DECATUR, Ill. – Millikin University’s annual Judith & G. Richard Locke Poster Symposium took place on Friday, April 26, in the Bob and Debi Johnston Banquet Rooms of the University Commons.
The 31st edition of the event showcased student and student-faculty scholarship and this year’s symposium featured 27 presentations. Participation in the poster symposium was open to all Millikin students, regardless of major or class rank, and students from Behavioral Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Nursing, the Tabor School of Business, and Political Science presented.
“The Poster Symposium event models a professional research conference and was developed to allow our students to share their scholarly activities and practice the communication skills essential for professional success,” said Millikin Associate Director of Alumni Engagement Kelsy Whitney. “To the students, thank you for your work and time today presenting your research. It has been a pleasure to help put together this event and to celebrate your scholarship. To the judges – which this year includes Millikin alumni, faculty, and friends of the University—thank you for lending us your time and talents and providing feedback to students in your respective areas of expertise.”
Students participating were eligible for cash awards provided by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the Judith & G. Richard Locke Poster Awards.
The Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society was established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to the area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education.”
Annually, Phi Kappa Phi awards an individual prize to the poster with the highest score.
Top awards reflect the highest scores in predetermined content areas and are based on the judges’ evaluations.
Here are the 2024 Poster Symposium honorees:
First place and Phi Kappa Phi Poster Award Winner:
Sophie Dorgan, Biology
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Travis Wilcoxen
Title: “Repeatability of Corticosterone Stress Response in Songbirds Within and Among Seasons”
Second place:
Gillian Monroe, Biology
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Travis Wilcoxen
Title: “Effects of Corticosterone on Cuban Tree Frog Tadpole Gonad Development”
Third place:
Christopher Montgomery, Chemistry
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kyle Knust
Title: “Quantitative Analysis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Concentration in Potentially Substandard Amoxicillin Capsules from Kenya, Liberia and Malawi Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography”
Honorable Mention:
Gabby Watson, Political Science
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Laura Dean
Title: “Human Trafficking from Arrest to Plea Deal in Central Illinois”
Crystal Lamont, Nursing
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Catherine Hymel
Title: “Utilization of Point Of Care Ultrasound for Airway Assessment”
Abigail Crocker, Nursing
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Gail Fyke
Title: “Perioperative Management of Patients Who Vape: A Quality Improvement Project”
Chinwe Emenike, Nursing
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Teresa Gulley
Title: “Staff Education on the Effects of Implementing Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean Delivery Protocols”
Nhi Nguyen and Maris Nguyen, Tabor School of Business
Faculty Sponsor: Sam Greenwell
Title: “The Impact of Cloud Computing on Business Operations in the U.S.”
