On Friday, August 4, fourteen UW–Madison McNair Scholars presented their research at the 2023 McNair Summer Research Experience (MSRE) Virtual Symposium. The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Scholars Program is a nationally recognized Federal TRIO program that prepares first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented college students in graduate education for doctoral study. Eligible McNair Scholars must participate in the MSRE at least once, ideally the summer before their senior year. This program is designed to prepare the scholars for graduate application process and enhance their research experience.
Dr. Audra Hernández, program director, welcomed everyone with an introduction to the McNair Scholars Program and the Summer Research Experience. Students Manal Hasan and Loukia Agoudemos then shared their reflections. Hasan, a senior studying counseling psychology, spoke on how the McNair Scholars Program provides diverse and underrepresented students a safe space where they belong to pursue their interests. Agoudemos, a rising senior studying biomedical engineering, shared how the McNair Scholars Program prepares them for graduate school by helping them develop research skills, life skills, and more.
After a short slideshow celebrating memories of the McNair cohort, the research presentations began. The presentations were divided into two sessions. Each session had two breakout sessions each, one for social sciences and humanities (SSH) and one for science technology engineering and math (STEM). A list of all scholar presentations is laid out below.
Session 1
SSH
Moderator: CJ Greer
Naoshi Johnson
Topic: The Causes of Vaccine Hesitancy in Black Americans and Recommendations
Mentor: Dr. Susan Passmore
Dajonae Bradley
Topic: Capacity for PCORI/CER & Improved Mental Healthcare in the Prison Setting
Mentor: Dr. Mike Koenigs
Liliana Chavez
Topic: Black, Indigenous, People of Color Parents’ Desires for their Children’s Education
Mentor: Dr. Linn Posey-Maddox
STEM
Moderator: Audra Hernández
Faiza Ahmed
Topic: The Use of Machine Learning to Enhance Early Detection and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
Mentor: Dr. Jessi Cisewski-Kehe
Amaya Stanley
Topic: Modeling the Blood Brain Barrier – The Role of Notch3
Mentors: Dr. Hope Holt and Dr. Sean Palecek
Fernando Zacahua
Topic: Testing SHY – the Synaptic Homeostasis Hypothesis of Sleep
Mentor: Dr. Chiara Cirelli
Mushtaq Ali
Topic: Investigating Gene Function for Improved Drought and Nitrogen Deficiency Tolerance in Model Plant
Mentors: Dr. Burcu Altepkin and Dr. Jean Ané Michael
Session 2
SSH
Moderator: Tiffany Vanphravong
Canaan Bracey
Topic: Psychological and Physiological Effects of Different Objects of Breath Meditation
Mentor: Dr. Matthew Hirshberg
Manal Hasan
Topic: Increasing Underrepresented Students’ Critical Consciousness – A Career Wellness Pre-Post Intervention
Mentor: Dr. Pa Her
Madeleine Allen
Topic: Effective Inclusion of Family Caregivers into the Mental Healthcare Team for Older Veterans with Memory Loss – Clinician Perspectives
Mentor: Dr. Mary F Wyman
STEM
Moderator: Cynthia-mapenzi Simekha
Laura Arroyo
Topic: Persistence of Zika Virus-Specific Antibodies in Infants Using Translational Macaque Model
Mentors: Dr. Emma Mohr
Loukia Agoudemos
Topic: Engineering Extracellular Matrix-Based Platforms to Model Hypoxic Aortic Valves
Mentors: Ashley J Scott, and Dr. Kristyn S. Masters
Vanessa Bello Ruiz
Topic: Developing New Antennas for Future Radio Astronomy measurements of Neutral Hydrogen Gas
Mentor: Dr. Peter Timbie
Maiyia Vang
Topic: Examination of SBT mRNA and/or Protein Level in the ileium of MGAT2 KO Mice and its Wild Type of Control
Mentor: Dr. Mei-I Yen
You can find detailed abstracts for all presentations in this document.
Please join us in congratulating our scholars for their excellent work.