Undergraduate Research
Student Spotlight
2024
One±«Óãtv Undergraduate Research Conference Awards
April 10-12 were exciting days for ±«Óãtv's undergraduate researchers who presented their research at the 2024 One±«Óãtv Undergraduate Research Conference. This year, nearly 600 undergraduate researchers presented 300 unique research projects across our three campuses. The following students were recognized for their exemplary research:
- Om Patel, Health Sciences, Tampa Campus
- Sasha Post, Interdisciplinary, Tampa Campus
- Ashley Paschall, Physical Sciences, Tampa Campus
- Neha Dewansingh, Social Sciences, Tampa Campus
- Usman Khan, Business, Sarasota-Manatee Campus
- Diane Martinez, Health Sciences, Sarasota-Manatee Campus
- Avery Rath, Education, Sarasota-Manatee Campus
- Sakshi Wagh, Social Sciences, Sarasota-Manatee Campus
- Emily Stevens, Social Sciences, Sarasota-Manatee Campus
- Gemma Antara, Biomedical Sciences, St. Petersburg Campus
- Madison Grace Rishovd Day, Marine Biology, St. Petersburg Campus
- Victoria D. Drews, Biology, St. Petersburg Campus
- Jewelia Keller, Biology, St. Petersburg Campus
- Humberto Porrata, Biology, St. Petersburg Campus
- Dana Smith, Biology, St. Petersburg Campus
- Jayden D. Sutliff, Biology, St. Petersburg Campus
IDS 2912: Undergraduate Research Experience Participants
The Office of Student Engagement in Research and Innovation facilitates IDS 2912: Undergraduate Research Experience, which helps undergraduate students succeed in research endeavors for their chosen majors and careers. This is achieved through experiential learning activities that aid in the development of research skills that universities and employers seek.
This semester IDS 2912 students created research proposals to answer the following questions:
- What is relationship between time spent on short-form videos and attention span among
undergraduate students aged 18-22 in central Florida? Jason Arias
- What intrinsic and extrinsic factors are associated with ACL tears among ±«Óãtv soccer
players? Adrian Barnat
- Is there a correlation between religious beliefs and rates of attempted suicides? Kylah Bonfante
- How well and consistently can human subjects distinguish between writings authored
exclusively by either AI or human authors? Mason Clark
- What is the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in early life
and the use of escapism as a coping mechanism? Emily Jared
- How do phthalates affect the immune system in adults aged 65 and older in the United
States? Madison Lipowsky
- Does transgender workers’ pay matches their gender identity, their gender assigned
at birth, or deviates entirely from the typical earnings of cisgender men and women
in comparable jobs within the region? Sawyer Osborne
- What is the impact of working graveyard shifts on anxiety levels in the fast-food
industry? Aba Oti
- How does culture impact individuals' views on autism and the consideration of visiting
health professionals? Shumarah Pierre
- Which sports drink provides the best hydration for a person based on the their athletic level and intensity while working out? Jamaela Williams
Congratulations to our IDS 2912 students on their research proposal posters! We are excited to see where their research takes them in the future.
Student of the Year

Mr. Aspen Levin has been named the 2024 Student of the Year in recognition of his exemplary service to students.
Mr. Levin is a graduating senior at the ±«Óãtv, majoring in Business Advertising with cohort members of the Zimmerman Advertising Program and the Business Honors Program. During his time at ±«Óãtv, he has been granted numerous experiences for research involvement and developmental practices in his respective fields. Outside of classes, he has served as a marketing intern at the Global Tech Program, where he helped Charity Water develop an effective advertising campaign. He has assisted in creating campaign drafts and supplemental research for non-profit organizations like United Way Suncoast and participated in youth learning events like JA Biztown and Feeding Tampa Bay Food Drives for ±«Óãtv Rotaract and the Global Citizens Award.
In Spring 2023, Mr. Levin completed his Business Honors Program thesis research after
conducting interview-based research with industry professionals in Web3 and immersive
advertising in the U.S. and Czechia. He states, “No matter why you’re here in college,
whether you’ve arrived from high school or are coming back later to receive more education,
there is always a chance and an opportunity to make whichever city you reside in a
better place, and there is nothing stopping you from taking the initiative to learn
and try new things.â€
Congratulations, Aspen!
2023
Research Scholar Awardees
The ±«Óãtv Undergraduate Research Scholar Award recognizes a student’s commitment to their development as a researcher during their undergraduate tenure. Below is the list of students who have received this honor.
- Magdelena Alvarez, Communication Science and Disorders
- Jaidon Angel, Communication Science and Disorders
- Lena Bayyat, Communication Science and Disorders
- Jade Brown, Communication Science and Disorders
- Aisha Bazlamatci, Interdisciplinary
- Samuel Camilli, Health Science
- Presley Camp, Social Science
- Samantha Deveaux, Health Sciences
- Iman Elkolalli, Communication Science and Disorders
- Christine Grossman, Psychology
- Cassandra Hendry, Communication Science and Disorders
- Jacob Hensley, Engineering
- Jacqueline Houston, Social Work
- Yuri Lizardo, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Anna Beatriz Cortes Machado, Physical Science
- Ebu Ojogwu, Health Science
- Jessica O'Reilly, Communication Science and Disorders
- Mackenzie Osborne, Psychology
- Perdita Samuel-Lopez, Communication Science and Disorders
- Abigail Reed, Interdisciplinary
- Shanon Rego, Cell and Molecular Biology
- Evelyn Spiller, Public Health
- Karly Underwood, Social Science
- Cindy Yang, Biomedical Science and Anthropology
- Haley Vantoorenburg, Physical Science
- Gabrielle Whyte, Humanities
- Breanna Zurita, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Student of the Year

Ms. Bethany Jowers was named Student of the Year in 2023 in recognition of her exemplary service to students.
Ms. Jowers is a rising senior at the ±«Óãtv majoring in Biomedical Sciences and World Languages and Cultures: Spanish and Latin American Studies. During her time at ±«Óãtv, she has been given many opportunities for research involvement and has presented individual and group projects in multiple university, state, and national conferences. Off-campus, she has served as a research intern and internship coordinator for the Tampa General Hospital Transplant Institute. She has helped to create investigations during her community service at the ±«Óãtv Health Ybor Youth Clinic and the ±«Óãtv BRIDGE Clinic to improve care for underserved populations in the Tampa Bay area.
In Fall 2023, Ms. Jowers completed her grant-funded Honors thesis research after conducting community health surveys in the Dominican Republic during an Honors Experience Abroad. Ms. Jowers says, "she is grateful to the ±«Óãtv faculty and staff who have supported her during her research journey, and is always looking for ways to help other students access similar opportunities."
Ms. Jowers is a brilliant, dedicated scholar and servant leader who exemplifies the very best in our amazing students. Congratulations to her on a well-deserved honor!
Undergraduate Research Conference Award Winners
One±«Óãtv General Disciplinary Awards
- Engineering: Jacob Hensley
- Health Sciences: Samuel Camilli and Ebu Ojogwu
- Humanities: Gabrielle Whyte
- Interdisciplinary Research: Aisha Bazlamatc and Abigail Reed
- Physical Science: Anna Beatriz Cortes Machado and Haley Vantoorenburg
- Social Science: Presley Camp and Karly Underwood
Honorable Mentions
- Engineering: Isabella St. Pierre-Charles
- Health Sciences: Anagha Hesaraghatta and Misha Mathur
- Interdisciplinary Research: Nidhi Bangalore and Kaitlyn Serafin
- Physical Science: Lina Elessawy and Kira Ruiz-Houston
- Social Science: Coleman O’Toole
Audience Choice Award Tampa Research Showcase
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Audience Choice Award Winner: Trisha Pitchala, CRISPR Cas9 in Cancer Therapy
- Honorable Mention: Issac Diaz Becdach, Natural Killer Cell Receptors (NKRs) Expression Modulates T Cell Effector Function in Vitro