MCC Daily Tribune

Congratulations to all Scholars' Day Participants

More than 120 students presented at Scholars' Day and participated in the Celebration of Learning at the Brighton campus on April 29 and 30, respectively. Research topics represented a variety of academic disciplines, including the humanities, biology, engineering, dental studies, optics, and social sciences, as well as original creative works, showcasing the breadth and depth of scholarship at MCC. Congratulations to all students who participated!

Student presenters from MCC's 17th annual Scholars' Day competition were awarded scholarships on Wednesday, April 29th, at a celebratory reception. Twenty-eight students received MCC Foundation scholarships, ranging from $ 1,000 to $2,500, for their research presentations and posters. The scholarships were presented by college leaders, benefactors, and special guest Dr. Clint Smith.

Congratulations to the following MCC scholarship award recipients:

Oral Presentations:

Arts and Humanities

1st Place (tie): Arabella Hartino, Always a Wedding-Guest, Never a Mariner: How Different Modalities of “The Rime” Alter the Role of the Reader Within the Narrative and Beyond
1st Place (tie): Raina Lockwood, Painting Suffering and Tranquility in Nature: Visualization of Emotion through Creative Distortion
3rd Place (tie): Katherine Reilly, Stick to the Status Quo: Coming of Age Movies, TV Shows, and Glamourized Versions of Education
3rd Place (tie): Gabriel Romano, Priority and the Decline of Strategy in Modern Saber

Biology

1st Place (tie): W. Gennady Poehner, 'Looking with' Pests: the Role of Insect-Human Interactions in Countering Alienation
1st Place (tie): Diana Bilous, Profile of Test Anxiety in Human Anatomy and Physiology Class, Measurement of Physiologic Symptoms, and Options for Intervention
3rd Place: Tayler Milby, AAV-CRISPRa-Mediated NRF2 Upregulation in Dopaminergic Neurons: A Potential Gene Therapy for Neurological Movement Disorders

Engineering and Technology

1st Place: S Hamzah Al Ani, Alexander Calamel, Connor Spence, Gavin McAllister-Lydick, Mario Solis, Aurora: Using EEG Technology in the Modern World
2nd Place: John Collins, AI Generated Social Media: How misleading is it?
3rd Place (tie): Iara Ramirez Cosme, Integration of AI Technology In Cancer Treatment, Development, and Diagnoses
3rd Place (tie): Samuel Lamendola, Optimizing Polishing of Precision Optics

Human Rights

1st Place: Elisabeth Small, The Increased Risk of Suicide for Transnational Adoptees: An Intersectional Study of Cultural Identities, Race, and Ethnicity
2nd Place: Arabella Hartino, The Holocaust: Achieving Totalitarian Goals Through Persecution and Genocide

Public Health

1st Place: Brittany Simmons, Breaking the Cycle - Long term effects of incarcerated parents
2nd Place: Xazeria Jackson, "I Should Have Two Strands of Hair": Self-Care for New Mothers
3rd Place: Kellyanna Merrill, Integrating Traditional Maori Healing Practices with a Biomedical Approach

Social Science

1st Place: Senajith Sooriyamoorthy, How AI will Exacerbate Surveillance
2nd Place: Joseph Leichtner, The Power of Passive Investing: Why Index Funds Outperform
3rd Place (tie): Billy Simba, Pay to Play: When Money Talks in American Politics
3rd Place (tie): Cassie Wisniewski, How Contemporary American Capitalism Undermines Democratic Legitimacy

Posters

1st Place (tie): Emma Smith, Taylor Lyon, Isabella Williams, Is Halitosis solely caused by poor oral hygiene?
1st Place (tie): Nicole McGloon, Sara George, The Role of Sugar Substitutes in Caries Prevention

Additional information about all student presentations can be found on the Scholars' Day website.

Scholars' Day 2025 was made possible through the support of the presenting sponsor, the ESL Charitable Foundation, as well as contributions from local philanthropists through the MCC Foundation. Many thanks to them and the countless MCC faculty and staff who dedicated time and expertise to make this event happen.

Katie Ghidiu
Scholars' Day
05/02/2025