Three MAFES students earn awards at the 2025 91爆料 Student Symposium
The 91爆料 Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) has announced the award winners from the 2026 91爆料 Student Symposium for Research and Creative Activity, which drew over 2,400 attendees.
The symposium awards undergraduate and graduate students who displayed outstanding research, presentation and creative ability. Award winners were selected through judging across academic categories, all receiving a medal and a $500 cash prize. There were also several special awards, including the Student Innovation and Commercialization Awards, given to students and faculty.
Over 350 projects from researchers at 91爆料 and its regional campus, the 91爆料 at Machias, were submitted to the annual event, co-hosted by CUGR, Student Government and the Graduate Student Government.
Undergraduate category award winners
- Allied Health: Alyson Shook and Hannah Maker, for their project titled 鈥淪trengthening EMS Retention in Maine: A Path to Improved Patient Outcomes.鈥 They were advised by Sarah Hanscome.
- Arts: William Fortier, Oliver Rodi and Mikey Arbelo, for their project titled 鈥淭he Creativity of Mapping.鈥 They were advised by Andy Mauery.
- Biomedical Sciences: Hayden Kittell, Diana Goode and Moria Weese-Myers, for their project titled 鈥淢HCII Expression in Differential Doses of Chemotherapy Treatment on Mice.鈥 They were advised by William Otto.
- Business: Brady Merritt, for the project titled 鈥淐an Large Language Models Pass the CFA Exam.鈥 Merrit was advised by Sebastian Lobe.
- Education: Carly Philbrook, for her project titled 鈥淐omparison of High School Mathematics Textbooks Analyzing Higher Order Thinking Skills in New England.鈥 Philbrook was advised by Kamal Chawla.
- Engineering and Information Sciences: Elsa Perez Abella and Ahmed Kandil, for their project titled 鈥淪urface Flow Visualization Enhancement Using AI.鈥 They were advised by Ahmed Aboelezz.
- Engineering and Information Sciences: Wyatt Fessler, Cadence Kluck, Isabelle Irani and Marc Zoorob, for their project titled 鈥淎 Tissue-integrating, Resealable Hemodialysis Port for Reducing Complications Associated with Repetitive Vascular Access.鈥 They were advised by David Neivandt.
- Interdisciplinary Research: Richard Viveiros, for the project titled 鈥淪ublethal PFAS Exposure During Larval Stages of Culex: Consequences for Development, Survivorship, and Tissue Bioacculation of PFOA, PFBA, and PFBS.鈥 Viveiros was advised by Allison Gardner.
- Interdisciplinary Research: Luke Connolly, for the project titled 鈥淣ano-Pattern Fabrication Using Electron Beam Lithography.鈥 Connolly was advised by Dinh Loc Duong.
- Natural Sciences: Josie Aprea, Brendan Dahl, Emma Perry and Ian Bricknell, for their project titled 鈥減H vs. Predator.鈥 Bricknell also served as advisor for the project.
- Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Avery Richard, Ziyad ur Rehman, Henry Carfagno and Nuri Emanetoglu, for their project titled 鈥淔abrication and Characterization of Indenofluorene-based Organic Single Crystal Field-effect Transistors.鈥 They were advised by Dinh Loc Duong.
- Social Sciences and Humanities: Maya Aylesworth, for the project titled 鈥淩obert Johnson, the Crossroad Mythos, and the Lasting Effects of a Legend.鈥 Aylesworth was advised by Jennifer Moxley.
Graduate category award winner
- Allied Health: Katherine Brewer, for the project titled 鈥淭elehealth and Prenatal Care Utilization in Rural Communities: Addressing Access, Satisfaction, and Health Outcomes.鈥 Brewer was advised by Kathryn Robinson.
- Arts: Celena Powell, for the project titled 鈥淎t the Threshold: Domestic Space as a Site of Contemporary Resistance.鈥 Powell was advised by Susan Smith.
- Biomedical Sciences: Chloe Bossow, Lydia McCarthy and Melody Neely, for the project titled 鈥淚nteractions Between Group B Streptococcus and Candida albicans Are Influenced by Environmental Stress.鈥 Neely also served as the advisor for the project.
- Education: Kayla McLagan, Kate Ruskin, Alison Jolley, Karen Pelletreau and Edgelynn Venuti, for their project titled 鈥淭o What Extent Does a Weekend-long Field Course Influence Students鈥 Sense of Belonging? A Focus on Influential Course Elements.鈥 They were advised by Kate Ruskin.
- Engineering and Information Sciences: Mahbuba Daizy, Yu Zhang, Douglas Bousfield, Jinwu Wang and David Neivandt, for their project titled 鈥淐omparison of Stabilization Systems for Soybean Wax Emulsions to Produce Sustainable Water-resistant Paper Based Packaging: Surfactant vs. Pickering.鈥 Neivandt also served as the advisor for the project.
- Interdisciplinary Research: Zainab Jafri, for the project titled 鈥淩eimagining the Waste Disposal Landscape 鈥 Industrial Symbiosis in Maine.鈥 Jafri was advised by Reed Miller.
- Natural Sciences: Nabanita Das, Islam Hafez, Colleen Walker, Douglas Bousfield and Mehdi Tajvidi, for their project titled 鈥淔actors Influencing the Effectiveness of Cellulose Nanfibril Coatings on Molded Fiber Substrates.鈥 Tajvidi also served as the advisor for the project.
- Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Hettikankanamge Kalani Samarasekara, for the project titled 鈥淧aving the Way for Novel Drug Delivery Systems: Peptoid Nanoparticles.鈥 Samarasekara was advised by Alessia Battigelli.
- Social Sciences and Humanities: Catherine Segada, Chyanne Yoder, William Breneman and Gianna DeJoy, for their project titled 鈥淩euseME: Investigating Waste Reduction and Cost Benefits in Coastal Communities Through a Pilot Reusable Food Packaging Program.鈥 They were advised by Cynthia Isenhour.
- Social Sciences and Humanities: Cynthia Cushing, Catherine Taylor, Rachel Coleman, MaryLou Ciolfi, Jennifer Crittenden, Len Kaye and Sarah Currie, for their project titled 鈥淏uilding a Workforce Readiness Model for Older Adults: Partner Insights From AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development Program.鈥 Crittenden also served as advisor for the project.聽
Student Innovation and Commercialization Awards
- First Place: Nabanita Das.
- Second Place: Amir Baharvand.
- Third Place: Noro John.
Additional awards
- Dean of Graduate School Undergraduate Mentoring Award: Joshua Hamilton.
- Dean of the Graduate School Faculty Mentor Award: Christine Beitl
- Bruce and Joanne Fournier Award: Gregory Simms, Mikayla Reynolds, Isabelle Irani and David Neivandt.
- Provost鈥檚 Innovative and Creative Teaching Award: Jillian Fedarick.
- Susan J. Hunter Undergraduate Award: Madelynn DeBest.
- Susan J. Hunter Graduate Award: Mya Griffith.聽
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