Student achievement, faculty mentorship showcased during annual RICE celebration
During its annual RICE Week, 果冻传媒 honored students who are putting classroom learning into action.
RICE, which gets its name from research, internships and creative endeavors, gives students a chance to polish their presentation skills in an academic conference setting.
This year鈥檚 symposium featured 65 student presentations, including oral and poster presentations. These projects spanned many subjects and highlighted an array of research methods that had students working closely with professors and community partners, putting all the skills they鈥檝e learned in class to the test. J.H. Atkins Scholars also presented on their research and projects focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice.
Among the presenters were student researchers Odile Clements, Teresa Curry and Liz Dickerson, all class of 2026, who aimed to improve a local water retention pond that had been neglected. After becoming overrun with invasive plants, the basin doesn鈥檛 drain properly, increasing the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall. The students presented a plan to renovate the area into a bio retention garden with native plants that would improve drainage and beautify the area.
Sumit Sah, class of 2028, worked with another (and furrier) local community, teaming up with the Danville Boyle County Humane Society to create an app that collects and analyzes data to aid with the pet adoption process. Along with the app, Sah redesigned the Humane Society鈥檚 website.
With both a faculty mentor and faculty research partner, Kayla Sharkey, class of 2025, studied sourdough starters. She and Associate Professor of Biology Kelly O鈥橯uin studied how different flours affect the microbiome of the crucial ingredient.
The week of programming concluded with a student art exhibition displaying multiple works including blown glass, paintings, pottery, photography, drawings and multimedia sculptures.
Dr. John Barton Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentorship Awards
The week also included a moving tribute to the late John Barton 鈥79, a beloved Kentucky physician and longtime member of the Centre Board of Trustees, who was an ardent supporter of RICE week. His commitment to faculty-student collaboration inspired the creation of the Dr. John Barton Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentorship Award.
The 2025 RICE Celebratory Luncheon marks the second year these awards were presented to faculty mentors and recognizing their work with students. This year鈥檚 recipients include:
- Division I: Amy Frederick, National Endowment for the Humanities Associate Professor of Art History
- Division II: Shana Sippy, Associate Professor of Religion
- Division III: Prayat Poudel, Associate Professor of Mathematics, and Jeffery Heath, Margaret V. Haggin Professor of Mathematics and Data Science
Honorees were nominated by their division chairs, who also presented the awards. During the decision-making process, Eva Cadavid, Cantrell Associate Professor of Philosophy and RICE committee secretary, emphasized the pivotal step of understanding how nominees support students both inside and outside the classroom.
The ability to mentor and collaborate intellectually is at the heart of the relationship between professor and student at 果冻传媒 and what Barton cherished and supported. For community members who interacted with him personally, the award is an embodiment of that.
鈥淣ot only did Dr. Barton financially support student research, he attended the RICE Symposium every year and listened to the presentations. He鈥檇 ask questions that would help students think through their research or consider new angles, said January Haile, Elizabeth Molloy Dowling Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.
鈥淒r. Barton loved learning, and I think more than anything, RICE is a celebration of learning.鈥
About
RICE Convocation
Alumni Panel
Recent 果冻传媒 alumni shared how research at 果冻传媒 helped prepare them for their careers at the annual, named after Barton's brother. Speakers included Caleb Campbell 鈥20, who completed law school at the University of Minnesota and works at Harvard Business School; Me Me Khant 鈥20, who serves as a data and policy analyst for Acumen, a California based company which supplies policy research in support of federal, state and local health care, and social policy programs; and Erika Brewer 鈥18, who completed veterinary school at St. George鈥檚 University and practices with Equine Medical Associations in Lexington, Kentucky.
