Five K-State students taking part in Kansas Undergraduate Research Days
Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
Kansas Undergraduate Research Days, a free, live virtual event, will be presented March 1-3 and feature the work of 40 undergraduate researchers at Kansas Board of Regents' four-year public universities. Five students from Kansas State University are among the presenters.
MANHATTAN — Five undergraduate researchers from Kansas State University will take part in Kansas Undergraduate Research Days, March 1-3. This select virtual event can be viewed live for free at symposium.foragerone.com/kansas-undergraduate-research-days/registration.
The K-State students will be joined by undergraduate researchers from each of the other Kansas Board of Regents four-year public universities in presenting their projects online. The event is sponsored this year by the University of Kansas.
"Undergraduate Research Days showcases undergraduate research in Kansas, providing a forum for undergraduates from across Kansas to present their research to our state legislators and other guests visiting the website," said Dawn Tallchief, assistant director for student programs with the Center for Undergraduate Research at KU and the coordinator of this year's event.
The Kansas Undergraduate Research Days website will feature posters and accompanying student videos describing the research projects. Visitors will be able to comment and post questions for the student presenters. Students, faculty, Kansas Board of Regents members, state lawmakers and members of the public from across the state are invited to participate. The event is intended to raise awareness of research being conducted by undergraduate students and to highlight the transformational educational opportunities available to students at each Regents university.
The following K-State students will present their work at the Undergraduate Research Days:
• Nassima Amiar, senior in biology, Manhattan, mentored by Loretta Johnson, professor of biology, will present "Do Soil Microbes Enhance Leaf Area and Biomass in Big Bluestem Growing Across a Precipitation Gradient?"
• Carson Gido, junior in biochemistry, Manhattan, mentored by Brian Geisbrecht, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, will present "Inhibition of Neutrophil Serine Proteases by Staphylococcus aureus Extracellular Adherence Protein Domains."
• Stephanie Ma, junior in chemical engineering, Rosehill, mentored by Chuancheng Duan, assistant professor of chemical engineering, will present "Opening the Black Box of Catalytic CO2 Conversion Into Fuel."
• Kinsley Searles, senior in English literature, Topeka, mentored by Lisa Tatonetti, professor of English, and Mary Kohn, associate professor of English, will present "Kansas Land Treaties Project."
• Dewey Leierer, senior in biochemistry, Wichita, mentored by Brenda Oppert, K-State adjunct professor of entomology and research molecular biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will present "Shotgun Metagenomic Case Study of a Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio Molitor) Colony Collapse."
"We are excited for the opportunity to showcase and celebrate the excellent undergraduate research at Kansas State University," said Brenee King, director of K-State's Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry. "Our group of student presenters represents the interdisciplinary research that undergraduate students can engage with during their time on campus. We are proud of all the undergraduate research and creative inquiry occurring at K-State."
