Student Research Days 2025

April 16, 2025

NDSU Student Research Days is a two-day event dedicated to providing NDSU graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to present their research and creative works. The event was held on April 9 and 10, 2025 and top student presentations were awarded in both oral and poster presentations.

77 undergraduate and 153 graduate students registered for the event across a wide range of disciplines from all NDSU colleges. Awards were given in both undergraduate and graduate categories recognizing the best oral and poster presentations for each group.

Student Research Days features a collaboration of events from the NDSU Office of Research and Creative Activity, Gamma Sigma Delta, and the Graduate Student Council.

The NDSU Office of Research and Creative Activity hosts NDSU EXPLORE, an annual showcase for undergraduate students to present their research and creative projects.

Agricultural honor society Gamma Sigma Delta encourages and rewards excellence in agriculture and the NDSU chapter’s annual symposium features both undergraduate and graduate students presenting their research.

The NDSU Graduate Student Council hosts their annual research symposium in which graduate students in all disciplines present their research.

82 evaluators served during the two days, including NDSU faculty and staff members and 15 individuals from Aldevron who volunteered for the graduate categories judging.

Prizes were awarded during a ceremony at the end of each day.

EXPLORE POSTER AWARDS

First Place: Abuk Akeck
Project: "Simulating the Effects of Visual Cataract on Facial Recognition"
Mentor: Benjamin Balas, PhD, Psychology

Second Place: Alyssa Willis
Project: "The impact of social networks on life satisfaction in older adults"
Mentor: Heather Fuller, Ph.D., Human Development and Family Science

Third Place [TIE]: Grant Parker & Isaac Wanner
Project: "Exploring the Role of Nitrosylation in Insulin Resistance"
Mentor: Natasha Fillmore, Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences

Third Place [TIE]: Kimaria Stevenson
Project: "Vitamin D and its roles in immune function and reproduction in the nocturnal Leopard Gecko (Eublpharis macularius)"
Mentor: Matthew Smith, Ph.D., Biological Sciences

EXPLORE ORAL AWARDS

First Place: Kaylin Trosen
Project: "Examining the role of checkpoint kinase target sites within replication factor A2 upon challenge with chemotherapy-like DNA damaging agents"
Mentor: Stuart Haring, Ph.D., Civil, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Second Place: Andrea Clarisse Corrales
Project: "Temperature-dependent corrosion inhibition of soybean extract on carbon steel in acidic medium"
Mentor: Eugene Caldona, Ph.D., Coatings and Polymeric Materials

GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL POSTER AWARDS

First Place: Debarati Kole, Developmental Science
Project: “Self-Esteem as a Mediator of the Association between Helping Others and Wellbeing in Older Adults”
Advisor: Heather Fuller, Ph.D., Human Development and Family Sciences 

Second Place: Teala Matiur, Microbiology
Project: “VIP Receptor Deficiency negatively impacts Gut Epithelial and Immune Cell Homeostasis”
Advisor: Glenn Dorsam, Ph.D., Microbiology

Third Place: Redemptor Zhou, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Project: “Sex-dependent Protective Effects of Alamandine in Cardiac Aging”
Advisor: Natasha Fillmore, Ph.D., School of Pharmacy 

GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL ORAL AWARDS

First Place: Theo Knowles, Natural Resource Sciences 
Project: “Floral Frenzy: Reintroducing Wildflowers into North Dakota Grassland Restorations”
Advisor: Shawn DeKeyser, Ph.D., School of Natural Resource Sciences

Second Place: Gopal Marwaha , Natural Resource Sciences
Project: “Nitrogen and Plant Competition: Exploring Native-Invasive Species Interactions in a Greenhouse”
Advisor: Rakhi Palit, Ph.D., School of Natural Resource Sciences 

Third Place: Matheus Belin, Pharmaceutical Sciences  ?
Project: “From Waste to Remedy: Bergamot Byproduct Prevents Obesity-Related Cardiovascular Diseases”
Advisor: Jagdish Singh, Ph.D., School of Pharmacy 

GAMMA SIGMA DELTA POSTER AWARDS

First Place: Marisol Morocho, Plant Sciences
Project: “Salinity affects seed germination and vigor in spring and winter camelina
Advisor: Marisol Berti, Ph.D,. Plant Sciences

Second Place: Katrina Kratzke, Natural Resource Sciences
Project: “Short Term Impacts of Grazing Cover Crops on Profitability and Soil Health”
Advisor: Miranda Meehan, Ph.D., Animal Sciences

Third Place: Maria Batool, Soil Science
Project: “Long-Term Soil pH Changes in Southwestern North Dakota”
Advisor: Larry Cihacek, Ph.D., Natural Resource Sciences

GAMMA SIGMA DELTA ORAL AWARDS

First Place: Dinesh Poudel, Plant Pathology
Project: “Evaluation of breeding lines for resistance to soybean cyst nematode, a devastating pest in soybean”
Advisor: Guiping Yan, Ph.D., Plant Pathology

Second Place: Dayne Tallier, Soil Science
Project: “Optimizing Phosphorus for Soybean: Impacts on Yield and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi”
Advisor: Lindsay Malone, Ph.D., Natural Resource Sciences

Third Place: Ashley Barstow, Plant Sciences
Project: “Variant filters using segregation information improve mapping of nectar-production genes in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)
Advisor: Brent Hulke, Ph.D., USDA Agricultural Research Service