Ten UIS students to present at University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol

Ten students from the University of Illinois Springfield will present their work at the second annual University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Day at the Illinois State Capitol on Thursday, April 30.

The students will display their research from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the first floor South corridor of the Capitol building. Students will be making poster presentations about their research and answering questions from lawmakers and the public.

UIS students will join their peers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Chicago campuses. Students were selected in a competitive process by the Undergraduate Research Steering Committee.

Chemistry major Shelby Jarrett will present research on the spectroscopy of the binary star Epsilon Aurigae, history major Jerica Griffen will discuss the narratives in the comic Static Shock, legal studies and political science major Taylor Traynoff will explore the girl power movement of the 1990s and art major Thomas Gebhardt will showcase images of Americana in his original installation “Drive In”.

Matthew Sojka, a chemistry major, will present research on physical and chemical changes at the Emiquon freshwater restoration project, art major Mariam Said will exhibit her original work reflecting on her experience as an American Muslim called “Unveiling the Hijab” and business administration major Sarah Rowlands will explore the relationship between role overload and work outcomes.

Global Studies major Dalton Traina will present on local efforts to fight obesity in genHkids, chemistry major Michael Rosenberger will discuss a partnership with the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine to identify JNK proteins and computer science major Daniel Evertz will show off Java-based recognition software for robots.

The event is co-sponsored by the UIS Undergraduate Research Support Program and the UIS Chancellor’s Office. For more information, contact UIS Associate Professor of Chemistry and Director of Undergraduate Student Research Keenan Dungey at 217/206-7345 or kdung1@uis.edu.