Kennesaw State University

Students at Kennesaw State University are often led to research through personal connections, demonstrating how passion can spark action. Student researchers presented their findings at the Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, a three-day event hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research that allows students to explain their work in a public forum.

Imani Adenuga dove into research immediately upon arrival at KSU last fall, landing in the lab of chemistry professor Daniela Tapu where she took on a project involving sustainable catalysts. It constituted a huge leap for a freshman, given that the project is grounded in organic chemistry, a critical class for chemistry majors that she hasn't taken yet.

For the past year, a group of Kennesaw State University students have been synthesizing information from a multi-year study about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on female academics who also are mothers. The students presented their findings at the Georgia Association for Women in Higher Education Conference.

Naima Fouad-Gilliam, a master's student in Kennesaw State's School of Data Science and Analytics, is exploring hidden stressors harming honeybee colonies. At the heart of her research is principal component analysis, a statistical tool that simplifies complex data by uncovering patterns and relationships.

From the moment she arrived at Kennesaw State University, Jazmin Dozier knew she wanted a science-based career. Now, she's an aspiring researcher on the rise. Dozier learned about careers in science while conducting research in epigenetics, resulting in conference presentations and publications in scientific journals.

With a strong interest in nature and science, Olivia Walker was accepted into the First-Year Scholars Program to study longleaf pine forest ecosystems. Walker also has developed some expertise in another endangered tree, the eastern hemlock, which she studied in the prestigious Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology.

KSU Journey Honors College student Ella Smith is exploring how death and the final words between parents and children impact self-esteem and closure in mourning. Smith's research is deeply personal, because she has experienced end-of-life communication with her grandmother.

Lyric Gordon found life-changing research at Kennesaw State University - twice. After launching her student research career in an organic chemistry lab, she has shifted her focus to a biochemistry lab where she works with protein blockers that can help patients with dementia-related brain maladies, a major change in the final year of graduate study.

The word is out about Kennesaw State University's Department of Physics, and Matthew Garwacke heard it loud and clear. The junior physics major transferred to KSU last year for the opportunity to conduct research with renowned physics researcher Marco Guzzi, and then took on a prestigious research opportunity over the summer.

Adamina Bilbrey leveraged her participation in the Birla Carbon Scholars program to study the conservation of an endangered plant native to Georgia. The KSU environmental science major studied a beneficial native plant called the royal catchfly in a field in Dade County, Georgia, and discovered the plant flourishes best in areas that experience both sun and shade.

Looking to grow his engineering skills and career, Joachim James took the advice of his cousins who attended Kennesaw State University and enrolled in the Master of Science in Civil Engineering program. Today, he plays a critical role in research that could change the way engineers address lighting inside tunnel systems.

The Birla Carbon Scholars Symposium marks the completion of an intensive summer research program in which students apply their studies toward sponsored projects under the guidance of Kennesaw State faculty scholars. The 12 students were chosen based on faculty recommendations, an undergraduate research project abstract, and a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Kennesaw State junior Emily Manqueros knew in high school that she wanted to do research in physics, not just study it. Manqueros said classes in astronomy and physics taught her how physical forces effect everything around her, and she wanted to immerse herself in them. So, she came to KSU for the opportunity to conduct research right away as a freshman.

Computer science major Fernando Orfila is working to create an app to keep people interested in their health and wellness goals through gamification. Physical inactivity, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes cost the United States more than $700 billion a year, according to the CDC, and Orfila believes health and wellness apps could ultimately provide solutions.

What would America without opera look or sound like? Kennesaw State music major Simon Kawasaki shudders at the thought, but his project through KSU's Summer Undergraduate Research Program considers that very possibility, one of a handful of summer projects from the College of the Arts.

When something grabs Toni Kamau's attention, she wants to find out everything about it she can - which serves her well in research. Last fall and spring semesters, Kamau worked with research mentor Chloe Xie and fellow students to examine processes of how DNA is damaged and how it repairs itself.

In just one year of college, Mercy Olaniran already has been immersed in two research projects to positively impact people's lives. The computer science major is currently working to develop a smartphone application that would provide helpful tips to caregivers of people living with dementia.

Participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), exercise science major Kayla Anderson is searching for a method of strength training for people who are not able to participate in traditional ways. Those who would benefit include the elderly, people with injuries, and post-stroke patients.

Freshman biology major Shifa Maherali Jiwani is participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), where she is studying arsenic as a potential medicine. As strange as it might sound, arsenic shows potential medicinal applications despite being known as the "king of poisons."

Mechanical engineering student Ken Kubiak launched a new trek in his life, connected to his lifelong fascination with space travel. Kubiak, who enrolled at Kennesaw State in 2022 to pursue his second bachelor's degree, is involved in reseach to make deep space travel more accessible and easier to achieve.

Tommy Brown has been fascinated by the vastness of space and the mystery of faraway stars for as long as he can remember, so it's only natural he chose to pursue engineering. The sophomore mechanical engineering major is working to design a hybrid drone capable of walking and flying while exploring previously unreachable areas of the solar system.

William Reed connected his love of soccer with his academic interest in human performance, earning acclaim for his research along the way. Reed earned honors at the Symposium of Student Scholars and at the Wellstar College of Health and Human Service's Research and Engagement Day. He also won the Graduate College's Three-Minute Thesis competition.

Growing up with an interest in space exploration, Casey Hampson knew physics would take him a long way. The Kennesaw State University rising junior has fulfilled that promise, as one of 15 students from the United States selected for a research opportunity this summer at the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

The Spring 2024 Symposium of Student Scholars drew more than 1,000 attendees, providing a stage for undergraduate and graduate students at Kennesaw State University to present their research projects. The biannual event hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research featured 319 projects submitted by 587 students.

Lexie Thrasher was captivated by a presentation on the chemistry behind hair dye, which she found more interesting than her day job as a hairdresser. Thrasher would find her way to Kennesaw State University, where that lesson led her to seek a chemistry degree and conduct prize-winning research in assistant professor Mohammad Halim's laboratory.

While still a junior in high school, Tahsin Kazi started emailing professors at Kennesaw State asking to join a research team. His research endeavors since then have included working alongside senior graduate students on GlucoCheck, a device using light shown through a finger or an ear lobe to determine blood sugar level.

Exercise science master's student Lacey Harper has thrived as a graduate research assistant at KSU. Along with the important mission of improving the health of older women, Harper has immersed herself in the data analysis of her various projects as well as the hands-on aspects of studying the effects of exercise.

At Kennesaw State University's Fall Analytics Day, Desyne Martinez's project told a powerful personal story through data. Martinez, a senior majoring in mathematics, presented his semester research project on stage 3 of multiple myeloma, a rare form of bone marrow cancer his father is battling.

Kennesaw State University student Edwin Trejo-Rivera said that having opportunities to conduct research is an experience he never expected to have at an undergraduate level. The junior psychology major not only had that opportunity but also presented his research on a global scale at the Interamerican Congress of Psychology in Paraguay.

The Birla Carbon Scholars Symposium marks the completion of an intensive summer research program that allows students to apply their studies toward sponsored projects under the guidance of Kennesaw State faculty mentors. The Birla Carbon scholars are chosen based on the recommendations of faculty members, submission of an undergraduate research project abstract, and a GPA of 3.0 or higher.