2024 Graduate Research & Creativity Showcase

SHOWCASE OF SCHOLARSHIP

2024 Program/Directory

Category Winners

Art & Humanities
Tori Hinshaw
Poster # 3: History/Museum Studies, CAS
Conducting Coltrane: Uncovering Small-Town Roots of a Music Mastermind
Faculty Mentor: Torren Gatson

Health Sciences
Sony Annem
Poster # 9: Computer Science, CAS
AI-Powered Patient Recruitment for Clinical Study
Faculty Mentor: Yingcheng Sun

Ashley Elliott
Poster # 17: Nursing, NURS
Improving the early identification of malignant hyperthermia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and serotonin syndrome for anesthesia providers
Faculty Mentor: Terry Wicks

Rachel Keslar
Poster # 26: Nursing, NURS
Emergency Department Nurses’ Perceptions on Caring for Mental Health Boarders
Faculty Mentor: Cindy Bacon

Sindhu Yalavarthi
Poster # 35: Nanoscience, JSNN
SMART_NV: Innovating Cancer Immunotherapy.
Faculty Mentor: Kerui Wu

Natural, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Mau Cabo Jr.
Poster # 42: Nanoscience, JSNN
Eco-Semiconductors: Mitigating E-Waste and Plastic Pollution with Biologically Inspired Solutions
Faculty Mentor: Dennis LaJeunesse

Parth Desai
Poster # 44: Nanoscience, JSNN
Evaluating Immune Cell Based Approach for Breast Cancer Immunotherapy
Faculty Mentor: Dennis LaJeunesse

Raza Ullah
Poster # 56: Biology, CAS
Combined effects of polyamide microplastics and sulfamethoxazole antimicrobials on physiological and transcriptome mechanisms of hydroponically grown Kitaake rice (Oryza sativa, cv. Japonica)
Faculty Mentor: Ayalew Ligaba-Osena

Social Sciences, Education, & Business
Ariana Bailey
Poster # 61: Human Development and Family Studies, HHS
African American College Womens’ Psychological Well-Being: Distinctions in Discrimination Attribution
Faculty Mentor: Bridget Cheeks

Stacy Huff
Poster # 68: Information, Library, and Research Sciences, SOE
Through Their Lens: Exploring Mental Health in Youth Through Photovoice
Faculty Mentor: Tifany Tovey

 

Peoples’ Choice (Alpha Order)

Ashrita Dasari
Poster # 43: Computer science, CAS
Natural, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Quantification of interaction between Grad-Cam explainer and the feature maps in AI systems
Faculty Mentor: Shan Suthaharan

Parth Desai
Poster # 44: Nanoscience, JSNN
Natural, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Evaluating Immune Cell Based Approach for Breast Cancer Immunotherapy
Faculty Mentor: Dennis LaJeunesse

Tori Hinshaw
Poster # 3: History/Museum Studies, CAS
Art & Humanities
Conducting Coltrane: Uncovering Small-Town Roots of a Music Mastermind
Faculty Mentor: Torren Gatson

Tasmia Islam
Poster # 48: Nanoscience, JSNN
Natural, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
The “Duckweed Dip”: Aquatic Spirodela polyrhiza Plants Can Efficiently Uptake Dissolved, DNA-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes from Their Environment for Transient Gene Expression
Faculty Mentor: Eric Josephs

Ajmal Khan
Poster # 27: Biology, CAS
Health Sciences
Toxic Plastics: Investigating the Link Between Nanoplastics and Inflammation in Human Cardiac Cells – A Silent Culprit Behind Heart Attacks?
Faculty Mentor: Zhenquan Jia

Nooshin KianvashRad
Poster # 28: Nanoscience, JSNN
Health Sciences
Tiny Warriors Against Fungal Infections: Harnessing Nanotechnology for Healthier Lives
Faculty Mentor: Dennis LaJeunesse

Muhammad Numan
Poster # 51: Biology, CAS
Natural, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Improving iron contents of crops using the mechanism of iron rich grass (Eragrostis tef) to reduce iron deficiency anemia
Faculty Mentor: Ayalew Ligaba-Osena

Manoj Adasi Gamaralalage
Poster # 57: Nanoscience, JSNN
Natural, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Too late to reduce CO2 emission? A computational design to turn CO2 into simple, valuable products
Faculty Mentor: Yirong Mo

Sindhu Yalavarthi
Poster # 35: Nanoscience, JSNN
Health Sciences
SMART_NV: Innovating Cancer Immunotherapy.
Faculty Mentor: Kerui Wu

Moises Zelada Bazan
Poster # 59: Nanoscience, JSNN
Natural, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Silver Anticancer Drugs derived from Caffeine
Faculty Mentor: Daniel Rabinovich

 

The UNCG Graduate School hosted the 12th Annual Graduate Research and Creativity Showcase: “Scholarship That Matters.” This showcase of talent was held on Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm in the Elliott University Center at UNCG.

The purpose of the Showcase was to present the accomplishments of UNCG’s graduate students to the Greater Greensboro community and to provide a venue for students to communicate their research and creative activities to the public. Graduate students explained and presented their work through posters.

This event was designed to showcase graduate research and creative work to a variety of non-specialized audiences. It was not intended to replicate an academic conference in a specific discipline, as students present their work to judges and individuals, not in their field of study.

Showcase was open to any currently enrolled UNCG graduate student engaged in original scholarship with a UNCG faculty member. Submissions were limited to one per student and one student per submission. Following the competition, a winner from each category was selected. With $6,000 awarded, it was a great opportunity for students!

The event was free and open to the public.

QUESTIONS:

Contact Laura Drew at Ladrew@uncg.edu.

Photo Credit: Tracey Gould

Pictures from the 2023 Showcase can be accessed here

Showcase participants must prepare a poster for the in-person competition. Students must be available for the entire hour they are registered to be judged and discuss their work with attendees at the Showcase. We encourage all students to be available for the duration of the Showcase event to share their research/creative work and its impact.

Students should plan to present their work in a way that is accessible to diverse audiences and explains in jargon-free language the importance and relevance of their work. Students should make their presentations appropriate for Middle College students, undergraduates, journalists, community members, area business owners, representatives from boards and foundations, state legislators, or neighbors down the street. When creating presentations, students should consider their audience and the best way to communicate their research/creative work and its impact.

Judges circulate throughout the event and evaluate presentations. All participants should plan to present for 7-9 minutes and allow 3-5 minutes for judges to ask questions and discuss their project. Participants will have a maximum of 12 minutes to present and discuss their work with the judges.

Participants are strongly discouraged from “reading” a paper/poster and must engage with the audience, so students must communicate their research to the judges in a verbal presentation.  The poster should function as a representation of the main points or visual cues to the presentation.

Winners for each category will be awarded once the competition ends at 3 pm.

The competition is free and open to the public. Community partners and area employers are encouraged to come and engage with the students.

When registering, students will:

  • Provide their information and program of study.
  • Enter their title (150 characters or less), coauthor(s), and UNCG faculty mentor information. The
    faculty mentor will be contacted to authorize participation in the Showcase.
  • Select the area in which their work should be considered:
    • Arts & Humanities
    • Health Sciences
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physical & Mathematical Sciences
    • Social Sciences, Education, & Business
  • Select the best option (one) that describes what impact their scholarship makes:
    • Advancement
    • Aesthetics
    • Communication
    • Community Engagement
    • Cultural
    • Economic
    • Educational
    • Environmental
    • Health and/or Safety
    • Innovation
    • Judicial
    • Scholarly
    • Social
    • Societal
    • Technological
  • Abstract (200 words or less)
    Provide a nontechnical explanation for the Showcase website that specifically addresses the
    following:

    • What question is being answered, or what issue is being addressed?
    • Why does the scholarship matter?
    • Why should people care about it?
    • Where does this work fit into the ongoing conversation on this topic?

Students who know or suspect that they may have some intellectual property that needs assessment for patent or copyright significance must contact their faculty advisor before submitting for Showcase.

In addition, research performed via sponsored agreements may have clauses restricting publication or ownership implication. Students should check with their faculty advisor or the Office of Research and Engagement for information.

Please Note: We will automatically accept the first 75 entries, pending confirmation from their Faculty Mentor. After 75 registrants, students will be placed on a waiting list and notified of their participation status no later than one week after registration closes.

  • Size of the poster is 36″ H (top to bottom) by 48″ W (side to side).
  • We have partnered with the Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability as a poster
    printing source.

    • Submit PDF formatted poster to  Jim Nelson by emailing janelson@uncg.edu.
    • PDF must be sized to 36” H x 48” W at submission
    • Printing deadline: Monday, April 1, NOON.
    • Cost: $10
  • Students may choose to have their poster printed through alternative means, but it will
    probably cost considerably more.
  • Clarity of Communication to a Non-Specialized Audience
    • Students should provide information in a way people outside the field can understand
  • Effective Presentation Skills
  • Content Knowledge and Creativity
  • Organization
  • Originality
  • Ability to explain importance of the work (e.g., economic impact, societal impact, scholarly impact). Students should think about:
    • What question is being answered, or what issue is being addressed?
    • Why does the scholarship matter?
    • Why should people care about it?
    • Where does this work fit into the ongoing conversation on this topic?

Judges circulate throughout the event and evaluate presentations in each of the venues. Students must be available for the entire hour they are registered to present. Following the competition, a winner from each category is selected. With $6,000 to be awarded, it’s a great opportunity for students!

The Graduate School reserves the right to modify categories to promote equity and facilitate judging. Submissions are limited to one per student and one student per submission.

Winners from the competition may also participate in May at the State Legislature’s Graduate Education Day in Raleigh.

*These awards are not given as cash; they will be posted to each student’s account and may impact financial aid. Students are encouraged to check with that office for details. Students with a current balance due will see the award pay that balance first; any funds that remain will be issued as a refund check.

The Digital ACT Studio

Want help designing a presentation? The Digital ACT Studio can assist with the effectiveness of a production and provide feedback on successfully reaching an audience. The Studio consultants are professionally trained to help create stronger, rhetorically, and aesthetically effective projects. By engaging in one-on-one conversations, the focus is on shared knowledge and expertise. Go online to schedule a 30 minute or 1-hour appointment today! For more information, visit: digitalactstudio.uncg.edu or email: digitalactstudio@uncg.edu

 

The Digital Media Commons

The Digital Media Commons can help students with their technology needs! Visit online for assistance with questions about multimedia technology. Students can also make an appointment with staff if they have questions concerning images that can be used on presentations or if they are new to creating such presentations. For more information, visit: library.uncg.edu/spaces/dmc/ or email: libdmc@uncg.edu

 

The University Speaking Center

The Center’s support is designed to help speakers further develop their oral communication confidence and competence. Consultants provide peer-to-peer feedback, guidance, and other support in public speaking preparation and delivery, interpersonal communication, and group or team communication. For more information, please visit: speakingcenter.uncg.edu

Schedule of Events
8:00  – 12:00 Room Setup

12:00 – 1:00 Poster Placement (36″ H X 48″ W)
1:00    Opens
1:00 – 2:00 Poster Presentations – 1st Judging Session
2:00 – 3:00 Poster Presentations – 2nd Judging Session
3:15 – 3:30 Awards
3:30 – 4:30 Poster Pick Up & Clean Up

Participant Guidelines

Tuesday, Feb. 20 Registration for the Showcase will close at noon or sooner. Registration is limited.
Monday, April 1 Poster printing deadline via low-cost campus. 36″ H (top to bottom) by 48″ W (side to side).

Poster must be submitted to janelson@uncg.edu by NOON.

Thursday, April 4 Showcase Competition, 1:00-3:30 pm
Poster Setup by 1:00 pm.
Remain with poster during the designated hour; each participant presents for 7-9 minutes
allowing 3-5 minutes for a discussion with a panel of judges (12 minutes total time). We
encourage you to be available for the entire Showcase from 1-3:00 pm.
Remove poster by 4:00.
Deliver the posterboard and easel to the check-in desk.
Attend Awards Ceremony following the Showcase event.