Sixty-four students took home awards for oral and poster presentations of their research and creative scholarship following the 2024 Auburn University Research Symposium, held March 26 at the Melton Student Center. Awards were presented in an April 2 ceremony.
Nearly 450 graduate and undergraduate students from Auburn University and Auburn University at Montgomery participated in the annual event. For the first time, presentations by postdoctoral researchers were also included.
David Murray, a Baton Rouge native and an undergraduate student from AUCON, won for his poster presentation on, A case-control study to determine the effects of semester-long reflective journaling on anxiety, sleep quality, physical activity, and diet quality in upper-level baccalaureate nursing students. "The study is part of an ongoing project," said Professor Andrew Frugé. "Professor Pamela Short conceptualized it, and one of my doctoral students, Laura Robinson, helped with developing the survey instruments and data analysis," he added.
Another AUCON winner (in the graduate student category) for her poster presentation was Birmingham native E’Keema McCray on A Silent Crisis: Addressing the Public Health Epidemic of Chronic Disease in Adult Populations. McCray partnered with Professor Linda Gibson-Young while completing her One Health certificate. “She thrives in connecting literature to daily management when living with chronic conditions. We were thrilled to see this connection through population health management,” said Gibson-Young,
“Not only is this an opportunity for students to present what they have learned through their research experiences to a broad audience, but the symposium empowers participants to share their thoughts, discoveries, and creative work,” said Lorenzo Cremaschi, professor of mechanical engineering and Auburn’s director of undergraduate research. “This year, the first-rate presentations provided a forum for cross-college networking. The conversations in the rooms were lively and vibrant. I thank all the presenters and judges who participated in the symposium, making it a truly engaging opportunity. And I congratulate the award winners for their outstanding work during what is becoming a signature event for the University.”
To further honor the winners, the Ralph Brown Draughon Library plans to display a selection of winning posters on its digital wall.
