Three Wichita State students’ projects are being highlighted as a part of the Kansas Undergraduate Research Day event March 1-3.

“The student research selected this year offers new understanding of communities in Kansas and beyond,” Kimberly Engber, dean of the Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College, said. “These students challenge the boundaries of their majors and push us to think about language, behavioral health, and social determinants. Each year we’re grateful for the opportunity to showcase the high quality of undergraduate work at Wichita State and across Kansas to state legislators and other guests visiting Undergraduate Research Day.”

The Cohen Honors College coordinates WSU’s participation in the events every year. Any student may apply to participate, and the selection of students this year was made by a faculty committee.

Students, faculty, Kansas Board of Regents members, state lawmakers, and members of the public are invited to register to watch the live video of the event . During the live video, attendants will be able to view the video presentations, comment and post questions for the approximately 30 student presenters from across the state.

"Undergraduate Research Days showcase research in Kansas, providing a forum for undergraduates from across Kansas to present their projects to our state legislators and other guests visiting the website,” Dawn Tallchief, assistant director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and the coordinator of this year’s event, said. “This event is exciting. Last year’s event was held online for the first time and based on its attendance, I anticipate we'll have many people from Kansas and beyond who will take part and engage with the presenters.” 

Student presenters from Wichita State include the following:

• Kaitlyn Hemberger, senior in applied linguistics, is presenting “An exploration of French loanwords in Congolese dialects of Kiswahili.” Kaitlyn’s faculty mentor is Dr. Mythili Menon, assistant professor of English and director of linguistics.
• Rory Mata, freshman in aerospace engineering, is presenting “Generation and distribution of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 in Hispanic communities.” Rory’s faculty mentor is Dr. Mythili Menon, assistant professor of English and director of linguistics.
• Ngoc Vuong, senior in psychology, public health and economics, is presenting “Assessing stakeholder attitudes in Kansas toward behavioral health reform and social determinants of health policies.” Ngoc’s faculty mentor is Nikki Keene Woods, associate professor of Public Health Sciences.

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Wichita State University serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling more than 16,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.