Congratulations to the CAHNRS student award winners in the 2021 WSU Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA).
Part of the university’s annual Showcase Week, SURCA is a venue for students from all years in college, majors, and campuses to share the fruits of their research, scholarship, and creativity.
Taylor Spooner, studying Environmental and Ecosystem Sciences in the School of the Environment, earned a Crimson Award in the Applied Sciences category for his project monitoring water quality in Snohomish County. He is mentored by Snohomish County Extension Natural Resource Programs Director Patricia Townsend.
Emma Kadyk, a student in the School of Food Science, earned a Crimson Award in the Organismal, Population, Ecological, and Evolutionary Biology category for her research project on the effectiveness of sanitizer in controlling listeria in dump tank water. She is mentored by Professor Meijun Zhu.
In Social Sciences, Human Development student Olivia Davis earned a Crimson Award for her project, a scoping review of educational training for healthcare professionals about sexual health and behavior in later life. Davis is mentored by Professor Raven Weaver.
Also in that category, Human Development students Madison Benjamin, Linnaea Morris, and Portia Simmons earned a Crimson Award for their project, “Love the Way You Talk: Parent-Teen Closeness and the Mediation of Music Media.” They are mentored by HD Professor Kathleen Boyce Rodgers and Teaching Assistant Cristina McAllister.
In the Molecular, Cellular, and Chemical Biology category, Animal Sciences student Caitlyn Fitzpatrick earned a Crimson Award for her project on identification of genes and gene networks associated with milk protein in dairy cattle. She is mentored by Professor Holly Neibergs.
Animal Sciences student Madeleine Harvey earned a Crimson Award in the same category for her project on characterization of endometriosis-associated pain using a mouse model. She is mentored by Professor Kanako Kayashi.
New for 2021, the Research Proposal category was created for students engaged in development of a research, creative, or scholarly work. Student April Salmeron-Lauriano earned the Research Proposal: Early Career Award for her project, “Family Contributors in Adolescent Use in LatinX communities.” She is mentored by Human Development Associate Professor Elizabeth Weybright.
Finally, while she is not a CAHNRS undergraduate, Biochemistry student and SURCA Crimson Award winner Riley Shultz is mentored by WSU entomology researchers Dr. Jennifer Han and Dr. Nicholas Naeger. Shultz earned her award in the Organismal, Population, Ecological, and Evolutionary Biology category for her project studying effects of fungal biopesticide on honey bees.
View a video of all 2021 SURCA winners online.