The Office of Research and Creative Activity is pleased to announce the return of Research and Travel Grants for our students, mentored by faculty members, working on research or creative activity beyond the classroom. We will begin accepting applications for Academic Year 2024-25 starting on August 19, 2024. Before you begin your submissions on this Digital Commons page, be sure to download and complete either the Travel Grant form (click to access) or the Research Grant form (click to access). Use the Research application if you are applying for funds to conduct research (even if that includes travel). Use the Travel application if you have been accepted to present at a professional conference. Once the appropriate document is completed, submit it to this page by going to "Author Corner" in the left sidebar and clicking on "Submit Research and Travel Grant Application." Accepted award funding information will be displayed on this page, including the student's name, faculty mentor name, and a brief student-submitted abstract or summary of the research or creative activity. Read more about the grants here.
Questions? Contact us.
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2024
Bending but Not Breaking: An Investigation of the Relationship between Psychological Flexibility and Suicidality in Individuals with Chronic Pain, Adalyn McMurray and Michael Bordieri
Identifying the Factors Affecting the Survival of Trauma Patients Using Logistic Regression Analysis, Maggie Smith, Manoj Pathak, and Simon Thompson
Minority Student Leadership Program, Andriah Hawthorne
Horse Hair Cortisol Concentration in University Owned Horses as a Potential Influence on Management Strategies, Grace Robertson
Determining Soil Quality Indicators in No-tillage Farming Practices in Western Kentucky, Disha Ande
MSU Trumpet Ensemble at the National Trumpet Competition, Eric Swisher, Alyssa Shrader, Max Welch, Zack Mitchell, Slown Andy, and Giselle French
Microcanonical Analysis of Semiflexible Homopolymer Model With Variable Width Bending Potential, Michael Gray and Matthew Williams
The Philosophy of Slavery from Prussia to Virginia: Friedrich Nietzsche, George Fitzhugh, and Aristocratic Radicalism, David Adams
Mid-America Print Council 2024 Printmaking Conference, Lee Bezehertny, Raini Evergarden, and Daisy Grimes
Structure-Property Relationships of Ionic-Liquid-Functionalized Cellulosic Materials, Alexandria Evans, Jordan C. Pierce, and Kevin M. Miller
Conductivity and carbon dioxide absoprtion of ionenes prepared by thiol-ene photopolymerization, Abbigail Leach, Ashleigh N. Caldwell, R. Daniel Johnson, and Kevin M. Miller
Impact of Horse Experience Level on Assessment of Equine Personality, Savannah Rivers, Carrie Hammer Dr., Maverick Guenther, and Shea Porr Dr.
Improving Hypertension through the use of a Home Monitoring System, Christy Sims
Management of Hypertension in Adult Patients in the Primary Care Setting Quality Improvement Project, Makaela Breithaupt
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring, Jeanette Paris
Marching to the Music: The U.S. Military’s Impact on American Youth through the Marching Band Movement, 1910-1990, Elise Eaton
The Use of Laja in Construction in Ancient Mesoamerica, a View From the Southern Gulf Lowlands of Veracruz, Mexico, Lauren Smith
Association Between Impulsivity and Positive Expectations of Marijuana, Clare Uhlik
Sport fan preferences, Callie Hart and Daniel Wann
What Factors Influence Undergraduate Agricultural Education Students’ Perceptions of their Academic Major?, Emma Wiseman
Synthesis and Properties of 3D Printable Resins, Cameron Woods, Kyle Lintzenich, Turner Pierson Perdue, Jason E. Bara, Seonke Seifert, and Sourav Chatterjee
Evaluation of electrode geometries for portable trapped ion mobility spectrometry, Riley Patterson, Colton Clark, and Caleb Morris
THE EFFECTS OF CITRULLINE MALATE, Macy Bynum, Annika M. Pschorr, Taylor Carrico, Morgan Maleske, Matthew Hermes, and Brenda Reeves
Performance at the National Trumpet Competition, Eric Swisher, Chloe Perry, Jenkins Kathryn "Ryn", Max Welch, Alyssa Shrader, Zack Mitchell, and Andy Slown
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2023
The Relationship Between Hydrogeomorphic Settings and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Soils and Stems in Western Kentucky’s Bottomland Hardwood Forests, Marissa M. Miles, Jessica B. Moon PhD, Skylar Ross, Kabi Raj Kahatiwada, Bassil El Masri PhD, Benjamin Runkle PhD, and Gary Stinchcomb PhD
When Cooking Sous Vide, Do Different Bags Change the Color Reading of the Spectrophotometer?, Kathryn Beard
The effects of climate extremes on greenhouse gas emissions from Bald cypress “knees”, Skylar Ross
Can altering the distribution of organic matter in wetlands soils change methane emissions?, Isaiah Radford and Jessica Moon Dr
Memories of Home and Family, Hannah Eriksen and Esther Malm
Assessing the interaction of stress physiology and Bd infection in Arizona tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum), Megan Zerger
Does Climate Change Promote Cannibalism?, Melissa Ocampo and Howard Whiteman
KAPSCon2023, presenting poster (Enhancing First-Grade Math Fluency: A Multi-Tiered Intervention Approach), Kiah Goettlich
Breaking Traditional Rules in Photography: Rural Landscapes in Western Kentucky, Beth Bailey, Abbie Michalek, David Culp, Katie Hart, Jonathon Watkins, Isabel Bolanos, and Cintia Segovia Figueroa
Does Self-Esteem and Gender Attitudes Affect Sexual Prejudice Among Young Adults?, Kaid Marek, Amanda Joyce, and Tracey Garcia McCue
Assessing mesopredator foraging habits in response to an extirpated and extant predator, Evan Lemons
Assessing the health and behavioral effects of turtle racing on eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina), Michelle Weaver
Pedro Mexía and the Politics of Translation in the Early Modern World, Erin Fairweather
Assessing the interaction of stress physiology and Bd infection in Arizona tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum), Megan Zerger
Dark Times in Dark Academia: Exploring the Queering of Identity in the Genre Obstructed by Tragedy, Hayden Eubanks
Assessing mesopredator foraging habits in response to an extirpated and extant predator, Evan Lemons
Does Real-Life Location Matter in The Electronic World? How New Esports Fans Choose What Team to Support, Gavin Nolin
1. The Relationship Among Vertical Jump Height, Sprint Time, and Fatigue Index in College Students. 2. The Relationship Between Performance Characteristics of the Countermovement Jump and a Maximal Sprint., Makenna Morefield, Matthew Hermes, and Brenda Reeves
Water solubility structure activity relationship of chalcones for aqueous applications, Grace Yocum
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2022
Competitive Marching and Psychological Needs, Xavier Brown, Tyler Robinson, Morgan Macke, and Jordan Pearsall
Structure-property behavior of ionenes-based polyurethanes, Jeremiah Coughlon, Jason Bara, and Sourav Chatterjee
One-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional Simulations of Helical Homopolymers: A Comparative Analysis of Efficiency and Funnel Folding, Matthew Hooks and Nathan Roberts
Assessing the Influence of Urban Greening on Urban Arthropods, Brendon Lawrence
Immersion and Handicapping, Tyler J. Robinson
Titer Concentration Testing for Leptospirosis in Equine, Ashley L. Himmelsbaugh
Swelling behavior of poly(ionic liquids) in different solvents and salt solutions, Pierson Perdue
Addressing Burnout in New Graduate Nurses, Shan C. Gordon and Janice Thurmond DNP
A Bayesian Examination of the Effect of a Mental Health Psychosocial Education Vignette on Stigma Toward Persons with Schizophrenia and Depression, lainie krumenacker
Effects of Self-Efficacy and Motivation on Self-Disclosure Through Artwork, Abigail Emerson and Patrick Cushen
Stress Management for the CTE Teacher, Lauren E. Ervin and Kemaly Parr Dr.
Sleep Quality in Young Adults, Christina Harper and Tracey McCue
Physicochemical properties of urethane-containing imidazolium ionic liquids from a non-isocyanate synthetic approach, George Timmermann, Pierson Perdue, and Kevin Miller
Engineering Technology Undergraduates Assisting PhD Research through Automation, Jake Hildebrant, Clay Goodman, Boaz Burnett, and Lee Hobdy
Comparison of CBD Oil and Water-Soluble CBD in Canine Patients with Osteoarthritis, Sadie Sims
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2021
Race/Ethnicity and Mental Health Treatment, Jasmine Maxwell
The Role of Behavioral Flexibility in the Relation Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Intimate Speaker-Listener Behavior, Jessica Criddle, Thomas B. Sease, and Esther Malm
Creating Green Spaces To Conserve Beneficial Urban Arthropods, Brendon Lawrence
Dual-ionic liquid functionalized cellulosic materials: Thermal, mechanical and conductive properties, Elizabeth McGrew, Gracie Eicher, and Kevin M. Miller
Health in University Students, Jessica M Criddle
Including All Abilities from the Start, Paige Small
Wastewater-based epidemiological determination of drugs discharged at the rest areas and truck servicing facilities during federal holidays in the U.S., Andrew Windhorst and Bikram Subedi
Uncharted Territory: Researching the Effect of Implicit Bias on the Political Attitudes of Blacks, Briona V. Young Ms.
List the title: Uncharted Territory: Researching the Effect of Implicit Bias on the Political Attitudes of Blacks Participants, Briona V. Young and Brittany Wood
Elevated Community Anxiety During COVID-19 Pandemic Based on the Quantified Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Wastewater, Isaac Bowers and Bikram Subedi
Amplifying the "A" in STEAM Education, Grace Floerke
Significant Spike on Syringe Use and the Drug Consumption During COVID-19 Pandemic, Houston Hampton
Trends in drug consumption during COVID-19 pandemic using wastewater-based epidemiology, Alexander Brent Montgomery
The Effect of Content Polarization on Readers’ Perceived Empowerment and Subscription Intentions, Dustin R. Wilcox and Ismail Karabas
Adaptive Plasticity of Coloration in Response to Environmental Change, Karissa Coffield
Adaptive Plasticity of Coloration in Response to Environmental Change, Karissa Coffield
Does Climate Change Promote Cannibalism?, Melissa Ocampo and Howard Whiteman
Influence of cannibalism on Arizona tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum) stress physiology, Megan Zerger, Kelsey E. Reider PhD, Andrea K. Darracq PhD, and Howard H. Whiteman PhD
Hydroponics at MSU Greenhouse, Brendon John Schettler
Do Corticosterone Levels Vary Among Amphibians in Western KY Wetlands?, Andrew W. Sisson, Jessica Moon PhD, and Andrea Darracq PhD
Evaluating Population-Level Variation in the Landscape of Fear, Jordan Tandy and Howard Whiteman
The Effect of Profanity and Quality on Perceived Review Helpfulness and Purchase Intentions, Dustin R. Wilcox and Ismail Karabas
A Trial of a Digital Daily Valuing Exercise on Participant Chosen Values and Valued Behaviors., Jessica Criddle
The Effect of Profanity and Quality on Perceived Review Helpfulness and Purchase Intentions, Dustin R. Wilcox
Mental Health Stigma Across Cultures, Emma Atchison
Predictors of Psychological Distress among U.S. College Students, Mandi Clark and Yuliya Phillips
Topics needing more attention in Premarital Counseling, Leah Harley, Jasmine Neal, Yuliya Phillips, and Esther Malm
Kinesiotape Application to Equine Hock Joints: Impact on Lameness and Movement Evaluation, Kiara Jones
Ag in the Classroom: Using Mobile Growlabs to Increase Food Awareness and Ag Literacy in Elementary Classrooms, Cassity Mitchell and Alyx Shultz
Have Some Perspective: A Correlational Investigation of Empathy, Thinking Patterns, and Sociopolitical Ideology, Tyler J. Robinson
Balloon Satellite Technology and Payload Design, Matthew Smith and Rudy Ottway
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2020
Understanding Resilience and Protective Factors among Released Offenders, VanKe'via Garner
Analyzing Post-fledging Movements, Survival, and Space Use of First-year Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) in Kentucky, Philip W. Kavouriaris, Andrea K. Darracq, and Matthew T. Springer
TBRI for Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers, McKenna Moffitt
Acculturation and Adaptation to COVID-19, Bailey Dodd and Esther Malm
Continuing impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on collegiate equestrian student engagement and moral, Travis Fortune
Consumer Perceptions of Social Media Stars and Celebrity Influencers: The Moderating Role of Product Type, Mackenzie Perry
Be Gentle with Yourself: The Impact of Self-Compassion on Fear of Evaluation in Social Anxiety, Brooke Short
Self-Compassion, Anticipatory Anxiety, and Fear of Evaluation in Social Anxiety, Brooke Short
Standardized Oral Care Regimen, Abigail Breite
Regulatory Focus Theory and experiential avoidance: Examining relationships between focus strategies, treatment attitudes, and values, Morgan Brewington
Evaluating the Impact of Rhizomicrobes Application on CBD Hemp and Soil: First Year Study, Alexandria Riddle, Iin Handayani, and Mallorie Snider
Bookbinding for Puerto Rico: Culture, Food, Folklore, Savannah Jane Walton, Cameron Daryl Savage, Norma Luann Colby Ms., Sarah Catherine Cox Ms., Roby Joe Blackwell Mr., Malcom Mathison Fife Mr., Ashley Nicole Shell Ms., and Autumn Taylor Brown
The Role and Effect of Instagram Advertising on Young Women in Saudi Arabia, Al-hnouf Al-harbi
Microgreen Student Research, Zach Phelps
Interactive Addressing of Body Image Insecurity in Adolescent Females, Haylee Cox
Searching for evidence of a global catastrophe in the East African Rift Basin: Did the Toba supereruption alter paleoflora at Gona, Ethiopia?, Kevin K. Takashita-Bynum and Gary E. Stinchcomb
Site Formation Processes of the Yaalu Archaeological Site during a Period of Anatomically Modern Human Migration, Marie N. White and Gary E. Stinchcomb
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2019
Dirofilaria immitis Prevalence in Canis latrans in Kentucky, Melanie Brandon
21st Century Warm-ups: Beginning Lessons with Engagement, Kendyl Suess and Miguel Gomez
Sport and perspective taking, Hillary Copeland
Presentations: Language and Culture, Rakhshanda Sartaj
Perceptions of Adult-Sex Industry 2019, Jessica Hodges
Pornography and Casual Sex, Tully Pritchett
Expecting to be poor: economic threat, desperation, and spending behaviors., Ashley-Lauren Barrett and Jana Hackathorn
Is sexism taking on new forms in movies? An ambivalent sexism perspective, Morgan Brewington
Pharmacokinetics of a single feeding of pelleted cannabidiol in horses, Anna Collins, Shea Porr, and Amanda J. Davis
Gender and Representation: Economic Performance and the Emergence of Women in State Politics, Chris Jackson
Consumer Attitude toward Foundations and Corporate Company Partnerships, Amanda Swift and Ismail Karabas
Consumer Response to Foundations and Firms When Firms Own or Sponsor a Foundation, Amanda Swift and Ismail Karabas
I’ll Have What He’s Having: Acceptability of Mate-Poaching Behaviors, Eileen Tam
Life Without Borders: Adapting Communication to Transcend the Permeable Boundaries Surrounding the Roles of a Graduate Student, Ryan Goke, Rebekah M. Thomas, and Logan Copeland
Building a Responsive Transparency for Diversity and Equity in the College Classroom, Kevin Shields
LADDER: A Multimodal Composing Task For Second Language Classrooms, Yiding Zhao
Assessing the Influence of Telecommunication Towers on Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Nesting Productivity and Behaviors in Western Kentucky, Gage Barnes and Andrea K. Darracq
Whose Anxiety Is It Anyway? Helping Students Overcome the Crisis of Communication Apprehension in the Classroom, Ryan Goke and Emeline Hecht
An Examination of Middle Formative through Early Classic Ceramic Attributes from Stratified Contexts at Matacanela, Veracruz, Kevin William Wann and Lacy Ernestine Risner
Assessing the Influence of Telecommunication Towers on Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Nesting and Behaviors in Western Kentucky, Gage Barnes, John Hewlett, and Andrea Darracq
Students Attitude toward Using Facebook for Enhancing Writing Skill, Naser Maliar
Evaluating Soil Organic Matter Pools and Earthworm Counts in Response to Land Restoration, Mackenzie Hoffman
Reassessing Postclassic Settlement Data from the Cerro el Vigia Hinterland of Tres Zapotes, Veracruz, Matthew Meyer and Marcie L. Venter
Prevalence of Synthetic Opioids, Cathinones, and Cannabinoids in Four U.S. Communities, Catherine O'Rourke and Bikram Subedi
Arduino Digital Synthesizer, James Paschall
Hutson School of Ag and Nutrition Department Homegrown Ingredients Collaboration, Brandt James Ramsey
Evidence of Late Pleistocene and Holocene paleo-Critical Zones at Gona, Ethiopia, Marie White, Kevin K. Takashita-Bynum, Gary E. Stinchcomb, Jay Quade, Naomi Levin, Nels Iverson, Nelia Dunbar, William McIntosh, Lee Arnold, Mathieu Duval, Mike Rogers, and Sileshi Semaw
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2018
Display Behavior in Male Siamese Fighting Fish in the Presence and Absence of a Female, Alyssa J. Allen
“A Nostro Modo”: Transnational Influences of Early Jesuit Scholars and Explorers in the New World, Lydia K. Biggs Ms.
Underwater Archaeology of Bluefields Bay Jamaica, Lacy Risner and Kevin Wann
Overly Casual Emails in the Workplace, Emeline Hecht and Geoffrey Luurs
Picture Word Induction Model (PWIM): Come and Learn about this Picture-Perfect Strategy!, Tiffany Kunik and Savana Jones
Technological Media and Human Behavior, Veronica Ruby
Losing My Religion: Examining the Effects of Religion and Mortality Salience, Thomas DeRossett and Tommy DeRossett
We Can Be Teachers Too: Empowering Students with Disabilities to Create Their Own River of Dreams., Clare Curran, Leigh Anne Pool, Grace Conrad, and Cindy Clemson
Two, Four, Six, Eight, How Many Ingredients Do You Appreciate? An Exploration of Cocktail Ingredients, Hannah Daab, Sarah Lefebvre, and Marissa Orlowski
Twin Teachers: Breaking Down Barriers between High School and College Instructors Through Individual Connections (working title), Zachary Garrett
Reducing the Impact of Early Childhood Stressors on Problem Behaviors, Kyler Joachim and Dr. Esther K. Malm
Horse Care and Management in Horse Clubs in China, Zhen Li and Shea Porr
Past as Future/Past Rhetorics as Repurposing., Virginia Sisemore and Paul Walker
The persistence of salt-affected paleosols at Gona, Ethiopia: A sedimentary archive of Middle to Late Pleistocene soil salinity within a corridor of early human migration, Kevin K. Takashita-Bynum, Gary Stinchcomb, Naomi E. Levin, Jay Quade, Nels Iverson, William C. McIntosh, Nelia Dunbar, Lee Arnold, Mathieu Duval, Michael Rogers, and Sileshi Semaw
Exploring the impacts of past environments and climates on the initial dispersal of humans out of Africa, Kevin Takashita-Bynum and Gary Stinchcomb
Physical and chemical analysis of paleosols before, during and after periods of Anatomically Modern Human migration at Gona, Ethiopia, Kevin Takashita-Bynum, Gary Stinchcomb, Marie N. White, Steven G. Driese, Steve Dworkin, Naomi E. Levin, Jay Quade, Nels Iverson, William C. McIntosh, Nelia Dunbar, Lee Arnold, Mathieu Duval, Margaret E. Peck, Michael Rogers, and Sileshi Semaw
Evaluating the effects of handmade cards on hospitalized patient's health, Abigail Prins and Dina Byers
Online Dictionaries in ESL/EFL Education: Three Guidelines for Literacy Tasks, Liliia Shaekhova, Christopher W. Buck, Naser Maliar, and JiaJia Li
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2017
Murray State University Mock Trial Tournament, Kelsey Yates
Culture in Chaos: Kyoto in the Warring States Period, Benjamin James Ashby
Improving the Recyclability of PET-PE Mixed Waste Streams, Abigail Bratton
Occurrence of parasites and zoonotic diseases in feral and privately-owned cats in Murray KY, Nicole A. Creeden
Research Strategies: Why, What, Where, and When, bailey green, MacKenzie Meyers, Whitney Ellington, Mason Robinson, and Christina Grant
Research-Based Reading Strategies: Why, What, Where, When?, Whitney Kilcoyne, Morgan Mayer, Mason Robinson, Bailey Green, and Christina Grant
Imperial Anglicanism in Colonial America, Jack Lee
Research-Based Reading Strategies: Why, What, Where, When?, Morgan Mayer, Bailey Green, Mason Robinson, Christina Grant, and Whitney Kilcoyne
Research Stategies: What, Where, When, How, Mason Robinson, Morgan Mayer, bailey green, Whitney Kilcoyne, and Christina E. Grant
Evaluating the Impact of Continuous Grazing in Pastures on Soil Quality in Central and Western Kentucky, Emily Cook
Political Affiliation and Attitudes, Jessica Hodges and Jana Hackathorn
The Impacts of Short-Term Agricultural Study Abroad Programs, Anthony G. Bittel III
A Graphical Game, Southwesterly Snakes, Emily Hoard
Student Engagement and the Reading Classroom, Elizabeth Hunter
Utilizing Municipal Compost and Equine Stall Waste as Potential Economic Alternatives in an In-Ground Pot-in-Pot Production System, Ashley H. Robert and Alyx Shultz
Redistributive Market Changes that May Arise if a Big Four Accounting Firm Fails, Charles Graves, Elizabeth Donovan, Amanda Grossman, and Daniel Harris
DEOMI Organization Climate Survey: An Assessment of Locally Developed Questions, David I. Crittendon
Impact of Family Structure on Economic Activity during the Early Modern Period in England and Scotland, Chloe Chaplin and Kathy Callahan Dr.
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2016
Transforming Students' Sense of Entitlement Through Engaging Curriculum, Kalyn Niehoff and Miguel Gomez
Financial Aid as a Recruitment Tool for Transfer Students, Megan Gullett
Comparing inner ear morphologies of globicephaline (Odontoceti: Delphinidae: Globicephalinae) dolphins, Abigail Glass, Rachel Ann Racicot, Simon Darroch, and Michelle Casey
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2015
Transnational Influences of Early Jesuit Scholars and Explorers in the New World From 1560-1700, Lydia K. Biggs Ms.
Miscanthus and hemp as alternative bedding material for horses, Jamie Wolfzorn, Shea Porr, Danielle Harding, Amanda Davis, and Michelle Santiago
Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2014
The Imperial Legacy: An Investigation of the Connective Trends of Empire and Genocide in Modern German History, Laura Guebert