Eagles showcase research at Posters-at-the-Capitol

Morehead State University undergraduate students proudly presented their research to state legislators and leaders at Posters-at-the-Capitol on Thursday, March 5, in Frankfort. 

Posters-at-the-Capitol is an event hosted collaboratively among eight higher education institutions: Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. The event highlights undergraduate scholarship by providing students with a professional platform to present research and creative work that advances their academic and career success. 

Due to ongoing construction at the Capitol Building, the event was different this year, with each school having four posters chosen to represent the institution, instead of the usual 12. 

"Even with the changes, we feel like the event was still very beneficial, and it seems like we had more legislators attend than in recent years," said Alexis Mathews (Class of 2017, 2019), coordinator of undergraduate research. 

The Council on Postsecondary Education's President, Dr. Aaron Thompson, stopped by Posters-at-the-Capitol to speak to students.

Dr. Kimberlee Sharp, professor of teacher education and mentor to MSU student Alyssa Fields, a middle grades education major from Jenkins, said she was proud to see Fields present as the only student representing education. 

"She did a wonderful job explaining her work and even had the opportunity to speak with the president of CPE," Sharp said. "It was a great example of how undergraduate research allows students to share their ideas with leaders across the state." 

In addition to Thompson, State Representative Richard White (KY-99) and State Senator Brandon Smith attended and spoke to several MSU students in their districts.

"Posters-at-the-Capitol gave me the opportunity to share research that highlights an often-overlooked part of Eastern Kentucky's history, racially restrictive covenants in housing," said Taylor Fultz, a senior from Morehead who conducted his work in collaboration with Frontier Housing. "Being able to explain my work to my state representative, Richard White, made the experience especially meaningful because it connected my research to conversations happening in our community." 

Undergraduate research helps students develop critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that employers seek in potential job candidates.

"Events like Posters-at-the-Capitol also give students valuable experience presenting their work, which prepares them for future conferences and professional opportunities," Mathews said. 

The four posters for MSU represented the University's four colleges and include: 

• Alyssa Fields of Jenkins; Dr. Kimberlee Sharp, professor of teacher education, Ernst & Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education; "The Literacy Link: Examining the Correlation Between Reading Proficiency and Social Studies Performance on the Kentucky Summative Assessment."
• Taylor Fultz of Morehead; Dr. Christopher Nunley, assistant professor of legal studies, Caudill College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences; "Excluded Appalachia: Exploring the History of Racially Restrictive Covenants in Eastern Kentucky."
• Kirby Lykins of West Liberty; Dr. Elijah Jensen, assistant professor of space systems engineering & astronautical engineering, College of Science and Engineering; "Building a Sustainable Lunar Presence Leveraging In-Situ Resource Utilization."
• Jake Rhodes of Cincinnati, Ohio; Dr. Ahmad Hassan, professor of management, and Dr. Fatma Mohamed, associate professor of management, Elmer R. Smith College of Business & Technology; "Religiosity and Near-Expiration Food Purchases: Moral and Risk Pathways with Price Discount Effects."

To learn more about MSU's undergraduate research opportunities, contact Alexis Mathews at armathews@moreheadstate.edu or the Center for Career Development & Experiential Education at careerservices@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2233.

Photo: Morehead State University students and faculty traveled to Frankfort to showcase student research at the annual Posters-at-the-Capitol event. 

Pictured, left to right: Dr. Ahmad Hassan, Dr. Fatma Mohamed, Taylor Fultz, Jake Rhodes, Dr. Kimberlee Sharp, Alyssa Fields, Dr. Elijah Jensen, Kirby Lykins and Dr. Christopher Nunley.