Two recent Honors College graduates who worked with faculty mentors on research that could help doctors and forensic scientists are the grand prize winners of the 2014 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum.
Working with Associate Professor Todd Fenton, Mari Isa studied the mechanics of cranial fractures in infants, providing critical knowledge to the forensic community who assess these types of traumas.
Isa graduated with degrees in human biology from the College of Natural Science and anthropology from the College of Social Science earlier this month. She’s originally from Ann Arbor.
Joshua Drost worked with Assistant Professor Tamara Reid Bush to study the maximum force an index finger can exert over a range of motion. The research model could assist doctors as they determine the extent of reduced hand function in a person suffering from arthritis.
Drost graduated with a degree in materials science from the College of Engineering. He’s originally from Marne.
“Conducting research alongside talented faculty truly benefits the student, the faculty, the field of study and the university as a whole,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the MSU Honors College. “The University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum is a display of the best undergraduate student research talent at MSU and Mari and Joshua are to be congratulated on receiving the grand prize designation.”
Grand prize winners receive $500.
Nearly 660 students participated in this year’s forum – a record-setting number for MSU.
“It’s exciting to see the number of undergraduate students participating in UURAF, as well as the quality of the research being completed, increase each year,” said Doug Estry, associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of undergraduate studies. “Engaging in faculty research is an important part of the MSU undergraduate experience and something that will benefit our students for the rest of their lives. Congratulations to Mari and Joshua.”