The Patrick Leahy Honors College

2026 Student Research Conference Program

Welcome to the 2026 SRC Program! Here you will find a schedule of presentations for the day including the "Who?", "What?", "When?", and "Where?". If you need a hand on site, find a volunteer in a green fleece, and they will be happy to help!

Check out this year's Special Sessions!

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Special Session:Time and Location:
CURE: Undergraduate Research in BiologyRosa Parks Room - All Day
Semiconductor Certificate Program9:00-10:30 Main Poster Session
MIGOS (Machine Learning, Immunology, Genomics, Oncology, and Synthetic Biology)9:00-10:00 in Handy
Critical Approaches to News Discourse: Linguistic Representations in the Media10:00-11:00 in Fireplace Lounge
Understanding DEI Discourse In Environmental Education Research: Knitting Together Two Honors College Theses and a Ph.D. Dissertation11:00-12:00 in Handy
[2025 Vermont Climate Assessment] Vermont Communities in a Changing Climate: Vulnerabilities, Impacts, and Pathways to Resilience12:00-1:00 in the  Fireplace Lounge
Vermont Policy Institute on COGS: Exploring Council of Governments Implementation in the Vermont Context & Rebuilding Access to Knowledge in the Vermont Data Landscape: A Vermont Data Collaborative1:00-2:00 in Handy
Genetics and Society1:00-2:30 Main Poster Session
Justice Research Center1:00-3:00 in Williams
Students Advancing Water Research2:00-3:00 in Fireplace Lounge
Solutions for Vermont's Housing Shortage2:00-4:00 in Handy
Researches in Fungi.  Advanced Mycology Lab, Research Experience Course 3:00-4:30 Main Poster Session

Poster Session 1

9:00am-10:30am - Main Poster Session 1 - Grand Maple Ballroom

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Presenter:Project Title:
Madiha AkbarA Hierarchical Nonlinear Predictive Controller for Ramp-rate Mitigation in Hybrid Energy Systems with Solar Photovoltaics
Muhammad Hamza AliA Waveform Relaxation Approach for Coupling Faster and Slower Time Domain Simulation in Inverter-Dominated Power grids
Ryan AndersonDesign and Layout of Silicon on Insulator (SoI) GaN MEMS Resonators
Alena AnnunziataIntegrating Multi-date, High-resolution Topography and Flood Frequency Data to Quantify River Erosion Hazards in Vermont
Beyzanur AydinDynamic Hosting Capacity for Unbalanced Three-Phase Networks
Pawan Babu BastolaA Laboratory Approach for Understanding the Formation and Behavior of Hydrophobic Soil Layers under Wildfire Conditions
Emmanuel BadmusPowerChain to PowerDAG: Reliable and Verifiable Agentic AI for Automating Distribution Grid Analysis
Ryan BairdWireless Localization
Amine Barzegar TilenoieCharging on the Margins: Behavioral Patterns of Rural Electric Vehicle Users
Edward BuckserProtein-Protein Interactions Govern Rheological and Mechanical Properties in Whey Protein Isolate-Gum Arabic Hydrogels: A Ratio-Dependent Structural Transition
Vivian BurrMethodological Recommendations for Accurate and Precise Sourcing of Obsidian Using pXRF
Ian CassidySAW Design for Snow Water Equivalent Measurement Systems
Swarup Chakraborty28/39 GHz Dual-Band GaN Power Amplifier Design
Malihe DavariOpen-Source Modelica Models for the Optimal Design of Urban and Community Scale Multi-Energy Systems
Jordan DonovanPerturbed Initializations in CNNs Improve Optimization Efficiency and Resulting Accuracy
Benjamin DrillingsRe-envisioning Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Program Solvers Through GPU-Based Parallel Processing
Prakash DulalPhase-Field Fracture in Multiphase Materials: An IFENN Approach
Finn Duncan, Brandon Johnson, Luke O'Brien, Finn Dabash, & Ginger ThralowWater Quality Monitoring Systems for the Intag Valley, Ecuador
Tanmoy Dutta, Ehsan Ghazanfari, & John LensRainfall Induced Shallow Slope Failure Analysis in Vermont
Josh DykasTemperature-Dependent Behavior of TaN Thin Film Resistorses
Mazen ElsaadanyCharacterizing Demand Response Capability of Thermostatically Controlled Loads with Reach and Hold Sets
Brook HodgemanA Bayesian Framework for Data-Driven Modeling of Myosin Exchange in the Cardiac Sarcomere
Benjamin HoweVoltage-Dependent Stability and Degradation Pathways in Perovskite Solar Cells
Sabir HusnainDecoupled Robust State Estimation and Disturbance Rejection in Model-Free Formation Control
Amelia HuxleyCharacterizing Relationships between Muscle Coordination and Walking Neuromechanics in Stroke Survivors
Margaret JaynesOptimization of Open Loop Thermal Energy Networks: Assessing Lake Champlain as an Alternative Thermal Source
Prithvi KalkunteOptimizing Utility-Scale Batteries: Seeking Profit Under Uncertainty.
Alireza Kashani LotfabadiAdaptive Weight Building Energy Optimization: Thermal Comfort Flexibility
Farzan KavianiData-Driven Discrete-Time Control Barrier Functions
Nathan Kellison-MillerEnvironmental Payback of Wind Turbines Across the United States: A Combined LCA and Dynamic Energy Modeling Approach
Bishal KoiralaStrength-Based Orthotropic Phase-Field Fracture Model for 3D-Printed Materials
Erik LagerquistA Comprehensive Review of Power System Strength: Definition, Solutions, and Practical Experiences
Chris LepplaCo-Optimizing Battery Dispatch for Seasonal Rates and Demand Response Events: A Markov Decision Process Approach for a Vermont Commercial Building
Aria LindbergDeposition and Annealing of RF-Sputtered, Thin Film Gallium Oxide
Thomas LynchAdditive Manufacturing for Whey Protein Microcarriers
Birasa MallaSpatiotemporal Clustering of Induced Seismicity in Enhanced Geothermal Systems
anne maraSynthesizing Circuits from Tableaus
Tyler MeadowsNASA JPL Autonomous Open Source Rover
Anastasija MensikovaMapping the Landscape of Artificial Intelligence in Life Cycle Assessment Using Large Language Models
Omid MokhtariOptimal Kron-based Reduction of Networks (Opti-KRON) for Three-phase Distribution Feeders
Mia Jane MolineMineralogical Mapping of Gale Crater: Integrating MRO and Curiosity via Machine Learning clustering Algorithm
Abigail O'ConnorThe Development and Optimization of Biogenic Molecular Imprinted Electrodes for Peptide Detection in Complex Matrices
Arash OmidiExperimental Multi-site Testbed for Advanced Control and Optimization of Hybrid Energy Systems
Bikram PantheeSolving Distribution Grid State-Estimation to Near-zero Optimality Gap
Annie PapazoglouPotential of Phosphate-Capturing Filter Media for Reuse as Slow-Release Fertilizer
Christian PaulCharacterizing associations between simulated muscle coordination constraints and data-driven representations of human walking dynamics
Seide Saba RafieiActivate the Dual Cones: A Tight Reformulation of Conic ACOPF Constraints
Binaya RajbanshiRural vehicle electrification: Insights on plug-in electric vehicle adoption and use in an urban-rural context
Max RitterImpact of annealing on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of atomic layer deposited aluminum-doped zinc oxide
Nicole RoodeEnzyme-Driven Biofilm Dispersal Through Central Carbon Metabolism Disruption
Daniel RussellImproved Voltage Regulation with Optimal Design of Decentralized Volt-VAr Control
Peng SangSolar PV digital twin -- a real-time simulation-based research platform
Hailey SanphyAnaerobic Digesters as Biorefining Hubs: A look at sustainable resource recovery in Vermont
Ryan SiegelModeling Emergent Metabolic Interactions within Microbial Communities
Kieran StokesBuilding and Validating a Center-of-Mass Perturbation Device to Study Neuromechanics
Marzia SultanaProcess Optimization for Exfoliation of α-In₂Se₃ for Acoustic Device Applications
Eren TekelerQuantifying the Worst-Case Projection Error in DC-OPF Proxy Neural Networks
Lanhjamin TranRobotic Arm Automation
Mariano UgazmRNA-Based Endothelial Production of a Cytoprotective 3K3A-Activated Protein C Variant via Lipid Nanoparticle Delivery
Nathan YounceSubstrate Oxidation in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD): Role of Temperature and Precursor Selection
Alex ZaccardiSpectroscopic Ellipsometry of High-K Dielectrics

Poster Session 2

11:00am-12:30pm - Main Poster Session 2 - Grand Maple Ballroom

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Presenter:Project Title:
Saadatu Abdul-RahamanPlant-based diets: A forced choice for socially disadvantaged rural adults
Florence AbrahamAcculturation, Dietary Behaviors and Cancer Risk Perspectives of African Immigrant Communities in Vermont
Meron AbrahamHow Preserving UVM’s Bird Specimens Preserves Vermont History
Sevda AlvirdizadehFamily Expectations are Associated with Plant-Based Diets in Rural America
Amberley BaileyStudent Coaches Enhance the Walk with Ease Program
Casey BakerThe Special Needs Planning Gap: Barriers to Financial Decision-Making
Alana BauerCrisis of Rural Governance: A Comparative Analysis of Morocco and Senegal
Calla BeauregardArchetypes and gender in fiction: A data-driven mapping of gender stereotypes in stories
Matthew Bishop-Gylys, Gabby Spagnuolo ChawlaDevelopment of a Rat Trachea Explant Model for Cystic Fibrosis Research
Sky BoirosRecords of Earth History: Cataloguing UVM’s Underutilized Geology Collections
Griffin BrownRegional Planning for Sustainable and Equitable Goods Movement: Identifying Barriers and Best Practices from a Study of 48 Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Sophia Cheever & Caitlin WizdaStructural and Health-Related Factors Associated with Loneliness in Older Vermonters
Kyan ChipmanIrular Community in India: Political Representation and forest Conservation
Lauren ColemanAmerican Hindutva: The Presence of Hindu Nationalism in the United States
KC Collier, Avery Rosenbloom, Faith Skerritt, Barbara Hannon, & Trace WorobeHealth care utilization in patients with moderate to severe asthma: does payor status predict usage?
Kathryn CramerThe NADJA Project: LLMs That Think More Like Humans
Kyla DavidsonTitle: Which evidence-based psychotherapies are offered by early psychosis services in the United States and Canada?
Isabella DeNaultThe Contributions of Phonological Complexity to Individual Differences in Word Learning in Late-Talking Toddlers
John DePalmaThe Halo and Horn Effects as Measures of Health Stigma
Alexa Divers, Emma Renwick, Avinabo Poddar, Rachel Lamb, & Alexis BrieantReviewing the role of community cohesion in youth mental health
Jeremy ElliottClassifying Emotional Dynamics In Short Narratives: Techniques and Applications
Ashley FehrFictional Archetypes: A Straight-Queer Story
John FosterCharacterizing Ambulance Response Times in Vermont
Madeleine FoxFactors Supporting Continued Running in Older Adults
Molly GalinEffects of a home-delivered meal-kit intervention on diet quality health symptoms in rural, food-insecure households.
Jordan Galin & Lillian Girod“Decoding the Emotional Map of Climate Change”
Callia GilliganNavigating Language and Belonging: The Experience of Adult English Learners in Burlington
Nox GiordanoNatural History Museums Breathe New Life to Otherwise Discarded Specimens: A Focus on Small Mammals
Emily JonesAssessing the Impacts of the Manufactured Home Improvement and Repair Program
Jessica Kennedy, Ellie Lang, Cy Stavros, & Sauria StewartFlora in Folklore: Mythical Plant Identification and What we can Learn from the Search
Stephen MarshallThe Failure to Coordinate; Epistemology of Relational Sovereignty
Liv Mastandrea“I feel music with my whole being”: A Qualitative Exploration on the Musical Experiences of Autistic Adults
Ashton McClintockThermochemical Heating Pack Applications in Varroa Mite Treatment
Ashton McClintockOrganization and Digitization of the UVM Orthopteran Collection
Caroline McGlinchyUsing a Trauma-Informed, Culturally Responsive Perspective to Revise a Preschool Physical Activity Program  
Ainsley McKayGeospatial dimensions of housing, social capital, and wellbeing in a Housing First program in Chittenden County, Vermont
Stasha Medeiros, Kevin Elliot, Hannah Humphreys, & Eva OwensThe apple of my (mind’s) eye: Exploring the relationship among autistic traits and cognitive introspection patterns
Ava MetzgerMotivating Climate Action: The Effects of Intrinsic Motivation on Willingness to Pay for Clean Energy Policy
Will OliverThe Misalignment of MS-13's FTO Designation
Avinabo PoddarAnalyzing the Relationship Between Parental Warmth and Depression in Adolescents Through the Lens of Amygdala Reactivity
Livi PoonPreliminary Findings: Leveraging Machine Learning Models to Analyze Statewide Chronic Disease Measures that Predict Geographic Regions Across U.S. States
Tabia Tanzin PramaGlobal brain drain and gain in high-potential student mobility
Katie RobieAssociations between Food Insecurity and Executive Functioning among Caregivers in Rural Vermont
Nat RobtoyAnalyzing the Equity of Flood Resilience in Vermont Communities
Alicia RosatoEvaluating Vermont's Diet and Physical Activity: A Comparison to National Guidelines
Alejandro Javier Ruiz IglesiasFalse memories to fake news: The evolution of the term "misinformation" in academic literature
Kat RutkowskiHuman Health vs Ecological Function? Testing Conservation Framing in Vermont
Olivia SauveDiffusion or Confusion: Examining Heterogeneity in Socially Responsible Investing.
Olivia SeilerFederal Food Assistance Programs and Health Outcomes Among Older Adults in the United States: A Systematic Review
Taylor Seitz & Perry DonovanPlatelet Extracellular Vesicles Restore Plasma Membrane Integrity Following Endothelial Cell Trauma
Taylor Seitz & Stephanie YarnallDexamethasone Conjugated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as a Theranostic Platform for Inflammation Imaging & Corticosteroid Delivery  
Protiva SenWitchcraft as Narrative Contagion: Modeling the Diffusion and Mutation of Transmission Mechanisms in the 1692 Salem Crisis
Protiva SenEthical Frameworks for Conducting Social Challenge Studies
Abigail Sinha, Alex Fronczek, Lily Siciliano, & Emma ScottSelecting and Sequencing in the Classroom
Kalman SlaterWhose Ambulance Is It, Anyway? A National Analysis of Emergency Medical Services System Delivery and Response times
Jonathan Slowey, Alec Eschholz, Nila Sabetfakhri, Mirella Fernandez, David Kolb, Sabrina Herzberg, & Krista MillarUnderstanding communication barriers between physicians and patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
Gabriel SuttonGaps and Opportunities in Food Insecurity Screening and Referral Practices in Rural Oncology Settings
Olivia TeareAn Examination of Barriers to Vermont Women’s Access to Healthcare Services
Elise theriaultPolicy limitations for farmers transitioning to plant-based proteins.
Eva TherrienI Just Feel Like Everything's Against Us': Undergraduates' Beliefs Surrounding the Use of Oral Contraceptives for Menstrual Suppression
Tanzila Tabassum TonnyRethinking Transportation Planning in Vermont: Current Practice and Better Alternatives
Thi Thanh Thanh Tran & Shan Shan ZhengSchelling-like model and Residential dynamics: A simulation of neighborhood segregation.
Erin TroianoThe Box Project: Mapping Relationships Across Race and Distance
Rachel TrokenheimGeocaching in Vermont: Where, why, and Does it Matter?
Ava TrueworthyGeographic Access to Perinatal Care
Camille TuckerVermont Crop Cash Program
Rowan TuffnerAssessing the Transfer of Student Knowledge from the Physics to Statics Course Across Two Years
Caroline Van HemelShowcasing Historical Childhood: StoryMaps as a Way to Visualize Geographic and Historical Data
Susan Whitman“Bringing Health Coaches Into the Doctor’s Office: Building Consensus on Their Role in Primary Care”
Tommy Wondrasek, Izzy Srivastava, Max Grayzel-Ward, Sanjna Chalasani, Richard Zhang, Dani Callard, & Kieran KozlowskiSubstance Use Patterns and Harm Reduction Needs Amongst Vermont Queer Community
Lillian WyattConsumer Perceptions of Insurance Practices in St.Lucia

Poster Session 3

1:00pm-2:30pm - Main Poster Session 3 - Grand Maple Ballroom

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Presenter:Project Title:
Carlos AmissahDirect and Indirect Effects of Abiotic and Biotic Variables on Human Incidence of Tick-Borne Diseases
Abigail ArbogastAiding the Functional Eradication of Japanese Knotweed through a Herbaceous Plant Mixture 
 
Jakani BakerSelf-fertilizing crops
Christopher BaranA Comprehensive Review of PFAS and Their Prevalence in Fish
Olivia BlanchardGenomic and Biosynthetic Analysis of the Purple Pigment Guaiazulene and its Production in Lactarius indigo
Samantha BoutilierDifferences in Snail Utensils: Drilling into Intraspecific Variation in Rocky Shore Snail Predatory Ability
Sophia BruschBiogeographic and Temporal Diversity of Phyllosphere Fungal Communities Across Alpine Sites in the Green Mountains
Mia CannizzaroWhen Environment Meets Genetics: Pesticides and Parkinson's Disease
Kaiden CapseyFreshwater Systems and Warmth: Response Dynamics in L. sicilis and Potential Future Insights
Annalena ChavrierApplying Machine Learning to study the social network of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from Bocas del Toro, Panama using photographs of their dorsal fins.
Blair ChristensenRole of Histone Modifications in Insecticide Resistance and Response of Insect Pests
Sydney Collet-CallahanIdentifying Small Mammal Hosts of Vermont Tick-Borne Pathogens
Madelynn EdwardsInvasive Jumping Worms (Amynthas spp.) Alter Aphid Abundance and Ant-Aphid Mutualism on Golden Alexander (Zizea aurea)
Gwen Ellis, Sophia Azzaro, Stephanie Iwinski, & Amanda RichardsonIdentifying spatial patterns of CWD-resistant genotypes in New England white-tailed deer populations
Jack FacemireBeyond CRISPR: Targeting Single Nucleotide Variants
Olivia FisherJust Right: Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
Finn FlynnSpotting Lady Beetles: Using zoological collection and citizen science records to assess Coccinellid biodiversity loss in Vermont.
Nicole GormanDefining Retriever-Mediated Protein Recycling Pathways that Regulate Root Growth in Arabidopsis
Emma GriffithMacrofungal Biodiversity and the Maple Sugarbush: Building a Baseline for Vermont’s Iconic Ecosystem
Paityn HartsellCRISPR: Rewriting Life's Script Too Soon?
Alana HartyMutations in Medicine: Advances in CRISPR and Sickle Cell Disease
Noelle HasanInvestigating Iron Variability Across Productivity Regimes in the California Current Ecosystem
Eva HendricksonPhytoplankton Responses to Nutrient Availability in Freshwater Mesocosm Systems
Ollie HovermillThe Ethical Implications of Cloning
Maya JhawarCRISPR as a security risk: Exploring the Possibility of Bioweaponry
Mia KalishAmplifying mung bean diversity to support resettled refugee food security in Vermont
David KantorPediatric Abdominal CT Scans to Diagnose Acute Appendicitis: A Risk Benefit Analysis
Masoumeh KhodaverdiEvidence for Local Adaptation in Vernalization Sensitivity and Its Genetic Basis in Temperate Melica Grasses
Madeline KiladaStored Health Data and Informed Consent
Olivia KlausEngineered Strength: Steroids and Gene Expression in Muscle and Bone
Lincoln KunkemuellerRising Temperatures and Morphological Changes in New England Peromyscus
Iris Lawson-RyanA Computational Approach to Understanding the Evolution of Bat Echolocation Traits
Fiona LeggAcoustic Characterization of the Caño Island Biological Reserve: Assessing Biological and Anthropogenic Drivers
Preity MangarThe Marketization of Motherhood: Examining Commercial Surrogacy in the United States vs. India
Audrey ManningShifts in cyanobacteria bloom phenology and phytoplankton community structure in response to two phosphorus immobilization strategies in Lake Carmi, VT
Emma McBournieCatching Breast Cancer Early Through Genetic Counseling and Testing!
Anna McPeak, Sydney Sharp, Chiara Cohen, Olivia Britton, & Katie AnthonyIon-specific effects of road salt on survivorship and thermal tolerance in copepods
Ellie McSweeneyUVM Natural History Museum Specimen Accessioning and Skinning
Li MoavenianPathogen Presence in Historic Rodents of Vermont
Sarah O'LearyRisk of Tick‑Borne Pathogen Exposure Among Outdoor Recreationists in UVM Natural Areas
Onome OfomanMangrove Genetic Diversity and Impact on Ecosystem Services: A Literature Review
Mya PapouschekRestoring Balance: Soil Invertebrates as Indicators of Native Riparian Regeneration around a Degraded Lake in New Zealand
Sienna PaupTranscriptome Storage: TimeVault
Haley PeixotoIs seed longevity influenced by past environmental stresses on the growth and fitness of hybrid and non-hybrid Arabidopsis Thaliana?
Avery RedfernGoing Batty: Using global trends in bat species diversity to predict species movement with climate change
Walt Regan-loomisExploring Sugaring's Effect On Mt. Mansfield's Bryophytes
Bridget ReinersBiofluorescence in Wildlife
Kai Roberts-Speaker & Emma GriffithClarifying Regulation of Fungal Sex: Identifying B-locus Associated Transcription Factor in S. commune
Langdon Robinson & Kael FitzpatrickA Closer Examination of Bioluminescence in Mycenoid Fungi: Evolution and Application
Josie RussellMorphological and Molecular Characterization of Amanita bisporigera: A Foundation for Future Toxicological Analysis
Lila SaloisDissecting the Genetic Architecture of Virulence in Heterobasidion annosum via Integrative Genome–Transcriptome–Phenotype Mapping
Chanchal SaratkarThe Effects of Starvation on the Thermal Limits of Lake Champlain Copepods
August SchannoLinking Psilocybin Biosynthesis to Antimicrobial and Larvicidal Activity in Psilocybe cubensis
Max SchibelSearching for Squirrels: A Species Distribution Model of Flying Squirrel species in Vermont.
Lamija SemicPhenotypic stress response of Colorado potato beetle unaffected by octopamine inhibition
 
Garrett SimonComparing temporal autocorrelation between NDVI-derived phenological metrics for Vermont forests using Sentinel-2 imagery
Acadia SmithWallin Beetle Collection and Presence of Invasives
Isabella SodduInvestigating Hemoparasite Infection in Rusty Blackbirds: Could Avian Malaria Be Driving Their Decline?
Sonja SojliCan the same treatment be applied to the same type of cancer?
Alexander SteinerFactors Influencing the Presence and Cover of Non-Cultivated Plants in Vermont Pastures
Ruth StumpfollTracking and discerning patterns in plant succession of restored riparian forested buffers; comparing endemically inoculated, uninoculated, and control plots.
Opal SuttonBack to the Past: The Role of CRIPSR_Cas9 in Sickle Cell Disease
Phoebe SwartzInvestigating the potential of red spruce (Picea rubens) blue intensity chronologies to reconstruct past temperature for Vermont.
Vincent TamakloeEvaluating the Field Efficacy and Durability of Pheromone Mating Disruption Dispensers for Sustainable Swede Midge Management
Rebecca ThompsonNature's Flytrap: A New Approach to Combating the Spread of Malaria
Kayla TimasPharmacogenetics and Race
Regina ViscontiVTI13 and VPS26C:?The Intersection of Trafficking, Cell Wall Organization, and Root Growth in Arabidopsis
Alyssa WarbeckAccumulation of Microplastics on Lake Champlain Beaches: Spatial and Temporal Patterns
Maddy WeaverDNA in Dentistry: Genetic Impacts on the Oral Microbiota
Sophie WilliamsInvestigating the relationship between moisture and temperature in northern New England through a 500-year tree-ring reconstruction

Poster Session 4

3:00pm-4:30pm - Main Poster Session 4 - Grand Maple Ballroom

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Presenter:Project Title:
Ihsan Shawki AkiliDiet, Binge Drinking, or Both? What Results in the Most Advanced Form of Liver Disease in Male and Female Mice?
Samantha AlexanderToward a Natural Alternative: Whey–Pectin Scaffolds for Breast Tissue Reconstruction
Nanna Atake & Ana Carissa I. Lorenzo,Association Between Food Security and Mental Health Outcomes in Vermont Youth: Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2023
Whitney BarbourTesting a novel, translatable Western diet in a mouse model
Charlotte BennettPurine Sensing and Starvation Response in Toxoplasma gondii
Lena Bromberg & Erika AraujoUsing a novel T-Trap assay to investigate olfactory attraction behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster
Laura BrooksR-loop accumulation promotes transcription-associated mutagenesis in SETX-deficient cells
Brody Brown, Lejla Pasic, Erin Fogarty, Molly Fahey, & Ella ChurchRural–Urban Inequities in Cardiovascular Health and Access to Preventive Care in the United States
Ashley Bush-NickersonA Hearing-Associated Gene is Unexpectedly Unregulated During Dengue Virus Infection
Elle CunninghamPatient Attitudes Toward GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
Kaylin DahlbergAssessment of Tissue Lysis Methods for DNA Extraction from Murine Spleen
Sasha DaileyEffects of PFOS, a member of the PFAS chemical family, on Thyroid Hormone Receptor Beta (TRβ) Molecular Signaling in Thyroid Cells
Emma DanzaDetermining the Role of the LATD/NIP Gene in Nodule Development in Lotus japonicus
Marenn EkStructural Characterization of Cancer-Associated Human Endonuclease III-like Protein 1 Variants
Colby FilosaImpacts of Housing Density on Liver and Brain Health in a Mouse Model of MASLD
 
Lily FryerCreating a CRISPR-engineered Polo-like kinase 4 mutant sensitized to small molecule inhibitors in Drosophila
Alannah GarrisonComparative Evaluation of a Dopamine-Conjugated Alginate Sealant Patch for Pleural and Tracheal Injury Repair
Reva GillInvestigating the impacts of SRC-1 SH2 domain phosphorylation on cell migration
Benjamin GinsbergSynthesis and Antioxidant Characterization of Trolox Conjugates
Alexander GrayzelPhosphomimics  of Cytosolic Human Malate Dehydrogenase 1 Alters Enzymatic Activity
Jake GrenonThe Combination of Western Diet and Binge Drinking on Brain Health in Mice
Vihit GuptaREV1 Depletion Sensitizes Colorectal Cancer Cells to Chemotherapeutics in an Autophagy Dependent Manner
Madison GuyetteEnhancing Efficacy of Tubulin Inhibitors in Colorectal Cancers via Translesion Synthesis Inhibition  
John Hayward, Evan Marshall, & Mateo SulpiziopEstablishing a Proteomics Workflow to Elucidate Disulfide Bonds While Minimizing Disulfide Scrambling
Seamus HeneyNovel REV7 Inhibitors Radiosensitive Cancer Cells
Mallie HigginsA role for PACAPergic LPBn afferents in the BNST in anxiety-like responding
Rebecca Hill-Larsen, Celia Heath, Grace Hilton, Francesca Scaramuzzo, Christel Tonoki, Chris Zuidema, & Elzerie de JagerAssociations Between Food Insecurity and Asthma: Findings From the 2024 Adult National Health Interview Survey
Joshua KoduvalilThe Effects of Candid#1 on the Autophagy Pathway
Sadie KorzecRUNX1-mediated Breast Cancer Suppression
Naveen KothandaramanREV1 inhibition enhances trinucleotide repeat mutagenesis
Jacob LacyQuantifying Taxonomic Uncertainty in Metabolic Modeling using Bayesian Inference Method
Ian Lee, Gabriella Fontana, & Elyse JusseaumeRalstonia insidiosa Significantly Improves Biofilm Attachment of Listeria monocytogenes on Low-nutrient Dairy Processing Surfaces
Ian Lee, Gabriella Fontana, & Elyse JusseaumeRegeneration of bioifilms of Listeria monocytogenes and Ralstonia insidiosa 24 Hours Post-sanitizer Application Varies by Growth Temperature and Maturity
Eliana LesserKnee Flexion Symmetry Is Related To Return-To-Sport Criteria After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Kayla LiebeskindPredicting Pathogenicity of Missense Variants in Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases Using Structural Information
Collin MacLeodADAM17 regulates neurite outgrowth and visual system development with effects spanning optic vesicle morphogenesis to eye tracking
Rylee MassonInvestigating Neuropathology of Alcohol Use Disorder Using Simultaneous Neural Responses to Alcohol Cues 
 
Caitlin McManusLimosilactobacillus reuteri-Derived Tryptophan Metabolites Differentially Activate AhR Signaling: Implications for Neuroinflammation in Multiple Sclerosis
Wendy MemishianOperating Room Management: Approaching the Performance Frontier
Devon Michaelson, Mya Boyd, & Maria McNealIdentifying Genes That Affect Drosophila Food Choice Under Thermal Stress
Corina MikoThe Effect of Non-Nutritive Sweeteners and Alcohol on Gut Microbiome Composition
Harrison MorseImpaired calcium wave propagation underlies gallstone disease in mice fed a lithogenic diet
Julia NeefeAmino acid taste modulation by sweet and IR94e neural pathways in Drosophila melanogaster
Lucia NewmanCharacterizing the Subcellular Localization of the Medicago truncatula LATD/NIP Gene
Marcos NgoFrom Structure to Motion: Studying the Conformational Changes of Human NTHL1
Georgia NourseHealthy Eating in Balance: Psychosocial and Structural Predictors of Diabetes Eating-Related Stress among Youth with Type 1 Diabetes.
Armand OlteanuIdentifying Cell Adhesion Molecules (CAM) that respond to insulin signaling to modulate synapses in Caenorhabditis elegans
Madeline OrlowskiWhat’s your mixer of choice? Comparing the impact of sugar and sucralose mixed with ethanol on liver health  
Justin PalubaCombining AlphaFold and Sparse Experimental Data to Study Protein Dynamics
James PetersenStructural and Functional Dissection of the PfBDP1 Ankyrin Repeat Domain as a Reader of Acetylated Histones
Chiara PetracekSystematic Identification of RNA-Binding Proteins Required for Neuronal Survival and Oxidative Stress Resistance
Kripa Philip, Moe Paquette, Stephen Halsey, Brianna Najjar, Caroline Kagan, & Elzerie de-JagerAssociation Between Physical Activity and Functional Limitations in Adults with Long COVID: Analysis of Vermont 2023 BRFSS Data
Isabella PiatekAltered Theta-Gamma Coupling in the Dentate Gyrus of PTEN Knockout Mice
Owen PiperInsulin binding proteins are required for the maintenance of the nervous system.
Norah PrideEffects of the Tryptophan-Producing Bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus HA114 on Gastrointestinal Motility and Depression-Related Behaviors in Mice
Eli RachimiCharacterizing Network Inhibition and Cognitive Deficit in Kcnt1 Mice
Cassie RiversTrusting the Timeline: Social Media Use in Making Health Decisions Across Race and Ethnicity
Owen RomeoFunctional Characterization of PURα and PURβ in ER+ Breast Cancer 
Using CRISPR Knockout and Transcriptomic Analysis
Gwenyth RoundyAssociations Between Neural Signature Scores and ROI-Based GLM Beta Weights in Alcohol Cue Reactivity
Elise RunnelsReceptor Tyrosine Kinases INSR and EGFR Promote Tyrosine phosphorylation of the Signaling Coreceptor DCBLD2
Frederick SenyaEquation-Based Integration of Flux Balance Analysis with Diffusion for Spatio-Temporal Simulation of Microbial Communities
Patrick Shafer & Tess StrasserFoods made with upcycled alcohol processing byproducts
Alanna ShermanMouse Mixology: Combined Effects of Alcohol and Sweeteners on Brain Health
Anna ShowalterSTK11 loss enhances stress-adaptive programs supporting shear resilience in circulating tumor cells from KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinoma
Max TerracianoHunger, Diet, and Sex Impact Amino Acid Sensation and Response in Drosophila
Alec ThibeaultEffects of nonnutritive sweeteners and alcohol on renal functionality and biomarker variation in a mouse model 
 
Sydney VaggA Whole-Embryo RT-qPCR Method for Measuring Human Gene Expression in Zebrafish Xenografts
Emily Van BeekLCMV particle formation: There’s more than 1 way to make an arenavirus DIP
Julia YoungThe Effect of Genetic Variation on Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity
Catherine YoungDiet, alcohol, or both; what's worst for the liver?

Oral Presentations: 9:00am-10:00am

Chittenden Room:

Body
Presenter:Presentation Title:
John DePalmaThe Halo and Horn Effects as Measures of Health Stigma
Conor FanueleRole of Rab11 in Influenza B Virus Infection
Vihit GuptaREV1 Depletion Sensitizes Colorectal Cancer Cells to Chemotherapeutics in an Autophagy Dependent Manner  
Emery HarlanThe Role of the Nucleus Reuniens of the Thalamus in Operant and Pavlovian Appetitive Extinction and Renewal

Jost Room:

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Presenter:Presentation Title:
Hannah HolstDiet of American eels (Anguilla rostrata) in Lake Champlain
Aidan JonesEvolutionary Rewiring of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Grasses (Poaceae)
Sydney SharpThe Deadly Duo: How increased salt and temperature impact the survivorship of freshwater copepods
Emma SmithManagement of Aegopodium podagraria (Goutweed) Using Native Plants at the Intervale’s Silver Maple-Ostrich Fern Floodplain Forest

Oral Presentations: 10:00am-11:00am

Jost Room:

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Lindsey EarleMetabolic Modulation of Taste Sensitivity: Investigating the Role of Dopamine and Insulin Receptor Signaling in Drosophila melanogaster
Avinabo PoddarInvestigating the Effects of Changes in Perceived Discrimination on Cognition during Adolescence
 
Rishav SoodMyloid Neoplasm and Acute Leukemia: The Difficulty of Classification, Diagnosis and Treatment
Pallas ZiporynThe Demolition Loophole: A Policy Gap Undermining Efforts to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposure
 

Oral Presentations: 11:00am-12:00pm

Jost Room:

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Shahrzad AhmadkarajiLinking Thinness and Muscularity Drives to Mental Health through Body Appreciation and Self-Esteem in Men: The Moderating Role of Sexual Orientation
Rachel LambAdolescent Perceptions of Stress, Coping, and Social Support
Prithaj NathMeasuring Chronic Stress in College Students
Elissa SchuettHarnessing intrinsic motivation to drive adoption of pro-environmental behaviors

Oral Presentations: 12:00pm-1:00pm

Jost Room:

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Elliot BairdBoy Talk: Audience Influenced Style Shifting in Transgender and Cisgender Men
Emory GerlachArtistic Process and Public Memory in Norman Rockwell’s The Babysitter
Erin LongBirth Shattered Me: Traumatic Pregnancy and Childbirth as Self-Annihilating
Madison TaylorBragdon v. Abbott: Disability, Feminist, and Queer Activist Expansion of Anti-Discrimination Protections Through the Courts  
 

Handy Room:

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Griffin BrownRegional Planning for Sustainable and Equitable Goods Movement: Identifying Barriers and Best Practices from a Study of 48 Metropolitan Planning Organizations
John FosterCharacterizing Ambulance Response Times in Vermont
Hannah GokaslanFrom Diesel Dependency to Solar Power: How communities in Northwest Alaska are reshaping their energy futures
Carina ManitiusStranded Assets and Stranded Livelihoods in Agriculture: Identifying Barriers to Change to Support Just Transformation

Chittenden Room:

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Farnaz BoudaghiRe-centered Chen-Fliess Series: Convergence and Error Analysis
Ellie LiebermanConstruction and Characterization of Computationally Designed ComR Mutants
 
Ryan SiegelModeling Emergent Metabolic Interactions within Microbial Communities
Chhayank SrivastavaThree-dimensional leg kinematics improve burrowing performance in granular substrates.

Oral Presentations: 1:00pm-2:00pm

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Suzannah BuehlerCross Talk: Language That Bridges America's Partisan Divide
Astrid FosterThe Unholy Marriage Between the Religious Right and Silicon Valley
João FrancoBridging Simple and Complex Contagions in Belief Dynamics: A Voter Model Extension
Parisa SuchdevWho Brought Easter Eggs to Eid? Cultural Translation of Math Word Problems Across Seven Languages

Oral Presentations: 2:00pm-3:00pm

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Yasmin GasimovaSimulating the Father: University Discourse in Conspiracy Theories
Mohsen GhasemizadeLLMs Take on Local Government Contracts
Julia HartCategorizing Key Elements of Interpersonal Grounding in Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy
Henry Schmidel"They Had Some Rather Remarkable Successes": CIA Narratives in the Wake of the MKULTRA Cover-Up

Oral Presentations: 3:00pm-4:00pm

Jost Room:

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Annika LathropMechanistic Insights into Chromatin Recognition by the SAND Domain of Speckled Protein 110C
Noah LeedomAn Efficient Parallelization of the Accelerated Imaginary Time Step Method for the Static Hartree-Fock Problem
Kehinde MakindeScope of the Chirality Transfer Allyl Cyanamide [3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement to Afford Enantioenriched Carbodiimides that are Trapped by Amines as an Entry Into Enantioenriched Guanidines.
 
Ava VittersInvestigating the Impact of Dietary Protein and Internal Nutrient Sensors on Taste Sensitivity