Several students from a variety of programs at Indiana University South Bend showcased their research projects for lawmakers and the public at the Indiana Statehouse.
The Regionals at the Rotunda event was designed to show the real-world impact of student work from regional IU campuses across the state in their respective fields.
“On our regional campuses, we believe in engaging students in research early in their academic careers. Participating in research as an undergraduate has many benefits, including increased retention, a greater likelihood of attending graduate school, and enhanced skill development in areas that support career success, such as critical thinking, public speaking and data analysis,” said Indiana University President Pamela Whitten.
Six students from IU South Bend were on hand. Their research ranged from studying opioid usage in pain management to the impact parks and leisure activities have in shaping a community.
Dr. Stacie Merken, department chair and associate professor of criminal justice at IU South Bend, helped organize the event for campus. She said students were excited to share their research findings with lawmakers and promote the university.
“All the legislators I have seen have been extremely impressed with the research they are reading about from our students,” she said. “Our students get career competencies from events like this. They learn how to speak professionally, how to write and effectively create presentations, and give elevator speeches. This is very much career oriented for our students.”
Ethan McGrath, a senior biological sciences major at IU South Bend, is studying the role of the Alsin2 gene in causing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. McGrath said he was eager to show people how STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields can relate to people in Indiana.
“People have been asking me where my research goes next. This research is in the early stages, but they want to know where it can lead,” he said. “The long-term goal is to create gene therapies to treat and potentially cure this disease.”
Alexandra Herr, a senior nursing major at IU South Bend, is studying pain management to help find ways to decrease the use of opioids using alternative pain interventions.
“It’s been wonderful to share, because research doesn’t go anywhere if you’re not talking to the public about it,” she said. “I’m not just talking to my colleagues, I’m talking to people that are not in the medical field. They have their role in the world as well and it’s just such a powerful tool to get this information into the community.”
Whitten said the research and creative projects students are working on are not just academic exercises, they represent real-world solutions to real-world problems.
“The projects you see today are a testament to the power of research and the potential of our students to make a difference.”
Other IU South Bend students participating included Arram Almanaseer, a senior criminal justice major, who is analyzing how Hollywood portrays hate crimes; Lillian Magers-Pershing, a junior English major, who has written a collection of essays examining how ancestry influences identity; Cain Thurston, a senior history major, who is looking at the role parks play in community development; and Adam Bowlby, a senior history major who is studying the mobilization of Purdue University during World War I.
