MACON – Mercer University students offered nine of 25 total presentations of undergraduate research from Georgia colleges and universities at this year’s “Posters at the Capitol” event, held virtually Feb. 24.
Twelve students presented nine projects to state senators and representatives during the event, which accepted applications from undergraduate students enrolled in any of Georgia’s public or private higher education institutions.
Luke Jones and Katelyn Crumbley presented “Genetic analysis Staphylococcus aureus biofilm production pathways inhibited by novel lead compounds.” Faculty advisers for the project were Dr. Linda Hensel, professor and chair of biology, and Dr. David Goode, associate professor and director of biochemistry and molecular biology.
Luke Sadd presented “Trust and Perception of Autonomous Vehicles in Latin America.” Faculty advisers for the project were Dr. Andres Marroquin, associate professor of economics, and Dr. Antonio Saravia, associate professor of economics and director of the Center for the Study of Economics and Liberty.
Olivia Kight presented “Evaluation of Filtration Efficiency Dependency on the Mask Fit.” Faculty adviser for the project was Dr. Sinjae Hyun, professor of biomedical engineering and director of MSE and associated MS programs.
Sarah Spalding presented “Characterization of E-Cigarette Aerosol Deposition in the Human Lung Airways with a Comparison to Cigarettes.” Faculty adviser for the project was Dr. Hyun.
Evan Stair and Samantha Brown presented “Determination of Pb in Guyanese Paint Samples via ICP-OES in Comparison into XRF Analysis.” Faculty advisers for the project were Dr. Adam Kiefer, Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry, and Dr. Caryn Seney, professor and assistant chair of chemistry.
Kimberly Lopez presented “Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Potential in the Dominican Republic: An Analysis of Technical and Socio-Economic Factors.” Faculty adviser for the project was Dr. Michael MacCarthy, associate professor of environmental engineering.
Candice Peeler presented “Addressing Food Insecurity in the Macon Community.” Faculty adviser for the project was Dr. Philip Gallagher, assistant professor of technical communication.
Laura Rundquist and Jack Conrad presented “Cost-Effective Green Energy Solutions: Geothermal Heat Pump Systems Using Low-Cost Drills.” Faculty adviser for the project was Dr. MacCarthy.
Arielle Bellew presented “Resilience of Infrastructure: A Case Study of Macon, GA.” Faculty adviser for the project was Dr. Kleio Avrithi, assistant professor of civil engineering.
