Undergraduate Research Day Fall 2015 - University of Houston
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Undergraduate Research Day Fall 2015

Norma Olvera and Leilina Ayalew
Norma Olvera and her student Leilina Ayalew at Undergraduate Research Day on October 22, 20015.

The Office of Undergraduate Research’s 11th annual Undergraduate Research Day (URD) took place on Thursday, October 22nd at 4 p.m. in the Rockwell Pavilion, M.D. Anderson Library.  Over 175 undergraduates presented posters and oral projects at this event. 74 of these students participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program. Hundreds of attendees celebrated the achievements of our student researchers by touring the posters and oral presentations. 

COE student Leilina Ayalew's presented research on the Availability and Usage of Technology Among Early Adolescent Hispanic Girls and was mentored by Health professor Norma Olvera. Presenting at URD was a great learning experience for Ayalew. "I learned that people have a huge awareness about obesity, but most were impressed on how technology was related to it," said Ayalew. "It was  encouraging to see people interested in our poster." 

Ayalew said that Olvera was a helpful mentor throughout the preparation of the poster, and during the presentation day. During the presentation, Olvera suggested improvements and she also helped Ayalew with questions from the audience. 

The following students presented research and were mentored by College of Education (COE) Faculty:

Name COE Mentor Title of Research
Leilina Ayalew Norma Olvera – Health Education Availability and Usage of Technology Among Early Adolescent Hispanic Girls
Nisha Ghayalod Samuel McQuillin - Psychological Health & Learning Sciences Paternal Caretakers’ Acceptability of Off-Label Prescribing for Children with ADHD
Staci Ouch Nathan Grant Smith – Psychological Health & Learning Sciences Racial Disparities in Cigarette Smoking among Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Adults
Edna Paredes Lorraine Reitzel – Health Education Improving the Implementation of a Tobacco-free Workplace Policy at Mental Health Treatment Facilities
Lauren Potter Norma Olvera – Health Education and Guadalupe Palos – MD Anderson Cancer Center Social Support Needs of Cancer Survivors Living in Their Communities
Susan Renaud Norma Olvera – Health Education Availability and Usage of Technology Among Early Adolescent Hispanic Girls

Two of these students were honored with awards at the event.  Public Health student, Edna Paredes received an Outstanding Poster Award and Health Promotions student Lauren Potter won an Audience Choice award.

Edna Paredes
Edna Paredes with her research poster presentation at Undergradaute Research Day on October 22, 2015.

Paredes focused on improving the implementation of a tobacco free workplace program at mental health treatment facilities, called Taking Texas Tobacco Free.  Her research concluded that there is a need for additional certified tobacco treatment specialists, more nicotine replacement therapy, and advance budgeting to sustain nicotine replacement therapy availability for consumers and staff beyond the starter sample they received.

Paredes supervisor was Health Education associate professor Lorraine Reitzel. “Edna’s work on this project directly reflects attention to this important mission and engenders our departmental values of excellence, student success, community engagement, and social justice,” said Reitzel. “Her work reflects our departmental commitment to training the next generation of academic researchers and practitioners and reflects that we are effectively passing our core values along to our undergraduate students, who will be our ongoing department, college, and university ambassadors.”

“Being able to present at Undergraduate research day was already an exciting accomplishment, but to receive an award was even better,” said Paredes.  “It's a great fulfillment that encourages me to go beyond my limitations.”

Reitzel was the primary mentor for Paredes and Pooja Agrawal, a high school senior and applicant to COE’s BS in Public Health/Masters in Public Health program. Reitzel also functioned as a co-mentor to PHLS associate professor Nathan Smith’s undergraduate student, Staci Ouch a UH senior and psychology major.

Lauren Potter
Lauren Potter (left) and Guadalupe Palos with Potter's research poster presentation at Undergradaute Research Day on October 22, 2015.

Potter is currently interning at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC).  She attended the myCancerConnection survivorship conference to collect data on those who are cancer survivors. Survivorship at MDACC is defined as the point of diagnosis and continues on through that individual's life.  She analyzed the results to see if those with higher social support also have higher self-efficacy skills (i.e. they report that they are happy with life and that cancer is not ruining it).

Potter was mentored by Health Education professor Norma Olvera and Manager for the Survivorship Clinic Research Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Guadalupe Palos.

“Dr. Palos is a wonderful mentor who has helped me grow in a lot of ways,” said Potter. “I had never developed a poster or really done hands on research and she afforded me that opportunity. Dr. Olvera has also been very supportive and interested in the research.” 

Potter said this about her Audience Choice Award, “it was really special to me because I have worked hard on my research . . . and it makes me feel special that other students recognized this in my research.”

“For the past 7 years, I have had 14 undergraduate students presenting at UH Undergraduate Research Day,” said Olvera. “Every year it is quite rewarding seeing undergraduate students presenting their research projects with knowledge and expertise of the subject.  For them it is the first time presenting their results and answering questions about their research projects.

UH Undergraduate Research Day is a valuable opportunity to highlight the innovative research that our undergraduate scholars are conducting, and one that allows them to describe their experiences and results to their peers, faculty, and community representatives. It provides students with a tangible product from their hard work and allows students to practice - many for the first time – presenting their research in a professional forum as a representative of the institution. It builds their self-confidence, lends to a growing interest in a research career, and starts a trajectory of academic excellence that these students will continue to build as they advance toward their graduation and the next steps of their career.