Kirmser Awards recognize exceptional undergraduate scholarship
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Kirmser Undergraduate Research Award winners, from left: Noelle Doty, Emma Brase, Dean of K-State Libraries Lori Goetsch, Caitlyn Webb and Tia' Gamble. | Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — Excellence in research has earned several students at Kansas State University recognition through the fourth annual Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards.
On May 3, the awards committee rewarded outstanding undergraduate research in topics ranging from children's literature to biosystems engineering. Grand prize awards were given in three categories: individual freshman, individual non-freshman and group. Individual grand prizewinners each received $1,000, and the group grand prizewinners shared a $3,000 award. Honorable mentions were also named in the individual non-freshman and group categories.
The awards are made possible through a gift from the Philip and Jeune Kirmser estate.
"We see students working in the K-State Libraries throughout the year but we rarely get to see their final projects," said Cindy Logan, associate professor, academic services librarian and chair of the award committee. "It's so gratifying to have this opportunity to see and recognize the extraordinarily high-caliber research they're completing. On behalf of the Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards committee, I'd like to extend my sincere congratulations to our winners and all of our applicants."
Both grand prize and honorable mention winners are invited to archive their projects in K-State's institutional repository, the K-State Research Exchange, known as K-Rex, so that they are available online to the public.
The following students were recognized at the Kirmser Undergraduate Research Award ceremony:
• Kaley Brungardt, senior in biological systems engineering, Ellsworth, honorable mention in the group research category for "Microfluidic Devices for Rapid Disease Diagnosis: A Fluidic Study." The project was for the course Biological Systems Engineering Senior Design taught by Edwin Brokesh, instructor of biological and agricultural engineering.
• Emma Brase, freshman in psychology, Manhattan, grand prize in the individual freshman research category for "Visual Neglect and Mental Representations: Current Status and Issues." Brase completed her project for the General Psychology course taught by Jessica Williamson, instructor of psychology.
• Caitlyn Webb, senior in accounting and economics, Manhattan, grand prize in the group research category for "First Watch Franchise Expansion Proposal." The group completed the project for the course Written Communication for the Workplace taught by Maggie Borders, instructor of English.
• Amanda Reichenberger, senior in communications studies, Mount Hope, honorable mention in the individual non-freshman research category for "Competition and Risk Aversion." She completed the project for the Senior Colloquium course taught by Greg Paul, associate professor of communications studies.
• Emily Allan, senior in secondary education, Olathe, honorable mention in the individual non-freshman research category for "'A Dem Fine Woman': Female Artists and Actresses' Visual Representations of Beautiful Evil." The project was completed for the course Film Adaptations of Children's Classics taught by Anne Phillips, professor of English.
• Kendra Schuette, senior in biological systems engineering, Olathe, honorable mention in the group research category for "Microfluidic Devices for Rapid Disease Diagnosis: A Fluidic Study." The group completed the project for the Biological Systems Engineering Senior Design course taught by Edwin Brokesh, instructor of biological and agricultural engineering.
• Connor Knutson, entrepreneurship major, Overland Park, grand prize in the group research category for "First Watch Franchise Expansion Proposal." The group completed the project for the course Written Communication for the Workplace taught by Maggie Borders, instructor of English.
• Megan Richards, senior in biological systems engineering, Stilwell, honorable mention in the group research category for "Microfluidic Devices for Rapid Disease Diagnosis: A Fluidic Study." The group completed the project for Biological Systems Engineering Senior Design course taught by Edwin Brokesh, instructor of biological and agricultural engineering.
• Karen Palacios, senior in sociology, Buckeye, Arizona, honorable mention in the individual non-freshman research category for "'Wow, I wish I had known!' How Social Capital Affects Hispanic Parents' Dreams of Sending their Children to College." The project was completed for the course Proficiency Development in Sociology taught by Chardie Baird, associate professor; Alisa Garni, associate professor; and Nicolette Manglos-Weber, assistant professor, all in sociology; and Norma Valenzuela, visiting instructor in American ethnic studies.
• Noelle Doty, senior in communications studies, Fort Collins, Colorado, grand prize in the individual non-freshman research category for "Caught in the Middle: Empowerment in Middle Managers." Her project was completed for Senior Colloquium taught by Greg Paul, associate professor of communications studies.
• Tia' Gamble, senior in economics and business management, DeSoto, Texas,grand prize in the group research category for "First Watch Franchise Expansion Proposal." The group completed the project for Written Communication for the Workplace taught by Maggie Borders, instructor of English.
