KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 23, 2020

Kennesaw State University is well represented at the 2020 Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference (GURC), which is being hosted virtually by the University of West Georgia today and tomorrow.

KSU students from engineering, psychology, and biology disciplines are showcasing their research projects – twelve total – at the multidisciplinary regional conference that is open to undergraduates both within Georgia and beyond.

"The Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference is a great opportunity for students around Georgia to network and learn about the diverse research being conducted in our state," said Amy Buddie, director of KSU's Office of Undergraduate Research. "KSU is always well represented at this event, and this year is no different."

GURC is hosted annually by a member of the Georgia Undergraduate Research Collective, an organization dedicated to promoting high-quality

 undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship across the state of Georgia and surrounding regions. 

GURC provides students the opportunity to develop professional skills, become educated on research at colleges and universities in the region, as well as network with both students and faculty who share research interests.

For this year’s virtual format, oral research presentations occurred today with panels of various researchers presenting their work. The poster session, available on GURC’s YouTube channel throughout the conference, will take place tomorrow in which presenters will have the opportunity to answer questions on their poster videos during the session time.

The KSU students who are participating include:   

• Source Localization and Deep Learning to Classify EEG Waves
  • PRESENTER: Terence Onyewuenyi, mechatronics 
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Sumit Chakravarty, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

• College Students and Mental Health Services
  • PRESENTER: Naomi Katz, psychology 
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Christopher Allen, Department of Psychological Science 

•  Reusable Nanostructured Carbon Seawater
  • PRESENTER: Matheus Prates, mechanical engineering
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Jungkyu (Justin) Park, Department of Mechanical Engineering

• Phonon Scattering from SWCNT-Graphene Junctions under Strain
  
  • PRESENTER: Ian Durr, mechanical engineering 
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Jungkyu (Justin) Park, Department of Mechanical Engineering

• Thermal Conductivity of Graphene Composites
  
  • PRESENTER: Jihad Kudsy, mechanical engineering 
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Jungkyu (Justin) Park, Department of Mechanical Engineering

• Calculation of Convective/Radiative Coefficients Using Thermal Images
  
  • PRESENTERS: Omar Figuero, mechanical engineering; Revatee Vaidya, information technology; Priyanka Velumani, computer science
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Sathish Kumar Gurupatham, Department of Mechanical Engineering

• The Study of Temperature Variation of Organic and Conventional Fruits Using Thermal Imaging
  
  • PRESENTERS: Omar Figuero, mechanical engineering; Revatee Vaidya, information technology; Priyanka Velumani, computer science
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Sathish Kumar Gurupatham, Department of Mechanical Engineering

• Radiological Mask Exposure Experiment
  
  • PRESENTER: Christopher Focht, biology 
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Andrew Hummel, Department of Mechanical Engineering       

• Mind Control: The Power of Commercial and Advertisement Influence
  
  • PRESENTER: Courtney Faro, biology
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Amy Buddie, Office of Undergraduate Research

• Exploring the Most Effective Dog Adoption Advertisement
  
  • PRESENTER: Sarah Barker, psychology
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Allison Martin, Department of Psychological Science

• COVID-19 and Stress in Student Service Members and Veteran
  • PRESENTER: Michael Schlenk, psychology
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Brian Moore, Department of Psychological Science

• Sleep Disturbances in Military Personnel: Incidence and Diagnoses of Insomnia and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  • PRESENTER: Javier Palacios, psychology
  • FACULTY MENTOR: Brian Moore, Department of Psychological Science