Students & faculty shine through Minds@Work research presentations

Congratulations to all of the students and faculty members, and especially the student mentors, for their excellent presentations at the Minds@Work Research Conference on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

In all, the event featured 42 presentations throughout the day, including 5 by faculty members, with 56 students sharing the results of their research. Additionally, 12 students—Kacy Connolly, Maggie Joyce, Alyssa Kordish, Jack McKelley, Grant McMaster, Crystal Nye, Zion Pinnell, Olivia Raubenolt, Hannah Rios, Syana Sivongsak, Logan Streacker, and Dylan Thomas—presented eleven posters.

The campus enjoyed an insightful keynote address from historian and presidential scholar Marc Selverstone, who shared his research on the impact of presidential tape recordings, particularly in relation to the Kennedy administration during the Vietnam War.

Here is a list of the presenters and their topics, which spanned a wide cross-section of academic fields:

Kacy Connolly: Effect of Popular Acne Treatments on Common Acne-Causing Bacteria
Ella Wank: Eating Disorders and Substance Use Disorders: A Perception Study
Logan Franz: Deferred Contracts and Accrual Accounting: Managing Revenue and Expense Recognition
Sara Chilton: Inside the Mind of an Athlete: Alcohol Usage and Perceived Effects on Athletic Performance
Lacey Fickes, Olivia Wallace: Effects of Soccer Kick Biomechanics on Ball Velocity
Grace Dohanyos, Constance Nye, Abby Snide: The Impact of Anxiety on University Students
Grant McMaster: Survey of Oncogenic Mutations in Wistar Rat Ovaries
Kacy Connolly, Sarah Grosse, Emma Rettig, Abigail Stine: Electrospinning a Nitric Oxide Patch Utilizing Nitric Oxide Synthase and Arginine
Kyle Vesely: The Anatomy of Accounting Scandals: Causes, Consequences, and Regulatory Responses
Benjamin Weber: Power & People: 6 Governments, 6 Lives - The Global Human Rights Divide
Jada M. Harvey: Spotlight on STUNT: Injury Prevention
Dr. Desirae Matherly, Rowan Gill, Emily Garberich, Kenzie Bowling, Jay Blanco: The Association of Writers and Writing Programs English Trip 2026
Tyler Fields, Riley Mullin, Alicia Gomez, Delanie Buxton, Ella Calvin, Cassondra Connare, Elizabeth Mayer: Characterization of Honey in Northwest Ohio: an Investigation of its Contents
Amelia Harness-Koehnle: His Prices Were Insane—And So Were the Books: The Crazy Eddie Fraud and the Auditing Wake-Up Call
Emma Rettig: DNA Extraction and Characterization of Local Maple Trees
Jaislynn Woodall: The Effects of Undergraduate Decision Making
Bailey Grizzell: Is it Beneficial for Students of the Arts to Attend Conferences and Workshops?
Vanessa Shanaman, Miranda Tyack: The Relationship Between Muscle Fatigue and Power Production
Riley Elliott, Mikael Paulson, Hassen Faraj, Cody Thomas: Characterization of Honey in Northwest Ohio: an Investigation of its Contents (Part 2)
Avery Reagan: One of the Ways the Rich Get Richer
Dr. Justin Pruneski: Using a Podcast to Expose Students to Current Research, Professional Development, and the Diversity of the Field of Microbiology.
Kaitlyn Uffman, Trenton Hole: Correlation Between Handgrip Strength and Different Handgrip Fatigue Measurements: Handgrip Fatigue, Dead Hang, and Flexed Arm Hang
Cameron Gaietto: Bravo and Encore! A History of the Performing Arts at Heidelberg 1850–2025
Rowan Gill: The Use of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs to a Student
Arcane Bigler, Cecilia Groth, Jasper Chapman, Kelseigh Holman, Ryleigh Gorman: Readings from Creative Writers in Heidelberg's English Program
Carter Pleiman: Wasteful Spending and Financial Reporting in Olympic Host Cities
Emily Davis: Can Sour Candy Alleviate Pre-Competition Anxiety in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Student-Athletes?
Taylor Jackson: DNA Quantification of Pork Samples to Mock Body Decomposition
Matthew Kittle: Private Equity and the Future of Public Accounting: Financial Performance, Ethical Tensions, and Regulatory Implications
Zion Pinell: Not Just Another Number: The Stories of the Faces Behind the Movements
Dr. Noel Mano: Spontaneous Genomic Variation in Lab-Grown Cultures of Common Duckweed (Lemna minor)
Grant McMaster: Persuasive Speech about Medical Misinformation on Social Media
Brigid Enrigh: Understanding Menopause: Knowledge and Perceptions of Menopausal Stages and Symptoms
Mack Ludwig: The Hidden Philosophy of Dramaturgy: An Overview of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
Max Gutmann: Financial Oversight and Internal Controls in NIL Collectives
Xander Middleton: Effect of Exercises on Memory Capabilities
Cameron Gaietto, Sarah Jewell: Out with the Old, in with the New: Heidelberg's 1st Biennial New Music and Symposium
Jodie Hellickson: Culturing Microbes from Decomposing Pork
Conor Sukel, Kris Williams: The Effects of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Muscular Endurance in Previously Trained Individuals
Becca Young, Prof. Karla Kash: "No One is Alone": Collective Care and Accountability in Into the Woods"
Sarah Jewell: Breaking Through Barriers: Providing Equitable Access to Supports for Children in the Music Classroom
Prof. Karla Kash, with Dr. Gregory Ramsdell and the Cast of Into the Woods: A Peek Into the Woods