SIUE Graduate School Presents Research Grants To Outstanding Students

EDWARDSVILLE – The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Graduate School is pleased to announce the fall 2021 Research Grants for Graduate Students (RGGS) award recipients.

The awards, valued at up to $500 each, will support the research and creative activities of 30 graduate students studying in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Schools of Engineering and Education, Health and Human Behavior.

“Graduate students at SIUE engage in their profession through the creation and publication of original research and creative activities,” said Jerry Weinberg, PhD, associate provost for research and dean of the Graduate School. “Their projects have regional, national and international impact. Research Grants for Graduate Students recognize the projects potential contribution and provides students with necessary resources to conduct the work.”

Faculty advisors oversee the students’ individual research or creative activity. The primary purpose of the RGGS program is to support the graduate students’ work, particularly as it relates to their thesis or final project.

The fall 2021 RGGS projects are listed at siue.edu/graduate-students/awards/research-grants. A sampling of projects includes:

• Exercise & Sport Psychology: Black Female Collegiate Athletes Sense of Belonging in Predominantly White Sports (Emily Schwabe, of Madison, Wis., Kinesiology)
• Chemistry: Association Between Phenolics and Mycotoxin Concentrations in Corn Germplasm (Olufunke Mercy Ayegbidun, of Okitipupa, Nigeria)
• Civil Engineering: Watershed Hydrology and One-Dimensional Hydraulic Modeling Development to Analyze Flood Hazard of Prairie du Pont and Judy Branch Watersheds in St. Clair County, Illinois (Abhimanyu Jha, of Kathmandu, Nepal)
• Art & Design: Engraving & Stone Setting in Contemporary Metalsmithing (Garrett Brown, of Litchfield)
• Computer Science: From Passive Telerobotic Platforms to Interactive, Tangible Human Robot Interfaces – Classification of Handshakes Using a Telerobot (Tomma Brunken, of Varel, Germany)
• Mechanical Engineering: Effectiveness of Thermal Conductivity Enhancers in Phase Change Material Heatsinks (Austin Jones, of Granite City)
• Environmental Sciences: Effects of Fish Growth and Age on Toxic Metal Accumulation in Asian Carps in the Lower Illinois River (Akinloye Emmanuel Ojewole, of Gbongan, Nigeria)
• Psychology: Perceived Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services for Youth among Asian American Parents (Jaden Sangoi, of Quincy)

By preparing the next generation of leaders in a knowledge-based economy, SIUE’s Graduate School fulfills the region’s demand for highly trained professionals. Graduate program offerings include arts and sciences, business, education, engineering, nursing and interdisciplinary opportunities. SIUE professors provide students with a unique integration of theoretical education and hands-on research experiences. Students can obtain graduate certificates or pursue master’s degrees, and be part of a supportive learning and rich intellectual environment that is tailored to the needs of adult learners. The Graduate School’s Office of Research and Projects supports and raises the visibility of research and creative activity at SIUE, which ranks highest among its Illinois Board of Higher Education peers in total research and development expenditures according to the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey.