Wickie Awards

Outstanding Presentation

• Gold: Taking down a Dictator: Venezuela by Riley Johnson (POSC 490, Paige Tan, Ph.D.)
• Silver: The Threat of AI to Literary and Artistic Professions – Ryan Young, Fletcher Mutert (INST 490, Tay Keong Tan, Ph.D.)
• Bronze: How might we improve the parking experience at Radford University to reduce congestion, increase convenience, and ensure fair access for all students, faculty, and visitors by Dylan Dampeer, Ethan Sherman, Cate Carlson, Sam Capps (MKTG 101, Luke Liska, Ph.D.)

Distinguished Research

• Gold: Economic Empires: How the United States Can Handle Chinese Technological Advancements in the Race for Economic Dominance by Jalyn Waller, Jonas Miller (POSC 350, Paige Tan, Ph.D.)
• Silver: Reforming a Dictatorship: Singapore’s One-Party State by Rose Guillaume (POSC 490, Paige Tan, Ph.D.)
• Bronze: AI Companions and their Impact on Teens and Minors – Sophie Crawford, Sarah Showalter (POSC 410, Tay Keong Tan, Ph.D.)

Impactful Solution

• Gold: How to Feed AI: An Energy Crisis for the Future by Benjamin Goldfeder (ECON 340, Professor Jennifer Elias)
• Silver: Proposal for a Sustainable Food Culture on Campus by Kendall Kennedy, Brenna Cooper, Abigail Dillon, Isaiah Kigwe, Ellie Mathenia, Lily McConkey, Kylie Minter, Kathryn Saunders, Mikayla St. Sing, Olivia Stroud (HONORS 310, Laird Christensen, Ph.D.)
• Bronze: Child Trafficking – Kennedy Cole, Jenna Slepetz (POSC 410, Tay  Keong Tan, Ph.D.)

Rising Star

• Gold: Filling the Plate: Eco or Ego: Understanding the Impact of Greenwashing by Alexandra Barragan (PHIL 115, Katy Shepard, Ph.D.)
• Silver: ClearMind: Ending Hazing Together by Tomas Rivera, Liliana Cordero, and Sarah Seagraves for the Rising Star Award (POSC 180, Chapman Rackaway, Ph.D.)
• Bronze: How might we reduce coral reef pollution by Abigail Harrington, Sierra Spencer, Mackenzie Richardson (MKTG 101, Luke Liska, Ph.D.)

Outstanding Presentation

• Gold: 5-3 A Game of Chance: The Contexts Surrounding Impoverished Hispanic Immigrants in Virginia by Jojo Turcios, Taylor Allen, Jan Diaz, Lily McConkey (faculty mentor: Steve Fesmire)
• Silver: 5-47 Virginians over Money: Virginia’s Corruption in Politics and How It Takes the Voice of the People and Elected Officials Away by Riley Johnson, Jack Tull, Michael Kautzmann (Paige Tan)
• Bronze: 5-44 Stirrup the Silence: Investigating Invasive Feminine Procedures by Evergreene Dietz, Kaley Hagan, Emma Snead (Jessica Mattox)

Distinguished Research

• Gold: 6-27 Sexual Violence in the Military by Jonas Miller, Danae Bowyer, Jack Braun (faculty mentor: Tay Keong  Tan)
• Silver: 6-63 The Dark Net: Ungoverned Platform for Illicit Content, Trafficking, and Terrorist Financing by Mel Cornils, Paige Olson (Tay Keong Tan)
• Bronze: 5-78 Fool Me Twice: The Internet and Elder Fraud by Owen Saunders (Dai Zehui)
• Honorable Mention: 6-55 Are You Ever Truly Alone: Lack of Privacy in an AI Dominated World by Sean Anderson, Barrick Mogel, Ebenezer Morkeh, Abby Sikora (Meg Konkel)

Impactful Solution

• Gold: 5-14 Factory Farming: The Globalization of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations by Zora Comer, Erin Torres (faculty mentor: Tay Keong Tan)
• Silver: 6-36 Ultra-Processed Foods that Kill People and Destroy the Planet by Katherine Falvey, Abigail Stuckey, Camren Carter (Tay Keong Tan)
• Bronze: 5-48 Cleaner Currents: Limiting Pollution in the New River by Luke Harrison, Alex Resnick, Caden Berg (Jessica Mattox)
  

Rising Star

• Gold: 6-34 How might we help pet owners better afford their pets by Isabella Lopez, Emily O'Quinn, Thomason Liles, Alexis Thornton, Isabelah Cauley (faculty mentor: Luke Liska)
• Silver: 6-40 Bridging the Gap: Addressing the Teacher Shortage Crisis by Ilianna Pena, Shelby Beverly (Joe Wirgau)
• Bronze: 6-60 How might people protect themselves from AI by Megan Cash, Tony Hall, Sean Milshteen, Morgan Jessie (Luke Liska)

Rising Star

• Gold 1-18 Finding the Balance: Sustainability vs Mass Production of Cereal Crops as Biofuels by Danielle Cook, Natalie Jimenez, Allison Owens, Ava Tuell (Dr. Christine Small and Dr. Amanda Raimer)
• Silver 2-9 Reshaping Congress by Evan Harless, Christian Housh, Sarah Showalter (Dr. Allyson Yankle)
• Bronze 2-47 Automatic Registration in the U.S. by Thea Bayse, Za’vionna Green, A’mya Holland (Dr. Allyson Yankle)

Outstanding Presentation

• Gold 1-2 Humanitarian Aid in Ukraine by Becca Holcombe and Riley Petroski (Dr. Paige Tan)
• Silver 2-37 Eyewitness Testimony; Testing Memory by EJ Auvil (Dr. Katy Shepard)
• Bronze 1-46 Emerging Impact of Space Tourism by Sydney Brummitt and Sam Morgan (Dr. Tay Keong Tan)

Distinguished Research

• Gold 2-43 Rise of White Nationalism by I’yonah Cartwright (Dr. Tay Keong Tan)
• Silver 1-33 Solar Eruptions by Brandon Englen and Samantha McKnight (Dr. Tay Keong Tan)
• Bronze 1-37 Self-Driving Cars by Emma Smith, Zach Hupman, Marcayla McWhorter, Bianca Eze (Dr. Laurie Cubbison)

Impactful Solution

• Gold 1-53 Killer Asteroids Earthbound by Kaylee Tieche and Merca Shelton (Dr. Tay Keong Tan)
• Silver 2-40 Transnational Repression by Caroline Sapp (Dr. Tay Keong Tan)
• Bronze Not awarded

Outstanding Presentation

Judges: Professor Susan Sheridan Smith, student Rafael Parra, alum Caitlyn Scaggs

• Gold 1-6 How the US Can Combat the Fentanyl Crisis by Becca Holcombe, Caroline Sapp 
• Silver 1-45 Fueling the Future: A Study on Food Insecurity in Elementary-aged Children in the NRV by Kyndall Altamirano, Jae Horst, Jordyn Johnson, Kristina Milochova 
• Bronze 2-81 How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit by Celena Osorio 
• Honorable Mention 1-42. RU Wasteful? Alexa Parisi, Jonah Packer, Owen Tidd, Harleigh Britt, Cait Verdura, Jacob Gilbert 

Distinguished Research

Judges Laurie Cubbison, Ph.D., student: Keiko Klisiewecz, alum: Pattie DeLoatche 

• Gold 2-76 Deterring Chinese Aggression against Taiwan by Camilla Eggleston, Adian Lacy 
• Silver 2-16 How Might We Expand Sexual Health Education among Radford University Students to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Diseases by Alison Sayers, Denise Kackley, Emma Fleming, Jazmyne Scott, Kaitlyn O'Shaughnessy, Maddie Kayes, Michael Mitchell, Tejaeden Harrigan 
• Bronze 1-58 How Might We Bring More Awareness to Radford Students about Health Services Offered by Anna Mason, Bryan Dehoyos, Kenzie Andruss, Taylor Miller 

Impactful Solution

Judges Jack Call, Ph.D., student: Isaiah Hawkins, alum: Rick Sparks

• Gold  1-8 Ultra-Processed Foods by Cory Page, Cole Harrington, Evan Harless 
• Silver 2-35 Global Warming Solved the Right Way by Nick Terehoff 
• Bronze 2-21 Assisting the Homeless through Job Opportunities by Geronimo Moleno, Isabelle Mohl, Daniel Huff, Walker Bourne, Liam Valvo 

Video Awards

• Gold:  Why the Long Phase Effects of Power Distribution on Biodiversity Loss by Lily Backus, Anna Beeson 
• Silver:  Dismantling the Inequality Machine: Undergraduate Research Experiences from Start to Finish by Abbi Green, Cora Burt 

Outstanding Presentation 

• Gold: How to Democratize Belarus by Corey Burgess  (Paige Tan, Ph.D., Political Science) 
• Silver: Gaps within the American Foster Care System by Lucy Cooper, Ronnie Butler, Gabe Robertson (Chapman Rackaway, Ph.D., Political Science) 
• Bronze: Equity for Equatorial Guinea: The Importance of the Removal of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo by Riley Petroski (Paige Tan, Ph.D., Political Science) 

Distinguished Research

• Gold: Taking Down Mohammed bin Salman by Becca Holcombe, Emmie Maurer (Paige Tan, Ph.D., Political Science) 
• Silver: How Might We Control Portion Sizes? By Jasmine Blevins, Nic Cook, Carley Fagan, Isaac Morales, Evan Valdez (Jane Machin, Ph.D., Marketing) 
• Bronze: The Great Replacement and White Nationalist Violence in America by Nick Robinson, Will Avalos, Riley Petroski (Tay Keong Tan, Political Science) 

Impactful Solution

• Gold: Killer Asteroids by Levi Hylton, Jalen Booker, Rafael Parra (Tay Keong Tan, Ph.D., Political Science) 
• Silver: Massive Solar Eruptions by Kate Sutherland, Makayla Fields, Charity Wilson (Tay Keong Tan, Ph.D., Political Science) 
• Bronze: What a Waste: Food Sustainability at Radford by Annalisa Twum, Darryl Fulton, Bailey Lester, Anthony Barbarisi, Keiko Klisiewecz, Isaiah Hawkins (Steven Fesmire, Ph.D., Philosophy) 

Video Awards

• Gold: Equitable Energy by Nicholas Beach, Sara Johnson, Camden McGookin, Will Sadler (Meg Konkel, Ph.D., Design/Philosophy) 

Outstanding Presentation

• Gold: Hunter Cole and Makayla Fields, “Islamic State-Sinai,” POSC 355 Terrorism (Paige Tan, Ph.D.).  
• Silver: Rose Guillaume, Grace Herritage, Travis Giraldi, Cayden Guinther, “A World with Serial Pandemics,” INST 101 Understanding the World (Tay Keong Tan, Ph.D.)

Distinguished Research

• Gold: Madelyn Cheney, Kristen Chang, Ava Graham, Ethan Gear, “How Might We Eliminate Barriers to Homelessness Resources,” MKTG 101 Creativity and Innovation (Jane Machin, Ph.D.)
• Silver: Rose Guillaume, Grace Herritage, Travis Giraldi, Cayden Guinther, “A World with Serial Pandemics,” INST 101 Understanding the World (Tay Keong Tan, Ph.D.)

Impactful Solution

• Gold: Alex Cook, Wellington Dressler, Prophet Magee, Trey Taylor, “Is the Fentanyl Epidemic Gone Too Far?” CRJU 495 Critical Perspectives in Criminal Justice (Steve Owen, Ph.D.)
• Silver: Madelyn Cheney, Kristen Chang, Ava Graham, Ethan Gear, “How Might We Eliminate Barriers to Homelessness Resources,” MKTG 101 Creativity and Innovation (Jane Machin, Ph.D.)