3/18/2016 - Jackson, Miss.

Students from all eight of Mississippi’s public universities will share their research and creative activities on topics ranging from healthcare to cultural heritage to agribusiness with legislators and state leaders at Posters in the Rotunda, which will be held in the Rotunda of the State Capitol on Thursday, March 24. The students will show how their research solves some of Mississippi’s most pressing problems and benefits the citizens of the state.

The event provides opportunities for legislators to visit with students from their districts, allows students to network with each other as they learn about work on other campuses, and showcases the cutting-edge research conducted by undergraduates that benefits the residents of Mississippi.

“We are very excited about the event and hope it will share with the legislators and public the incredible research projects conducted by undergraduates at all eight public universities in the state,” said Dr. Marie Danforth, Chair of the Steering Committee for the Center for Undergraduate Research at The University of Southern Mississippi and coordinator of the event. “We are very proud that undergraduates were integral to many aspects of the launch, including the creation of the Posters in the Rotunda logo as well as designing the website and placing it in operation.”

Modeled after the Posters on the Hill event in which students from across the country share their work in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Mississippi’s Posters in the Rotunda event is similar to ones held in 17 other states. The posters will be on display in the Rotunda of the State Capitol from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.

Scheduled speakers include Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves and Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Glenn Boyce, with introductions given by Dr. Gordon Cannon, Vice President for Research at The University of Southern Mississippi.

A proclamation of support will be given in the House Chamber at 10:00 a.m. and in the Senate Chamber at 10:30 a.m. Senate Concurrent Resolution 606 designates March 24, 2016 as “Undergraduate Research Day in Mississippi” to emphasize the value of scholarly inquiry and the application of research to the education of future leaders. The resolution has been approved by both the Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives.

“Students who generate their own research projects at the undergraduate level gain first-hand experience in identifying topics that merit investigation, designing and executing detailed research plans, applying for grant funding, and communicating their findings both in writing and via conference-style presentations,” said Dr. Rodney D. Bennett, President of the University of Southern Mississippi. “These experiences strengthen their work ethic and time management skills. Participating students are also better prepared for rigorous graduate school courses and have a higher level of confidence in their ability to succeed in master’s, specialist’s, and doctoral programs.”

The students participating in the Posters in the Rotunda event and the titles of the research projects include:

• Katelyn Allen of Hernando, University of Mississippi, Oxford — The Effects of Electron Withdrawing Groups on Halogen Bond Donors
• Afua A. Antwi-Boasiako of Lorman, Alcorn State University — Color-Indicating Sensors for Detecting Trace Levels of Cadmium in Drinks
• Greg Banks of Los Angeles, Jackson State University — Developing an Adroid Ap to Control a Robot via the RN-42 Bluetooth Model, co-author with Mia Williams and Kirubel Tadesse
• Lashon Barnes of Magee, Jackson State University — Passing Praxis: Fear or Procrastination, co-author with Ashanti White
• Brian Barnett of Winchester, Va., Delta State University — Blood Flow Occlusion Pressure at Rest and Post Low Load Exercise
• Christine Beck of Crystal Springs, Delta State University — Role of Tick Antioxidants in Rickettsia parkeri Colonization in the Gulf
• Laurel Duty of Collins, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg — Roles of Osteopontin and Neutrophils in the Pathogenesis of West Nile Virus
• Jamie Henton of Gulfport, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Park — To Stay in the South
• Tiffanie Herron of Jackson, Jackson State University — 41 Shots to Fruitvale Station: Street Violence and Protest Utterances, co-author with Ricardo Jamison and Shamiraca Williams)
• Ricardo Jamison of Greenville, Jackson State University — 41 Shots to Fruitvale Station: Street Violence and Protest Utterances, co-author with Tiffanie Herron and Shamiraca Williams)
• Joseph Jelinski of Diamondhead, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg — Painless Hematophagy: The Role of Metalloproteases in Pain Suppression
• Jenna Kilgore of Pelham, Ala., Mississippi State University — Test-Retest Reliability of Self-Reported Lifetime History of Aggression
• Kamberlin King of Itta Bena, Mississippi Valley State University — Validation of the Antartic Snow Accumulation and Ice Discharge Basal Study
• Jaslyn Langford of Calhoun City, Mississippi, Mississippi State University — RAGE Signaling is Intersected by Rap1A Crosstalk in Fibroblasts
• Richard Y. Leonard III of Huntsville, Ala., Mississippi State University — A Mathematical Model of Inhibitory Drugs with Alzheimer’s Disease
• Caroline Mensah of Port Gibson, Alcorn State University — Radiological Implications of Locally Produced Fertilizers in the State
• Rebekah Napier-Johnson of Johannesburg, South Africa, Delta State University — The Gut Microbial Fauna of the Hardwood Stump Borer, Mallodon dasystomus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
• James Robinson of Covington, La., University of Mississippi, Oxford — An Analysis of Force Loading During Heading in Women’s Soccer
• Portia Rucker of Memphis, Tenn., Mississippi University for Women — Bacterial Growth on Registered Nurses’ Uniforms Vs. Student Nurses’ Uniforms
• Birendra Sharma of Butwal, Nepal, Mississippi University for Women — The role of GenF in the asymmetric distribution of the virulence protein, IcsA in Shigella flexneri, co-author with L.D. Brandon
• Kirubel Tadesse of Jackson, Jackson State University — Developing an Android App to Control a Robot Via the RN-42 Bluetooth Module, co-author with Greg Banks and Mia Williams
• Ariel P. Walker of Lorman, Alcorn State University — Improving Biofuel Production by Enhancing Yeast Mitochondrial Activity
• Brianna Warner of Gulfport, Mississippi University for Women — LGBTQ Cultural Competency Training at MUW
• Ashanti White of Edwards, Jackson State University — Passing Praxis: Fear or Procrastination, co-author with Lashon Barnes
• Benita Williams of Jackson, University of Mississippi, Jackson — Molecular Markers in Trauma Induced Clinical Complications as Sepsis
• Mia Williams of Jackson, Jackson State University — Developing an Android App to Control a Robot Via the RN-42 Bluetooth Module, co-author with Greg Banks and Kirubel Tadesse
• Shamiraca Williams of Greenwood, Jackson State University — 41 Shots to Fruitvale Station: Street Violence and Protest Utterances, co-author with Ricardo Jamison and Tiffanie Herron
• Angelic Willingham of Glendora, Mississippi Valley State University — The Mississippi State Flag Controversy in 2001
• Kevion Young of Indianola, Mississippi Valley State University — Veterinary Biochemistry Technique: Demonstrating Blood Analysis of Cattle

More information on the Posters in the Rotunda event is available on the website: postersintherotundams.org.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 606 is posted on the Mississippi Legislature website.

# # #

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

News Archive