There are 13 Oglethorpe University students who have received funding from Oglethorpe’s Student Research Development Fund, administered by the Philip Weltner Library, to support their undergraduate research.
Students can apply annually for funding to help with costs incurred while conducting or presenting research. Funds may be used for attending conferences, research-related equipment, and project and logistical expenses.
Applications were evaluated by a committee that included Dr. Sarah Terry, Dr. Lea Alford, Dr. Seema Shrikhande and Evie Wang.
The Student Research Development Fund has awarded nearly 100 stipends since 2016. In past years, students have used the funding within a wide range of disciplines, including biology, art history, English, chemistry, linguistics, mathematics, psychology, sociology, theatre and philosophy.
This year, nine students students received grants for travel expenses to attend and present their research at the 2026 Southeastern Psychological Association conference in New Orleans, LA, in March. These students will present on a range of research topics, including the persuasive effects of artificial intelligence in advertising; the relationship between “perfectionism” and academic performance; the mental health toll of social media use; and more.
These students are conducting undergraduate research under the mentorship of Dr. Leah Zinner, Dr. Brooke Bays, Dr. Lisa Hayes and Dr. Justin Wise.
Mergenie Fleurimond ’26, psychology
Faria Chowdhury ’27, psychology
Isabella Rich ’26, psychology
Madison Williams ’26, psychology
Sophia Savage ’27, psychology
Oliver Slappy ’26, psychology
Ava Foster ’26, psychology
Darmaris Ceron ’26, psychology
Cynthia Tinschmidt Leal ’27, psychology
Tulio Zea ’26, psychology
Chemistry student Jenny Lin ’26 will use her award to cover the expense of registration for the Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference, which she attended earlier this month, and the 2026 American Chemical Society meeting, which will be held in Atlanta in March. Lin’s research seeks to understand the varying antibiotic absorption levels of marine pollutants, which pose increasing danger to aquatic life.
Another chemistry student, Harlow Creggar ’26, will use his award to cover the travel expenses for presenting his research at the Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Orlando earlier this year. Creggar’s research explores the viability of different coatings on pieces of technology affecting their efficiency, stability and power.
Medical illustration student Isabella Kite-Powell ’25, will use her award for a unique independent study: a comprehensive technical illustration and informational display of “Bessie the Autoclave,” a historical — and cherished — sterilization machine.
“My role would be to thoroughly research it, illustrate a detailed diagram explaining how it functions, and writing a description explaining its history and purpose,” said Kite-Powell in her application. “This all would then be displayed next to the autoclave and become an ‘exhibit’ which I would help create in collaboration with faculty and staff.”
