Creighton student-scholars bring research to BIG EAST academic symposium
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March is heating up in the BIG EAST. As the men’s basketball team heads to New York City from March 12-15 to take on the conference’s best athletes at Madison Square Garden, scholars from BIG EAST schools will also convene in the storied arena the morning of March 15 for the BIG EAST Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium.
All 11 BIG EAST member institutions participate, with each submitting five student research posters. A panel of judges selects which research projects merit first, second and third place recognition.
Since the competition’s inception four years ago, Creighton students have showcased the University’s research prowess, consistently placing in the top three. Keely Orndorff took first place and Lauren Barbush placed third during the inaugural year. In 2023, biochemistry major Rhiannon McCracken’s poster came in third. Last year, Creighton continued its winning streak with then-senior biology major, Grace Jaworski, earning third place for her poster titled, “A Novel Interaction Between Proteins Involved in Nucleosome Assembly.”
Creighton offers extensive research opportunities to its undergraduate students, including freshmen. Open to all majors, students drive research, publish their work, present at national conferences and gain real-world experience under the mentorship of faculty who are recognized leaders in their fields of study.
This year’s BIG EAST Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium participants are:
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Liana Chinen, a biology major who will present on how the positive correlation between gait training response and improved somatosensory cortical activity in those with cerebral palsy. Max Kurz, PhD, serves as her mentor.
“I am most looking forward to sharing my research and bringing greater awareness to the needs of individuals with cerebral palsy at the BIG EAST Research Symposium in NYC. I am also excited to learn from the other undergraduates and engage with the diversity of research disciplines. There is always so much to learn at research conferences, and I can’t wait to immerse myself in the experience.”
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Senior Nathan Jobalia, a history major and biology minor with a concentration in undergraduate research and scholarship, is mentored by Jun Xia, PhD. His topic focuses on the use of whole genome sequencing to study Y chromosome loss in gastric cancers.
“I greatly appreciate that Creighton does not just focus on scientific research but includes research in the humanities, arts and business. As a history student, Creighton has also afforded me the flexibility to pursue research outside my major, particularly my interest in cancer biology. I have been able to combine my passion for history with my love of science, culminating in my recent capstone paper on bioethics, which looks at the history of science. I have been able to do all this because of Creighton’s emphasis on undergraduate research.”
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Alessandra Kakish will present her analysis of bacterial viability in the presence of glmS riboswitch ligand analog. A biochemistry major and global health equity and economics double minor, the junior is mentored by Juliane Strauss-Soukup, PhD.
“Creighton’s emphasis on undergraduate research was the driving factor that led me here. Being able to engage in research to the extent that Creighton offers was something that stood out to me in my college search. Creighton’s research environment allows for students to have close relationships with their mentors, allowing for great personal and research development.”
Creighton’s emphasis on undergraduate research was the driving factor that led me here. Being able to engage in research to the extent that Creighton offers was something that stood out to me in my college search.
— Alessandra Kakish, junior biochemistry major and global health equity and economics double minor
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Zach Onyszchuk is a senior biology major who is also earning an undergraduate certificate in business administration. He is presenting on the creation of next-generation antiseptic molecules that decompose with light. James Fletcher, PhD, is his mentor.
“Little did I know that research would be the thing that completely opened my eyes to my passion. Research was pivotal in my discernment journey and the major reason that I’ve decided to go to grad school. If you would have told my freshman self that I’d be pursuing research as a potential career path, I never would’ve believed it. But with the right time, mentors and experiences, I’ve never been more certain about what I want to pursue in my future.”
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Cleo Zagurski is a senior who is double majoring in health administration & policy and public health and minoring in biology, with a concentration in undergraduate research and scholarship. Under the mentorship of Erika Kirby, PhD, her presentation is an analysis of the gendered policies in the 108th Nebraska legislature.
“I have been able to lead multiple projects, present at more than 20 conferences and publish four articles, which may not have been possible without the emotional, financial and academic support I received at Creighton.”
I have been able to lead multiple projects, present at more than 20 conferences and publish four articles, which may not have been possible without the emotional, financial and academic support I received at Creighton.
— Cleo Zagurski, senior health administration & policy and public health double major
Nathan Jobalia performs research in the lab
