{"id":77503,"date":"2026-03-31T10:58:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T17:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=77503"},"modified":"2026-04-15T13:35:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T20:35:01","slug":"2026-undergraduate-symposium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/2026-undergraduate-symposium\/","title":{"rendered":"From robots to frog spots: Catch a sneak peek at this year\u2019s Undergraduate Symposium projects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Undergraduate students dedicate thousands of hours in their higher education careers to drafting, revising and perfecting their research. Now, it\u2019s time to show it off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hundreds of students in fields ranging from astronomy to business to health sciences to forestry will highlight their academic feats at this year\u2019s Undergraduate Symposium on April 24. Thousands of visitors will have the opportunity to hear from these students and glimpse a degree\u2019s worth of discovery on every poster board.<\/span><\/p>\n

Presentations will start at 8:30 a.m. in the\u00a0High Country\u00a0Conference Center. Learn more about the\u00a0<\/span>symposium\u2019s\u00a0schedule online<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and hear from a few of the students preparing to take center stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Design and Validation of an Adjustable Stiffness Mechanism for an Ankle Exoskeleton
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/b>Researcher: Riley Shepard<\/span><\/b>
\nMajor: Mechanical engineering<\/span>
\nAdviser: Zach Lerner<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

NAU\u2019s Biomechatronics Lab specializes in designing wearable robotic exoskeletons to restore autonomy for those with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disabilities. The technology has the potential to change millions of lives, but it tends to stay in the laboratory for a variety of reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

One major barrier to accessibility\u00a0that\u00a0Shepard\u2019s research aims to address\u00a0concerns\u00a0the tech\u2019s short run time. Wearable exoskeletons have a limited battery life, and the potential\u00a0showcased\u00a0in clinical successes is often undercut by the idea of individuals having to stop and swap out the\u00a0device\u2019s\u00a0batteries mid-travel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"NAU<\/a>A year and a half of designing, 3D printing, prototyping, manufacturing and programming from Shepard produced an ankle exoskeleton with an adjustable stiffness element, designed to offload the device\u2019s motor and reduce its overall power consumption. The product, in theory, will allow its user to walk for longer periods of time without having to pause for a recharge, which is a powerful step toward making wearable robotics more feasible for everyday use.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe point of the adjustable stiffness mechanism is so we can test to see what the optimal stiffness is for current reduction, which is directly related to increasing run times, but based on other papers in the field, there is also potential for a metabolic reduction, so it may be less taxing to walk with,\u201d Shepard said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shepard received a\u00a0Hooper Undergraduate Research Award (HURA), which funds exemplary undergraduate experimentation, academic\u00a0exploration\u00a0and creative ventures,\u00a0to work on\u00a0the adjustable stiffness mechanism.\u00a0He and his coworkers have since used the device in pilot tests with the hopes of processing the data for eventual publication.<\/span><\/p>\n

The lab has also used Shepard\u2019s mechanism in a few of its other in-progress devices, a fact of which he is particularly proud.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI might not see where the work I’m doing is making an impact\u00a0in\u00a0the bigger scheme, but knowing that we can run studies, have participants come in, hear what they have to say about the different devices we build\u2014it’s\u00a0very validating,\u201d Shepard said. \u201cWe’re doing hard work, and the goal is to make a difference.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shepard is in NAU\u2019s accelerated master\u2019s program, so he plans to follow the final year of his undergraduate studies with his thesis project. After that, he hopes to work in an industry robotics position where he can pursue more exploratory projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dating Interests Among Asian American Women: A Qualitative Study of Women\u2019s Interests in Inter-racial Romantic Partners
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/b>Researcher: Jane Pham<\/span><\/b>
\nMajors: Philosophy and psychology<\/span>
\nAdviser: Andrew Walters<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Can love\u00a0be\u00a0boiled down to an exact science? What social,\u00a0personal\u00a0and cultural factors make someone more likely to choose one partner over another?<\/span><\/p>\n

These are the questions Pham aims to answer in her project exploring the dating interests of Asian American women. She is\u00a0interrogating the idea that Asian American women tend to date white men, drawing on patterns\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0seen in the media, her community and personal experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Undergraduate<\/a>\u201cI’m dating a white man myself, and where I grew up in Phoenix, all of my Asian friends are not dating people inside of their own race at all,\u201d she said. \u201cI thought it was just an interesting pattern that I’ve seen, and now I see it way more often. The body of research for Asian Americans in general is also so scarce, so I hope this adds a little bit to the pot and pushes for more research to be done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It is a qualitative interview study, meaning Pham sits down with participating women and asks them questions about family, school, social media and how they all intersect with their identities and romantic interests. At the end, she asks them specifically how they feel about the white man and the Asian woman stereotype and why they believe the pattern shows up.<\/span><\/p>\n

She transcribed\u00a0the data verbatim and completed\u00a0her own code analysis to see which topics,\u00a0ideas\u00a0and\u00a0sentiments\u00a0come up the most.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust from what I’ve done so far, I feel like some women don’t want to date white men, or they kind of feel embarrassed that they like white men,\u201d Pham said. \u201cI’m hoping this research helps everyone realize that it’s not a bad thing to fit a stereotype, but you can also fight a stereotype by living your own life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pham was told all throughout high school that she was good at talking to people, a fact that led her to choose psychology as her major when she came to NAU. She has since cozied up in the space between philosophy and psychology within her research, noting that each one helps her pursue the other practically.<\/span><\/p>\n

She hopes to continue pursuing social psychology after graduation, especially within topics like sexuality and gender, and to eventually become a professor.<\/span><\/p>\n

PepSeqPred: Predicting Antibody Targets Across the Infectome
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/b>Researcher: Jeff Hoelzel<\/span><\/b>
\nMajor: Software engineering<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\nAdviser: Jason Ladner<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

When someone becomes infected with a virus, bacteria or fungus, their immune system produces antibodies that can recognize parts of a pathogen, or \u201ctargets.\u201d These targets, Hoelzel said, can act like a molecular fingerprint\u00a0containing\u00a0valuable data on past exposure to that pathogen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists can fully reconstruct a person\u2019s infection history and better understand how diseases spread within populations by studying the targets someone\u2019s antibodies bind to. However, pathogens have thousands of protein fragments to which antibodies could bind, making laboratory experimentation for even a single disease arduous, expensive and incredibly slow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Hoelzel is attempting to solve this sweeping problem with artificial intelligence. He developed a machine learning framework called PepSeqPred that learns from compiled peptide serology datasets, or data using small protein fragments rather than whole proteins.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese datasets measure the reactivity of real antibody responses across hundreds of thousands of pathogens,\u201d Hoelzel said. \u201cBy analyzing protein sequence features and structural information, the model learns what can make certain protein fragments more likely to be recognized by antibodies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After training, the program can take the protein sequence of a new or understudied pathogen and predict which fragments will trigger an immune response. Hoelzel believes his work could move the fields of pathology and immunology one step closer to revolutionary split-second profiling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy combining experimental immunology with computational modeling, we can better understand how humans interact with the microbial world,\u201d Hoelzel said. \u201cThis demonstrates how modern machine learning can aid in solving real-world biomedical problems and highlights how computational tools can make large-scale immune research faster, more efficient and more accessible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoelzel came to NAU to study mechanical engineering, but he found that he was not enthralled by the problems he would be expected to solve upon graduation. The metaphorical wires connected when he found himself in a computer programming course, and suddenly, he was tackling complex problems and designing systems that operated on grander scales.<\/span><\/p>\n

After Hoelzel graduates with a degree in software engineering, he hopes to expand his hands-on skill set by pursuing educational and professional paths emphasizing engineering\u2019s connections to scientific discovery.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m motivated by the idea that a well-designed piece of software can amplify impact far beyond what one person could accomplish alone,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing able to build tools that help researchers work more efficiently and potentially contribute to real-world disease surveillance is incredibly fulfilling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the Impacts of Temperature on the Growth Rates of Arizona Frog Virus 3 (FV3) Strains and Cell Culture
\n<\/span><\/i><\/b>Researcher: Allyson Quigley<\/span><\/b>
\nMajors: Biomedical science and Spanish<\/span>
\nAdviser: Joseph Mihaljevic<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Quigley is another HURA recipient who works as a research assistant at NAU\u2019s Pathogen and Microbiome Institute.<\/p>\n

Her research concerns ranavirus, a viral genus that infects ectothermic populations, such as Arizona’s amphibians. Its growth and infection rates are impacted by differing temperatures, which makes Arizona’s blistering desert landscape a fascinating trial ground for ranavirus research.<\/p>\n

Scientists know of various ranavirus strains in Arizona, but the one at the foreground of Quigley\u2019s research is a nonnative newcomer \u2014 frog virus 3 (FV3).<\/p>\n

\"Allyson<\/a>“FV3 is usually found on the East Coast of the United States, but through genome sequencing, they discovered about two to three years ago that there’s a strain related to FV3 in Arizona, and it was causing mass frog die-offs in certain populations,\u201d Quigley said. \u201cA ranavirus that is well studied and endemic to Arizona is Ambystoma tigrinum virus<\/em><\/strong> (ATV), and that tends to only infect salamanders. FV3 has a much wider host range and presents more severe symptoms. It has the potential to be a lot more dangerous for Arizona’s ecosystems and poses a threat to our federally threatened and endangered amphibian species.”<\/p>\n

Quigley\u2019s research hones in on understanding the ideal temperature range of FV3 and how it differs from that of ATV. This research may aid scientists and conservationists in planning for potential outbreaks and taking informed conservation steps.<\/p>\n

The first piece of the project entailed growing the virus itself. Quigley cultured fathead minnow cell cultures, known to be similar to amphibian cells, to serve as stand-ins for the species at risk. She split the cells into eight temperature groups, ranging from low to high, and infected some cells from each group with multiple doses of FV3. Others were infected with multiple doses of ATV. Samples were taken from each temperature and each virus every 24 hours for eight days. The viral DNA was then extracted from the samples and analyzed for temperature preference trends, comparing the two viruses and doses.<\/p>\n

Her previous work indicates that ATV thrives in intermediate temperatures. Climate change, she said, can potentially bring more of the year up into this intermediate temperature range, expanding the infection window of ATV.<\/p>\n

Since FV3 is newly documented in Arizona, it was imperative to begin this research to see if it follows temperature trends similar to ATV or a separate pattern entirely.<\/p>\n

Quigley began her career in disease research, set on a career in medicine. She initially had her heart set on medical school, but quickly grew fascinated by how illness, ecology, and conservation go hand-in-hand in her laboratory work. The lab equipped her with a desire to continue pursuing emerging diseases and explore how research and medicine can be combined after earning her bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Belongingness in the Workplace: What Factors Affect Employees\u2019 Sense of Belonging at Work?
\n<\/span><\/i><\/b>Researcher: Kiren Kirschbaum<\/span><\/b>
\nMajor: Psychology<\/span>
\nAdviser: Ann Huffman<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Psychology may be the study of the mind, but rarely are the field\u2019s implications confined to the space between one\u2019s ears. Look no further than industrial and organizational psychology, a subfield that uses psychological principles to explain pervasive workplace customs and the intricacies of employee-employer interactions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Kiren<\/a>Kirschbaum\u2019s research uses psychological principles to investigate how employees experience diversity, equity and inclusion\u2014or the lack thereof\u2014within one\u2019s workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Institutional prejudice leads to millions of people who self-identify\u00a0within a minority group, often based on sex, race or disability status, being more likely to feel like they\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0belong in their respective places of work. This project uses statistical analysis to discover which environmental and interpersonal factors can best mitigate systemic feelings of alienation for employees within these groups.<\/span><\/p>\n

With this research in hand, Kirschbaum hopes to spotlight the need for informed, nondiscriminatory workplace practices in various organizational structures.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe world is only becoming more diverse as time goes on, especially\u00a0the U.S.,\u201d Kirschbaum said. \u201cIf we want to progress to be the best we can be as a society, an important aspect of that is making sure that all of our society\u2019s members are treated in a way that makes them feel equal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The second-year student has always been interested in psychology, citing a fascination for how the human mind can be simultaneously defined and ambiguous. After completing his undergraduate degree, Kirschbaum aims to attend medical school and become a psychiatrist, exploring the ways medicine intertwines with his broader studies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think what keeps me interested in this field is that there is a consistently shifting dynamic within it, no matter where you look,\u201d Kirschbaum said. \u201cThis means there will always be things to learn, research and try to better comprehend.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Undergraduate students dedicate thousands of hours in their higher education careers to drafting, revising and perfecting their research. Now, it\u2019s time to show it off. Hundreds of students in fields ranging from astronomy to business to health sciences to forestry will highlight their academic feats at this year\u2019s Undergraduate Symposium on April 24. Thousands of…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":77509,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1829],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-academics","category-student-edition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77503"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77503\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}