Fall 2020 Symposium Of Student Scholars Live Blog

Press release from Kennesaw State University:

Dec 3, 2020

Fall 2020 Symposium of Student Scholars Live Blog

KENNESAW, Ga. (Dec 3, 2020) — The Office of Undergraduate Research at Kennesaw State University is hosting the first fall edition of the Symposium of Student Scholars today, a half-day university-wide conference in
which undergraduate and graduate researchers present their projects. The event, held
virtually via Microsoft Teams, features nearly 100 presentations taking place from
1-5 p.m. Just like the spring 2020 symposium, students are assigned unique access codes and timeslots for their virtual presentations.
Anyone, ranging from the KSU community to the general public, can join a presentation
by clicking on the access link located in the program found on the symposium website.

This live blog, updated throughout the afternoon, gives a snapshot of the variety of
disciplines represented and the research journeys undertaken by KSU undergraduate
and graduate students.

– Geena Lawrence and Landon Mion

12/03/2020, 3:15 p.m.

Andi Edwards has had a long-time desire to learn about nonprofit management. Now as
a human services: nonprofit management and social innovation major, engaging in research has given her that outlet.

“My research project focuses on the volunteers who make up an increasing portion of
nonprofit sector staff,” said Edwards. “Funding for charitable agencies is consistently
decreasing as needs increase; utilizing volunteer effectively is key to increasing
nonprofit agency capacity to meet the needs of the future.”

Edwards began working with Dr. Jennifer Wade-Berg, associate professor of human services, during her capstone course and is presenting the research they conducted together
for the first time virtually. As a result of Wade-Berg’s mentorship, Edwards was inspired
to improve and elevate her research ability.

Graduating this month, Edwards has already been hired and started work at Nardone
Consulting Group, an Atlanta-based association management company specializing in
managing professional and trade associations. “I’m enjoying learning about association
management from the best in the business,” she said.

12/03/2020, 2:26 p.m.

“This is my first time presenting at a conference, and I am grateful to my theatre
professor Dr. Thomas Fish for encouraging me to do so and am looking forward to tuning
into the other virtual presentations,” said Sarah Joseph, a senior theatre and performance studies major with a concentration in musical theatre

Her research is focused on creating more opportunities for collaborations in the arts
community at Kennesaw State University that will foster strong learning, networking,
and mutual respect.

“The initial driving factor in my pursuit of this research was my experience as a
transfer student to a new school coupled with my involvement in both the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies and the School of Music,” Joseph said. “This research has shown me that the possibilities for creativity
and exciting work really are limitless when you work together.”

After her experience, Joseph hopes more students will seek out cross-training in the
College of the Arts departments and schools. She wants collaborations to not only be encouraged but more
accessible for students.

I am looking forward to continuing a career in performance both on the stage and in
film and am grateful for all the professors and students who help me to grow and who
inspire me,” she said.

12/03/2020, 1:43 p.m.

Azeeza Abdulrauf chose to get involved with research so that she could receive proper
training for her future Ph.D. program as well as her career. Her research project
investigates autism associated genes in great apes, such as bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas are the model, since
they are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom capable of understanding complex
communication.

“The goal is to observe their behavior once their DNA is sequenced to learn about
how these genes affect socio-communication,” said Abdulrauf. “My findings would impact
the way we research and develop therapeutics for autistic individuals.”

As a second-year graduate student working towards her master’s degree in integrative biology, Abdulrauf completed this project with mentors Martin Hudson and Susan M.E. Smith
from Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Jared Taglialatela from the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology.

“My mentors have helped me to understand the importance of great ape research because
they are the key to developing new therapeutics for autistic individuals,” said Abdulrauf.
“I hope that this research will increase awareness, so that there will be additional
assistance and research completed on autism.”

Her future aspirations include obtaining her Ph.D. in neuroengineering or biomedical
informatics and then, going into the industry to develop assistive or therapeutical
medical devices for the autism community.

“Thanks to KSU, I have been able to hone my research interests for my future work,”
she said. “Now I know that autism drives my passion for research.”

12/03/2020, 1:01 p.m.

Dorothy Corbett, a senior majoring in public relations, said her research mentor, Laura Beth Daws, encouraged her to pursue research and
take her skills to the next level. Daws, associate professor of communication, also wanted Corbett to explore options for future work in academia and conveyed
the value of research skills in professional roles.

Corbett said that having the opportunity to research a topic that has lasting implications
has been a rewarding experience.

“My research analyzes the impact that social media has on young people engaging in
celebrity worship,” Corbett said. “I found that extreme fandom online impacts consumerism,
body image, mental health, and social hierarchies within fan communities.”

“Because fan communities impact the prevailing attitudes of the masses through popular
culture, this research is extremely important to understand what forces are influencing
an entire generation of young people,” she explained.

While this is the first time Corbett will be presenting her research, her experience
in conducting research at KSU has helped to expand her skill set in applicable job
skills such as researching, writing, and interviewing.

This press release was produced by Kennesaw State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.