Trine students earn STEM Symposium awards

Trine University students have been honored for projects presented at the university’s fifth annual STEM Research and Design Symposium, held Dec. 3 on the concourse of the MTI Center.

The symposium featured about 60 student projects representing multiple academic departments. Projects included departmental freshman and research projects as well as Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU).

Awards were presented in the following categories:

Best REU Project: Paige Schiebel, a biomedical engineering major from Port Saint Charles, Minnesota, “Mechanistic Insight into Modulation of Amyloid-β Aggregation by Polymer-Functionalized Nanoparticles.”

Best Trine Research Project - Biomedical Engineering: Biomedical engineering majors Chloe Goff of Hillsdale, Michigan, and Aaron Streit of New Paris, Indiana, “In-Vitro Analysis of Silver Nanoparticles as a Treatment for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia and Other Fast-Acting Cancers.”

Second place, Trine Research Project - Biomedical Engineering: Biomedical engineering majors Matthew Sylvester from Brooklyn, Michigan, Julia Zyck from Westland, Michigan, and Jacob Long from Edon, Ohio, “The Effects of External Ankle Immobilization devices on Hip Gait Mechanics.”

Best Trine Research Project - Engineering Multi Departmental: Adam Goyetche, a computer engineering major from Westlake, Ohio, Dru Walkowski, an electrical engineering major from Butler, Indiana, Dhairya Mishra, a software engineering major from Indiana, Daniel Siebeneck, a mathematics major from Continental, Ohio, and Garrett Howell, a biomedical engineering major from Brownsburg, Indiana, “Atlas Overlay.”

Second place, Trine Research Project: David Keptner, a chemical engineering major from Midland, Michigan, “Heterotrophic Growth of Chlorella protothecoides.”

Best Trine Research Project - Exercise Science and People’s Choice Award – Trine Research: Exercise science majors Jordan Bouse of Coldwater, Michigan, Kenydee Otto of Coldwater, Michigan, Justin Pappas of Lebanon, Ohio, Rachel Stewart of Pekin, Indiana, and Kayla Wildman of Belmont, Michigan, “Elevated to New Heights in VR: How Virtual Reality Affects Vestibular Consistency and Gait Patterns with Varying Inclinations.”

Second place, Trine Research Project - Exercise Science: Colin Goebel, an exercise science major from Auburn, Indiana, “Effects of Red-Light Therapy on Lower Body Maximal Power Output in Previously Trained Individuals.”

Honorable mention, Biology Department: Christa Buehler, a biomedical engineering major from Belmont, Michigan, Keanon Clemons, an exercise science major from South Bend, Indiana, and Alhasan Yahya, a biology major from Melvindale, Michigan, “Exposing yeast cells to UV light under protection of sunglasses and window tint.”

Honorable mention, Biology Department: Dominic Longo, a forensic science major from Bolingbook, Illinois, Luke Kornak, a biology major from Hillsdale, Michigan, and Carter Gonzalez, an exercise science major from Leo, Indiana, “Which SPF Chapstick works best for protecting yeast from UV?”

Honorable mention, Biology Department: Blaik Rumsey, a biology major from Angola, Indiana, Mary Padilla, a biology major from Leo, Indiana, and Chinazam Okoroafor, a chemical engineering major from Nigeria, “Testing coverage of expired vs non-expired sunscreen on yeast cells exposed to UV light.”

People’s Choice Award - Freshman Informative Projects (tie): Biomedical engineering majors Ava Dobbins of Barberton, Ohio, and Ryleigh Furlong of Lakeville, Minnesota, “Cobalt Joint Failure”; and McKenzie Brouk, an exercise science major from Angola, Indiana, “My illness is invisible but I am not - Living with Ankylosing spondylitis.”