KSU Students Selected To Present Research At Georgia State Capitol

Press release from Kennesaw State University:

Feb 24, 2021

KSU Students Selected to Present Research at Georgia State Capitol

KENNESAW, Ga.
(Feb 24, 2021) — Three undergraduate researchers will represent Kennesaw State University at the Posters
at the Georgia State Capitol, a showcase of the state’s best undergraduate research,
on Feb. 24 from 1-5 p.m. The event gives selected participants from Georgia’s colleges and universities an
opportunity to present their research to state leaders. Sponsored by the Georgia Undergraduate
Research Collective, the 2021 poster session will take place as a synchronous online
virtual conference.

“We are so pleased to see KSU students accepted to this event, which began in 2019,”
said Amy Buddie, director of undergraduate research at KSU. “This is such an important
opportunity for our students to connect both with Georgia legislators as well as other
undergraduate researchers around the state. This event helps show our state’s decision-makers
that students at KSU and elsewhere are conducting meaningful, relevant research that
makes a difference.”

The selected KSU undergraduates are Lawren Cumberbatch of Grayson, Artis Trice of
Ellenwood, and Alexandra Walsh of Lawrenceville. Although their projects span from
the sciences to the arts, each student’s research project began in a similar fashion.

Food Deserts

Lawren Cumberbatch
Cumberbatch, a senior biology major with a statistics minor, is conducting research on food deserts, areas which the U.S. Department of
Agriculture defines as neighborhoods that have limited access to affordable and healthy
food sources. Using her background in applied statistics, her research explores the
causes of food deserts by analyzing the demographics of the affected communities.
She presented this research at the fall Symposium of Student Scholars at KSU.

“I always understood the process of research and found it to be interesting, but actually
conducting research has been more important to me than I could have imagined,” she
said.

Cumberbatch was drawn into the world of undergraduate research through her degree
requirements. Her journey began with a biostatistics course, in which a student guest
speaker presented a research project and encouraged the class to take additional statistics
courses. Cumberbatch heeded the speaker’s advice, which led her to meeting her current
faculty mentor, Susan Mathews Hardy, senior lecturer of mathematics.

“Conducting research shows you that you can actually have an impact on the world,”
said Cumberbatch, who wants to become a medical doctor. “Your research findings matter
in people’s lives.”

Community Gardens

Artis Trice
Senior geography major and Honors student Trice is also conducting food insecurity research, which
he also presented at the fall Symposium of Student Scholars. His research involves
planning community gardens in DeKalb County in hopes that the produce grown will help
sustain parts of the county that do not have access to healthy food options.

“I am interested in pursuing this type of research as a career,” Trice said. “This
experience of studying and planning urban gardens has been very helpful to my future
goals, whether that is in community organizing, urban agriculture, or natural resource
management as a whole.”

Prior to his research, Trice already had experience volunteering at various community
gardens, such as the North Marietta Neighborhood Community Garden and a Seattle-based
community garden during a summer internship. His idea for the project was a result
of a research methods class that he took with Paul McDaniel, associate professor of
geography. With McDaniel’s help as his mentor, Trice was able to incorporate his experiences
into a research project.

“Research allows you to do new and cool things,” Trice said. “You can explore things
that people may not have done before, and if it’s something that you’re passionate
about studying, you may as well try to find the answer.”

A Ballet’s Popularity

Walsh, a junior dance student in KSU Journey Honors College, is presenting her first undergraduate research project. Her research explores the
history of the renowned Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky-penned ballet, The Nutcracker, and the various factors that have contributed to its long-standing success.

Alexandra Walsh
“Through analysis of existing scholarship, I investigated the history of The Nutcracker ballet within the broader context of the history, politics, culture, economics, and
technology of the United States in the mid-20th century, when the ballet was first
introduced to the U.S.,” she said.

Walsh’s research began as a final class project for a dance history course taught
by her faculty mentor, Caroline Clark, assistant professor of dance history and theory.
The project has since blossomed into a full-fledged academic research presentation.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this research, and am very appreciative to Dr. Clark
for sharing the various possibilities of dance research with me,” Walsh said. “I have
gained not only a deeper understanding of the topic, but also of how to analyze information
and convey ideas to an audience, which will serve me well in my future endeavors.”

– Jacob Segura

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.

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