Students Awarded for Excellence in Research

VALDOSTA -- Students from Valdosta State University's College of Arts and Sciences claimed awards for their research and scholarship endeavors at that 16th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, held April 15-16, in Bailey Science Center.

W. Jake Newsome of Cuthbert was awarded Best Paper for his work titled, "Eliminating the Unfit: America's Crusade to Forge a Master Race." Sponsored Dr. Chris Meyers, the young historian demonstrated depth in research along with clear, logical arguments. Judges considered his topic captivating and his writing engaging, but his articulation of the project's significance set his paper apart from other submissions.

Meagan Michelle Wood of Thomasville won for Best Poster for her work titled, "The Impact of an Intergenerational Video Game Experience on Young Adults’ Perceptions of Aging and Older Adults." Advised by Drs. Ofelia Nikolova and Steven J. Kohn, Wood presented current, applied topics with clear organization. Judges chose her poster because of the impressive human subject research and statistical analysis as well as her strong theoretical grounding.

Stephanie N. Patterson and Victoria D. Jones, both of Valdosta, claimed Best Poster in the Sciences for their work with Dr. Tolulope O. Salami titled, "Synthesis, Characterization, Thermal Study and Crystal Structure of a New Layered Alkaline Earth Metal Sulfonate Sr[C2H4(SO3)2]:VALD-1." Judges claimed the duo's scientific research to be of outstanding quality in the area of new materials.

Garrett Myers of Valdosta and Andrew MacLaren of Duluth earned second place in the sciences category for their work with Dr. Sudip Chakraborty titled, " A Comparative Study of Vulnerabilities in Different Operating Systems." Judges cited the project's meaningful results and practical application as the primary reason for their award.

First place winners were awarded $100 and second place $50. Hosted annually by VSU's Undergraduate Research Council, the symposium gives students and faculty members a public platform to showcase their outstanding scholarship endeavors on a diverse array of topics.

The URC seeks to engage students from all disciplines within the college in meaningful, independent and supervised research experiences. The council also provides a forum for faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences to foster undergraduate research in their own disciplines and gain more knowledge of undergraduate research in other fields.