By Steven Krolak
(NEW ALBANY, Ind.)–With awards for presentations ranging from Leonard Bernstein to beneficial beehives to ancient plagues, the 17th annual IU Southeast Student Conference concluded two days of inspired and impassioned inquiry.
Some 170 presenters, from freshmen to graduate students, and supported by 40 faculty members, brought forth 130 presentations in a virtual format that allowed for audience interaction.
Below is a complete list of award winners from this year’s event.
Graduate Awards
| Award | Presenter | Title | Advisor |
| Chancellor’s Award for Interdisciplinary Achievement | Brandon Visetchaisri | Glitter and Be Gay: Sexuality In The Life and Music of Leonard Bernstein | Ann Niren |
| The Outstanding Presentation related to Diversity Award | Meghan Luther | The Role of Environmental Literacy in the Promotion of Human Quality of Life and Human Dignity | James Hollenbeck |
| The Outstanding Presentation in Analytics | Scott Robinson | The Plague of Galen: Historical Antecedents of Global Pandemic | Donna Dahlgren |
| The Outstanding Presentation in Public Service | Pamela Edds | The Impact of a Refresher Course of Psychomotor Skills on Nursing Students undergoing Obstetrical Simulation | Laura McIlvoy |
Undergraduate Awards
| Award | Presenter | Title | Advisor |
| Chancellor’s Award for Creative Achievement | Alex Conn | Costume Designs for World Premiere of Bittersweet Hard Candy | Natalie Bowman |
| Chancellor’s Award for Interdisciplinary Achievement | Jaime Young Irvin | Musicians from Nowhere | Timothy Haertel |
| The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Excellence Award | Khaja Hussain, Brandon Young, David Phaire | Deep Learning for Translating American Sign Language to English | Suranga Hettiarachchi |
| The Outstanding Presentation related to Diversity Award | Hayden Seelye | The World of Harry Potter: An Allegory to Our Societies Social Injustices | Susan Popham |
| The Outstanding Fine Arts Studio or Art History Award | Cecilia Winters, Liliana Velasco, Robert Graham | IUS Athletic Stained Glass Window | Donna Stallard |
| The Thomas Kotulak Outstanding Political Science Award | Keziah Jones | Cold War Negotiations: Reagan’s Take on an “Evil Empire” | Rebekah Dement |
| The Social Sciences Award for Community or Civic Engagement | Halee Tanner | The Ramifications of Ratification: The Continued Disenfranchisement of African American Women After the Nineteenth Amendment | Elizabeth Gritter |
| The Glenn Mason Outstanding Presentation in Natural Science | John Wohlleb | Invasion of the Plants | James Hollenbeck |
| The Bernardo Carducci Outstanding Presentation in Psychology | Rena Andrews | Batallions and Bias: Social Perceptions on Table-Top Gaming Enthusiasts | Meghan Kahn |
| The Outstanding Presentation in Analytics (Business) | Mitchell Lockhart, Rachel Rozenboom, Roberto Martinez, Savannah Dietrich | The Hot Spot: Louisville, Kentucky | Ranida Harris |
| The Louise Suleiman Outstanding Nursing Award | Brittany McCarty | Patient Belongings | Janice McMahan |
| The Lillian Yeager Outstanding Nursing Award | Madison Query | Venous Thromboembolism Toolkit: A Management Project at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center | Janice McMahan |
| The Outstanding Poster Presentation in Natural Sciences | Kaycee Ranney | The Benefits of a Beehive on Indiana University Southeast campus and the Management and Upkeep of the Hives and Surrounding Habitat | David Taylor |
| The Outstanding Poster Presentation in Public Service | Kimberly Eckart, Jessica Biggerstaff, Ashton Bowles | Researching Nursing Student Mental Health and Seeking a Specialized Counselor | Julia Mattingly |
| The Outstanding Community Engagement Poster Award | Jennifer Steigerwald | Black Hole Project | Janice McMahan |
| Outstanding Poster Presentation | Kyla Barr, Troi Simms, Samantha Johnson, Aubrey Grahm | Establishment of Peer Mentor Program within the School of Nursing | Julia Mattingly |
| The Outstanding Oral Presentation in Natural Sciences | Danielle Watt | Multiple Caulobacter Bacteriophages Isolated and Characterized from Local Water Specimens | Pamela Connerly |
| The Outstanding Oral Presentation in Education | Imani Maene | The Teacher’s Antidote | Rebekah Dement |
| The Outstanding Oral Presentation in Business (Business, Economics, and/or Entrepreneurship) | Kayla Crone | Building a Framework: The Importance of Analyzing Worldview | Jared Law-Penrose |
| The Outstanding Oral Presentation in Psychology | Katherine Heishman, Leslie Venzor | The Effects of Sexual Objectification on Anxiety | Todd Manson |
| Outstanding Oral Presentation in Sociology | Brook Elston | Gender Inequality in Popular Animated Films | Sara Hare |
| Outstanding Oral Presentation in Criminal Justice | Sierra French | Unworthy Victimhood: The Implications of Victim Stereotyping in Rape Trials | Rebekah Dement |
| The Outstanding Oral Presentation in Public Service | Giscard Ciney | Using AI based Game-Based Learning to Educate and Change the Driver’s Mindset to Increase Road Safety | Sridhar Ramachandran |
| The Outstanding Presentation in Philosophy | Joseph Tegarden | Bad Conscience | Leigh Viner |
| Outstanding Oral Presentation | John Clere | Comparing the Quality, Detail and Color Accuracy, and Cost of Photogrammetry and Structured Light Scanning | Bradford Griggs |
| Outstanding Oral Presentation | Sadie Rothrock | The Other Side of the Electoral College: An Exploration into the Less-Publicized Benefits of the Electoral College | Rebekah Dement |
Looking ahead, Dr. Diane Wille, dean of research and graduate studies, hopes for a safer working and studying environment that will allow students and faculty to collaborate on research and creative work.
While satisfied with the synchronous virtual format of this year’s event, she looks forward to an in-person conference with record-breaking numbers of presentations and posters.
“It would be great if we ran out of rooms for presentations, and if poster boards and table-top posters took over every inch of the Hoosier Room and spilled out into the Commons and all the way down the hall,” Wille said.