Grants Connect Students to Research, Discovery

Aiken, SC (01/14/2020) — The University of South Carolina Aiken Center for Research Excellence awarded several student-researcher Connections Awards grants which will be used to fund the research they are conducting with their faculty mentors.

This year, four undergraduate students received $1,000 to help fund their research.

"Connections Awards promote the formation of research and creative interactions between our students and faculty," said Dr. Bill Jackson, co-director of the USC Aiken Center for Research Excellence.

To be considered for this award, USC Aiken undergraduates must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be interested in pursuing either research or creative activities with a USC Aiken faculty member.

Students who earned Connections Awards include:

Victoria Cooper, Psychology major

• Mentor: Dr. Adam Pazda, Department of Psychology
• Mind Wandering and Anxiety while Reading Easy and Difficult Texts

Cassandra Negrete, Psychology major

• Mentor: Dr. Adam Pazda, Department of Psychology
• Implicit Associations between Color and Extraversion

Melanie Howe, Industrial Process Engineering and Chemistry major

• Mentor: Dr. Titan Paul, Engineering
• The Light Absorption of Nanoparticle-Enhanced Ionic Liquids for Solar Thermal Applications

Angela Plemmons, Biology major

• Mentor: Dr. Nathan Hancock
• Tracking mmPing20F Excision and Reinsertion in Wheat