Nearly 200 NC State graduate students presented their research projects during the 19th annual Graduate Student Research Symposium held at the McKimmon Center on April 8. Co-sponsored by the Graduate School and Graduate Student Association, the research symposium is the signature event of Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week and recognizes the importance of graduate education and research to the university’s mission.

This year, 27 graduate students were selected as top performers based on the quality of their research, the effectiveness of their poster presentations, their oral communication skills, and the creativity and aesthetic appeal of their posters. All winners receive a plaque and a cash prize. First place winners receive $500; second place, $350; and third place, $250.

The winners are listed below by discipline and department.

Agricultural Sciences
First place: Sofia Jauregui, Crop Science
Second place: Seung Hyun Yoo, Food Science
Third place: Thaciane Amaral, Prestage Department of Poultry Science

Design
First place: Rosa McDonald, Design
Second place: Chengchen Zhang, Graphic & Experience Design
Third place: Christopher Mismash, Design

Engineering
First place: Kayla Hahn, Nuclear Engineering
Second place: Cormak Weeks, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Third place: Vasuki Garg, Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Environmental Sciences
First place: Alden Sears, Plant and Microbial Biology
Second place: Christopher Oates, Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Third place: Sierra McMurry, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology

Humanities
First place: Syd Fryer, Parks, World Languages and Cultures
Second place: Raquel Olvera Diaz, World Languages and Cultures
Third place: Jordan Matheney, Technical Communication

Life Sciences
First place: Emma Atwood, Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Second place: Jade Lyons, Genetics and Genomics
Third place: Jade Fluharty, Molecular and Structural Biochemistry

Mathematical and Physical Sciences
First place: Irene Silvernail, Physics
Second place: Matthew Gleason, Operations Research
Third place: Azka Arshad, Chemistry

Social Sciences
First place: Swathi Vepachedu, Psychology
Second place: Alexa Clymer, Communication
Third place: Sloan Wilson, Sociology

Textiles
First place: Md Abul Shahid, Fiber and Polymer Science
Second place: Mohammed Kayes Patoary, Fiber and Polymer Science
Third place: Xiaorui Guo, Fiber and Polymer Science