SUNY Potsdam Students Honored with Awards for Excellence for Research and Creative Projects
Rebecca Gomez speaks about her research on nixtamalization at SUNY Potsdam’s Learning and Research Fair.
SUNY Potsdam recognized students and faculty mentors for excellence in research and creative projects, following the College’s 2023 Learning and Research Fair.
More than 40 students presented their research to faculty, staff and classmates in the Barrington Student Union on May 3. Following the fair, the following top research projects were recognized with awards, which included $1,000 worth of prizes, at the College’s honors ceremony.
Frederick B. Kilmer Research Awards
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Lacie Castile, a Spanish major from Buffalo, N.Y., won first place for “Berea College and African American Educational Development (1855-1912),” working with Dr. Thomas Baker.
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Zamani Ackie-Davis, a geology major from Brooklyn, N.Y., tied for second place for “Using Dinosaur Fossil Deposits to Predict Eustatic Sea Level Change,” working with Dr. Jessica Rogers.
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Rebecca Gomez, an anthropology major from New York, N.Y., tied for second place for “How Has the Removal of Nixtamalization Impacted Mesoamerican Cuisine and Culture?” working with Dr. Timothy Messner
Ram L. Chugh North Country Research and Public Service Awards
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Yaricuyay Moran, an environmental studies major from New York, N.Y., won first place for “Adirondack Inventory and Monitoring Camera Trapping at SUNY Potsdam,” working with Dr. Katherine Cleary.
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Mckensey Biggie, an environmental studies from Johnstown, N.Y., won second place for “What’s For Dinner? Beetle Herbivory as a Biological Control for Purple Loosestrife,” working with Dr. Jessica Rogers.
Provost’s Award for Excellence in Student Research
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The Kilmer Survey Research Lab team, led by Dr. Robert Hinckley, including Justin Brandon Berrios, Ayisha Khalid, Robert Patterson, Jessica Perez, Jack Rice and Slade Wright, for their project “How the COVID-19 Pandemic Polarizes American Public Opinion.”
Outstanding Faculty Mentorship of Undergraduate Research
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Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Dr. Katherine Cleary
The Learning and Research Fair is coordinated by the Office for Student Research and Creativity, which offers support for student-faculty collaborations or mentorships that contribute to the understanding of a discipline through the examination, study, creation and communication of new knowledge, by means of an original scholarly or creative project.
The Office for Student Research and Creativity also oversees the Presidential Scholars Program, the Kilmer Fund, the Institute for Ethical Behavior and the Honors Experience. It is part of the Donald and Kathryn Lougheed Center for Applied Learning, located in the Lougheed Learning Commons. To find out more, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/appliedlearning/studentresearch.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.