Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — Gun control, children's literature and attorney credibility are just some of the topics that earned Kansas State University students the first Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards. The winners were recognized at a May 7 ceremony at Hale Library.

Grand prize and honorable mentions were awarded in three categories: individual freshman, individual non-freshman and group. Individual grand prize winners each received $1,000, and the group grand prize winners shared a $3,000 award.

The awards are made possible through a gift from the estate of Philip and Jeune Kirmser.

"The Kirmsers shared a lifelong devotion to education," said Lori A. Goetsch, dean of Kansas State University's libraries. "Now, their generosity allows us to celebrate the role the libraries play in teaching students to conduct research and to effectively use our resources. Their gift will impact generations of scholars to come."

More information about the Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards is available at http://www.lib.k-state.edu/kirmser-undergraduate-research-award-winners.

Award winners include:

Katlyn Buckley, senior in secondary education-English, Manhattan, grand prize winner in the group category for "Humanizing the Inhuman; How Award-Winning Children’s Nonfiction Complicates Stereotypes." The project for the course Topics in Literature: Children's Nonfiction taught by Joe Sutliff Sanders, assistant professor of English.

Joshua Wilson, senior in communication studies, Manhattan, grand prize winner in the individual non-freshman category for "The Effect of Power Based Expectancy Violations on Perceptions of Attorney Credibility." The project was done for the course Senior Colloquium taught by Gregory Paul, assistant professor of communication studies.

Benjamin Windholz, senior in communication studies, Manhattan, honorable mention in the individual non-freshman category for "My Eyes Are Up Here: The Comedy of Amy Schumer and the Carnivalesque." The project was for the course Senior Colloquium taught by Gregory Paul, assistant professor of communication studies.

Charlie Lynn, senior in secondary education-English, Minneapolis, grand prize winner in the group category for "Humanizing the Inhuman; How Award-Winning Children’s Nonfiction Complicates Stereotypes." The project for the course Topics in Literature: Children's Nonfiction taught by Joe Sutliff Sanders, assistant professor of English.

Ryan Cater, senior in mechanical engineering, Osawatomie, honorable mention in the group category for "Heat Sink Design Project." The project was for the course Heat Transfer taught by Amy Betz, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering.

Samantha Knese, sophomore in open option, Overland Park, honorable mention in the individual freshman category for "Gun Control or Gun Proliferation? State Response to Mass Shootings in Newtown and Aurora." The project was for the course Problems in Family Studies and Human Services taught by John Fliter Jr., associate professor of political science.

Jason Steuber, senior in mechanical engineering, Overland Park, honorable mention in the group category for "Heat Sink Design Project." The project was for the course Heat Transfer taught by Amy Betz, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering.

Josh Dotson, December 2013 bachelor's graduate in mechanical engineering, Wichita, honorable mention in the group category for "Heat Sink Design Project." The project was for the course Heat Transfer taught by Amy Betz, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering.

Rachel Hayes, freshman in industrial engineering, Wichita, grand prize in the individual freshman category for "Rubber Rampage: The Era that Produced Vulcanized Rubber." The project was for the course History of the United States to 1877 taught by M.J. Morgan, assistant professor of history.

Taylor Stein, senior in mechanical engineering, Wichita, honorable mention in the group category for "Heat Sink Design Project." The project was for the course Heat Transfer taught by Amy Betz, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering.

Andrew Woolley, senior in chemical engineering, Wichita, honorable mention in the individual non-freshman category for "Production of Trivalent Influenza Vaccines: Disposable Technology and Insect Cell Lines." The project was for the course Chemical Engineering Systems Design 2 taught by John Schlup, professor of chemical engineering.

Kynsey Creel, senior in English, Albuquerque, New Mexico, grand prize winner in the group category for "Humanizing the Inhuman; How Award-Winning Children’s Nonfiction Complicates Stereotypes." The project for the course Topics in Literature: Children's Nonfiction taught by Joe Sutliff Sanders, assistant professor of English.

Tian Bai, senior in mechanical engineering, Changzhou, China, honorable mention in the group category for "Heat Sink Design Project." The project was for the course Heat Transfer taught by Amy Betz, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering.