AWARDS

Each year, the awards structure of the symposium is determined by the faculty planning committee. Changes do occur from year to year based on faculty preferences and student feedback. The evaluation criteria are available: 2026 Winchell Symposium: Oral Presentation Judge Feedback and 2026 Winchell Symposium: Poster Presentation Judge Feedback.

2026 Judges’ Choice Awards

Oral Presentations

DECREASING CK2 ACTIVITY WITH COPPER CHELATORS TO SUPPRESS PDL-1 EXPRESSION ON AN in vitro MODEL OF OSTEOSARCOMA
Jose D. Corvera Garcia and Megan A. Girtman (Advisor)
Department of Biology, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

EFFECTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC STRUCTURES ON GRAY WOLF (Canis lupus) MOVEMENTS ON THE FOND DU LAC RESERVATION
Grace K. Lavan (Department of Biology, University of Minnesota - Duluth) and Mike W. Schrage (Advisor, Fond du Lac Resource Management Division)

SYNTHESIS OF A NOVEL SPIROCYCLIC AMINE OXAZOLIDINONE ANTIBIOTIC
Cole J. Armstrong and J. Thomas Ippoliti (Advisor)
Department of Chemistry, University of St. Thomas

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PHASES OF THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO RESPIRATORY PATHOGEN INFECTION
Felicity R. Emmerich and Nathan R. Steffens (Advisor)
Department of Biology, Saint Ambrose University

TBX2 EXPRESSION HAS NO INFLUENCE ON THE RESPONSE OF SKBR3 CELLS BUT SENSITIZES ZR-75-1 CELLS TO HERCEPTIN
Madison R. Wall and Matthew Rowley (Advisor)
Department of Biology, St. Mary’s University of Minnesota

Poster Presentations

ADVANCING STANDARDIZATION OF THE EX-OVO PLATFORM: POLYETHETHYLENE (PE) FABRICATION TECHNIQUES SUGGUEST VACUUM STRETCHING OUTPERFORMS ALTERNATIVE STRETCHING METHODS
Kueh Lay, Zoe D'Alessandro, Jordan Vang, and Mong-Lin Yang (Advisor) 
Department of Science, Concordia University - St. Paul

EVALUATING DIFFERENCES IN ENZYME SPECIFICITY BETWEEN TWO PREDICTED X-PROLYL DIPEPTIDYL PEPTIDASES IN Streptococcus gordonii
Mia I. Evans and Brittany L. Nairn (Advisor)
Department of Biological Sciences, Bethel University

EXPLORING MACROPHAGE-LAMININ INTERACTIONS IN MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY-ASSOCIATED CARDIAC FIBROSIS
Maleah J. Anderson and Jackie Towner (Advisor)
Department of Biology, Bethel University

SYNTHESIS OF EPOXIDE DERIVED OXAZOLIDINONES
Adam E Nitsch and J. Thomas Ippoliti PhD (Advisor) 
Department of Chemistry, University of St. Thomas

COMPARISON OF ORNT1 EXPRESSION IN FIBROLAMELLAR HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA VERSUS REGULAR TISSUE
Ashlyn G Callison, Jenna M Hamann, Logan C Studer, Rebecca A Gustafson, and Mong-Lin Yang (Advisor)
Department of Biology, Concordia University St. Paul

MUSCLES OF THE PELVIC SUCTION DISCS OF WATERFALL-CLIMBING GOBIES, Stiphodon spp.: FUNCTIONAL MORPHOLOGY FOR CONTROLLED ADHESION
Mina M. Shionoya and Takashi Maie (Advisor)
Department of Biology, St. Olaf College

BAVACHIN INHIBITS CELL VIABILITY AND MIGRATION IN HUMAN PANCREATIC CANCER CELLS
Caleb T. Cross, Rentse G. De Jong, Sunny P. Horner, Jordan L. Johnston, and Cole D. Davidson (Advisor)
Department of Biology, Wartburg College

FROM PHENOTYPE TO FUNCTION: IDENTIFICATION OF ANTIFUNGAL RESISTANCE MECHANISMS IN ENVIRONMENTAL YEAST ISOLATES
Rachel E. Andrews and Dana A. Davis (Advisor)
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

INVESTIGATING A NOVEL DELETION IN THE MANNITOL OPERON OF Staphylococcus aureus ISOLATED FROM THE ANTERIOR NARES
Mia C. Lawrence, Amanda J. Brosnahan (Advisor), and Taylor J. Mach (Advisor)
Department of Science, Concordia University St. Paul

SURFACE MICROSTRUCTURES OF THE RETICULATED HILLSTREAM LOACH, Sewellia lineolata: FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS FOR FEEDING AND LOCOMOTION
Riley R. Swinton and Takashi Maie (Advisor)
Department of Biology, St. Olaf College

SYNTHESIS OF PHOTOLUMINESCENT ZN COMPLEXES VIA MECHANOCHEMISTRY AND SOLUTION METHODS: UNEXPECTED PRODUCT OUTCOMES
Porkim Minh and Daron E. Janzen (Advisor)
Department of Chemistry, St. Catherine University

METHOD DEVELOPMENT FOR YEAST LIPIDOMICS USING LCMS/MS
Jetzabeth Hernandez Julio, Katie Chai-Mulkerin, and Sydney C. Povilaitis (advisor)
Department of Chemistry, Hamline University

OUT OF CLASS ENGAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN AN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY COURSE
Alina A. Maca, Lluvia S. Garcia, and Justin W. Rice (Advisor)
Department of Biology, St. Ambrose University

JAPANESE BARBERRY (Berberis thunbergii) PATTERNS IN RELATION TO LAND USE AND BLACK WALNUT (Juglans nigra)  IN NORTHEAST  IOWA WOODLANDS
Bao D. Nguyen, Timothy A. Munce, and Eric J. Baack (Advisor)
Department of Biology, Luther College

VIBRATIONAL RAMAN OPTICAL ACTIVITY OF β-LACTONES COMPUTED WITH COUPLED CLUSTER THEORY
Mya S. Pederson (Department of Chemistry, Bethel University), Rollin A. King (Advisor, Department of Chemistry, Bethel University), and T. Daniel Crawford (Advisor, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech)