Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擣aculty-guided research projects completed by 160 graduate students throughout the current school year recently were on display at Mississippi State.
During the university鈥檚 Graduate Student Research Symposium, 27 of those students received top awards for their work during the fall 2016 and spring 2017 semesters.
The event was co-sponsored by the 国产麻豆AV Graduate School and Graduate Student Association.
Projects submitted for competition were assigned to one of four categories, including arts and humanities; life and biomedical sciences and engineering; physics, mathematics, computer science and engineering; and social and behavioral sciences.
A team of 50 campus faculty members representing a cross-section of academic areas served as judges. Thirty student coordinators from the Graduate Student Association and Graduate Ambassadors program also provided assistance for the symposium.
This year鈥檚 winners include (by project type and category):
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
ARTS AND HUMANITIES
FIRST鈥擟aitlin A. Ruby of Long Beach, a geoscience/geospatial sciences master鈥檚 student.
SECOND鈥擳ianyu Li of Starkville, a native of China simultaneously pursuing a doctoral degree in earth and atmospheric sciences and a master鈥檚 degree in statistics.
THIRD鈥擜ynaz Lotfata of Starkville, a native of Iran pursuing a doctoral degree in earth and atmospheric sciences.
HONORABLE MENTION鈥 Zhangjin Xu of Starkville, a native of China pursuing a doctoral degree in engineering/applied physics. She earlier earned a master鈥檚 degree in physics from 国产麻豆AV.
HONORABLE MENTION鈥擮lanrewaju A. Raji of Starkville, a forest resources/sustainable bioproducts doctoral student from Nigeria who earlier earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biochemistry and master鈥檚 degree in agricultural life sciences from 国产麻豆AV.
HONORABLE MENTION鈥擲arah M. Montgomery of Starkville, an Ohio native pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in plant and soil sciences/agronomy.
HONORABLE MENTION鈥擯reeti J. Muire of Starkville, a native of India pursuing a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine science/infectious disease.
LIFE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING
FIRST鈥擪eelee J. McCarty of Shady Spring, West Virginia, an agriculture/animal science master鈥檚 student who earlier graduated cum laude with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in animal and dairy science and biochemistry.
SECOND鈥擪athryn M. 鈥淜atie鈥 Cooley-Lock of Birmingham, Alabama, a veterinary medicine doctoral and agricultural life sciences/animal physiology master鈥檚 graduate who also holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in animal and dairy sciences from 国产麻豆AV.
THIRD鈥擥ourav Sharma of Starkville, a native of India pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in plant and soil sciences/weed science.
PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
FIRST鈥擜shkan Khalili of Starkville, a native of Iran pursuing a doctoral degree in engineering/aerospace engineering.
SECOND鈥擲heida Riahi of Starkville, a mathematical sciences doctoral student who earlier earned a master鈥檚 degree in statistics from 国产麻豆AV.
THIRD鈥擬aheshwar Ghimire of Starkville, a native of Nepal pursuing a doctoral degree in engineering/applied physics.
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
FIRST鈥 Jeffrey D. Simpson of Spring, Texas, a kinesiology/exercise science doctoral student.
SECOND鈥擩enny Bailey Jones of Kosciusko, an instructional systems and workforce development doctoral student who holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in technology teacher education and a Master of Science in Technology. She also earned an Educational Specialist degree with a concentration in technology from 国产麻豆AV.
THIRD鈥擬argaret L. Bernheim of Gulfport, an educational psychology/school psychology doctoral student and summa cum laude psychology bachelor鈥檚 graduate of 国产麻豆AV.
VISUAL DISPLAYS
ARTS AND HUMANITIES
FIRST鈥擨rmarie Cruz Lopez of Starkville, a native of Puerto Rico pursuing a doctoral degree in educational psychology/school psychology.
SECOND鈥擬adison A. Sully of Charlotte, North Carolina, who is pursuing an Educational Specialist degree with a concentration in school psychology. She earlier earned a master鈥檚 degree in educational psychology/psychometry from 国产麻豆AV.
LIFE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING
FIRST鈥擬ercedes Siegle-Gaither of Montello, Wisconsin, a forestry master鈥檚 student.
SECOND鈥擟hathu Wijewardana of Starkville, a native of Sri Lanka pursuing a doctoral degree in plant and soil sciences/agronomy. She earlier earned a master鈥檚 degree in agriculture/agronomy from 国产麻豆AV.
THIRD鈥擲aira Talwar of Waukesha, Wisconsin, pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in kinesiology/exercise physiology.
PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
FIRST鈥擬edagama Liyanage Achala Sandamali Liyanage of Starkville, a native of Sri Lanka pursuing a doctoral degree in chemistry.
SECOND鈥擲ally C. D. Dillon of Starkville, a biological engineering master鈥檚 student.
THIRD鈥擹huo Wang of Starkville, a native of China pursuing a doctoral degree in engineering/mechanical engineering.
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
FIRST鈥擯oram Choi of Starkville, a native of South Korea pursuing a doctoral degree in kinesiology/exercise science.
SECOND鈥擡than D. Lantz of Starkville, an applied psychology/clinical psychology doctoral student simultaneously pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in psychology.
THIRD鈥擜lice C. Long of Starkville, an Arkansas native pursuing a doctoral degree in human development and family science. She earlier earned a master鈥檚 degree in human development and family studies from 国产麻豆AV.
For more information about 国产麻豆AV鈥檚 Graduate School and Graduate Student Association, visit .
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