LBC celebrates student research at 18th Annual Research Showcase

March 19, 2025

On Tuesday, February 18, we held the 18th annual LBC Research Showcase where Briggsies presented their research to friends, family, peers, faculty, staff, alumni, and corporate partners. It was a great event, and we enjoyed learning from the presenters.

Isaac Record, associate teaching professor in the Science and Society faculty group and leadership fellow focused on research in the college, helped convene this year’s showcase. He writes, “Undergraduate research is transformative for anyone who has the opportunity to participate. It is a great joy as an educator to see students stepping into the world of research and speaking with passion and professionalism about their findings. Showcasing the work of Briggsies is a moment of college pride and we are privileged to work with and learn alongside these students.”

The night of the event, there were 36 presentations, both online and in person, spanning eight categories of research. View photos of the evening on our Flickr album.

We are proud to announce the showcase winners of each category below:

Biology:

• Kierra Jursch- Novel Protocol for Circadian Rhythm Analysis in Mouse Placenta During Gestation
• Kayla Mizell- Lack of Temporal Variation in the Diurnal Behavior of Central American Agoutis in Gamboa, Panamá

Microbiology:

• Alexis Litts- The role of migratory birds in shifting tick trends and Lyme disease risk over time

Social Sciences:

• Anum Latif- Cannabis Perceptions and Use in Michigan's SWANA Population

Chemistry:

• Ana Ivanov, Sophia Gudinas- Intermolecular Mayhem! What are the Forces Holding Together a Quality Conceptual Video of IMFs on YouTube?

Educational Research:

• Manasi Kulkarni, Ivana Khreizat- Assessing the Feasibility of Allied Professionals Delivering CBT for Pediatric Pain

DEI&B:

• Manasi Kulkarni, Ivana Khreizat- Assessing the Feasibility of Allied Professionals Delivering CBT for Pediatric Pain

Interdisciplinary:

• Shreshta Sinha- Transforming Social Interaction in Kids with Autism and other Developmental Disabilities

Virtual:

• Ryan Chackunkal- Do Facet Injections Really Fix Chronic Low Back Pain?

Each year we rely on the expertise of Lyman Briggs alumni and community partners to help evaluate presentations and name category winners. The alumni who returned were:

• Brooke Devries VanLoh, Graduate student at Michigan State University
• Ece Erder, MD/PhD candidate at the Wayne State University School of Medicine
• Neha Iska, Medical Student at the Wayne State University School of Medicine
• Jacob Namovich, Life Cycle Assessment & Sustainability Analyst, Eastern Research Group
• Char Panek, Research technician at Michigan State University
• Gabriele Seilo, Medical Assistant for Corewell Health

Community Partners included

• Jacob Simmons of MSUFCU, our generous sponsors
• Kelley Courtney, Charles River Laboratories

Congratulations to all who presented. Thank you for participating! We also thank our judges who evaluated presentations and the LBC staff who organized the event.