Student research to be showcased at Regionals at the Rotunda
Research by 10 Indiana University Kokomo students will be showcased at the Indiana Statehouse Wednesday, February 18, at IU’s Regionals at the Rotunda.
The event celebrates undergraduate research and the faculty members who support those efforts at IU Kokomo, IU East, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. It also demonstrates how regional campus students are emerging as scholars and addressing the interests and needs of their regions, the state, and the country.
Regionals at the Rotunda will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Indiana Statehouse, 200 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis. The event is free and open to the public.
IU Kokomo’s representatives include:
- Koby Goodwin and Elisabeth Pennington, Tiny Tech on Wings: Tracking Butterfly Movement with Solar- Powered Transmitters. Goodwin is a senior from Kokomo, majoring in biology. Pennington is a senior from Galveston, majoring in biology. Their faculty research mentor was Lina Rifai, associate professor of vertebrate biology.
- Zavier Doll, Grave Conversations. Doll is a senior from Kokomo, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of General Studies. His research faculty mentor was Aaron Pickens, associate professor of fine arts and new media.
- Jackson McCullough, Skyshield: Game-Theoretic Solutions to Autonomous Drones. McCullough is a junior from Arcadia, majoring in computer science. His faculty mentor was Aakif Mairaj, assistant professor of computer science.
- Natalie Hall, Roots: How Pentecostalism in Indianapolis Helped Shape Desegregation Efforts. Hall is a senior from Carmel, majoring in history and political science. Her faculty mentor was Peter Sposato, professor of history.
- Haley Roberts, Exploring Public Perceptions and Moral Beliefs about Medical Aid in Dying, a Quantitative Study. Hall is a senior from Kokomo, majoring in sociology and psychology. Her faculty mentor was Stephanie Medley-Rath, professor of sociology.
- Gracie McClain and Haley McDaniel, Metalworking Fluids Microbiology: A Metagenomic Analysis and Mycobacterial Growth Assessment. McClain, from Greentown, graduated in December 2025 with a degree in biological and physical sciences. McDaniel, from Kokomo, is a senior majoring in biological and physical sciences. Their faculty mentor was Christian Chauret, professor of microbiology.
- Dalen Bushong, Biodegradation of Nylon-11 though Bacterial Enzymatic Cleavage. Bushong, from Wabash, is a junior majoring in biochemistry. His faculty mentor was Hisako Masuda, professor of microbiology.
- Sydney Duncan, A Survey on Dietary Supplement Use and Recovery Practices Among Collegiate Student Athletes. Duncan is a junior health sciences major from Anderson. Her faculty mentors were Huiying Zhu, assistant professor of health sciences, and Kim Mossburg, senior lecturer in health sciences.
- Hannah Becker, a senior secondary education major from Auburn, received one of four honorable mentions statewide for Dialogic Reading Sweeping Indiana. Christina Romero, associate professor of education, was her faculty mentor.
Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.