Morehead State students present at national conference

Morehead State University prioritizes career preparation for students through opportunities to conduct undergraduate research. Recently, several Eagles presented their work with college students from across the country at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).

The conference hosted over 4,000 undergraduate students this spring in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Five MSU students on four separate research projects presented:

• Morgan Crase, a junior strategic communications major from Clay City, presented “The Secret Garden: How Classic Children’s Literature Tends Virtue,” mentored by Dr. Tim Simpson (Class of 1995), professor of education and dean of the Volgenau College of Education, and Dr. Phil Krummrich.
• Lily Hoard, a sophomore biomedical sciences and philosophy major from Princeton, and McKinnley Martin, a sophomore biomedical sciences major from Langley, presented “Cell Growth Phenotypes Affected by DNA Damage in Acinetobacter Baumannii ddrR and umuDAb Mutant Strains,” mentored by Dr. Janelle Hare.
• Ethan Newsom, a senior biomedical sciences major from Fredonia, presented “Identification, Quantification, and Modeling of Novel DdrR Interaction Partners,” mentored by Dr. Janelle Hare, professor of biology.
• Emily Russell, a junior English major from Salyersville, presented “From the Stage to the Screen: The Evolution of the Amphitryon Theme,” mentored by Dr. Phil Krummrich, professor of comparative literature and director of George M. Luckey, Jr. Academic Honors Program.

All five have participated in the Undergraduate Research Fellowship (URF) program. This is the first time in several years that MSU has had this many full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students present at NCUR.

“Attending NCUR was an incredible opportunity to share my research,” Hoard said. “I got to connect with other undergraduate researchers from across the country and hear Dr. Kevin Wildenhaus (team psychologist for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins) speak on overcoming challenges and personal growth; insight I’ll continue to carry with me.”

Alexis Mathews (Class of 2017, 2019), coordinator of undergraduate research and NCUR campus coordinator, said she is proud to have MSU’s students presenting at a national conference.

“Disseminating research or creative work is such an important part of doing the work. It’s one of the reasons why we expect our URFs to present at the Celebration of Student Scholarship every April,” Mathews said. “The work our students are doing should be shared, not just with others in their field, but widely as well. It also helps build their critical thinking and communication skills, which is always a plus.”

Russell said she wanted to present at NCUR to connect with a broader, national audience and expand her network, since meeting others in her field at smaller conferences is rare.

“NCUR offered a unique opportunity to engage with fellow English scholars from across the country,” Russell said. “My research focuses on a niche topic, and while I have only encountered a few professors familiar with it at the graduate level, NCUR was different. I met a professor who was well-versed in a specific aspect of my work, and I was able to engage with many others in the field, which was incredibly valuable for both my research and professional growth.”

Morehead State’s Undergraduate Research Program not only gives students hands-on experience outside of the classroom that will benefit their future careers, but it frequently leads to opportunities to display that research on campus, across the state or even nationally.

“My role is to inform URFs and mentors about these kinds of opportunities, but it’s up to the students to act and take advantage of it,” Mathews said. “I’m very proud that we had five students presenting at a conference like NCUR. It speaks to the quality of the research that our students are doing as well as their desire to gain professional experience.”

For more information about MSU’s undergraduate research program or NCUR, contact Alexis Mathews, coordinator of undergraduate research, at ugresearch@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2229.