2/26/24

By FHSU University Communications

The 2024 Kansas Undergraduate Research Day (KURD) at the capitol features six students from FHSU.

Students, faculty, Kansas Board of Regents members, state lawmakers, and members of the public are invited to visit the Capitol Rotunda on March 1, 2024, to view the students’ presentations.

"Students choose FHSU so they can receive personalized attention rather than being lost in the crowd,” said Dr. P. Grady Dixon, Dean of the Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics. “Our undergraduate research opportunities regularly include freshmen and sophomores representing dozens of different programs, rather than being limited to a few programs or just to seniors. We consistently see that students who participate in undergraduate research tend to have better outcomes at our university.”

Student presenters from Fort Hays State University are: 

• Morgan Barba, Senior from Henderson, Colo., will present “Experiential Learning Enhanced in Agricultural Classrooms using 360-degree Video Technology .” Morgan’s faculty mentor is Dr. Matthew Clay.
• Elijah Beauchamp, Sophomore from Kansas City, Kan., will present “A Rule-Based Model to Predict Maternal Mortality Risk.” Elijah’s faculty mentor is Dr. Anas Hourani.
• Keying (Kelly) Chen, Senior from Wichita, and Claire Shippy, Senior from Hays, will present “CRISPR Analysis of HIRA in plants.” Kelly and Claire’s faculty mentor is Dr. Tara Phelps-Durr.
• Emma Cohn, KAMS / Sophomore from Topeka, will present “Northwestern Kansas Well Water Mineralization.” Emma’s faculty mentor is Dr. Todd Moore.
• Brenna Schwien, Junior from Hays, will present “Access to Sexual Assault Care/Exams on Kansas College Campuses – Research-to-action Project.” Brenna’s faculty mentor is Dr. Ziwei Qi.