TIFTON — Amy Hernandez, a History and Government major from Fitzgerald, Jacob Owens, a Natural Resource Management major from Dallas, and Alec Crews, a Writing and Communication major from Moultrie, have been selected as the overall winners among students participating in the 2024 Student Engagement Programs (STEPS) Symposium, representing undergraduate research at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
Dr. Jason Scott, chair of the ABAC Undergraduate Research Committee, said this year’s symposium, in its seventh year, included a record number of submissions. The symposium included 10 social science oral presentations; a literary showcase featuring three poetry submissions, one fictional short story and one non-fictional short story; six STEM oral presentations, and 34 poster presentations, all detailing original research done by ABAC students across a variety of programs and majors.
“On behalf of the Undergraduate Research Committee for ABAC, I want to thank all the many students who participated in this year’s event,” Scott said. “It takes gumption and intellect to complete and present an undergraduate research project. I would also like to thank all the judges for volunteering your time and expertise to fill the critical role of evaluating these many great projects.”
Hernandez took first place in the poster presentation session with “Assessing the Impact of Global Influences in Human Rights Compliance.” She also placed first overall in the social sciences and humanities division. Her faculty mentor was Dr. Ryan Voris, Assistant Professor of Political Science within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences.
Owens won first in the STEM oral presentation division with “Effects of Non-Forested Habitat on Southeastern American Kestrel: A Multi-Scale Habitat Selection Study.” His faculty mentor was Dr. Jason Scott, Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management in ABAC’s School of Agricultural and Natural Resources.
Crews won the literary showcase with his short story titled “Beige.” He was mentored by Dr. Sandra Giles, Professor of English and Communication within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences.
Daniela Mar, a History and Government major from Atlanta, placed second in the social sciences and humanities division with her poster “Beyond the Paper Trail: Tracing the Complex Path to Federal Recognition through the Journey of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.” She was mentored by Dr. John Cable, Assistant Professor of History within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences. Lauren Stephens, an Agricultural Education major from Gainesville, placed third with her poster “ABAC Education Students’ and Professors’ Perceptions of the Importance of Teaching Elementary Ag.” She was mentored by Dr. Alex Byrd, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Education and Communication within ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
In the STEM poster category, Jesse Jerls, an Agribusiness major from Acworth, placed first with his poster “Design, Construction, and Validation of an Open-Source In-Field NDVI Sensor,” mentored by Dr. Alex McLemore, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Engineering within ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Lydia Norman, an Agricultural Education major from Washington, placed second with her poster “Investigating BetterGro Blackeye as a Potential Cover Crop,” mentored by Dr. Michael Maw, Associate Professor of Agronomy within ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Barbara McFadden, a Biology major from Augusta, placed third with her poster “Microbial Model to Evaluate the Effects of Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) on Boosting Cell Growth to Generate NAD+/NADH,” mentored by Dr. Kingsley Dunkley, a Professor of Science and Mathematics within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences
The oral presentations were divided into the STEM category and the Arts, Humanities, Business, and Social Sciences category.
Ethan Torres, a Biology major from Bogart, won second place in the STEM category with “Listeria Research at The Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic & Investigational Laboratory,” mentored by Dr. Jennifer Harper, a Professor of Biology within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences; and Jillian Lartigue, a Natural Resource Management major from Citra, Fla., placed third with “Trespass Control Management Plan for the John W. and Margaret Jones Langdale Forest located in Tift County, GA,” mentored by Dr. Jason Scott.
In the Arts, Humanities, Business, and Social Sciences category, Elliot Amos, a Writing and Communication major from Albany, placed first with “Defining Adulthood: The Impact on YA Literature,” mentored by Dr. Brian Yost, Associate Professor of English within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences; second place went to Alyssa Sweat, a Writing and Communication major from Blairsville, with “Arboreal Metaphor in Zhuangzi and The Bible,” mentored by Dr. Jeb Sharp, Assistant Professor of English within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences; and Anslee James, a Writing and Communication major from Sylvester, won third place with “From Corsets to Flappers: Exploring the Impact of Cultural Shifts on Women’s Clothing During the 1920s,” mentored by Dr. John Cable.
