Winners named in seventh annual Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College STEPS program

TIFTON — Amy Hernandez, a History and Government major from Fitzgerald; Jacob Owens, a Natural Resource Management major from Dallas; and Alec Crews, a Writing and Communication major from Moultrie, have been selected as the overall winners among students participating in the 2024 Student Engagement Programs (STEPS) Symposium, representing undergraduate research at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Jason Scott, chair of the ABAC Undergraduate Research Committee, said this year’s symposium, in its seventh year, included a record number of submissions. The symposium included 10 social science oral presentations; a literary showcase featuring three poetry submissions, one fictional short story and one non-fictional short story; six STEM oral presentations, and 34 poster presentations, all detailing original research done by ABAC students across a variety of programs and majors.

“On behalf of the Undergraduate Research Committee for ABAC, I want to thank all the many students who participated in this year’s event,” Scott said. “It takes gumption and intellect to complete and present an undergraduate research project. I would also like to thank all the judges for volunteering your time and expertise to fill the critical role of evaluating these many great projects.”

Hernandez took first place in the poster presentation session with “Assessing the Impact of Global Influences in Human Rights Compliance.” She also placed first overall in the social sciences and humanities division. Her faculty mentor was Ryan Voris, assistant professor of political science within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences.

Owens won first in the STEM oral presentation division with “Effects of Non-Forested Habitat on Southeastern American Kestrel: A Multi-Scale Habitat Selection Study.” Scott, an associate professor of wildlife ecology and management in ABAC’s School of Agricultural and Natural Resources, was his faculty mentor.

Crews won the literary showcase with his short story titled “Beige.” He was mentored by Sandra Giles, professor of English and communication within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences.

Daniela Mar, a History and Government major from Atlanta, placed second in the social sciences and humanities division with her poster “Beyond the Paper Trail: Tracing the Complex Path to Federal Recognition through the Journey of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.” She was mentored by John Cable, an assistant professor of history within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences. Lauren Stephens, an Agricultural Education major from Gainesville, placed third with her poster “ABAC Education Students’ and Professors’ Perceptions of the Importance of Teaching Elementary Ag.” She was mentored by Alex Byrd, an assistant professor of agricultural education and communication within ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

In the STEM poster category, Jesse Jerls, an Agribusiness major from Acworth, placed first with his poster “Design, Construction, and Validation of an Open-Source In-Field NDVI Sensor.” He was mentored by Alex McLemore, an assistant professor of agricultural engineering within ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Lydia Norman, an Agricultural Education major from Washington, placed second with her poster “Investigating BetterGro Blackeye as a Potential Cover Crop.” She was mentored by Michael Maw, an associate professor of agronomy within ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Barbara McFadden, a Biology major from Augusta, placed third with her poster “Microbial Model to Evaluate the Effects of Nicotinamide Riboside on Boosting Cell Growth to Generate NAD+/NADH.” McFadden was mentored by Kingsley Dunkley, a professor of science and mathematics within ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences.

The oral presentations were divided into the STEM category and the Arts, Humanities, Business, and Social Sciences category.

Special Photo: ABAC