Centenary College Announces Awards at 12th Annual Student Research Forum

Research Forum 2003 Photos (.5M PDF)
Note to media: High res photos available on request

SHREVEPORT, LA -- Eight students received first- or second-place awards in four categories during the 12th annual Student Research Forum at Centenary College of Louisiana on April 11. All students received certificates and cash awards. Divisional winners are:

Social Science:

First place — Harmony Newman, a sociology major from Biloxi, Miss., for her research paper, "To Escape or Endure Adolescent Pregnancy: The Impact of Agency on Sexual Decision-Making" with Dr. Michelle Wolkomir.

Second place — Brandon Lawson, political science major from Kansas City, Mo., for "Merit Selection or Partisan Election: Does Judicial Selection System Really Matter?" along with research adviser Dr. Rodney Grunes.

Humanities:

First place — Lisa Game, English major from Paducah, Ky., for "I'll deliver all . . . Giordano Bruno and the Promise of Occult Sciences in The Tempest" along with Dr. Steve Shelburne.

Second place — Michael Wilson, religion major from Beckville, Texas, for "A Comparison of Adjustments Made by Campus Crusade for Christ and the Black Panther Party to Changing Cultural Climates" with research adviser Dr. David Otto.

Natural Sciences:

First place — G. Russell Young, geology major from Shreveport, La., for "Diagenetic Patterns and Reservoir Development in the Woodbine Formation, Tyler County, Texas" with Dr. Mary L. Barrett.

Second place — Marc Gewin, math major from Many, La., for "The Working Reality of Low-Temperature CdSe Semiconducting Nanocrystal Synthesis and the Mathematical Modeling of Crystallization" performed in conjunction with the Department of Chemistry at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Poster Session:

First place co-winner — Ryan R. Kraemer, biology major from Hammond, La., for "Nitric Oxide (NO) and Hypoxia: Production of NO-stores via a NOS-Independent Mechanism?" with research adviser Dr. Beth Leuck.

First place co-winner — Amy Waguespack, neuroscience major from Lutcher, La., for "Naris Occlusion Causes Enhanced Olfactory Marker Protein Immunoreactivity: Specificity, Localization, and the Effect of Deprivation Duration" in conjunction with research done in the Department of Psychology at Boston University and the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport.

The annual Research Forum allows students to present the results of their independent research before an audience of faculty and peers. Faculty judges evaluate presentations based on style, performance, communication/organization, content, objectives, difficulty/effort, originality/creativity, results and significance.

Dr. Alfred McKinney, director of the Student Research Forum, said that student research and the presentation of results are beneficial to students in their academic careers and in their graduation studies or professional work. "They get a capstone experience in actually doing research, analyzing and evaluating their results, plus the experience of reporting their efforts and conclusions; consequently, they are all winners," he said.

A total of 38 research papers and posters were presented during this year's forum, the largest number in the forum's history. For further information, contact Dr. McKinney at 318-869-5194 or email Dr. McKinney at amckinne@centenary.edu.

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