole Fisher, “A Behavioral Economic Demand Analysis of Breastfeeding.” 
Faculty Adviser: Yusuke Hayashi

Jasmel Ramos Martinez, “Excessive Social Media Use and Delay Discounting in College Students: Role of Gender.” 
Faculty Adviser: Yusuke Hayashi

Science, Engineering, Technology and Math (STEM):

Kevin Quinonez, Alex Orrson, Bryan Kowalick, Melanie Mejia, Emery Zaleski and Daniel Galffy, “Microgrid Power Electronics Design and Control Strategy.” 
Faculty Adviser: William Yourey

Greg Lyons, Panayoti “Yoti” Saras, Isaac Whitenight, Cody George and Lilly Singh, “Optimization of Anoxic Mixing.” 
Faculty Advisers: William Yourey and Joe Ranalli

Ashley Morales, “DNA Barcoding and Fish Identification: Testing Feasibility for Flathead Catfish Diet Analysis.”
Faculty Adviser: Megan Schall

Jaclyn Hess, “Mass Spectrometry & Resveratrol Isomers in Wine.”
Faculty Adviser: Eshani Lee

Information Literacy Award

First place: Nicole Fisher, “A Behavioral Economic Demand Analysis of Breastfeeding.”

Second place: Ashley Morales, “DNA Barcoding and Fish Identification: Testing Feasibility for Flathead Catfish Diet Analysis.”

Jasmel Ramos Martinez, “Excessive Social Media Use and Delay Discounting in College Students: Role of Gender.”