Previous Award Winners

Explore award-winning student research across categories such as Literature Reviews, Research Proposals, Full Research Studies, and Class Projects. These projects showcase academic excellence in education, speech-language pathology, special education, and related fields.

Spring 2025 Award Winners

Literature Reviews

1st Place
Title: Gestalt Language Processing: Reliance on the NLA Protocol and Its Impact on Individuals with Autism
Authors: Madi Hyatt & Hayley Collins

2nd Place
Title: Impact of AAC on Individuals with ALS
Authors: Phoebe Bilby, Madelyn Cosby, Shannon Douglass, Tristin Williamson, Sarah Caldwell

3rd Place
Title: Supportive Role of Medical Professionals for Families with Infants Transitioning from NICU to Early Intervention (EI)
Authors: Bailey Bowen, Makenzee Eversole, Kaley Unger, Maegan Janosik

Research Proposals

1st Place
Title: Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Mental Health Outcomes in Adolescents with IEPs
Authors: Jewel Wagner & Anna Grace Dorsey

2nd Place
Title: Voices of Change: Surveying Knowledge and Interest in Gender-Affirming Voice Therapy
Authors: McKay Shockley, Delia Chartier, Kayla Cash

3rd Place
Title: The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Disordered Eating Behaviors in Young Men (Ages 18–25)
Author: Rachel Toombs

Full Research Studies

1st Place
Title: Balancing Connection with Consistency: Evaluating Discipline Policies Through the Lens of Relational Discipline Theory
Author: Carrie Ward

2nd Place
Title: Every Person Is a Math Person
Author: Jennifer Fisher

3rd Place
Title: The Effect of Incentives on Chronic Absenteeism in High School Students
Author: Kristin Crowder

Spring 2024 Award Winners

Literature Reviews

1st Place
Title: Children in the Digital Age: The Effects of Tablets and Mobile Screens on Child Development
Authors: Gabriela Bowne, Maranda Hoyt & Erin Bernard

2nd Place
Title: Does More Instructional Time Yield Significant Literacy Gains?
Authors: Amy Weber & Samantha Shiflett

3rd Place
Title: Is Retention a Viable Intervention?
Authors: Laura Mueller & Meagan Jackson

Research Proposals

1st Place
Title: Exploring School Library Design and Its Impact on Students' Social and Emotional Wellbeing
Author: Christina "Nina" Beltran

2nd Place
Title: The Impact of Elementary School Library Overdue Policies on Circulation and Collection
Author: Lauren Lancaster

3rd Place
Title: The Influence of Diverse Fiction on Students’ Perceptions of Diverse Peoples
Author: Danielle Kauffman

Completed Research Studies

1st Place
Title: Caregiver Perspectives on the Use of Person-Centered Care in Speech-Language Pathology Services
Author: Kathryn Ticknor

2nd Place
Title: This (Dis)Abled Person: Professional Receptiveness Towards Future SLPs with Disabilities
Author: Billy Holden Allen

3rd Place
Title: Impact of Cleft Lip and/or Cleft Palate on Language, Educational/Professional, and Social Relations in Adulthood
Authors: Morgan Epperson, Emma Jane Cowen & Shafiqa Sawyer

Class Projects

1st Place
Title: Meet Me in the Middle: Literacy Intervention to Close Achievement Gaps
Author: Charley Carroll

2nd Place
Title: Best Practices for Systematic Phonics Instruction: A Professional Development
Authors: Tamika Saunders & Whitney Johnson

3rd Place
Title: Phonemic Awareness Activities for K–2
Author: Jasmin Childress