On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, nearly 40 Lyman Briggs College students shared their research through posters and online sessions at the 19th annual LBC Research Showcase. This annual college event features undergraduate research completed independently, with faculty, in honors options, or as part of other coursework.
The event is a celebration of science communication and community, touching on dozens of disciplines and showcasing the curiosity, impressive knowledge, and hard work of LBC students. The showcase is a welcoming environment for undergraduate students to present research at all stages of development, and to hone their skills in translating complicated science for audiences with varying levels of expertise.
One unique aspect of the showcase is that many of the presentation judges are Lyman Briggs alumni who have personal experience in the college and have conducted their own research.
Since 2013, thanks to sponsorship by the MSU Federal Credit Union, we have offered monetary awards to presenters with the best presentations in various categories and provided all participants with free scoop coupons for the MSU Dairy Store.
Event founder Ryan Sweeder, professor of chemistry and LBC’s associate dean for research and faculty affairs, writes: “The LBC Showcase has become a premier college event. Every year, it is a highlight to have students, faculty, alumni, and even family members come together to see the amazing research by our students. Through conversations with the students about their work, you get to see how impactful the research experience can be in influencing students’ skill development and even career paths.”
Congratulations to all the Briggsies who presented this year! You can view photos of the event on Flickr.
The research category awards of the 2026 Showcase included four for biological science, one for education, one for interdisciplinary research, two for microbiological science, one for science communication, one for science and society, and one virtual presentation. They include:
- Best Biological Science Presentation (1 of 4): Using Zebrafish Embryos to Compare the Effects of Compounds on Heart Size and Cardiomyocyte Proliferation by LBC presenter Dalila Livadic. Other authors include Aaron H. Wasserman and Charles C. Hong.
- Best Biological Science Presentation (2 of 4): Associations of maternal diet quality in pregnancy with breastfeeding duration by LBC presenter Annmarie Murphy. Other authors include Maria Cinzori, Madeline Beaumont, and Rita Strakovsky
- Best Biological Science Presentation (3 of 4): Endoplasmic Reticulum Degradation and Male Fertility by LBC presenter Pranavi Pullela
- Best Biological Science Presentation (4 of 4): Effects of a Supplement on Improving Equine Muscle Function and Size by LBC presenter Shaylee Szaraz. Other authors include Jane Manfredi, Char Panek and Amelia Munsterman
- Best Education Research Presentation: Maintaining Equilibrium: Investigating Educational Content of Buffer Videos on YouTube by LBC presenters Olivia Kollovozi and Makenna Rendeiro. Other authors include Kripa Paudel, Ana Ivanov, and Lindsey Geiger
- Best Interdisciplinary Presentation: Korean Society and Health: An Investigation into the Correlation Between Socioeconomic Development in South Korea and Female Mortality Rate Due to Breast Cancer Between 2005 and 2019, by LBC presenter Matthew Kafarski
- Best Microbiological Science Presentation (1 of 2): Microbial Biofilms and Their Implications for Life Detection in Serpentinizing Systems by LBC presenter Alexandra Grabowski. Other authors include Sarah Gonzalez-Henao, Dr. Ricardo Sánchez-Murillo, Alexandra May and Dr. Matthew Schrenk
- Best Microbiological Science Presentation (2 of 2): Zinc modulates cyclic di-GMP in Vibrio cholerae via phosphodiesterases by LBC presenter Marissa Malleck
- Best Science Communication Presentation: Reading the Signs: Exploring Employment Rates of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults in the United States by LBC presenter Natalie Grace Westrate
- Best Science and Society Presentation: Provider perceptions of Arab/MENA American patient health: a case study highlighting opportunities and challenges to provide reported outcomes for hard-to-identify populations by LBC presenter Sarah Krikor and other author, Nadia N. Abuelezam
- Best Virtual Presentation: Nutritional Risks in West African Diets–a primary care, diversity and public health perspective, by LBC presenter Amechi Anwah available on the LBC Showcase HCommons website
