Annual Symposium Spotlights Student Projects
02/16/2024
A student presents in the annual Student Symposium in Houston Cole Library. Photo by Alyssa Cash.
Seventy Jax State students presented in the annual Student Symposium on Feb. 13-15, showcasing various topics - from educational to more creative.
The Student Symposium has occurred almost every year since 1995 and it allows students to present their work to the Jax State faculty and their peers. When the student presentations have been completed, a panel of judges selects students to receive awards from multiple categories.
Dr. David Thorton, computer science professor and the organizer of this year’s Student Symposium, said of the participating students, “The students always amaze me and give me hope for our future. Their topics included climate change, suicide prevention, water quality in developing countries, reducing malaria, the ‘dark tetrad’ of personality, and the history of hip-hop. We even had a special guest, Popcorn, a rat who could play cornhole.”
The award winners include:
Best of College Awards
- Arts and Humanities, Undergraduate: Daniel Rich, “Contextualizing of an Elegy Misinterpreted: A New Historicist Take on ‘The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky’”
- Business and Industry, Graduate: Madison McCoy, “College Athlete Revenue Sharing and NIL: Financial Considerations and Implications”
- Health Professions and Wellness, Undergraduate: Caroline Lively, “Optimizing Athletic Recovery: The Role of Nutrition and Supplements in Combatting Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage"
- Health Professions and Wellness, Graduate: Cody Hopkins, “Is the Lever Sign an Effective Diagnostic Tool for Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears: A Critically Appraised Topic"
- Science and Mathematics, Undergraduate: Evie Vaughn, “JSU Meets the Vikings: Unearthing Archeology of an Icelandic Dwelling”
- Science and Mathematics, Graduate: Tajuddin Mwijage, “Empowering Adolescent Online Safety: Examining the Current Landscape and Anticipating Future Technological Advances”
- Social and Behavioral Sciences, Undergraduate: Julianna Mostillo, “Sex Differences in Sub-categories of Narcissism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Psychopathy”
- Undergraduate: Caroline Ducato, “An Examination of Implementing a Hard Salary Cap for NILs in Collegiate Sports"
- Graduate: Bethany Christie, “An Evaluation of the Teach-Back Method for Training Functional Analysis Methodology”
- Undergraduate: Hayden Richardson, “Memes: A Social and Cultural History”
- Graduate: Shelby Wolfram, “The Developmental Effects of the Time and Duration of Exposure on Xenopus Laevis Embryos by Sodium Selenate”
Best Cover Design: Madison Spencer
Houston Cole Library Award for Research Excellence: Victoria Tillman, “Physical Activity in Epileptic Patients: A Critically Appraised Topic”
Award for Best Showcase: Olivia Harp, “The Evolution of Hip-Hop and Its Impact on Popular Culture”
The student presentations can be viewed on the JSU Student Symposium’s YouTube channel.