IUPUC students are working to offer possible solutions to community issues through research projects being developed with the help of their professors.
The work spans disciplines such as nursing, psychology, mental health counseling, said Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, English professor and director of the Office of Student Research at IUPUC.
Students are required to work with a faculty member, who serves as a mentor.
This year, 13 students at the university were awarded grants through the Office of Student Research to support their projects, which requires them to look at an issue, subject or a problem, Goodspeed-Chadwick said.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
Students are required to develop detailed research project proposals, find study participants, record data and come up with an overall conclusion.
Competitive internal research grants worth up to $1,000 offered by IUPUC’s Office of Student Research helped students pursue their research projects and allowed them to attend regional, state and international conferences to present their research, Goodspeed-Chadwick said.
Students receiving the grant funding studied autism spectrum disorder, neonatal abstinence syndrome and other issues.
A half-dozen research projects were presented by students during an exhibition April 17 in the commons area of the Columbus Learning Center. It is the eighth year the research projects have been presented at IUPUC.
The exhibition is IUPUC’s only vetted student research showcase, meaning the student work has been thoroughly reviewed by staff members, Goodspeed-Chadwick said.
Emily Edwards, a senior from Greensburg studying psychology, helped organize IUPUC’s Conference for Undergraduate Research in Psychology in November. Sixteen students attended the conference and gave poster or oral presentations tied to their research, Edwards said.
Promoting research and engagement was the focus of the conference, Edwards said. Edwards plans to attend the University of Louisville this fall for graduate school.
Edwards has had opportunities to present her research elsewhere, most recently at the Midwest Psychological Association Conference in Chicago earlier this month.
“Being involved in all the research has prepared me for the graduate level,” she said.
Emily Duke worked with fellow student Natalie Harper researching neonatal abstinence syndrome for their project, which looked at contributing factors in the successful cessation of drug and alcohol abuse on dependent pregnant mothers.
Duke, who will be graduating in May with a nursing degree, cited the opioid epidemic as a reason why she decided to pursue her project. Her project involved creating surveys that were distributed to Columbus Regional Hospital for prospective participants to fill out. Only two surveys were returned, meaning many individuals chose not to participate, she said.
Duke plans to work in the intensive care unit for babies at Riley Hospital for Children after she graduates.
“We hope to create some sort of resource for mothers,” Duke said. “We really feel passionate about helping babies.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Research grant recipients” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Students who were awarded research grant funding through the Office of Student Research at IUPUC include:
- Isaac Mauricio Garcia Rojas Aguilar, Columbus
- Megan Bailey, Crothersville
- Brice Baughn, Columbus
- Stephanie Baumgartner, Columbus
- Emily Duke, Edinburgh
- Emily Edwards, Greensburg
- Teresea Higham, Columbus
- Samantha Kohlman, Columbus
- Brittany Layman, Butlerville
- Brilynn Roberts, Columbus
- Seth Sharpe, Columbus
- Shelby Wasson, Hope
- Courtney Watkins, Scipio
[sc:pullout-text-end]
