Undergraduate Research Excellence
The Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence (SURE) was held on April 2, 2015 as a part of 2015 Research Week at UCF. SURE celebrates undergraduate research and creativity across the university curriculum.
SURE is a poster or display based forum for UCF undergraduates to present their research and creative projects to the broader university community. Undergraduates from all disciplines were encouraged to present current or recently completed academic projects showcasing the diversity of topics, approaches, and interests at UCF.
The Showcase serves as a resource for undergraduates, not yet engaged in research and creative pursuits, to learn how fellow students have developed their intellectual interests, current projects, and faculty connections. The Showcase also demonstrates to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the greater Central Florida community that student research builds upon and enriches the UCF undergraduate experience.
The College of Sciences had a wonderful showing in SURE, with 18 students receiving awards:
Life Sciences I:
Honorable Mention: Lauren Lanoux
AquaWeb: An assessment of online marine biodiversity available in Central Florida
Mentor: Linda Walters, Ph.D., (Department of Biology)
Life Sciences II:
Honorable Mention: Michelle Shaffer
Propagule Trapping: Examining The Rate of Successful Rhizophora mangle Propagule Recruitment along the Restored Shorelines of Turtle Mound
Mentor: Linda Walters, Ph.D., (Department of Biology)
Physical Sciences:
First Place: Rebekah Karadeema
General Method for Analysis of Nucleic Acid Structures by Deoxyribozyme Sensors
Mentor: Dmitry Kolpashchikov, Ph.D., (Department of Chemistry)
Second Place: Manuel Morales
Calculation of the Terahertz Radiation Patterns from a Superconducting Mesa for the Development of Medical Imaging and Homeland Security Tools
Mentor: Richard Klemm, Ph.D., (Department of Physics)
Third Place: Stephanie Armas
Indirect potentiometric detection of DNA hybridization using a four-way junction system
Mentor: Karin Chumbimuni-Torres, Ph.D., (Department of Chemistry)
Honorable Mention: Ashlyn Hale
Degradation of 1,2-Dichloropropane with Microscale Zero-Valent Iron and B Vitamins
Mentor: Cherie Yestrebsky, Ph.D., (Department of Chemistry)
Honorable Mention: Zaid Mohammad
Naphthalene and perylene bis-imides as light harvesting antennae in new catalysts for artificial photosynthesis
Mentor: Fernando Uribe-Romo, Ph.D., (Department of Chemistry)
Social Sciences I:
First Place: Trina Gilliam
The Great Escape: Making the Choice for Upward Mobility
Mentor: Amy Donley, Ph.D., (Department of Sociology)
Second Place: Elizabeth Altamirano
Investigating Acculturation and Psychological Homelessness Among Latinos In Florida
Mentor: Charles Negy, Ph.D., (Department of Psychology)
Third Place: Nicholas Joseph
The Impact of Stereotype Threat, Rumination, and Heart Rate Variability Amongst Ethnic Minorities
Mentor: Julian Thayer, Ph.D., (Department of Psychology)
Honorable Mention:Nicholas James
Exploring a Relationship Between Social Anxiety Disorder and Bilingualism
Mentor: Deborah Beidel, Ph.D., (Department of Psychology)
Honorable Mention: Andrew Lutz
Virtual Team Coopetition: An Investigation of Competitive Proclivity in Virtual and Face-to-Face Dyads
Mentor: Matthew Chin, Ph.D., (Department of Psychology)
Social Sciences II:
First Place: Tiernan Middleton
Homophobia and HIV: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of HIV Transmission
Mentor: Joanna Mishtal, Ph.D., (Department of Anthropology)
Second Place: Serenela Pelier
Stable Isotope Evidence for the Geographic Origins and Military Movement of Napoleonic Soldiers during the March to Moscow in 1812
Mentor: Tosha Dupras, Ph.D., (Department of Anthropology)
Third Place: Robin Thorne
Exploring the Relationship of Resilience, Optimism, and the Big Five
Mentor: Karen Mottarella, Ph.D., (Department of Psychology)
Honorable Mention: Kathryn Schafer
The Road Rage and Aggressive Driving Dichotomy: Personality and Attribution Factors in Driver Aggression
Mentors: Peter Hancock, Ph.D., (Department of Psychology)
Honorable Mention: Amanda Woods
Examining the Relationship Between Trait Goal Orientation and Behavior in Team Debriefing Sessions
Mentors: Eduardo Salas, Ph.D., (Department of Psychology)
Audience Choice Category:
Honorable Mention: Jason Hendershot
Co-presenters: Gabriel Abreu, Lindsay Arick, Lacie Anderson, Amanda Binnion, Victoria Brodie, Sonja Cames, Michelle Cardenas, Ciara Coffell, Joseph Cordell, Caitlin Dombrowski, Heidy Hartley, Madison Hall, Colton Kizlinski, Andrew Letter, Bailey Molin, Chelsea Petrik, Christian Pilato, Javier Romaguera, Audrey Saint-Marc, Dean Simmons, Douglas Tolman, Jennifer Torchalski, and Christopher Walsh
Live Rock and Macroalgae: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Aquarium
Mentor: Linda Walters, Ph.D., (Department of Biology)