LSU Engineering Students Aim to Excite at the 2016 Undergraduate Research Conference

LSU engineering students are preparing to excite, explore and experiment for the eighth annual Undergraduate Research Conference (URC). The day-long competition will take place on Friday, Oct. 14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the LSU Energy, Coast and Environment Building.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Excite/Explore/Experiment,” and participants will have the opportunity to engage in each of the three components.

The first component, “Excite,” includes a keynote address by Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. His talk, “Water Worlds—The Search for Habitable Exoplanets,” will complement the “Explore” element of the conference.

The “Explore” aspect will facilitate participant discussion around the topic “Space: The Next Frontier.” During this time, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in discussion and network with faculty and peers.

The final component of the URC, “Experiment,” involves the undergraduate research competition. Participants may compete in one of three types of competitions: Poster Competition, Level One; Poster Competition, Level Two; or Oral Competition.

The Poster Competition, Level One, is for undergraduates with two semester of research or less. From the LSU College of Engineering, participants include:

  • Biological engineering junior Hawber Abdulqader presenting “Multiple-Gene Release Using Multiplexed Magnetic Heating Of Single Crystal Nanoparticles”
  • Biological engineering sophomore Anthony Sagona presenting “Synthesis and Characterization of Adipose-derived Extracellular Matrix Hydrogels”
  • Chemical engineering sophomore Manon Bart presenting “Computational Study of Interacting Particle Clusters in Viscous Fluids”

Participants in this competition also include students participating in the LSU Bridges to the Baccalaureate, which helps ease the transition from Baton Rouge Community College to LSU. Biological engineering sophomore Cleveland Douglas III will present his research on luminescent nanoparticles while mechanical engineering sophomore Steven Grouchy will discuss using fluorescence imaging systems to detect food pathogens. Engineering sophomore Jeremy Baker will share his research on using skeletal reconstruction to study degenerative joint diseases.

Participants in the Poster Competition, Level Two, have three or more semesters of research. LSU engineering students participating in this competition include:

  • Civil engineering sophomore Joseph Gombeda presenting “Biomedical Applications of Thiol-Acrylate Polymerization”
  • Petroleum engineering junior Connor Tiersch presenting “3-D Printing of Practical Vitrification Devices for Germplasm Repository Development in Aquatic Species”

In addition to engineering and technology, URC participants can also enter research into the disciplines of life sciences, math and physical sciences, and humanities and social sciences. The first and second place winners in each discipline and each competition type will win a cash reward.

The Office of Strategic Initiatives created the URC to give undergraduates conducting research in STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—humanities, or social sciences a forum to present their research and network with peers. The conference provides a unique platform for participants to hone their presentation skills. The general public is invited to attend.

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For more information, contact Caroline Byrne at cbyrne4@lsu.edu or 225-578-4630.

 

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