{"id":8294,"date":"2022-04-07T12:30:38","date_gmt":"2022-04-07T16:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/?p=8294"},"modified":"2022-11-01T09:22:46","modified_gmt":"2022-11-01T13:22:46","slug":"annual-research-symposium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/annual-research-symposium\/","title":{"rendered":"Annual Research Symposium highlights student achievement, professional development"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extraa-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”] [image_with_animation image_url=”8326″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”Fade In” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” img_link_large=”yes” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text]Students listen to Sarina Baratta explain the coral research she conducted with her fellow student researchers. Photo: Alex Harsha ’22<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_content” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”padding-2-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”right” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

In the 15th year of the Eckerd College Research Symposium<\/a>, more than 100 students presented 57 posters in the categories of behavior, computer science<\/a> and mathematics<\/a>, disease and physiology, ecology, environmental threats and solutions, genetics, and humanities.<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_content” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”32″ text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”padding-2-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”right” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]New this year, presentations were categorized to be judged by 18 Eckerd alumni working in the respective fields. Some high-profile alumni volunteered to participate\u2014including Jane Petro \u201968, M.D., professor of surgery emeritus at New York Medical College; Henry Ashworth \u201916<\/a>, a medical student at Harvard Medical School; and Doreen Galli \u201989, Ph.D., chief technology officer for Global Expansion and Transformation at Microsoft. Judges evaluated each abstract and poster provided on the new online program and determined a winner, or winners, for each category.<\/p>\n

Presenters Nelson Vayda, Stefan Anthopoulos and Sarina Baratta were awarded a blue ribbon in the disease and physiology category for work with Marine Science and Biology Associate Professor Cory Krediet, Ph.D.<\/a>; Mote Marine Laboratory Associate Vice President for Research Erinn Muller, Ph.D.; and Senior Scientist and Program Manager Emily Hall, Ph.D., on the research \u201cA Potential Connection Between Coral-Associated Bacteria and Disease Resilience in Acropora Cervicornis<\/em><\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarina, a senior marine science<\/a> major and psychology<\/a> minor from San Francisco, California, admits she was a bit nervous during the live presentation, \u201cbut the style of the symposium makes it really easy to be comfortable and talk to a lot of people as they go by,\u201d she says. \u201cSeeing how impressive what you have done [is] to others \u2026 made me feel so proud of the work Nelson, Stefan and I have been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her research partner Nelson Vayda, a senior marine science and Spanish<\/a> student from Canton, Michigan, agrees, saying, \u201cIt was a really cool experience and the semiformal attitude was nice to keep it comfortable while also getting presentation experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was not the only prestigious research to make the winner\u2019s circle. Presenters Kayla Fulkerson, Madeline Ketner and Olivia Minney also received a blue ribbon for \u201cPerformance of African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) on a Cooperative Task<\/a>\u201d research completed with Psychology and Animal Studies Professor Lauren Highfill, Ph.D.<\/a>, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Associate Animal Care Specialist Kristina Przystawilk, ZooTampa at Lowry Park Animal Care Supervisor Christi Reiter, and ZooTampa at Lowry Park Mammal Curator Mike Burns.<\/p>\n

Olivia, a senior biology<\/a> and animal studies<\/a> student from Wilmington, Ohio, says, \u201cIt was just nice to share all the work that we\u2019ve done with people who wanted to listen.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”32″][vc_column_text]\n

Full List of Eckerd College Research Symposium Blue Ribbon Winners<\/h4>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”32″][vc_column_text]Behavior<\/strong><\/p>\n