UMW Students Showcase Undergraduate Research at End-of-Semester Symposia

Biology major Juliana Ramirez studied the University of Mary Washington’s trees, shrubs and herbs to predict possible effects of invasive species. Elementary education major Maria Werner created a picture book about a disorder that causes children to limit the types of foods they eat. Linguistics major Emma Sanford observed college students learning to speak Japanese to examine the role humor can play in teaching foreign languages.

These studies, all completed by UMW seniors, were among nearly 90 shared during an array of symposia held last week at Mary Washington, including the Honors Senior Capstone Fall Symposium, Jepson Science Center Fall Research Symposium and Columns Humanities and Social Sciences Symposium.

UMW students showcased compilations of work they’d completed throughout the past several months, often longer, with posters, presentations and capstone projects. The end-of-semester events followed close collaboration with faculty mentors, exploring everything from the role of norepinephrine in Alzheimer’s disease to the theatrical lighting of Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

“Getting to engage in undergrad research is one of the best things I’ve gotten to do here,” said Delaney Humphrey, who presented findings about the muscle-wasting disorder myotonic dystrophy with fellow senior Carleigh Wood. “It gave me connections. It gave me a sense of place.”

Their project, “Iditarod’s effect on DM1 disease progression in a Drosophila melanogaster model,” was one of more than 70 in the Jepson Science Center Fall Research Symposium, with posters sprawling throughout the building’s main floor. Both biology majors on a pre-med track, the pair worked with Professor of Biological Sciences Ginny Morriss to put fruit flies through a series of physical tests to determine how exercise might affect the disorder’s progression.

Chris Anderson (left) and Lexi Miller, both biomedical science majors, present their research into the side effects of the popular drug Ozempic, often prescribed for weight loss, during the Jepson Science Center Fall Research Symposium. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Caitlin Harris presents her research project – ‘Enhancing Biomolecular visual literacy through Virtual Reality: Understanding Protein Structures with Nanome’ – during the Jepson Science Center Fall Research Symposium. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

The Jepson Science Center Fall Research Symposium featured more than 70 poster presentations by students who completed research this past semester. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Carleigh Wood (left) and Delaney Humphrey, both biology majors on a pre-med track, present their research on myotonic dystrophy using fruit flies during the Jepson Science Center Fall Research Symposium. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Senior marketing major Katie Reif presented “The Plastic Purge” during the Honors Senior Capstone Fall Symposium, featuring a series of 15-minute talks by more than a dozen Honors Scholars in Lee Hall. With guidance from Assistant Professor of Communication and Digital Studies J.D. Swerzenski, Reif spent a month attempting to eliminate plastics from her daily life and shining a light on the challenges of sustainable living.

UMW senior Maria Werner, an elementary education major, poses with a sample of artwork included in a children’s book she wrote to address ARFID, a condition that causes kids to avoid certain foods. Werner presented the research and process behind the book during the Honors Senior Capstone Fall Symposium, held in Lee Hall.

UMW senior Brianna Kenealy, a business administration major, presents her research on ‘pink tax’ – the tendency for products marketed toward women to be priced higher than products marketed toward men – during the Honors Senior Capstone Fall Symposium.

Contributors to the latest edition of Columns, a student-run journal for humanities and social sciences, presented their research in the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Colonnade Room.

Sanford, a senior, reviewed a litany of articles in search of recurrent themes for her talk, “If You Know, Don’t Know: Humor and Familiarity in Language Learning.” Advised by Associate Professor of Linguistics Janie Lee, it documents how exaggeration, humor and exclamations of emotion can cut tension and facilitate community within foreign language learning environments.

Anissa Molnar, a UMW junior majoring in international affairs and religious studies, presents the research she completed this fall during the Columns Humanities and Social Sciences Symposium. Her article – ‘Have You Seen My Mahdi? Twelver Shi’ism, the Occultation of the Twelfth Imam, and the Strength of a Manufactured Figure’ – is published in the current edition of Columns, Mary Washington’s humanities and social sciences journal. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

The Columns Humanities and Social Sciences Symposium took place in the Colonnade Room inside the Cedric Rucker University Center. The event featured presentations by three students whose work is featured in the current issue of ‘Columns,’ Mary Washington’s humanities and social sciences journal. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

‘Columns,’ Mary Washington’s humanities and social sciences journal, features publications by students who’ve spent a semester and sometimes longer researching topics. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

An avenue for highlighting hard work throughout the past months, the symposia offered students the opportunity to share their research with a broader audience and revealed hands-on research aimed at finding solutions to real-world issues that sometimes hit close to home.

Lexi Miller and Chris Anderson presented “Influences of the GLP-1 in the Positive Cognitive Effects of Environmental Enrichment,” focused on better understanding the long-term effects of Ozempic, a drug now being prescribed for weight loss. “Is it going to ruin our relationship with food? Is it going to be addictive?” asked Miller, who has a family member taking the medication.

Miller and Anderson, both biomedical science majors – along with advisor Parrish Waters, associate professor of biological sciences – worked with live mice, using tools like the Barnes maze and the Y-maze to test claims of the drug’s memory-enhancing benefits.

“Ozempic is a very popular drug right now but it’s not something that’s been studied long enough,” Anderson said. “We want to add a little bit of insight to the conversation.”

Complete lists of presentations included in the Honors Senior Capstone Fall Symposium, Jepson Science Center Fall Research Symposium and Columns Humanities and Social Sciences Symposium are available online.