2024 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity

The Booth Collaborative Advisory Committee at Eastern Illinois University recently honored ten students as winners of the 2024 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity.

Undergraduate Division
First place: Kaylan Finley (History: Teacher Education) for "Polygamy: Mormon Women’s Influence Throughout the Late 19th and Early 20th Century"
Second place: Madalyn Stead (History) for "The Berlin Airlift and its Humanitarian and the PR Aspect"
Third place: Paige Thing (Political Science) for "Did the Change in SNAP EBT Benefits in Response to COVID-19 Affect Poverty, SNAP Participation, and Food Insecurity Rates?"
Fourth place: Shayla Taylor (History: International Studies) for "Cold War Fears and Algerian Independence: American Public Opinion on an Independent Algeria, 1954-1962"
Honorable Mention: Courtney Klaers (Political Science) for "Community Group Influence on Political Involvement"

Graduate Division
First place: Emma Martin (Nutrition/Dietetics: Dietetic Internship) for "The Impact of Fish Intake (Primarily the Omega-3 Fatty Acid Concentration) on Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review"
Second place: Anh Bui (Business and Technology) for "Hempcrete Curtain Walls"
Third place: Audrey Hopper (History) for "An Analysis of Themes in East German Films between 1946 and 1974"
Fourth place: Haley Flanagan (Nutrition/Dietetics: Dietetic Internship) for "The Influence of Vitamin D on the Severity of Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review"
Honorable Mention: Merylann Ochieng (Biological Science: Thesis Option) for "Prevalence of insecticide resistance gene in Aedes albopictus population in Illinois regions"

The award winners were honored during an Awards for Excellence Showcase on April 10th during National Library Week. Honorees presented a short summary of their research.

The Booth Library Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity program promotes and recognizes excellence in student research. The program encourages students to enhance their studies by utilizing the wealth of information available at Booth Library and other research venues.

All entries were original works completed by Eastern students within the last 12 months. The award recipients were selected on the basis of excellence, creativity and the use of research resources.