Students showcase research at 2026 NDSU Student Research Days
NDSU Student Research Days was held on April 8-9 at NDSU’s Memorial Union. This multi-day event provides NDSU graduate and undergraduate students with the opportunity to present their research and creative work. Top student presentations were awarded in both oral and poster categories.
A total of 107 undergraduate students and 153 graduate students presented their work from a wide range of disciplines across all NDSU colleges. Undergraduates presented 89 posters and 12 oral presentations, supported by 98 mentors. Graduate students presented 63 posters and 90 oral presentations, supported by 89 advisers. Ninety-two evaluators reviewed presentations over the two-day event, including NDSU faculty, staff and external subject matter experts.
Student Research Days features a collaboration among the NDSU Office of Research and Creative Activity, Gamma Sigma Delta and the NDSU Graduate Student Council.
The NDSU Office of Research and Creative Activity hosted the NDSU EXPLORE showcase of undergraduate research on the first day. On the second day, the NDSU Graduate Student Council hosted its annual research symposium for graduate students from all disciplines. Gamma Sigma Delta, an agricultural honor society that encourages and rewards excellence in agriculture, joined the event for its annual symposium.
Awards were presented during a ceremony at the end of each day.
EXPLORE Poster Session
- First Place: Kianna Bannerman and Olivia Boyd
Unpacking Students’ Thinking About Mutation: Insights for Teaching Undergraduate Biology
Mentor: Jennifer Momsen, Ph.D., biological sciences - Second Place: Cora Larson and Hannah Johnson
The Relationship Between Social Support, Strain, and Anxiety in Undergraduate Students
Mentor: Anna Finley, Ph.D., psychology - Third Place: Zubin Park
Polyaniline-Graphene Oxide Coating Primer for Automotive Applications
Mentor: Eugene Caldona, Ph.D., coatings and polymeric materials - Honorable mention: Andrea Clarisse Corrales
Improving Tobacco Etch Virus NIa Protease for Improved Fusion Protein Cleavage Efficiency
Mentor: Christopher Colbert, Ph.D., chemistry and biochemistry
EXPORE Oral Session
- First Place: Madison Patterson
The Replication Factor A (RFA) complex participates in a unique pathway that while promoting cell growth, also leads to increased frequency of DNA mutation
Mentor: Stuart Haring, Ph.D., chemistry and biochemistry - Second Place: Jack Leone
How Microplastics Make Their Way into Your Cup of Coffee
Mentor: Syeed Iskander, Ph.D., civil, construction and environmental engineering - Third Place: Nora Daub
In Vitro Characterization of Fluorescent Biosensors in Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria
Mentor: Barney Geddes, Ph.D., plant pathology, microbiology and biotechnology
Graduate Student Council Poster Session
- First Place: Bright Mensah
Doctoral student, agriculture and biosystems engineering
Detection of Insect-Damaged Sunflower Seeds Using Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging
Advisor: Xin "Rex" Sun, Ph.D., Endowed Chair and Director of the Peltier Institute - Second Place: Vishesh Mishra
Doctoral student, coatings and polymeric materials Surface Self-Segregation in Moisture-Curable Hybrid Urea-Siloxane Coatings for Durable Large-Scale Ice Shedding properties
Advisor: Dean Webster, Ph.D., coatings and polymeric materials - Third Place: Jacob Fanno
Doctoral student, health, nutrition and exercise sciences
Test-Retest Reliability and Least Significant Change of Bioelectrical Impedance Metrics
Advisor: Kyle Hackney, Ph.D., health, nutrition and exercise sciences
Graduate Student Council Oral Session
- First Place: Hunter Gallagher
Master's student, horticulture and urban agriculture
Intercropping Cabbage and Onion as a Pest Management Strategy
Advisor: Harlene Hatterman-Valenti, Ph.D., plant sciences - Second Place: Matheus Belin
Doctoral student, pharmaceutical sciences
Intranasal Spray as a Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease
Advisor: Jagdish Singh, Ph.D., Chair/University Distinguished Professor, pharmaceutical sciences - Third Place: Emily Hackerson
Doctoral student, biological sciences
‘Here We Go, Another Professor with Their Special Way of Doing Their Things’: Promoting Social Metacognition in a CURE using a Modified Scrum Framework
Advisor: Jenni Momsen, Ph.D., professor biological sciences and DBER director
Gamma Sigma Delta Poster Session
- First Place: Gayathri Senanayake
Doctoral student, microbiological sciences
Characterising the role of accessory genes within the Mesorhizobium japonicum Integrative Conjugative Element (ICE) in mediating competitive symbiosis with Lotus japonicus
Advisor: Barney Geddes, Ph.D., assistant professor and Richard and Linda Offerdahl Faculty Fellow - Second Place: Mairene Souza
Master's student, natural resource science
Optimizing Nitrogen Inputs in Malting Barley Production
Advisor: Brady Goettl, Ph.D., assistant professor, soil sciences
Gamma Sigma Delta Oral Presentations
- First Place: Edward Cedrick Fernandez
Doctoral student, genomics, phenomics and bioinformatics
Understanding photosynthetic stress responses to improve crop resilience in barley
Advisor: Zhikai Liang, Ph.D., assistant professor omics and predictive modeling appl. plant breeding - Second Place: Privillege Muleya
Master's student, plant sciences
Companion crops suppress weeds during pollinator plant species establishment
Advisor: Marisol Berti, Ph.D., plant sciences
