To opt-in to the awards competition, the primary student presenter must submit an extended abstract (500 words max.) in addition to submitting the presentation abstract. Each extended abstract will be rated by a panel of professionals from a diverse set of academic fields who are well-versed in the scientific method, research processes, and scholarship. Based on these extended abstract ratings, 5 poster presentations and 5 oral presentations will be designated as semi-finalists. To select award recipients, these semi-finalist presentations will be judged on the day of the conference. The award recipients will be revealed at the conference awards ceremony.
Recipients of these awards will each receive a plaque and small monetary prize (in the case that presentation that is selected has multiple authors, the authors ought to divide the money equally among themselves and they will each receive their own plaque).
Dr. Stephen Jordan, the President of MSU Denver, and Dr. Vicki Golich, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, will present the awards to recipients during the Awards Ceremony. Students who opt-in (and their faculty mentors) are expected to be present at the Awards Ceremony (scheduled at the end of the conference).
Awards for Oral Papers:
- President's Award for Best Oral Presentation ($200)
- Outstanding Student Oral Presentation ($150)
- Honorable Mention Student Oral Presentation ($100)
Awards for Poster Presentation:
- Provost's Award: Best Student Poster ($200)
- Outstanding Student Poster ($150)
- Honorable Mention Student Poster ($100)
Each member of a group project must opt-in to the competition in order for that project to be elgible for the competition prizes.
Criteria for Awards
It is important that abstracts convey in a clear and organized manner the student's rationale for the project, the approach used to pursue it, and the significance of the project's outcome to the student's field of study. Effectively- written abstracts communicate these key elements in a manner that is understandable to reviewers unfamiliar with the student's area of study. Each extended abstract will be evaluated by several faculty judges from diverse academic departments using a rubric that addresses the above criteria. From this preliminary evaluation, finalists in both the oral and poster presentation categories will be selected for judging on the day of the conference. First, second, and third place winners in each category will be recognized at the awards ceremony at the end of the conference.
2nd Annual MSU Denver Undergraduate Research
Conference Award Winners
President Jordan’s Oral Presentation Award Winners
Best Oral Presentation
Sharon Wharton, Human Development
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa Badanes
"Stressed and Depressed: The Role of Self-Compassion in College Students’ Well Being"
Outstanding Oral Presentation
Jennifer Jennings, Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert Hancock
"The Phototactic Response of Planktonic Marine Crab Larvae to the Wavelength and Intensity of Light"
Honorable Mention Oral Presentation
Nick Nelson, Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Bonham and Dr. Douglas Petcoff
"Investigation of Extracellular Microenvironments and Small Molecule Chemistry for the Maintenance and Differentiation of Pluripotent Embryonic Stem Cells to Foster Neural Specification"
Provost Golich’s Poster Presentation Award Winners
Best Poster Presentation
Caitlin McConnell, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lesley Hathorn
"Reading Compensation: Reading Rate as a Predictor of Student Success"
Outstanding Poster Presentation
Jacob Paschall, Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mark Mazurek
"Reducing the Flash-Lag Effect Using Spatial Reference Cues"
Honorable Mention Poster Presentation
Jennifer Kane, Leslie Wall, and Kaitlin Hornbostel, Nutrition
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michelle Tollefson and Dr. Jennifer Weddig
"The effect of immediate and continued skin-to-skin contact on breastfeeding duration and exclusivity"
