Fourth Annual Broward Student Research Symposium Winners

FAU Broward students Gesulla Cavanaugh, AmberRose Reale and Victor Benavides emerged as the big winners in the Fourth Annual Broward Student Research Symposium held last March 14 at the FAU Davie campus.

The annual symposium pits researchers in the categories of doctoral, masters and undergraduate to see whose project is deemed the best in its class by a panel of judges comprised of faculty and Ph.D students.  

Twenty-eight students, guided by their faculty advisors,  participated this year.

“Although we only recognize one individual from each of the categories, all of the students were winners based on the high quality of research they presented,” said Donald Torok, Associate Dean, College of Education, Broward Campuses, who also served as the emcee and host of the event.

In the doctoral category, Gesulla Cavanaugh, a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, won for her project entitled: An Examination of Biomedical Intellectual Reputation in Relationship to Graduates’ Productivity, Regional Innovation and Absorptive Capacity at Selected Universities Worldwide.

 

“I plan to continue to do research on the university and its involvement with student productivity and community advancement,” Cavanaugh said.

In the master’s category, AmberRose Reale, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology, won for her project; Mirror Neurons: Imitation and Emotional Differences Among Males and Females, Preliminary Results.

“I plan to expand my work by including neuroimaging techniques and to test children with autism to detect specific differences between Autism Spectrum Disorder and typically developing children,” Reale said.

In the undergraduate category, Victor Benavides, undergraduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences, won for his project, Measuring Carbon Dioxide Exchange Along a Wetland-to-Flatwoods Gradient at the Nature Conservancy’s Disney Wilderness Preserve.

“I will be presenting my research again in May at the Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting being held in Portland, Oregon,” said Benavides, who hopes to submit his research for publication upon completion.  

Anthony Abbate, Associate Provost for the Broward Campuses, praised all of the winners and added: “This symposium represents the true value of the educational experience at FAU,” he said.

 Last Modified 11/8/16