The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in Engineered Bioactive Interfaces & Devices program at the University of Kentucky (UK) concluded on Thursday, July 29, 2021, with a poster competition and awards ceremony. The event was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), UK VP for Research, UK College of Engineering and UK Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering.
The 10-week intensive research program sponsored by the NSF attracted talented undergraduate researchers from across the US and gave them an opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of faculty and UK graduate students.
Guigen Zhang, professor and chair of the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering and Endowed Halcomb Chair, provided the keynote address for the awards ceremony.
A full list of the poster competition participants is given below. Poster competition awards went to:
- 1st Place Poster Competition – Camara Casson, Florida Institute of Technology
- 2nd Place Poster Competition – Leah Schrass, Texas A&M University – College Station
- 3rd Place Poster Competition – Winnie Huang, Stanford University
- Best Oral Presentation – Daniel Allen, West Virginia University
- Best Blog – Nicole Racca, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Best Overall – Anicah Smith, University of Kentucky
In addition to UK faculty who advised REU participants, graduate student mentors Rollie Mills, Chase Haddix, Lauren Mehanna, Parto Babaniamansour, Francisco Leniz, Victoria Klaus and Alexus Rockward contributed to the program’s success.
A full list of the participants in the poster competition, as well as their faculty mentor(s) is below.
David Alexander, University of Kentucky, Biomedical Engineering Rapid Detection of Cortisol Through Development of Electrochemical Biosensor Dr. Guigen Zhang, Lauren Bell
Daniel Allen, West Virginia University, Chemical Engineering Demonstration of a Flexible Pressure Sensor with Novel Piezoelectric Material Dr. Aron Huckaba, Michael Wells
Camara Casson. Florida Institute of Technology, Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Therapeutic Potential of Lentivirus-Mediated shRNA Delivery in Spinal Cord Injury Dr. Jonghyuck Park
Albert Gumbs, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Mechanical Engineering Physical Insights in Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Development in a Simulated Microgravity Environment Biofilm Formation Dr. Martha Grady, Maame Afrifa
Natalie Harris, University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering Responsive Membrane Development for Water Purification Applications Dr. Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Francisco Leniz
Winnie Huang, Stanford University, Chemical Engineering Self-Propulsion of Aqueous Droplet Inducted by Thickness Gradient of Viscoelastic Film Dr. Jonathan Pham, Zhuoyun Cai
Nicole Racca, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Analyzing Cellular Adhesion Strength of H9C2 Creation of Shear Flow Wash System for Biotin-Streptavidin Micropatterning Dr. Brad Berron, Lauren Mehanna
Hope Sage, Texas Christian University, Physical Sciences Image Processing to Characterize Porous Sesamoid Bone Structures Dr. Guigen Zhang, Lauren Bell
Leah Schrass, Texas A&M University – College Station, Interdisciplinary Engineering Non-viral Delivery of CRISPR-Cas 9 in Neuro – 2a Cells Dr. Daniel Pack, Logan Warriner
Alea Smith, University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering Thermogelling Polymeric Hydrogels for the Delivery of Live Mitochondria Dr. Tom Dziubla, Shahriar Rahman
Anicah Smith, University of Kentucky, Chemical Engineering Addressing PFAS Contamination in Blood Bank Supplies with Hydrogel Nanocomposite Sorbents Dr. Zach Hilt, E. Molly Frazar
Jamie Smith, Tuskegee University, Biological/Life Sciences Synthesis of Reusable Face Mask Filters from a Polymeric Dope Solution and a 3-D Printed Support Dr. Isabel Escobar, David Lu
Elysandra Solis, St. Mary’s University, Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering The Effect of Cationic Functionality on the Binding of PFAS Using Enterosorbents Dr. Zach Hilt, Victoria Klaus
Ethan Toole, Mercer University, Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Biphasic Deep Eutectic Solvent Systems Dr. Qing Shao, Usman Abbas
Alysha Weigold, Michigan Technological University, Chemical Engineering Protein Detection System Using Fluorescence Based Silica Nanoparticles Dr. Barbara Knutson and Dr. Stephen Rankin, Sayma Afrin
Shelley Williams, University of Kentucky, Mechanical Engineering Measuring Cell and Bacteria Mass Density Using a Percoll Gradient Dr. Martha Grady, J.D. Boyd
Lars Wirstrom, North Carolina University at Raleigh, Chemical Engineering Oxidation of Melanoidins by Photocatalytic Activity on Mesoporous Titania Films Dr. Stephen Rankin and Dr. Barbara Knutson, Andrew Drake