Current Winners
First Place & People’s Choice Award
Rita Franco
University of Idaho
“Improving Child Nutrition Through Household Poultry Projects in Guatemala”
ABSTRACT:
The University of Idaho is conducting research in a Mayan community in Guatemala, where 6 out of 10 children under five are stunted, and 3 out of 4 families are food insecure. Stunting is when a child is too short for their age. Stunting has irreversible consequences, affecting learning capacity and job opportunities and increasing the risk of infections and chronic diseases. The lack of affordable protein in children's meals is a contributing factor. The research has shown that children who eat one egg daily are more likely to have an appropriate height for their age, suggesting that egg consumption can prevent stunting. Providing children with eggs daily could help prevent stunting and improve their future
Rita Franco is a Nutritional Sciences Ph.D. student.
Second Place
Brian Tibayan
University of Idaho
“Improv-ing Science: Bridging the Communication Gap”
ABSTRACT:
Effective science communication is essential for addressing global issues such as climate change and public health crises. This case study investigates the impact of empathy-based applied theatrical improvisation as a pedagogical tool to enhance the communication abilities of STEM graduate students. I designed a science communication curriculum and conducted an eight-week workshop where participants learned to articulate their research by adopting audience perspectives, fostering empathy, and using storytelling techniques. Using qualitative measures, I collected data from surveys, reflections, and interviews, which revealed that participants enhanced their ability to engage diverse audiences and simplified intricate concepts. This interdisciplinary approach not only cultivates a more relatable form of scientific discourse but also equips emerging scientists with essential skills for public engagement. The findings stress the necessity of integrating science communication training into STEM education to ensure that scientific advancements are comprehensible and appreciated by broader audiences.
Brian Tibayan is an Education Ph.D. student.
Third Place
Mason Bull
Boise State University
“Tracking Greening of Alpine Watersheds: Classifying Landcover Change via Remote Sensing”
ABSTRACT:
The last 4 decades have seen a global increase in vegetated biomass due to increased temperatures and a steadily lengthening growing season. These changes promote a loss of ice and increase of plant cover and plant density, known as greening. This greening is seen more in arctic and alpine environments than elsewhere, and current literature states that new growth consists of low-lying tundra plants, as well as encroaching shrub communities into previously uninhabited rocky slopes. Global greening and upslope vegetation movement are well-documented phenomena at broad scales, but we have less understanding of greening mechanisms and spatial distributions of vegetation changes at the watershed scale. This study focuses on the Nellie Juan watershed in South Central Alaska, and seeks to understand the rates and mechanisms of landcover change in this coastal watershed. Understanding the interactions between vegetation and snowpack and relating these changes to regional topography will allow us to better understand changes to water storage in alpine regions under the stress of changing climate.
Mason Bull is a Geosciences master’s student.
