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In a quest to prepare students for excellent opportunities to thrive in their chosen career , Southern Illinois University Edwardsville avails its undergraduate learners a rigorous, mentored research and creative program to amplify their studies and foster a real-world research application. The result of such efforts is presented annually at the Undergraduate Scholars Showcase meant to spotlight the depth and variety of learning experiences offered through the University’s Senior Assignment and Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA).

This year’s event, held Thursday, April 28, featured more than 112 students, representing 28 programs. Participants displayed their work through live performances and displays, readings, and multimedia and poster presentations.

“I am continuously impressed by our students. They never cease to amaze me,” said Associate Provost Elza Ibroscheva, PhD. “Their accomplishments speak to how valuable and rewarding undergraduate research opportunities are, and why SIUE is committed to offering more of these experiences for students.”

URCA Assistant Jacob Beebe, a junior studying business administration worked with faculty mentor Ariel Belasen, PhD, on a project, entitled “MD vs Non-MD Hospital Leadership Regarding Hospital Bed Capacity During COVID.” The project considered differences in the number of days that hospitals were out of bed capacity when led by CEOs who have a medical degree versus those who do not.

“We found that hospitals that had CEOs with a medical degree were at capacity on average 19 days more than hospitals that were led by non-MDs,” said Beebe, of Mascoutah. “It is plausible that hospitals will turn to more physicians as leaders who will promote greater care, better patient outcomes and lower morbidity rates.”

A team of nursing students comprising Demarco Brownlee, Tina Duong, Caitlyn Heller and Lindsey James studied “Ethnic Hair Care on Pediatric Inpatient Floors.” They sought to address healthcare disparities by providing a diversity of haircare products on pediatric floors, in turn, decreasing incidences of scalp infection in diverse populations and improving patient satisfaction. The researchers discovered that nurses are not adequately educated on how to care for ethnic hair types.

“By providing education for nurses about ethnic hair care and increasing the products available in hospitals, we can help improve patient outcomes and better care for our diverse patient population,” shared Heller, of Table Grove. “This is an important first step toward ensuring a holistic care approach and a safe and supportive environment in hospitals.” 

Realizing the harm in sitting for long periods, especially with work from home demand being amplified by the pandemic, a team of international students from Turkey who are studying industrial engineering prototyped a standing desk riser. Team members Sefa Kocak, Murat Kuvelet, Saadet Kilic, Bugen Kocoglu, Elif Kapelman and Esma Evlicoglu designed the furniture piece to help reduce back and neck pain, boost mood and concentration and lower the risk of obesity.

“We are all engineers. We know that spending too much time at a desk causes pain, increased sedentary times and low productivity,” shared Evlicoglu. “Working in a standing position can help correct those conditions. We created a base frame design that is easy to use with any square or rectangular table in homes or offices. It is shipped in an easily assembled way to move from one place to the other. It is a cost-effective way to use standing desks.”

Seeking to enhance bias literacy among college students, a team of researchers, including Mikayla Blankenship, Samuel Baker and Meg Wyatt, under the mentorship of URCA mentor Carlee Hawkins, PhD, carried out a diversity education study for incoming students, entitled “Improving and Evaluating Brief Online Bias Education for College Students.” They used an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to determine what biases participants are not aware of.

“We found that diversity education increases participants’ bias literacy, bias awareness and behavioral intentions to reduce bias, as well as their sense of belonging,” Blankenship explained. “We found it interesting that taking the IAT alone showed that participants had fewer intentions to reduce bias and had a lesser sense of belonging. We determined it is important that we have combine the IAT with diversity education to maximize outcomes.” 

Also featured during the showcase was Department of Mass Communications alumnus Carlos Dulcamara, of Mascoutah. Dulcamara specializes in video production and presented a short film, entitled “A Portrait of a Cinematographer, Filmmaker and Storyteller.”

Dulcamara appreciated the opportunity to return to campus to show his work. He reflected on his experience at SIUE and noted that the mass communication studio is what originally attracted him to the University. 

“My projects stand out because they are creative,” he shared. “I pay a lot of attention to detail and perfect sound and lighting to make high-quality videos. My experience in the mass communications studio added to my well-rounded abilities.”

Visit siue.edu/provost to learn more and to view an online presentation of the Undergraduate Scholars Showcase.

Photos: Industrial Engineering students presented “Standin’ Desk Riser” as their senior assignment. Team members include Sefa Kocak, Murat Kuvelet, Saadet Kilic, Bugen Kocoglu, Elif Kapelman and Esma Evlicoglu.

School of Nursing senior Demarco Brownlee shares details on his team’s research project, entitled “Ethnic Hair Care on Pediatric Inpatient Floors.”

Students from the Department of Theater and Dance performed during the Undergraduate Scholars Showcase.

Social work student Brianna Dennis presents on her research project, “Evaluating Practicum Site Accessibility.”

SIUE alumnus Carlos Dulcamara returned to campus to present his short film: “A Portrait of a Cinematographer, Filmmaker and Storyteller.”