Arts and Sciences undergraduates were front and center at the 22nd annual Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, held March 29. Forty ASC students took top awards in 20 categories. The forum — coordinated by the Undergraduate Research Office and generously supported by Richard J. and Martha D. Denman, the Office of Research, the Office of Undergraduate Education, and corporate and private donors — offers a unique opportunity for young researchers to gain experience presenting and explaining their work to a panel of judges in a professional research setting. Student winners are recognized at an awards ceremony and receive cash prizes.

Seventeen Arts and Sciences students took first place (five more than last year): DeYong Ashley, chemistry, Seth Lyon, biochemistry; Tracy Okine, neuroscience, Alayna Rowell, speech and hearing science; Sophia Zupanc, economics, Havovi Desai, music; Nicole Puccetti, psychology, Nicholas Crescimanno, physics, Laurence King, physics, Jordan Henry, history, Catherine Mendel, anthropological sciences; Annie Zhang, microbiology, Zaina Ujayli, English, Kylee Smith, dance, Tyler MacDonald, political science, John Widenthal, microbiology; Farhad Choksy, political science.  

Fifteen students placed second: Nicholas Mitchell, chemistry/biochemistry; Sydney Sillart, chemistry/biochemistry; Stephen Hadick, evolution, ecology and organismal biology (EEOB); Joe Twinem, political science; Ankit Vohra, actuarial science;  Emily Allen, neuroscience; Tyler Knaplund, German; Kaeli Hughes, physics; Melissa Bittner, EEOB; Robert Smith, molecular genetics; Manuel Torres, molecular genetics; Jessica LaHote, French; Coleen Thompson, EEOB; Emiko Waight, EEOB; Kaitlyn Funk, political science.    

Eight students placed third: Mehta Milauni, chemistry/biochemistry; Rao Harsha, chemistry/biochemistry; Kate Conroy, psychology; Olivia Fitzpatrick, psychology; Scott Hull, Earth sciences; Alec Moore, EEOB; Anna Javins, speech and hearing science; Alaina Monsey, microbiology.

They successfully took on this diverse field of challenging, complex topics:

• Addressing Complex Questions in Chemical and Biochemical Sciences
• Animal Science: From Cattle to Bees to Seabirds and Beyond
• Assessment and Prevention of Diseases, Injuries, Medical Errors, and Surgical Complications
• Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience
• Building Healthy Lifestyles and Strong Communities
• Business Solutions in a Global Economy
• Contextual Mental Functioning and Human Behavior
• Earth and Planets
• Ecological and Environmental Sciences: From Farming and Fisheries and Beyond
• Emerging Issues in Healthcare Policy, Administration and Workforce
• Histories of Literatures, Religions and Cultures
• Human Origin, Society and Culture
• Improving Health Related Outcomes through Testing, Monitoring and Evaluation
• Innovation in Infection, Immunology and Beyond
• Linguistics and Emerging Cultural Issues
• Meaning and Motion in the Arts
• Media and Online Spaces
• Micro and Macro Views of Biology
• Numbers and Graphs
• Rights, Resources and Political Action

Kudos to all students who participated and to their dedicated faculty advisors and mentors, who inspire and motivate these young undergraduate researchers every day — not just in the weeks leading up to the Denman. In this powerful research arena, such work speaks to the value of an Arts and Sciences education to successfully address a multitude of problems and issues.