Due to the Coronavirus Chaos, our highly anticipated Research Festival has been moved to an online format. Here, you will find links to video introductions to our students and their projects, abstracts of their work, and their posters or oral presentations. In many instances, their research was short-circuited by the rapid shutdown of facilities and opportunities. However, we are proud of the work they report on as their best efforts under austere circumstances.

It has become clear to us that the format and approach to a Research Festival we adopted is going to be followed in our future events. Greatest outcome of the COVID Chaos may be we stumbled across a great strategy for hosting research festivals!

Physics Departmental Presentations

Physics students present proposals for their senior projects during their junior years and presentations of completed projects as seniors. These will be held on Microsoft Teams. More information about their projects is presented in the materials below.

  • Thursday April 30th: 11:30. Joseph Watson: “Compound Bow Efficiency“. Watch on MS Teams.
  • Thursday April 30th: 12:00. Jerett Bell: “Exploration of Diver Propulsion Vehicles”. Watch on MS Teams.
  • Thursday April 30th: 12:30. Desmond Turner: “Use of Neodymium Magnets in Football Helmets to Help Reduce Chances of a Concussion”. Watch on MS Teams.
  • Friday May 1st: 9:00. Jonathan Samudio: “Low Cost Gamma-Ray Spectrometry”. Watch on MS Teams.
  • Friday May 1st: 10:30. Aaron Herring: “Testing Roofing Material for use as Passive Dew Water Collection”. Watch on MS Teams.
  • Tuesday May 5th: 12:00. Jacob Williams: “Electromagnetic Suspended Bike“. Watch on MS Teams.
  • Thursday May 7th. 7:00 pm. Casey Grove: “Sound Dampening“. Watch on MS Teams.

Saturday Live Events May 2, 2020 9:00-12:00

Poster Question & Answer Sessions

These will be held on Microsoft Teams with each Poster Presenter responding to questions for a five minute period,. The first poster presenter will start us off at 9:00 am. Project information is provided in the links for each presenter, and in the resources found below.

Submit your questions using the Chat feature and the Moderator will ask your questions. Poster Presenters: Please be on Microsoft Teams “Virtual Research Festival” and available 10 minutes before your scheduled time.

  1. Hunter Lynn Brant Scouts 
  2. Kimber Boyles Brant Scouts 
  3. Christopher Lewis Crab Boyle 
  4. Christopher Causer Crab Boyle 
  5. Ryan Rollins Oncogeniuses 
  6. Daniel Nunez Oncogeniuses  
  7. Kamwren Jackson Crab Boyle / Oncogeniuses 
  8. Dylan Roudebush Oncogeniuses 
  9. Abigail Swaim Crab Boyle 
  10. Kaitlynn Cozma Oncogeniuses 
  11. Tyler LaPolla Biology Capstone 
  12. Dontae Chambers Biology Capstone
  13. Julie Nelson Biology Capstone
  14. Joseph Watson Physics Research 

Oral Presentations

Twelve-minute Oral Presentations will be delivered using Microsoft Teams, followed by a three-minute Question & Answer session. Oral Presentations are estimated to begin at 10:45 am. Project information is provided in the resources found below.

Submit your questions using the Chat feature and the Moderator will ask your questions. Oral Presenters: Please be on Microsoft Teams “Virtual Research Festival” and available at least 10 minutes before your scheduled time.

  1. Jerett Bell Physics Senior Research 
  2. Desmond Turner Physics Senior Research 
  3. Aaron Herring Physics Senior Research 
  4. A’lexus Scott Brant Scouts 
  5. Rebecca Harris Brant Scouts 
  6. Jacob Hubbard Oncogeniuses 

An evaluation rubric useful for scoring each presenter is found here.

Presentation Resources

Team Brant Scouts – Dr. Joel Brant, McMurry Biology

Kimberly Boyles: Biodiversity of Herptile Fauna at Firebase Libby

Rebecca Harris: Bat Diversity and the Impact of Wind Turbines on the Bat Communities in the Big Country

Hunter Lynn: Animal Diversity of Medium to Large Mammals in Callahan County Using Camera Traps Across Time

A’lexus Scott: Density Estimate of Small Rodents at Firebase Libby in Callahan County

Team Crab Boyle – Dr. T.J. Boyle, McMurry Biology

Christopher Causer: A Proposal to Use Bioluminescence to Light Pathways 

Kamwren Jackson: Determining Expression of NA/K ATPase From Rhithropanopeus harrisii 

Christopher Lewis: Analyzing Food Preference of Rhithropanopeus harrisii and Damselfly Larvae Using a T-Test

Abigail Swaim: Predation of Rhithropanopeus harrisii in Lake Granbury

Team O’Connell Oncogeniuses – Dr. Malaney O’Connell, McMurry Biology

Kaitlyn Cozma: The Isolation of RNA from 231-MDA-MB for Further Analysis 

Jacob Hubbard: Collagen X, Breast Cancer, and Experimental Optimization

Daniel Nunez: 2D vs. 3D: A Comparison of Gene Expression Changes of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Genes in Breast Cancer Cell Line

Ryan Rollins: Defining Collagen’s Role in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Dylan Roudebush: Polymerase Chain Reaction for Evaluating Specific Genes in a cDNA Sample

Team Terry’s AI Experts – Prof. Brandi Terry, Cisco Agricultural Sciences

Jessica Akers: The Effects of Handling and Thawing Bovine Semen on Viability Post-thaw

Carson Parker: The Effects of Handling and Thawing Bovine Semen on Viability Post-thaw

Kelly Rosario-Fuentes: Effects of Viability and Motility On Cold Shocked Bovine Spermatozoa Held at Different Temperatures

Madison Scott: Effects of Viability and Motility On Cold Shocked Bovine Spermatozoa Held at Different Temperatures

Brodee Shelnutt: Effects of Viability and Motility On Cold Shocked Bovine Spermatozoa Held at Different Temperatures

Team Cisco Sustainability- Dr. Nirmala Chandrasekharan, Cisco Chemistry

Jocalyn Meyer: Maximizing Biofuel Quality and Yield Using DOE

Other STEM Research Projects Outside of Research Teams

Michael Dontae Chambers: Isolation and Viability of Potential Anti-Cancer Compound “Sakura”

Tyler LaPolla: Isolation of Gordon Group 1B Bacillus spp. with an Ammonium-Based Agar

Joseph Watson: Compound Bow Efficiency

Jonathan Samudio: Low Cost Gamma-Ray Spectrometry

Desmond Turner: Use of Neodymium Magnets in Football Helmets to Help Reduce Chances of a Concussion

Jerett Bell: Exploration of Diver Propulsion Vehicles

Aaron Herring: Testing Roofing Material for Use as Passive Dew Water Collection

Jacob Williams: Electromagnetic Suspended Bike

Casey Grove: Sound Dampening