Student Scholar Day at Avila is an annual, full-day, campus-wide celebration of the student scholarship. This year was 21st Student Scholar Day which occurred on April 21, 2022, and featured seven oral presentations, seven poster presentations, and a faculty scholar presentation by Debra Olson-Morrison, Ph.D., chair for the School of Social Sciences.
Student projects often include literature reviews, capstone projects, and independent research studies from the academic year. Typically juniors, seniors, and graduate-level students work with a faculty mentor and apply with an abstract. The mentor then helps students through the application process, including writing a strong abstract.
“It’s an opportunity to showcase the variety and diversity of scholarship at Avila across disciplines. Students learn how to disseminate their scholarly work, and other students love to watch and learn,” said Assistant Professor Tracy Koehler. “If students aren’t involved, it doesn’t happen. We’re hoping to make it bigger and better every year.”
Student Scholar day goals include:
- Promote and encourage student contributions to scholarly activity across the campus
- Recognize and reward outstanding student achievements and scholarly activity
- Promote interdisciplinary academic interaction among students and faculty
- Reinforce the breadth of learning that characterizes a quality formal education
- Support the institution’s educational efforts regarding the importance of communication skills
- Enhance community awareness of the high level of scholarship at Avila University
The winners of this year’s Student Scholar Day include:
Poster Presentations:
- 1st Place – Aaron Eustaquio and Dr. Omonseigho Talton, Selenium Sulfide and Temperature on Sebum Levels and Scalp Irritation
- 2nd Place – Sierra Reed, Competitive Complexation of Hydroxyzine and PHP – CD Complexes
- 3rd Place – Madelyn Mullinax, Hannah Rogers, and Jeremiah Epps, Testing the Lac and LacUV5 Promoters through Synthetic Biology
Oral Presentations:
- 1st Place – Alison Prettyman, Emotional Intelligence as Taught in K-12 Public Schools
- 2nd Place – Lindsay B. Wing, Weight Framing in Introductory Psychology Textbooks
- 3rd Place – Nia Musamali and Tumelo Musmali, Recidivism Among Women
- Mission Award – Athaviah Shane, Literacy in Refugees
Congratulations to the award winners and to each student who participated in this unique Avila tradition.
