Foreword

Magesh T. Rajan

Vice President for Research & Innovation mtrajan@pvamu.edu Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Research is fundamentally a pursuit into the unknown, intending to understand all that surrounds us. Passion, hard work, and persistence are required to accomplish this. However, the truly extraordinary thing about scientific research is that anyone who has these qualities can aid progress in pushing the boundaries of the collective knowledge of humanity.

At Prairie View A&M University, with the support of President Ruth Simmons, the Division of Research & Innovation is committed to fostering a community to help emerging undergraduate, and graduate researchers flourish early in their academic career. This initiative provides professional mentorship and multiple research opportunities. I am delighted to share a few words about the student researchers and their research work featured in this booklet. These undergraduate students exemplify all that Prairie View A&M University has stood for over the past 140 years. Many of these students, especially the graduating seniors, have demonstrated significant resilience to complete their research even during times of disruptions and uncertainties. They faced the social unrest caused by the death of PVAMU alumna Sandra Bland in 2015, the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and finally the global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. These student researchers persisted, and that is what we Panthers do!

The many hours of physical, mental, and emotional work that goes into the completion of the research projects and scholarly dissemination from the student researchers and the faculty mentors are something we at PVAMU sincerely appreciate and understand. The continued growth of student researchers at PVAMU humbles and motivates us. This year we are pleased to announce that

over 187 students submitted abstracts for the Annual Student Research Week Symposium. The undergraduate research assistants supported by Research and Innovation (R&I) and the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), worked closely with their faculty mentors to experience the rigorous research and dissemination process. This booklet represents the research outcomes of our undergraduate student researchers.

With the guidance of their faculty mentors, these students learned firsthand the skills and dedication required to conduct cutting edge experiments, whether in a laboratory or in the field. They learned the importance of research dissemination that contributes to the global body of work in their disciplines. This wealth of knowledge, training, and experience has established a strong foundation and positioned them for a successful career.

When we look back at all we have accomplished, we are truly thankful to all of the student researchers, faculty mentors, symposium organizers, reviewers, and editors. I commend all those who worked tirelessly with the students, knowing that their contributions of time and effort could result in a student choosing to pursue graduate studies and, more specifically, a research-oriented career. I am most proud of the students who learned that life is not always perfect, but yet we must continue. They persisted through the journey of research and discovery, and they confidently stood ready to present their research at the Student Research Symposium, even at the time of a global pandemic. That is what we Panthers do!

Magesh T. Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA.

Vice President for Research & Innovation

Grace T. Abolaji Manager, Undergraduate Research gtabolaji@pvamu.edu

The Office of Undergraduate Research acknowledges dedication and commitment of the faculty and researchers who provided mentorship for students during this process. We are grateful for the leadership, guidance and support provided by the Vice President for Research and Innovation (R&I), Dr. Magesh Rajan. With the support of R&I, we continue to promote the faculty/staff-mentored undergraduate research programs. We appreciate the staff of R&I for the assistance provided to support the activities of the OUR. Special thanks go to the Graduate Assistants Ifeayin Arinze and Judith Godfrey for the compilation, editing, and organization of the research report .

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) promotes PVAMU campus-wide faculty-mentored undergraduate research. The OUR mission is to advance student research capability and excellence through faculty mentoring and engaging students in interdisciplinary collaborative research and associated activities with the support of internal and external funding.

We are committed to providing both internal and external research and funding opportunities. We have hosted a number of events as a means of recruiting students to become engaged in research and to connect them with faculty mentors. We believe that when students learn early the joys of discovery new and innovative research, they are encouraged to pursue graduate studies and continue the journey of discovery.

This group of OUR students have had the opportunity to represent Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) at a symposiums and conferences, and they have overcome adversity to ensure that their hard work is represented here in this report. It is an honor to present the research of the PVAMU students.

Grace T. Abolaji, Ph.D.

Manager, Undergraduate Research