The Scholars Day committee, poster session volunteers, and contest judges were blown away by the diversity and quality of the presentations this year. The winners were selected from among the nearly 145 posters presented during the poster session.
Congratulations to the winners! Thank you to everyone who participated.
We hope to see you again next year!
Judges Choice
The Judges Choice award is determined by a panel of SUNY Brockport faculty and staff and is given to the poster presentation which best demonstrates original research, effective poster design, and compelling presentation. This year we once again had a three-way tie with nearly perfect scores.
EduAllu: Integrated AI Education Assistant
Computing Sciences
Presenters: Trinity Thiele, Jayden Asbie, Naya Brown, Ryan Fatigrossi, Tyler Jones, David Lonski, Caleb Mesiti
Abstract: We develop EduAlly as members of the ACM SIGAI student chapter to enhance student learning with AI-driven feedback. Traditional assessments delay reflection and improvement, so EduAlly was made to assist a professor of Special Education Teacher Training by providing quicker, actionable responses to essay-type answers. EduAlly evolved from Study Buddy AI, which summarized articles, provided reading prompts, and generated review questions. Rooted in the belief that AI should assist rather than replace learning, EduAlly acts as a tutor, helping students bridge knowledge gaps. EduAlly’s workflow begins with students submitting an exam attempt. The AI provides personalized feedback based on course materials, allowing students to revise and resubmit before receiving a final grade. Professors receive reports with student responses, AI feedback, and final grades. A pilot study with 31 students and an instructor showed positive feedback, with students finding the system useful for improvement and appreciating the streamlined process. Based on this, we are developing a full-scale web application. The backend uses Flask and Python for RESTful APIs, while the frontend is built with React and TypeScript. Following AGILE development, we aim for user testing by May 2025, with full implementation in the 2025-2026 academic year.
Avian Species Richness in Mid-Continent Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands
Environmental Science & Ecology
Presenter: Aladiana Tosado
Abstract: Freshwater emergent wetlands have declined since the mid-1800s. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wetland loss increased by over 50% in the US between 2009 and 2019. Half of all threatened and endangered species rely on wetlands for survival. The fewer wetlands that remain are tasked with supplying the resources for all wetland-dependent wildlife, making their conservation and management critical. In the Midwest where wetland decline has been severe, wetlands are commonly managed for migrating waterfowl. Conservation practitioners, including wetland managers, are increasingly tasked with managing wetlands for a broad suite of avian species, including, but not limited to, waterfowl. My study objective is to understand how avian species richness varies across different wetland management practices and locations at wetlands managed primarily for waterfowl. Specifically, how does species richness compare at private vs publicly managed wetlands, and how do management practices like water drawdown and soil disturbance impact avian species richness? Preliminary results show avian species richness values across wetlands in Missouri range from 21 to 40 species, with an average of 25.8 species. Of those detected, American Bittern, King Rail, and Northern Harrier are of endangered status, while Bald Eagle and Sandhill Crane are of conservation concern.
Investigation of Early Bryophyte Colonization o Laurentia During the Ordovician Period
Earth Science and Geology
Presenter: Jason Cook
Abstract: Early signs of bryophytes have been reported within Ordovician sediment, but sparse records exist from eastern Laurentia. At this time, Laurentia was situated along the equator surrounded by shallow seas. The Ordovician Utica Group was deposited in the eastern side of Laurentia towards the end of the Taconic orogeny. The Utica Group is made up of three formations: Flat Creek (bottom), Dolgeville (middle), and Indian Castle (top). Our previous n-alkane analyses of 3 samples from the Flat Creek (n=2) and Indian Castle (n=1) formations, suggests that complex plant life possibly colonized eastern Laurentia earlier than previously reported. The n-alkane distributions of C15 to C35 had a dominant peak around C27. Our new study is expanding the n-alkane record to better characterize organic matter contributions to the Utica Group and investigate the presence of bryophytes during the late Ordovician. We collected 6 new surface samples and obtained 6 samples from Core 74NY-5 (NYS Museum in Albany, NY). The formation is undifferentiated in the surface samples. Samples from Core (74NY-5), drilled in Herkimer County, included the Flat Creek (699ft, 602ft, and 500ft), and Indian Castle (241ft, 141ft, and 41ft) formations. We analyzed the total organic Carbon (TOC) contents, total lipid extracts (TLE), and n-alkane distributions and used them to calculate the Carbon Preference Index (CPI), and the Terrestrial to Aquatic Ratio (TAR) for all the new samples. This data, combined with the previous n-alkane distributions, will help us determine whether or not terrestrial bryophyte deposition occurred earlier than previously documented in Eastern Laurentia.
Student Choice
The Student Choice award is given to the best poster presentation as voted on by SUNY Brockport students.
Investigating the Impact of rDNA Copy Number on Longevity in C. Elegans
Biology
Presenter: Rebecca “Becki” Walters
Abstract: Individuals of the same species have many genetic differences, including differences in quantities of certain regions of DNA. One region of varying copy number is ribosomal DNA (rDNA). rDNA encodes ribosomal RNAs, which are used in conjunction with ribosomal proteins to manufacture other cellular proteins. Individual humans have varying rDNA copy numbers, which may have relevance to health. The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an excellent study organism for this topic because of the short maturation cycle and lifespan. Wild strains also vary in their rDNA copy number, with as many as 400 or as few as 70. Studies by others have shown that altering the abundance of ribosomal protein impacts lifespan in C. elegans, prompting our investigations into the potential effect of rDNA copy number on lifespan. Experiments are currently underway to compare a C. elegans strain with rDNA copy number at the low end of the naturally-occurring range to a strain with half as many copies, tracking how many days they live. We hope that understanding the relationship between rDNA copies and lifespan in C. elegans could help future understanding of the significance of rDNA in humans.