Winners were selected in five different categories of the 2017 Undergraduate Research Poster Competition.
Showcasing research discoveries from students
From entertainment robots to traditional medicinal plants in Ghana with anti-cancer properties to determining the age and sex of ancient potters, this year’s Undergraduate Research Poster Competition examined a diverse group of topics.
More than 100 U of M undergraduate students had the opportunity to practice their presentation skills at the annual competition, in its thirteenth year. The format provides a unique opportunity for students to present their research, in one that focuses on the discoveries these students are making.
Judges assess each project based on official judging criteria determining winners for cash prizes in five different categories: social sciences/humanities; health sciences, natural sciences; creative works and applied sciences.
The 2017 Undergraduate Research Poster Competition winners were named in the following categories:
Applied Sciences
1st – Kyle Morris (Computer Science)
Project: Robot Magic: A Robust Interactive Entertainment Robot
Research Supervisor: Dr. John Anderson
2nd – Wolfgang Klassen (Physics)
Project: Development of a Proton Detector and Detector Testing System
Research Supervisor: Dr. Russell Mammei and Dr. Michael Gericke
3rd – Kristen Hill (Agriculture and Food Science)
Project: Effect of Growing Location on Protein Quality and Amino Acid Composition of Pulses, Soybeans, and Cereals
Research Supervisor: Dr. James House
Creative Works
2nd – Yelani Peiris (English)
Project : The Medium is the Message
Research Supervisor: Dr. Alison Calder
Health Sciences
1st – Michaela Palmer (Microbiology/Biological Sciences)
Project: Evaluating RBX1 as a Chromosome Instability Gene in Colorectal and Ovarian Cancers
Research Supervisor: Dr. Krik McManus and Dr. Mark Nachtigal
2nd – Meriam Salih (Biochemistry and Genetics)
Project: Traditional Medicinal Plants from Ghana show Anti-Cancer Properties
Research Supervisor: Dr. Mark Nachtigall and Dr. Gilbert Arthur
3rd – Gabrielle Fontaine (Physics)
Project: Lung Tumour Motion Tracking With Linear Accelerator Gantry Rotation
Research Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Pistorius
Natural Sciences
1st – Hera Casidsid (Psychology)
Project: Friend or Foe: Do pinyon jays adjust their behavior according to social context?
Research Supervisor: Dr. Debbie Kelly
2nd – Laura Barber (Biological Sciences)
Project: Biosynthesis of kavalactone backbones by polyketide synthase activity in Piper methysticum (G. Forst, family Piperaceae)
Research Supervisor: Dr. Jake Stout
3rd – Austin MacMaster (Physics and Astronomy)
Project: Strange Asymmetries in the Relativistic City
Research Supervisor: Dr. Samar Safi-Harb
Social Sciences and Humanities
1st – Leanna Fehr (Environment, Earth, & Resources)
Project: Mapping and Evaluating Grasslands on the Manitoba Escarpment
Research Supervisor: Dr. Jill Oakes
2nd – Austin McWhirter (Economics)
Project: Optimal Public Policy for Government-Operated Gambling
Research Supervisor: Dr. Irwin Lipnowski
3rd – Tyler Kempe (Psychology)
Project: Cognitive Boosters Facilitate the Efficacy of a Motivation-Enhancing Treatment in a Two Semester Online College Course
Research Supervisor: Dr. Raymond Perry
Research at the University of Manitoba is partially supported by funding from the Government of Canada Research Support Fund.