小优视频

Three University of Tampa students traveled to the Florida听Capitol on Tuesday to present their research at an event organized by the听.听

The event is held every听other year听to听create state-level awareness of the research undergraduate students are听working on听across Florida. More than 40 presenters听showcased听their research.

Andrea Cifelli听鈥�26,听psychology;听Caroline Evans听鈥�26, chemistry;听and Liza Walker听鈥�28,听marine science-biology,听were听the听小优视频ampa听students听at the event.听The three are a part of a group of听43听students who received grants from the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry to pursue their selected topic. They were chosen听by听a faculty committee to travel to Tallahassee to present their posters.

Cifelli is studying self-kindness as a protective factor against mental illness stigma.听Evans is looking into the incorporation of听oxygen via听photocatalyzed听disproportionation.听Walker鈥檚 research is on the听identification and description of a parasitic trematode worm recently recovered from Tampa Bay fish hosts.

Cifelli described the opportunity to present at the Capitol as a 鈥渦nique experience鈥澨齯nlike other research conferences.听She was inspired to apply, in part, by听first听lady听Casey听Desantis鈥� resiliency initiatives.听The parallel, Cifelli said, shows that self-compassion goes听hand-in-hand听with boosting psychological resilience.听

鈥淪eeing she was taking initiative to use that kind of preventative skill-based knowledge as a means to improve听kids鈥櫶齧ental health and quality of life made me feel super empowered,鈥� she said.听

Walker, too, spoke highly of the opportunity.

鈥淧arasitology is often overlooked by the general community because听it's听鈥榳eird鈥� or 鈥榞ross,鈥欌�� said Walker. 鈥淏eing able to guide others away from that stigma and help them see the importance of my work was an eye-opening experience.鈥�

David Reamer, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry听said,听鈥淎ll research has public implications, but it鈥檚 important to be able to talk to laypeople about why your work matters.鈥�