This summer, six undergraduate students participated in the Ester H. Howard Student Research Fellows program, a program in its seventh year designed to support independent student research and inquiry. The program鈥檚 name honors the late Ester Howard, a distinguished alumna who was great supporter of 爆走黑料 and is remembered fondly. Her generous endowment of the Research Fellows program provides funding for student and faculty stipends and ensures the program will continue to thrive and expand.
The 2024 Howard Research Fellows are pursuing impactful research in a variety of diverse disciplines. They will collaborate with their faculty mentors to complete their work over the eight week summer program, attending progress meetings with their cohort along the way. A poster session highlighting their research concludes the program.
The 2024 Howard Student Research Fellows cohort are:
- Samuel Rogers, an English major, researched 鈥淲hy We Like Death: A Study of Gothicism in Appalachian Folk Music.鈥� Dr. Sherry Truffin served as Samuel鈥檚 mentor.
- Kylie Rose, a biology major, pursued 鈥淥ptimization of Aspirin Synthesis.鈥� Dr. Elizabeth Blue served as Kylie鈥檚 mentor.
- Anthony Rubano, a clinical research major, investigated 鈥淎ssessing Fibromyalgia Diagnosis Trends and Association with Common Comorbidities鈥� using the NAMCS from 2010-2019. Dr. Susan Misciagno served as Anthony鈥檚 mentor.
- Rachel Van Winkle, a biochemistry major, researched 鈥淓nzymatic Cross-Coupling of Carbonyl Compounds and Alkyl Halides: Crossing Into New Territory with Thiamine-Dependent Enzymes.鈥� Dr. Evan Reynolds served as Rachel鈥檚 mentor.
- Hannah Vogel, a psychology major, investigated 鈥淎ssessing the Relationship Between Indicators of ADHD and Depression/Anxiety.鈥� Dr. Jutta Street served as Hannah鈥檚 mentor.
- Jaden Zanek, a kinesiology major, researched 鈥淗ealth Education Disparities in Patients with T2DM using data from the NAMCS: A retrospective analysis.鈥� Dr. Michael Jiroutek served as Jaden鈥檚 mentor.
Congratulations to these students and their mentors. We look forward to seeing the fruits of their good work.
Undergraduate students interested in participating in the 2025 edition of the program are encouraged to apply when the application opens in the fall, typically in mid-November.
More information about the program can be found on the website: /about/strategic-plan/student-research-fellows-program/