Students participate in undergraduate research symposium
A number of College of Media students participated in the Undergraduate Research Symposium in April at the Illini Union. Their work included both individual and team projects.
This year marked the tenth for the symposium, which has grown each year. The variety of entries demonstrates the interest our undergraduates have in research as well as the continued commitment of faculty in supporting undergraduate research opportunities.
The presentation by Aparna Sivasankaran and Yixin Zou on virtual reality was named a finalist for outstanding presentation and was included in the Capitol Scholars program. As a Capitol Scholar, the students had an opportunity to present their research to members of the Illinois State Legislature. Associate Professor Michelle Nelson supervised the students working on project.
"It was wonderful to see all of the amazing research from our undergraduate students,” Nelson said. “Advertising students from freshmen to seniors collaborated on a variety of timely and important topics -- from mood and identity to childhood obesity, virtual reality and cyberbullying - with a variety of methods."
The projects included:
“Shakespeare and Femininity”
Margaret Wolfe, Senior, Advertising
“The Impacts of Privacy Hypocrisy, Victim Characterization, Gender, and Context on Bystanders’ Guilt Attribution in a Cyberbullying Suicide”
Yixin Zou, Senior, Advertising
“Creating and Testing Virtual Reality (VR) for UIUC: Immersive Media & The Consumer”
Aparna Sivasankaran, Junior, Advertising
Yixin Zou, Senior, Advertising
“Into the Deep: A Story of Exploration, Investigation and Inspiration”
Sarah Foster, Senior, Journalism
“Is the On-Campus Improv Community Inclusive in Terms of Race and Gender? What Attitudes and Behaviors Perpetuate the Same Demographic of People to Participate?”
Bobbi McSwine, Sophomore, Journalism
“Black Science Matters”
Zila Renfro, Senior, Journalism
“Mood Effects on Responses to Advertising”
Emma Campanella, Freshman, Advertising
“Away from Home: The Hopi Experience at Off-Reservation Indian Boarding Schools”
Deonte Harris, Sophomore, Media & Cinema Studies
Logan Mullins, Freshman, History
“Bond Girls”
Erin Blaber, Senior, Media & Cinema Studies
“Southside Cool”
Allison Henreid, Junior, Advertising
Kyle Lee, Senior, Political Science
Hanna Udischas, Senior, Urban Planning
“Laptop Stickers May Act as a Proxy for Personality Traits”
Armando Sanchez-Monsivais, Sophomore, Advertising
“Has the Presence of Food Advertising Increased Childhood Obesity?”
Anastasia Mourikes, Junior, Advertising
“Innovating Bioactive Interfaces with Atomic-scale Additive Plasma Nano-manufacturing”
Tanmay Shah, Sophomore, Computer Science
Jesse Perez, Junior, Advertising
Ruchika Roy, Senior, Engineering Physics
“Men of Courage”
Justin Peebles, Junior, Economics
Laquayle Gray, Junior, Economics
Eric Davis, Junior, Advertising
Ananth Nandakishore, Junior, Psychology
“Revamping the Funk Center”
Kieshana Beeler, Senior, Advertising
“Ghetto Genius”
Timothy Klein, Junior, Mathematics
Stacey Rhum, Senior, Communication
Jordyn Kass, Senior, Communication
Margaret Guetzloff, Sophomore, Media & Cinema Studies