Month: June 2026

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Awards

2021 Maris Award Winners

The Office of Faculty Engagement is proud to recognize the recipients of the 2021 Maris Awards, celebrating outstanding undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative achievement presented at Stetson University.

The Maris Awards honor students whose work demonstrates excellence in innovation, academic rigor, and effective communication. The 2021 recipients represent a diverse range of disciplines and exemplify the spirit of inquiry and creativity fostered within the Stetson community.

Art and Digital Arts Presentations and Exhibitions
  • Grace Crandall – A Place You Want to Stay
Junior Music Recitals
  • Elené Okruashvili – Piano
Oral Presentations
  • D. Zevi Altus – Estimating Kurdish Population in Turkey: Population Modeling with Regression and Leslie Matrices
  • Anna Baj – Investigating How a Single Point Mutation in FUS1 Alters Yeast Cell Fusion
  • Matis Fogel – Using Molecular Docking to Study Known SINE XPO1 Inhibitors and to Design Novel SINE XPO1 Inhibitors
  • Shmuel Fogel – Ethanol-Based Extracts from Alpinia zerumbet Induce Apoptosis in CLL Cells
  • Alison Martin – Effects of Ibuprofen on Development of Axolotl Embryos
  • Tahira Perry – Impact of Light Availability and the Mutualistic Relationship with Nitrogen-Fixing Bacterium, Rhizobium, on Above-Ground Growth of Chamaecrista fasciculata
  • Jessica Matilszki – Selling Secondhand Concert Tickets: What Is Your Best Bet?
  • Aliya Cruise and Caleb Roberts – (ACT)ion: Combating Social Justice Issues Through Devised Theatre

The Office of Faculty Engagement congratulates all of the 2021 Maris Award recipients on their exceptional accomplishments. Their dedication to research, scholarship, and creative expression continues to strengthen Stetson University’s tradition of academic excellence and innovation.

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Awards Stetson Showcase

2019 Maris Award Winners

The Office of Faculty Engagement proudly recognizes the recipients of the 2019 Maris Awards, celebrating outstanding undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative achievement showcased by Stetson University students.

The Maris Awards honor presentations that demonstrate excellence in originality, academic rigor, and communication across a broad range of disciplines. The 2019 recipients exemplify the innovative spirit and intellectual curiosity that define the Stetson community.

Poster Presentations

  • Tara Breeden – The Effects of tDCS and Meditation on Anxiety and Attention
  • Hallie Kimbrel – Comparison of the Distribution of Southern Rays (Hypanus americanus) and Bluntnose Rays (Hypanus say) in Pinellas County, Florida
  • Katherine Scott – Keep Calm and Pray On: The Exploration of How Religious Involvement Predicts Anxiety Levels
  • Samantha McPherson – Assessing the Metabolic Cost of Pregnancy in Pygmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius)
Art Exhibition
  • Solomon Nehrig – Harmonic Levels
Music Recitals
  • Kat Kirby-Kopczynski – Voice (Soprano)
Oral Presentations
  • Claretta Holsey – Mouth Sound
  • Elijah McCoy – App-tastic: How Can Technology Improve the Stage Management Process?
  • Zoe Weaver – Bu Yi Yang: Why Democracy in Taiwan Is in Two
  • Samantha Harris – The Limitations Behind a Laser Range Finder
  • William Gillett – Analyzing Cryptobiosis in Tardigrades: Hypsibius dujardini and Dactylbiotus dispar
  • Molly Flanagan – The Effect of Informative Contexts on the Recall of the Orthographic Representations of Words
Business
  • Kailee Howe – Mish Mash Bowl
  • Nathaniel Diamond, Nathaniel Smith, Regis Steighner, and Matthew Sweeney – A New Business Approach for the Cancer Action Network of the American Cancer Society

The Office of Faculty Engagement congratulates all of the 2019 Maris Award recipients on their exceptional accomplishments and thanks the faculty mentors, judges, and organizers who support undergraduate research and creative activity at Stetson University.

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Awards Stetson Showcase

2018 Maris Awards

The Office of Faculty Engagement is pleased to recognize the recipients of the 2018 Maris Awards, honoring exceptional undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative achievement presented at Stetson Showcase.

The Maris Awards celebrate students whose presentations exemplify academic excellence, innovation, and effective communication across a diverse range of disciplines. From scientific research and business innovation to the arts and humanities, these projects reflect the creativity and dedication of Stetson students.

Poster Presentations
  • Slavina Ancheva – The Effects of European Union Economic Policy on Bulgaria and Romania
  • Mackenzie Quinn – Investigating the Accessibility to Select Organic Food Sources Based on Food Desert Characteristics within DeLand, Florida
  • Ana Rodriguez – Adaptive Significance of Homing in the Limpet (Siphonaria pectinata) in Central Florida
  • Ashtan Madsen – Academic Self-Efficacy is More Closely Associated with Anxiety than Social Support
Art Exhibition
  • Ariana Santana – Wild Growth
Junior Music Recitals
  • Alexander Rivera-Charles – Clarinet
Oral Presentations
  • Rebekah Anderson – The Son of Man and the Historical Jesus
  • Marissa Hanley – Barlovius: DeLand’s Vacation into the Eldritch
  • Veronica Faison – Standing Up by Kneeling Down: The Delegitimization of Colin Kaepernick’s “Taking the Knee” Protest in Fox News’ Media Coverage
  • Alexander Krest – A Comparative Field Study Regarding the Competitive Growth Rates of Ceratophyllum demersum and Hydrilla verticillata
  • Justin Corriss – Crushing Sweet: The Historical Origins of Sweet Wine Stigmatization
  • James McNichols – Alpinia zerumbet Essential Oil Ethanol Extracts Derived from the Rhizome, Seed, and Seed Covering Reduce Jurkat Leukemia Cell Viability via XIAP1 and PARP Modulation
Business Competitions
Ethics
  • Nate Smith and Sara Klass – The Ethics of Hacking
Stock Pitch
  • Leah Hauserman – Knowles Corp
Family Business
  • William “Billy” Harris, Alycia Perkins, and Ryan Burke – LEE KUM Kee – Motivating the Fifth Generation
Entrepreneurship
  • Zachary Harshbarger – The Stink Box

The Office of Faculty Engagement congratulates all of the 2018 Maris Award recipients on their outstanding accomplishments. Their scholarship, creativity, and dedication embody the spirit of academic excellence and undergraduate research at Stetson University.

Categories
Awards Faculty Accomplishments Faculty Awards Willa Dean Lowery Grant

Willa Dean Lowery Awards 2026

The Office of Faculty Engagement is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences. Established through the generosity of Dr. Willa Dean Lowery ’48, the fund supports innovative research projects that advance scientific discovery while providing meaningful opportunities for student engagement in research.

This year’s recipients represent a diverse range of disciplines across the natural sciences, with projects spanning cancer biology, environmental chemistry, ecology, exercise physiology, and microbiology.

The Office of Faculty Engagement congratulates the 2026 Willa Dean Lowery Award recipients and looks forward to the discoveries and student research opportunities that will emerge from these innovative projects. Their work exemplifies Stetson University’s commitment to advancing scientific knowledge through faculty scholarship and undergraduate research engagement.

Dr. Roslyn Crowder, Associate Professor of Biology

Defining SINE2-Mediated Human Jurkat Leukemia Cell Growth Inhibition

Roslyn Crowder’s project investigates the role of SINE2 in regulating the growth of human Jurkat leukemia cells. By examining the molecular mechanisms involved in cell growth inhibition, this research seeks to improve our understanding of leukemia biology and identify potential pathways that may contribute to future therapeutic approaches.

Dr. Matthew Shannon, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry

Comparative Assessment of Chlorophyll a and Turbidity Across Distinct Florida Aquatic Systems

Matthew Shannon will examine relationships between chlorophyll a concentrations and turbidity in a variety of Florida aquatic environments. This study aims to provide valuable insight into water quality dynamics and ecosystem health, contributing to a better understanding of environmental conditions across diverse aquatic systems.

Dr. Candid0 Diaz, Assistant Professor of Biology

Prevalence and Diversity of Moth Pheromone Mimicry by Orb-Weaving Spiders

Candid0 Diaz and collaborator Ricky Coulson will investigate the extent to which orb-weaving spiders mimic moth pheromones to attract prey. By exploring the prevalence and diversity of this remarkable ecological strategy, the project will contribute to our understanding of predator-prey interactions and chemical communication in nature.

Dr. Drake Eserhaut, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences

Monitoring Yearlong Changes in Blood Lactate Thresholds and Skeletal Muscle Oxygen Saturation Kinetics in NCAA Division I Male and Female Rowers

Working alongside Matthew Schrager, Erica Goldstein, and Brian Benitez, Dr. Drake Eserhaut will investigate yearlong changes in blood lactate thresholds and skeletal muscle oxygen saturation kinetics among NCAA Division I male and female rowers. The project seeks to improve understanding of physiological adaptations to training and competition, providing valuable insight into factors that influence athletic performance and endurance development.

Dr. Jean Smith, Associate Professor of Biology

Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization of an Understudied Bacterial Species in the Oral Microbiome

Jean Smith’s research focuses on the genomic and phenotypic characteristics of a bacterial species that remains poorly understood within the oral microbiome. The project seeks to expand knowledge of microbial diversity and function, providing insights that may contribute to future studies of oral health and disease.