2019 College of Arts and Sciences Spring Research Symposium awards announced

Symposium keynote speakers Anda Panaitiu and Ioana Panaitiu with President James Herbert, Jeanne Hey and Amy Keirstead
Symposium keynote speakers Anda Panaitiu and Ioana Panaitiu with President James Herbert, Jeanne Hey and Amy Keirstead

More than 200 UNE undergraduate students took part in the 20th annual College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Spring Research Symposium.

The symposium, held on May 3, 2019, was composed of 70 posters, 45 oral presentations and three art displays, and included representation from all 13 CAS departments. Student presenters ranged from first year students to seniors, and over 50 faculty mentors oversaw the work.

Faculty and staff selected ten projects to be recognized as outstanding work. A certificate and a $50 award were presented for each of the ten honored projects.

Abigail Hayne (Marine Science, ’19) was recognized for her project, “A Reassessment of Age and Growth of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Kaitlin Thibeau (Art and Design Media, ’19) was recognized for her outstanding artwork presentation titled “Things of the Past.”

The following students were selected for their outstanding oral presentations:

Brendan Sharp (Political Science, ’19) “Is Donald Trump a Fascist?” 

Mira D’Amato (English, ’19) and Drew York (Biological Sciences and English, ’19) “Altered Alice and Medicalized Magic: Cultural Representations of Children’s Literature.”

The following students were selected for their outstanding poster presentations:

Hannah Ciarametaro (Marine Science, ’20) “Development of an eDNA assay to detect the invasive tunicate Ascidiella aspersa”

Makaela Rice (Neuroscience, ’19) “The influence of neonatal pain on maternal behavior”

James Welch (Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, ’19), Christina Torlone (Medical Biology, ’20), Alina Mauthe (Animal Behavior, ’19) and Brooke Shea (Animal Behavior, ’19) “Animal foraging and disgust: Effects of pathogen cues and pathogen risk on scavenging behavior”

Mackenzie Deveau (Psychology, ’19), Kana Colarossi (Psychology,’20) and Ashley Karpowicz (Psychology, ’22) “Sexism and Female Consumer Behavior”

Nicole Martin (Psychology, ’21), Ellie Leighton (Psychology, ’19) and Aubrey Sahouria (Neuroscience, ’22) “Can font change how you read? Exploring font types’ effect on comprehension and reading speed”

Conor Wiley (Marine Science, ’21) “Polar Bears and Climate Change: Comparing the Inuit and Scientific Perspectives.”

The symposium included a keynote address from two distinguished alumni, Anda Panaitiu, Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Neuroscience ’11) and Ioana Panaitiu (Political Science, ’15), who spoke of the value of a liberal arts education and how their UNE experience has shaped their educational and career paths.

Makaela Rice and her poster “The influence of neonatal pain on maternal behavior”
Makaela Rice and her poster “The influence of neonatal pain on maternal behavior”

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.