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The University of North Georgia's (̨Íåswag) 27th Annual Research Conference (ARC) returned as an in-person event for the first time since 2019. Presented by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (CURCA), the conference included both poster sessions and live oral presentations March 25 on ̨Íåswag's Gainesville Campus in the Martha T. Nesbitt building.

Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of the Honors Program, said ARC gives "students the opportunity to present and discuss their research with peers, faculty, and staff from across the campuses. In addition to honing their communication skills, the conference also allows them to grow their research through questions and feedback from other participants and audience members."

Cursten Howard, class of '22 from Roswell,GA, produced a translation project of an oral interview conducted in Japanese by Sophia University in Japan with a woman who survived the triple disaster of an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown on March 11, 2011, in Japan.

"Up until this project, I had never done research before. Nor had I taken many classes in anthropology. However, through this experience I was able to decide the direction I wanted to take my degree," Howard, who is pursuing a degree in East Asian Studies with a concentration in Japanese, said. "This research gave me direction and allowed me to continue working with the Japanese language."

Howard's experience showed an example of how the conference is not just an opportunity for students to share their hard work, but one where they are able to learn more about their future aspirations.

Monheim, class of '23 from Peachtree City, GA, pursuing a degree in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry, presented on “The Effects of Changing Electron Withdrawing Groups to Shift the Maximum Absorption of Caged Compounds” for the 2022 ARC, which was her second year participating.

"This year I wanted to get feedback and comments on my poster about how to improve and refine my project so that as I prepare to graduate I can have a solid research plan with a resolution," she said.

This year's winners are listed for the following categories:

• Best Oral Presentation: "What You See Is Not What You Know: Deepfake Image Manipulation," Cathryn Allen. Faculty mentors: Dr. Bryson Payne, Dr. Chuck Robertson, Dr. Tamirat Abegaz, and Dr. Royce Dansby-Sparks.
• Honorable Mention-Best Oral Presentation: "Native American Spirits in Victorian England Séances," Kenneth Moses. Faculty mentor: Dr. Phillip Guerty.
• Best Poster Presentation: "The Application of Fruit Flies in Studying Human Neurodegenerative Diseases," Ranah Ocampo, Summer Gibson. Faculty mentors: Dr. Jo Qian and Dr. Adam Davis.
• Honorable Mention-Best Poster Presentation: "No Difference Found in Percent Lichen Cover When Comparing Tree Species, Canopy Cover, Cardinal Direction, and Diameter at Breast Height," Elizabeth Taylor. Faculty mentor: Dr. Jason Lang.
• Honorable Mention-Best Poster Presentation: "Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) Hoxa5: Insights into the Divergence of Hoxa5 Gene Expression Across Evolutionarily Divergent Gnathostome Vertebrates," Jennifer Lange. Faculty mentor: Dr. Adam Davis.

To see the students' research, visit the Annual Research Conference page. Students interested in learning more about undergraduate research opportunities may visit ̨Íåswag's Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities website or email curca@ung.edu.