Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) honored its top student researchers during a banquet on April 23 at the Cumberland Gap Convention Center, recognizing winners of the 2025 Research Day and other student research achievements.
Hosted by LMU’s Office of Research, Grants and Sponsored Programs, the event spotlighted work across disciplines, from biological sciences to business and veterinary medicine.
“Research Day celebrates the hard work, curiosity, and academic rigor of our students,” said Executive Director Natalie Sweet. “These projects reflect LMU’s commitment to fostering inquiry and innovation.”
2025 Research Day Winners
Undergraduate Division
- Biological and Conservation Science: Stewart Thacker (mentor Matthew Lewis), Utilizing eDNA to survey the Powell River for presence of Blotchside Logperch (Percina burtoni) for endangered mussel conservation.
- Chemical and Physical Science: JeanPaul Santamaria (mentor Thomas Shell), Synthesis of the Trifluoroacetamido Derivative of Acamprosate.
- Health Professions: Christian Piercy (mentor Stan Kunigelis), Wnt Signaling Pathway in Labidocera Copepods.
- Social Sciences: Natalie Mueller (mentor Tracy Mims), The Relationship Between Predisposed Traumatic Factors and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans Post Service.
- Humanities: Terri Hamilton (mentor Abigail Heiniger), Jack Tales: A Reflection of Regional Economic Realities.
- Business: Mackenzie Amoureux (mentors Lisa Blair-Cox and Joy Williams), Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Disclosing the Barriers Women Face in the Business World.
Graduate Division
- Osteopathic Medicine: Sky Hart, William Huff, and Luke Reardon, Design of a Single-Blind Pilot Study: Comparing Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment and Oxymetazoline for Increasing Nasal Patency.
- Biomedical and Medical Science: Rohan Puppala (mentor Stan Kunigelis), G.R.I.N. and Bare It!
- Veterinary Medicine: Alexandria Cruz (mentors R. Lockwood, J. Morgan, S. Kitt-Morgan, K. Gruszynski, L. Brandt, and A. Verma), Mammalian and Non-mammalian Reservoirs of Leptospirosis in South-Central Appalachia.
- Education: Kensey Smartt (mentors Victoria Morris, Robert Gilley, R. Randall Thompson and Julie Hunt), Development of a High-Fidelity Cranial Cruciate Rupture Model Using Soft Embalming Method with Surgical Reality Fluid.
2024–2025 UPLIFT Recipients
- Briana Martinez (CMSHP)
- Theo Czepiel (AHSS)
- Brenna Lockwood (AHSS)
- Alivia Elkins (CMSHP)
2024 Ledford Awardees and Mentors
- Erin Achauer and Abigail Heiniger (AHSS)
- Katilee Croft and Barbara Shock (CMSHP)
- Spencer Baldwin and Barbara Shock (CMSHP)
- Hannah Cure and Thomas Shell (CMSHP)
- Terri Hamilton and Abigail Heiniger (AHSS)
- Natalie Mueller and Tracy Mims (AHSS)
- Christian Piercy and Stan Kunigelis (CMSHP)
2025 Ledford Awardees and Mentors
- Benjamin Greer and LaRoy Brandt (CMSHP)
- Terri Hamilton and Abigail Heiniger (AHSS)
- Aiden Jones and Kathryn Purple (CMSHP)
- McKinley Jones and Julie Hall (CMSHP)
- Claire Matherly and LaRoy Brandt (CMSHP)
- Weslyn Mcintosh and LaRoy Brandt (CMSHP)
- Carly Mozingo and Barbara Shock (CMSHP)
- Josie Short and LaRoy Brandt (CMSHP)
- Stewart Thacker and Matthew Lewis (CMSHP)
Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423-869-6280 or email at admissions@LMUnet.edu.
