Students from the Southern Arkansas University Department of Engineering and Physics took home top honors at the annual Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) conference, held Oct 25-26 in Fayetteville.
The conference featured over 150 oral and poster presentations from institutions across Arkansas and neighboring states. Competition was very strong, and only a handful of students claimed awards, including two winners from SAU.
SAU junior Engineering/Physics major Anna Corbitt of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, earned first place in the Best Oral Presentation (Physics) category for her research, entitled “Growth and Characterization of 1T and 2H Transition Metal Dichalcogenides.”
SAU junior Engineering/Physics major Anna Corbitt of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, earned first place in the Best Oral Presentation (Physics) category for her research. Lucas Blake, a senior Engineering/Physics major from Star City, Arkansas, claimed second place in the Best Poster Presentation (Physics) category for his work.
Lucas Blake, a senior Engineering/Physics major from Star City, Arkansas, claimed second place in the Best Poster Presentation (Physics) category for his work, tiled “Dynamic Strain and Composition Study of GeSn by 532 nm and 632 nm Raman Spectroscopy.”
Several other SAU students presented research that they either completed at SAU or conducted during summer research internships at other institutions. These students included Alexander Golden, and Moriah York, all from the Engineering and Physics Department. Kazuaki Mitsuishi from Math and Computer Science Department also presented.
“Our students have a long tradition of winning awards at this prestigious conference. They work so hard and deserve every bit of recognition” said Abdel Bachri, Dean of the SAU College of Science and Engineering. “Watching our students grow into researchers and compete at a professional level gives me a sense of great pride and affirmation that we are doing all the right things to develop high caliber graduates who are ready to join the workforce or to pursue further graduate education.”
In recognition of her successful efforts, Ms. Corbitt has been invited to attend the American Physical Society Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at the University of Oklahoma in January, 2020. The goal of this conference is to encourage undergraduate women to pursue a career in physics by giving them the opportunity to experience a professional conference. This opportunity includes networking with women in physics at all professional levels, hearing plenary talks by prominent women in the field, and participating in panel discussions providing information about graduate school and career opportunities in physics.
Several other SAU students and faculty also took part in the INBRE meeting. The SAU delegation spent almost two days visiting various mechanical engineering research labs, and also held an informal meeting with SAU alums who are currently progressing through their graduate degrees at the University of Arkansas. The trip was funded in part by the Southern Arkansas University Foundation and AR INBRE.
The Engineering and Physics Department at Southern Arkansas University recently received news that its Engineering Program (BSE) has been officially accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. This coveted achievement signals not only excellence in instruction, but also an educational experience that prepares graduates to lead the way in innovation and emerging technologies. The engineering program enjoys strong industry support and has quickly built an excellent reputation among employers.
Students from the Southern Arkansas University Department of Engineering and Physics took home top honors at the annual Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) conference, held Oct 25-26 in Fayetteville.
