Research projects culminate in STEM poster contest wins for elite few *(and here’s kudos for Quiz Bowl winners, too)

Biology, chemistry and mathematical sciences research was showcased in Eastern Mennonite University’s Suter Science Center at the April 19 Academic and Creative Excellence Festival poster shows. After evaluation by a panel of faculty from those depatments, the following scientists have risen to the top:

Upperclass Division

1^st place – Marchelle Smucker
The role of unc-53, aex-3, and nid-1 in axon guidance during neurodevelopment in C. elegans

2^nd place – Samantha Kauffman
Variation in a CRH regulatory element in preterm and term infants

3^rd place – Maria Yoder
Efficacy of diabetes control and education administered by health promoter-practitioners – a program assessment

Honorable Mention – Samantha Kauffman
IL-6 is differentially expressed in Sprague-Dawley rat tissues in response to high fructose diets

Underclass Division

1^st place – Caroline Lehman
A study of apoptotic pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans: is unc-53 involved?

^2nd place – Reuben Peachy-Stoner, Joshua Schlabach and Matthew Troyer
An Analysis of the Bioaccumulation of Copper in Mint

Project Division

1^st place – Ben Stutzman and Austin Engle
Paper Airplane Optimization with the Taguchi Method

2^nd place – Kayla Segner, Tyjuan Nelson, and Noah Sargent
Dice Master

Honorable Mention – Karissa Sauder and Aaron Zimmerman
Tilt-shift lens adapter

Quiz Bowl

Six teams of four students each competed in the annual STEM Games quiz bowl, hosted by Professor Matthew Siderhurst. Each team was required to include students from different majors and years. Teams tested their knowledge of STEM facts in the areas of math, biology, chemistry and physics. About 50 people attended the event.

The team of Ayu Yifru, Melissa Kinkaid, Leah Lapp and Kailie Montanez won the contest.

The annual event was made even more lively by a science-oriented musical performance, offered by Professor Danny King, usually found in the engineering lab, and Professor Steve Cessna, who normally plies his trade in the biochemistry lab.

Refreshments were served and a good time was had by all, according those in attendance.