On April 15-16, 2025, the Office of Graduate Studies, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, as well as the Office of Research and Innovation held the 2025 Student Research Days Poster Sessions and Creative Exhibitions.
More than 120 graduate students in addition to a week-long celebration of student research and creative activity. Graduate students who were awarded competitive prizes for their scholarship and presentation skills and received $400 toward travel grants to present their research regionally or nationally as well as support other research costs.
Over 40 faculty and postdoc volunteer judges met with students during sessions and evaluated their presentations. Thanks to all the judges for their time and expertise!
Graduate awards
FNU Abdul Hamid Siddiqui (India; studying Nutrition and Health Sciences) “Immune Surveillance Pathways in Taste Papillae”, adviser: Sunil Sukumaran
Peace Adegbite (Nigeria; studying Physics and Astronomy) “Anomalous Surface Behavior in Temperature-Dependent LEED Study of Sr3Ir2O7”, adviser: Peter Dowben
Madhusudhan Adhikari (Nepal; studying Agronomy and Horticulture) “Optimizing Nitrogen Management with Nitrification Inhibitor and Nitrogen Timing in Irrigated Corn”, adviser: Javed Iqbal
Sahar Beigzadeh (Iran; studying Mechanical and Materials Engineering) “Nondestructive characterization of triple weld bead wire arc additively manufactured ER70s-6 S-curved wall”, adviser: Jeffrey Shield
Xin Chen (studying Mechanical and Materials Engineering) Haoyu Dong (studying Electrical and Computer Engineering) Payal Chaudhary (studying Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering), and Joseph Talley (studying Mechanical and Materials Engineering) “Enhanced Hydrogen Generation and Utilization Using Femtosecond Laser-Nanostructured NiCoO Electrocatalysts” advisers: Bai Cui, Yongfeng Lu, Vitaly Alexandrov
Olabode Ekerin (Nigeria; studying Child, Youth and Family Studies) “Traditional and Modern Family Planning Practices Among Bonded Labor Female Brick Kiln Workers in India”, adviser: Rochelle Dalla
Sema Guvenc Kilic studying Electrical and Computer Engineering) “Achieving chiral nonreciprocity via plasmonic nanostructure design embedded in a photonic topological insulator system”, adviser: Eva Schubert
Akinbode Okunola (Nigeria; studying Agricultural Economics) “Veterinary drug maximum residue limits and one health in a global context”, adviser: Elliott Dennis
Aida Rashidi Aida Rashidi (Iran; studying Civil and Environmental Engineering) “Developing Life Cycle Inventory for Ethanol Plants Using Machine Learning”
Sadia Sharmeen (Bangladesh; studying Chemistry), “Characterization of binding by pharmaceuticals as environmental contaminants to polystyrene nanoplastics using high-performance affinity chromatography” advisor: David Hage
Alissa Vlach (Alma, Nebraska; studying Architecture) “Battersea Power Station: A Community Hub”, adviser: Jeremy Reding
Andrea Wagh (Houston, Texas; studying History) “Preserving Hidden Histories: Jewish Children in Occupied France, 1939 – 1945”, adviser: Bedross Der Matossian