Statewide Student Research Competition – 2023

Notably, two of our students, Christopher Robinson, and Sam Lloyd-Harry, earned second place in their respective sessions. Christopher, a Social Work master's student working with faculty mentor Dr. Judy Vang presented on Child Welfare Social Worker Retention: The Relationship of Secondary Trauma and Pandemic Stressors. Sam, an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering, working with faculty mentor Dr. Ozgul Yasar, presented the Effect of Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of PEGDA-Hydrogels at Various Concentrations. More information about the statewide competition and the complete list (Google Doc) of all finalists can be found on their website.

Rounding out the rest of the amazing students who represented Chico State were Ashley Brown (Natural Sciences, undergrad, faculty mentor Dr. Kristen Gorman), Stephanie Duarte-Amezcua (Biology, undergrad, faculty mentor Dr. Kristen Gorman), Raquel Krach (IDST Regenerative Agriculture, graduate student, faculty mentor Dr. Cynthia Daley), Jennifer Miller-James (Social Work, graduate student, faculty mentor Dr. Sue Steiner), Daniel Papasergia (Psychological Science, graduate student, faculty mentor Dr. Shawn Bates), Dylan Sanders (MBA Project Management, graduate student faculty mentor Dr. Nathan Anderson), Molly Tuttle (Biology, graduate student, faculty mentor Dr. Troy Cline), and Matthew Wagoner (Geology, undergrad, faculty mentor Dr. Hannah Aird).

Chico State held its 37^th Annual Chico State Student Research Competition on March 2, 2023, with nearly 60 students participating. The competition, hosted by the Office of Graduate Studies and sponsored by the Adelante Student Club, celebrated and recognized outstanding research and creative activities by undergraduate and graduate students. It provided a platform for students from all departments to present their work and compete for monetary awards in the 3-Minute Mini or 10-Minute Competitions. The finalists who presented in the 10-Minute Competition would go on to represent Chico State as delegates at the CSU Statewide Student Research Competition in San Diego.

All who attended the local event were impressed with the high caliber and meticulousness of the students' work, making selecting the winners and runners-up a challenging task for the panel of judges in each of the six sessions of presentations. Students who participated in the 3-Minute Mini Competition were expected to deliver a brief and concise presentation similar to an elevator pitch, highlighting the key points of their research. In contrast, contestants in the 10-Minute Competition had to provide a succinct summary of their research and present it before a panel of judges. The criterion for evaluating the presentations included the clarity of each student’s objectives, the suitability of their research methods, the accuracy of their result interpretation, the effectiveness of their research articulation, and for the 10-Minute Competition, the ability to also answer questions from the jury and audience.

Congratulations to the exceptional students who placed as finalists and runners-up in the 3-Minute Mini and 10-Minute Competitions. We also want to acknowledge and appreciate all the students who participated and the dedicated faculty mentors who provided guidance and support. This unique competition would not have been possible without the invaluable contribution of our judges, made up of faculty members and community experts, who generously volunteered their time to evaluate the students' work. We are grateful for their instrumental contribution to making this event a resounding success. A complete list of this year’s student presenters, presentation titles, and faculty mentors is available on the Office of Graduate Studies Student Research Competition website.

We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to the committee responsible for organizing and hosting the CSU Statewide Student Research Competition at San Diego State University. The committee went above and beyond to ensure that all participants were welcomed and that the event ran seamlessly. Their hard work and dedication were exceptional, and we are grateful for their efforts in making this competition successful.

The Office of Graduate Studies encourages undergraduate and graduate students to consider participating in the 38^th Annual Student Research Competition in the spring of 2024. If you want to learn more about this opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Graduate Studies at 530-898-6880 or via email at graduatestudies@csuchico.edu. You can also visit our website for additional information about the competition. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing the innovative research you will bring to this competition.