This summer, six undergraduate students participated in the Ester H. Howard Student Research Fellows program, a program in its seventh year designed to support independent student research and inquiry. The program’s name honors the late Ester Howard, a distinguished alumna who was great supporter of Campbell University and is remembered fondly. Her generous endowment of the Research Fellows program provides funding for student and faculty stipends and ensures the program will continue to thrive and expand.
The 2024 Howard Research Fellows are pursuing impactful research in a variety of diverse disciplines. They will collaborate with their faculty mentors to complete their work over the eight week summer program, attending progress meetings with their cohort along the way. A poster session highlighting their research concludes the program.
The 2024 Howard Student Research Fellows cohort are:
- Samuel Rogers, an English major, researched “Why We Like Death: A Study of Gothicism in Appalachian Folk Music.” Dr. Sherry Truffin served as Samuel’s mentor.
- Kylie Rose, a biology major, pursued “Optimization of Aspirin Synthesis.” Dr. Elizabeth Blue served as Kylie’s mentor.
- Anthony Rubano, a clinical research major, investigated “Assessing Fibromyalgia Diagnosis Trends and Association with Common Comorbidities” using the NAMCS from 2010-2019. Dr. Susan Misciagno served as Anthony’s mentor.
- Rachel Van Winkle, a biochemistry major, researched “Enzymatic Cross-Coupling of Carbonyl Compounds and Alkyl Halides: Crossing Into New Territory with Thiamine-Dependent Enzymes.” Dr. Evan Reynolds served as Rachel’s mentor.
- Hannah Vogel, a psychology major, investigated “Assessing the Relationship Between Indicators of ADHD and Depression/Anxiety.” Dr. Jutta Street served as Hannah’s mentor.
- Jaden Zanek, a kinesiology major, researched “Health Education Disparities in Patients with T2DM using data from the NAMCS: A retrospective analysis.” Dr. Michael Jiroutek served as Jaden’s mentor.
Congratulations to these students and their mentors. We look forward to seeing the fruits of their good work.
Undergraduate students interested in participating in the 2025 edition of the program are encouraged to apply when the application opens in the fall, typically in mid-November.
More information about the program can be found on the website: https://www.campbell.edu/about/strategic-plan/student-research-fellows-program/