Undergraduate Research Award Recipients 2021-2025

2021 Winners

First place
Hate Jumps Like Fleas: Is there a Trump-Flea Effect to Hate Crimes?
Caitlyn Ashelman
Research adviser: Dan Gutierrez

Second place
Addressing Issues of Latinx Identity in Latinx Art in Social Media
Abigail Martinez
Research adviser: Beatriz García Glick

Third place
Love and How it Contributes to Identity in Polygamous Society
Rebecca Foose
Research adviser: Eileen Morgan

University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy

First place
Addressing Issues of Latinx Identity in Latinx Art in Social Media”
Abigail Martinez
Research adviser: Beatriz García Glick

Second place
Amanyara Villas Solar Array: Solar Array Design
Colin Knoll and Christopher Digon
Research adviser: Joseph Ranalli

Third place
Sports in Africa
Christian Smith
Research adviser: Eileen Morgan

2022 Winners

Arts, humanities and social sciences

First place
Devaluation of Future Rewards as an Underlying Mechanism of Media Multitasking in the Classroom
Savannah Cothron
Research adviser: Yusuke Hayashi

Second place
The Pink Tax: The Cost of Being a Woman
Ashanty Vargas
Research adviser: Eileen Morgan

Third place
When the Grim Reaper Comes Calling, Tell Him I’m Not Home: Sentenced to Die, But Eventually Exonerated
Zakary Johnson
Research adviser: Dan Gutierrez

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) 

First place
Foxdale On-Site Energy Generation Using Solar Carports
Mark Brady, Clayton Kimsal, and Nathan Pauselli
Research adviser: Joseph Ranalli

Second place
Halogen Bonding in Photochromic Napthoquinone Based Diarylethenes
Kevin Lowen and Brett Wilson
Research adviser: Dan Patel 

Third place
Factors Affecting Bird-Window Collisions on the Penn State Hazleton Campus
Rochelle Rodriguez
Research adviser: Christopher Goguen

University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy

First place
Devaluation of Future Rewards as an Underlying Mechanism of Media Multitasking in the Classroom
Savannah Cothron
Research adviser: Yusuke Hayashi

Second place
Foxdale On-Site Energy Generation Using Solar Carports
Mark Brady, Clayton Kimsal, and Nathan Pauselli
Research adviser: Joseph Ranalli

Third place
When the Grim Reaper Comes Calling, Tell Him I’m Not Home: Sentenced to Die, But Eventually Exonerated
Zakary Johnson
Research adviser: Dan Gutierrez

2023 Winners

Arts, humanities and social sciences

First place
Effects of Colonialization on West African Male Culture
Randy Miller
Research adviser: Eileen Morgan

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)

First place
Soluble Dioxazines for Organic Electronic Devices
Brett Wilson
Research adviser: Dan Patel

Second place
Applications of Molecular Sequencing Analysis in Fisheries Ecology
Angelica Sofia Pares Alicea and Kevin Lowen
Research adviser: Megan Schall

Third place
Lake Nona Town Center Solar Generation and Storage
Sidney Przybylski, Paul Kramer, and Logan Yaletchko
Research adviser: Joseph Ranalli

University Libraries' Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy

First place
Lake Nona Town Center Solar Generation and Storage
Sidney Przybylski, Paul Kramer, and Logan Yaletchko
Research adviser: Joseph Ranalli

Second place
Effects of Colonialization on West African Male Culture
Randy Miller
Research adviser: Eileen Morgan

Third place
Troubleshooting E-bike Batteries
Sarah DeMonia
Research adviser: William Yourey

2024 Winners

Arts, humanities and social sciences

First place
Death Across Ancient Mediterranean Societies 
Jacob Kepping
Research adviser: Eileen Morgan

Second place
Comparative Analysis: American vs. Caribbean School Systems 
Imani Becarie 
Research adviser: Eileen Morgan

Third place
Is Telehealth Effective in Treating Patients? 
Kendall Lobb
Research adviser: Eileen Morgan

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)

First place
Preliminary Testing of Brook Trout Microsatellite Markers for Population Analysis 
Matthew Greenfield, Isabella Mystkowski, and Issa Rodriguez
Research adviser: Megan Schall

Second place
Toward Photochromic Diarylethenes for Use in Metal-Organic Frameworks 
Trevor Ruggiero and Isabella Colyer
Research adviser: Dan Patel

Third place
Sequencing Analysis for Trophic Studies on Invasive Flathead Catfish 
Morgan Dwyer, Megan Lapchak, and Mary Walter
Research adviser: Megan Schall

University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy

Science, technology, engineering and math

First place
Providing Net-Zero Power for Local Community Park
Dario Lobo and Brian Tylutke
Research adviser: Joseph Ranalli

Second place
Sequencing Analysis for Trophic Studies on Invasive Flathead Catfish 
Morgan Dwyer, Megan Lapchak, and Mary Walter
Research adviser: Megan Schall

Arts, humanities and social sciences

First place
Does History Repeat Itself: An Analysis into the Potential Connections between 1967-69 and 2020-23
Alonna Weaver
Research adviser: Shannon Richie

Second place
Is Telehealth Effective in Treating Patients?
Kendall Lobb 
Research adviser: Eileen Morgan

2025 Winners