2019 College of Arts and Sciences Spring Research Symposium awards announced

Symposium keynote speakers Anda Panaitiu and Ioana Panaitiu with President James Herbert, Jeanne Hey and Amy Keirstead
Symposium keynote speakers Anda Panaitiu and Ioana Panaitiu with President James Herbert, Jeanne Hey and Amy Keirstead

More than 200 UNE undergraduate students took part in the 20th annual College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Spring Research Symposium.

The symposium, held on May 3, 2019, was composed of 70 posters, 45 oral presentations and three art displays, and included representation from all 13 CAS departments. Student presenters ranged from first year students to seniors, and over 50 faculty mentors oversaw the work.

Faculty and staff selected ten projects to be recognized as outstanding work. A certificate and a $50 award were presented for each of the ten honored projects.

Abigail Hayne (Marine Science, ’19) was recognized for her project, ā€œA Reassessment of Age and Growth of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) in the Gulf of Mexico.ā€

Kaitlin Thibeau (Art and Design Media, ’19) was recognized for her outstanding artwork presentation titled ā€œThings of the Past.ā€

The following students were selected for their outstanding oral presentations:

Brendan Sharp (Political Science, ’19) ā€œIs Donald Trump a Fascist?ā€ 

Mira D’Amato (English, ’19) and Drew York (Biological Sciences and English, ’19) ā€œAltered Alice and Medicalized Magic: Cultural Representations of Children’s Literature.ā€

The following students were selected for their outstanding poster presentations:

Hannah Ciarametaro (Marine Science, ’20) ā€œDevelopment of an eDNA assay to detect the invasive tunicate Ascidiella aspersaā€

Makaela Rice (Neuroscience, ’19) ā€œThe influence of neonatal pain on maternal behaviorā€

James Welch (Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, ’19), Christina Torlone (Medical Biology, ’20), Alina Mauthe (Animal Behavior, ’19) and Brooke Shea (Animal Behavior, ’19) ā€œAnimal foraging and disgust: Effects of pathogen cues and pathogen risk on scavenging behaviorā€

Mackenzie Deveau (Psychology, ’19), Kana Colarossi (Psychology,’20) and Ashley Karpowicz (Psychology, ’22) ā€œSexism and Female Consumer Behaviorā€

Nicole Martin (Psychology, ’21), Ellie Leighton (Psychology, ’19) and Aubrey Sahouria (Neuroscience, ’22) ā€œCan font change how you read? Exploring font types’ effect on comprehension and reading speedā€

Conor Wiley (Marine Science, ’21) ā€œPolar Bears and Climate Change: Comparing the Inuit and Scientific Perspectives.ā€

The symposium included a keynote address from two distinguished alumni, Anda Panaitiu, Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Neuroscience ’11) and Ioana Panaitiu (Political Science, ’15), who spoke of the value of a liberal arts education and how their UNE experience has shaped their educational and career paths.

Makaela Rice and her poster ā€œThe influence of neonatal pain on maternal behaviorā€
Makaela Rice and her poster ā€œThe influence of neonatal pain on maternal behaviorā€