Indiana University East held Student Research Day on April 1. The annual event features the work of on-campus and online undergraduate and graduate students, and for the campus to celebrate their achievements.

The event was held virtually with Student Research Day presentations on Canvas throughout the day, followed by the keynote address, Live Program and Awards Presentation held on IU East Facebook Live.

The keynote address was delivered by Darcy Talbot, a 2011 alumna with a B.S. in Education and a fourth-grade teacher at Crestdale Elementary in Richmond. Talbot received the 2020 Richmond Community Schools Teacher of the Year award, and was a top 25 finalist for Indiana Teacher of the Year in 2021.

Student presentations included independent scholarship from courses, independent studies, summer research programs, Honors Program projects and creative endeavors. Honors Program students will also have the option to present at the Mid-East Honors Association (MEHA) Conference. The annual Student Showcase included works of art from students in the 2021 summer and fall semesters, 2022 spring semester, and Senior Capstone exhibits. Merit monetary awards are given annually through the sponsorship of Stagg Safety of Richmond, Robert Warfel, president.

Award winners received $200 for first place, $150 for second, $100 for third and the Vanguard Award. Funding provided for by the Office of Academic Affairs.

Winners this year were:

Oral Presentation Award Winners

• First Place: Sam Roberts, business administration major, Centerville, Indiana, “Media Narratives and COVID-19.”
• Second Place: Sidne Thompson, nursing major, Richmond, Indiana, Kinzie Clark, nursing major, Greenville, Ohio, and Tyler Wilson, nursing major, Economy, Indiana, “Quality Initiatives on a Progressive Care Unit.”
• Third Place: Alex Austerman, business administration major, Connersville, Indiana, “Traveling Post-Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of Push and Pull Factors.”

Poster Presentations

• First Place: Jamie Inman, mathematics and natural science double major, Bloomington, Indiana, “Decolonizing Archaeology through Repatriation.”
• Second Place: Katelynn Russell, history major, Camden, Ohio, Ryan Tincher, history major, Richmond, Indiana, and Nick Mustin, criminal justice major, Connersville, Indiana, “Testing Turner’s Thermal Features.”
• Third Place: Cade Brubaker,West Alexandria, Ohio; Stella Shellabarger, Arcanum, Ohio; Laura Billing, West Milton, Ohio; Maddy Harmon, Anderson, Indiana; and Rikki Phenis, Ridgeville, Indiana, all majoring in business administration and accounting, “Recycling Project.”

Honors Showcase

• Matthew Paterson, first place, biochemistry major, Richmond, Indiana, “Bioinformatic and Experimental Research to Identify the Function of Yeast Gene YJL206C.”
• Madalyn “Maddie” Drew, second place, business administration and communications studies double major, Nashville, Indiana, “Expanding the Scope of the Spiral of Silence Theory to Increase Relevance in the Digital Age” and “Peacebuilding in a Culturally Divided Nation.”
• Richard McHone, third place, mathematics major, Waco, Kentucky, “Honors Thesis: Fisher Information and Probability Distributions.”
• Claire Presson, elementary education major, Connersville, Indiana, “Effects of Recess on Student Learning.” Presson received the Vanguard Award, given to the senior honors thesis that displays extraordinary vision and social impact.