Over 190 students from the College of Social Science participated in Michigan State’s 28th annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) on April 17, showcasing an array of research projects in the form of posters and presentations. A total of 21 presentations from the College of Social Science received accolades at this year’s symposium.
Students presented outstanding work from research projects and studies they have been working on throughout the academic year. They were supported in their research and mentored by an array of MSU-affiliated faculty, staff, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and student research assistants. Several students presented more than one research project across multiple disciplines.
Held each spring inside the Breslin Center, UURAF brings together a university-wide community of undergraduate students to share their work with faculty, staff, peers, and external audiences. Participants gain experience in presenting their research, answer questions about their work from audience members and guests, and receive constructive feedback from judges. Projects are presented via a poster, oral presentation or visual art display.
Overall, 28 social science students took home awards from the event and were honored at the UURAF Awards Ceremony on April 24. These first-place award recipients are eligible to submit their work for consideration for the UURAF Grand Prize, whose winners will be announced in mid-June.
The Department of Psychology led the charge with eight students awarded for their research and presentations. Tien Nguyen and Farra Li, mentored by Assistant Professor of Organizational Psychology Kevin Hoff, won for their project titled, “Which Jobs Are Really Helping Society? (It Depends Who You Ask).”
From the School of Criminal Justice, Lily Tinnion and Grace Lakinske were recognized for their research on the challenges outreach workers face when working within a focused deterrence program.
A pair of students also took home first-place prizes for projects in the sociology category. Tori Bush won for her project titled, “Leading With Joy: Joy In MSU Leadership.” Economics major Sumaiya Imad received recognition for her research, “The ‘Freedom’ Paradox: Why Survivors Remain Vulnerable Despite Strong Anti-Trafficking Laws in Bangladesh. Imad, a Social Science Scholar and Honors College student, also presented a Digital Humanities poster about the use of an AI chatbot to address housing insecurity that she and other students, including fellow Scholar Roberto Marcos Garcia, have been developing.
Two anthropology students won for archaeology-related research. Alicia Spittler, mentored by Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of MSU’s Bioarchaeology Laboratory, took home a first-place award for her project on biological profile estimations of skeletal remains. Krystin Nelligan’s project, “Phytoliths From The Dental Calculus Of Teeth Found In The Caves Branch Rockshelter, Belize” also earned recognition. The full list of College of Social Science UURAF winners can be found below.
For the full list of 2026 UURAF winners, click here. To view students’ individual poster presentations, click here.
College of Social Science 2026 UURAF Award Winners
Agriculture and Animal Science, Ariel Ooms: Remote Sensing Approaches For Pre-Harvest Detection Of Root Disease In Sugar Beets
Anthropology and Archaeology, Alicia Spittler: Biological Profile Estimations From Skeletal Remains
Anthropology and Archaeology, Krystin Nelligan: Phytoliths From The Dental Calculus Of Teeth Found In The Caves Branch Rockshelter, Belize
Cell Biology, Genetics and Genomics, Cole Novak: Genomic Architecture Of Resilience: Evaluating Gene Content Variation In Drought-Responsive Loci Of Camelina Sativa
Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, Grace Lakinske & Lily Tinnion: Outreach Workers' Challenges Working Within A Focused Deterrence Program
Digital Humanities, Emily Porco, Roberto Marcos Garcia, Sumaiya Imad & Rithi Aree: Using An Ai Chatbot To Address Housing Insecurity
Epidemiology and Public Health, Gabrielle Chamberlin, Izabela Weglarz & Kathryn Norris-Icho: Dead Before Trial: Patterns And Causes Of Mortality In U.S. Jails, 2015-2019
Global and Area Studies, Brooke Winters: The Forgotten War Crime: Violence Against Women During Times Of Armed Conflict
History, Political Science, and Economics, Tyler Webb: Predicting Mlb Arbitration Salaries Through Multiple Regression
Kinesiology, Megan Riley: A Social-Norm Approach To Reducing Antisocial Parent Behaviors At High School Sport Events.
Linguistics, Languages, and Speech, Emilee Allwardt: Rhythm Perception In Children With Developmental Stuttering
History, Political Science, and Economics, Lowell Monis: Policy Impact Of Demographic Diversity In United States Legislatures
Psychology, Aesha Zakaria: Prenatal Healthcare Experiences For Women In Iraq
Psychology, Lauriel Ellis & Nicole Bommarito: A Text Analysis Of National Anthems In Over 190 Countries
Psychology, Peyton McLaughlin: To What Extent Does Your Social Group (Or "Close Others") Agree Or Disagree With Your Political Views?
Psychology, Farra Lie & Tien Nguyen: Which Jobs Are Really Helping Society? (It Depends Who You Ask)
Psychology, Isabella Padula: A Methodological Comparison Of Motion-Based Pupil Dilation Paradigms
Psychology, Ronan Scott: Comparative Effects Of Bmi And Body Fat Percentage On Disordered Eating Symptoms In Adolescent Boys And Girls
Social Science, Arts, Humanities (multiple disciplines), Jacob Doss: Native And Educated: Understanding The Complexities Of Indigenous College Students & Their Identities
Sociology, Sumaiya Imad: The "Freedom" Paradox: Why Survivors Remain Vulnerable Despite Strong Anti-Trafficking Laws In Bangladesh
Sociology, Tori Bush: Leading With Joy: Joy In MSU Leadership
Agriculture and Animal Science, Ariel Ooms: Remote Sensing Approaches For Pre-Harvest Detection Of Root Disease In Sugar Beets